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At 1st level, a watersinger can use bardic performance to manipulate and control the shape of water within 30 feet. A successful Perform check allows the bard to animate and control a 5-foot-cube of water. The watersinger can command the water to take various forms, bend, rise, fall, or sustain a shape, and can make it support weight as if it were solid ice. For example, the watersinger could create a pillar of water (to provide cover), ladder, channel, bridge, stairs, slide, and so on. The manipulated water is as slippery as normal ice. This ability cannot create forms more fragile or complex than what could be carved in normal ice. While under the bard's control, the water has hardness 0 and 3 hit points per inch of thickness. At level 3, the manipulated water gains hardness 1, and this increases by +1 for every 3 bard levels beyond that. At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, the volume affected increases by an additional 5-foot cube (these cubes must be adjacent to each other). The manipulated water retains its shape for 1 round after the bard stops spending bardic performance rounds to maintain it. This ability replaces fascinate, suggestion, and mass suggestion.
Waterstrike (Su): At 3rd level, the watersinger can spend 1 round of bardic performance to command any water he is currently manipulating with his watersong performance to lash out and strike an opponent with a slam attack. The watersinger uses his base attack bonus and Charisma bonus to make this attack, and deals 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage plus his Charisma bonus. The attack can originate from any square of water the bard is manipulating, and the water can get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one, but cannot make attacks of opportunity. The water can make multiple attacks per round if your base attack bonus allows you to do so. At 10th level, the water's slam damage increases to 1d8 points and the water gains a reach of 10 feet. At 15th level, the water's slam damage increases to 2d6 points. At 20th level, the water's slam damage increases to 2d8 points. This performance replaces inspire competence.
So, I have a few questions about these abilities.
1:Is the bolded part just flavor text, or is there some DC that I haven't found?
2:How does this interact with Lingering Performance? Does the extra round from the ability stack with the extra 2 from Lingering Performance, or do they Overlap?
3:Could I replace the attack from Wavestrike with a Disarm, Trip, or Sunder combat maneuver, considering that these can be made in place of attacks normally?
. . .
1:Is the bolded part just flavor text, or is there some DC that I haven't found?
Each bardic performance has audible components, visual components, or both.
If a bardic performance has audible components, the targets must be able to hear the bard for the performance to have any effect, and many such performances are language dependent (as noted in the description). A deaf bard has a 20% change to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with an audible component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Deaf creatures are immune to bardic performances with audible components.
If a bardic performance has a visual component, the targets must have line of sight to the bard for the performance to have any effect. A blind bard has a 50% chance to fail when attempting to use a bardic performance with a visual component. If he fails this check, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. Blind creatures are immune to bardic performances with visual components.
Hmm... not only does the ability not specify, neither does the one it replaces. Looking at the Perform skill, the first DC listed for a successful check is 10. So, DC 10 is my guess for a successful check.
(As a DM, I'd just let it happen, just like the barbarian's rage ability and a paladin's aura ability.)
2:How does this interact with Lingering Performance? Does the extra round from the ability stack with the extra 2 from Lingering Performance, or do they Overlap?
Lingering Performance
. . .
Benefit: The bonuses and penalties from your bardic performance continue for 2 rounds after you cease performing. Any other requirement, such as range or specific conditions, must still be met for the effect to continue. If you begin a new bardic performance during this time, the effects of the previous performance immediately cease.
With the way it's written, I figure it overwrites the feature, so technically you get two more rounds.
(As a DM, though, if anyone asked in a home game, I'd let it stack.)
3:Could I replace the attack from Wavestrike with a Disarm, Trip, or Sunder combat maneuver, considering that these can be made in place of attacks normally?
. . . You can attempt to disarm your opponent in place of a melee attack. If you do not have the Improved Disarm feat, or a similar ability, attempting to disarm a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. Attempting to disarm a foe while unarmed imposes a –4 penalty on the attack. . . .
. . . You can attempt to sunder an item held or worn by your opponent in place of a melee attack* (see Editors Note: Multiple Sunder Attempts). If you do not have the Improved Sunder feat, or a similar ability, attempting to sunder an item provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. . . .
. . . You can attempt to trip your opponent in place of a melee attack. You can only trip an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. If you do not have the Improved Trip feat, or a similar ability, initiating a trip provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. . . .
If a slam is a melee attack, then yes.