Bardic Fascination over Crowds


Rules Questions


I'm working through designing a villain for a new campaign and found a Bard archetype that fits rather well with how I picture him, the demagogue. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how he can use his higher level Demagogue abilities on large groups of people, which is how the archetype seems to be pointed toward doing.

Relevant Abilities:

Gather Crowd:
Gather Crowd (Ex): At 5th level, the celebrity is skilled at drawing an audience to his performances. If he is in a settlement or populated area, he can shout, sing, or otherwise make himself noticed in order to attract an audience to his impromptu stage. The size of the crowd depends on the local population, but typically is a number of people equal to 1/2 the bard’s class level × the result of the bard’s Perform check. The crowd gathers over the next 1d10 rounds. If the bard fails to engage the crowd (such as by performing, kissing babies, trying to use fascinate, and so on), it disperses over the next 1d10 rounds.

Incite Violence:
Incite Violence (Ex): At 6th level, the demagogue can use his performance to fan the fury of a crowd of people he has fascinated. Using this ability does not disrupt the fascinate effect, but does require a standard action to activate (in addition to the free action to continue the fascinate effect). The bard selects a number of targets equal to his level, who must make Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Charisma modifier) or be affected by rage for a number of rounds equal to the bard’s level. The bard indicates who is the intended target of violence (either after using this ability or as part of the performance leading to it) and the enraged members of the crowd immediately attack the target if possible. The target does not need to be present (“kill the king” is a suitable choice) and can be an object instead of a person (“destroy the prison!” is likewise appropriate). Other members of the crowd may follow suit, though they do not gain the benefits of rage. This is a sound-based effect and is affected by countersong. If two or more bards are attempting to direct the crowd against different targets, they must make opposed Charisma checks, with the crowd following the directions of the winner.

Righteous Cause:
Righteous Cause (Ex): At 18th level, the demagogue can lift a crowd’s emotions and turn them toward a common purpose. First, he must fascinate the crowd, and then use incite violence without designating a target, at which point he can use righteous cause. Instead of driving the crowd with anger, he fills them with purpose. Fascinated creatures must make Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Charisma modifier) to resist. Those who fail are affected by mass suggestion of a plausible idea that lingers with them for one day. Typical uses of this ability are to spark rebellion, overthrow a king, build a beneficial structure such as an orphanage, or donate money to a cause.

Fascinate:
Fascinate (Su): At 1st level, a bard can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and capable of paying attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creatures affected. The Distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three levels a bard has attained beyond 1st, he can target one additional creature with this ability.

It looks like a high level Demagogue could pull in a lot of people (easily hundreds for a high level bard) but could only Fascinate and boost up to Righteous Cause on half a dozen people.

Can the bard use Fascinate on six or seven people and push them up to Righteous Cause, then let those people go and move on to another group to Fascinate without ending and restarting their performance?

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Bardic Fascination over Crowds All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Rules Questions