Inspire Courage and Attack Spells

[Gwaedh]

Does the bardic performance inspire courage affect combat spells? If so, which ones?

I feel like it should apply to spells with attack rolls, but that isn't based on anything but my sense of what is appropriate.

Thanks

[MurphysParadox]

Inspire Courage wrote:

... a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls

So you get a bonus to hit with spells that feature an attack roll, but no bonus to damage. Unless you want to play the "rays count as weapons because weapon focus can work for rays" card, then whatever. But strictly speaking, it only gives damage bonus to weapon attacks.

[Bigdaddyjug]

Rays do count as weapons and Inspire Courage most certainly adds to the attack roll and damage roll of any spell that requires an attack roll and does hit point damage.

[MurphysParadox]

I haven't seen anything that says rays are weapons or that inspire courage works with spells. I've seen that weapon focus has a special call out saying you can take it for rays (which wouldn't be necessary if a ray was a weapon) and Inspire Courage definitely doesn't say it works for every spell. For example, your fireball isn't slightly more burny because the bard is rocking out.

[ShadowcatX]

All spells that require an attack roll will benefit from that bonus.

All ray spells that deal damage will benefit from the damage bonus, because rays are classified as weapons. (It would be a totally legit house rule to say hit point damage, IMO.) Spells that are not rays, even if they are ranged touch attacks, will not benefit from the increased damage because a ranged touch attack is not a weapon.

[Xaratherus]

For any spell that requires an attack roll, it adds +1 to the attack. It definitely adds +1 to the damage of rays, because of this FAQ - but not to the damage from any non-ray spell (even if that spell has an attack roll). House rule-wise, I allow it to add +1 to the damage to any spell that requires an attack roll as well.

[MurphysParadox]

Xaratherus wrote:

For any spell that requires an attack roll, it adds +1 to the attack. It definitely adds +1 to the damage of rays, because of this FAQ - but not to the damage from any non-ray spell (even if that spell has an attack roll). House rule-wise, I allow it to add +1 to the damage to any spell that requires an attack roll as well.

Ok, now I've seen something that confirms rays count as weapons for things like this. And by 'things like this' I mean 'this exact situation is what the FAQ addresses', heh.

[Nefreet]

SKR says "yes" to both attack and damage.

[blahpers]

Thanks for that link, Nefreet.

[Nefreet]

I hold onto it for my Magus, because I've encountered many GMs who would not allow it otherwise.