Hi,
with the core rules stating:
Every bard spell has a verbal component (song, recitation, or music).
does that imply the bard gets to choose which type he's going to pick?
More to the point: Could a bard cast a Charm Person by playing a fiddle or even by whistling (a member of the family "music", after all)? Could he Cure Light Wounds by playing the drums?
In particular, the Charm Person bit makes me think. That spell begs to find ways to cast it as surepetitiously as possible, and what better than to cover it in a poem on stage or an innocently whistled tune in the streets?
Which one he uses is not specified because it does not matter. Playing drums however would be more along the lines of a somatic component. Verbal components come from you, not from an instrument.
So, essentially talking, singing, humming, whistling, any of these would be a fine alternative to use as verbal components for a bard spell?
Which does effectively mean, a bard could try to cast a charm person by whistling?
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So, essentially talking, singing, humming, whistling, any of these would be a fine alternative to use as verbal components for a bard spell?
Which does effectively mean, a bard could try to cast a charm person by whistling?
charm person has verbal and somatic component anyway...like I often remind my players when they try to cast charm person right in front of someone at a market, which is pretty foolish.
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charm person has verbal and somatic component anyway...like I often remind my players when they try to cast charm person right in front of someone at a market, which is pretty foolish.
When I try to "charm" someone IRL, it has a verbal and often a somatic component. Does verbal/somatic mean in game mechanics that it has to be a litany of arcane words and an arcane gesture?
I imagine "charm person" to be more of a magic-empowered diplomacy check. An implanted suggestion perhaps.
The Jedi Mind Trick (different universe, I know) uses verbal and somatic components, but they were a simple wave of the hand and a suggestion.
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Up to your dm about the fluff of it but mechanic wise, casting charm person or any spells in front of someone is obvious enough that it does provoke an attack of opportunity or allow them to at least attempt a spellcraft to identify the spell if they have ranks in spellcraft of course. Basically RAW wise, there is no subtle way to cast charm person, RAI probably could use to make this spell a little more friendly to subtle casting.
Yeah, there is no subtle spell casting in pathfinder. And it's on purpose.
With some very minor exceptions. As you are a bard, you actually get to use the biggest and most useful exception.
I give to you, the feat, Spellsong!
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Which one he uses is not specified because it does not matter. Playing drums however would be more along the lines of a somatic component. Verbal components come from you, not from an instrument.
A skald casts arcane spells drawn from the bard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. Every skald spell has a verbal component—these verbal components can take the form of song, recitation, or even non-verbal music like percussion. To learn or cast a spell, a skald must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The saving throw DC against a skald's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the skald's Charisma modifier.
Just thought I'd add this to the fray - if you want to drop some sick beats as part of your casting, Skald is the way to go!
So, essentially talking, singing, humming, whistling, any of these would be a fine alternative to use as verbal components for a bard spell?
Which does effectively mean, a bard could try to cast a charm person by whistling?
No, not really.
Casting a spell just by whistling is not the same as the whistling being a part of the spell.
Basically the whistle itself is not the spell, but just another component, just like the somatic or material component is.