Totemic Skald Question. Skald's Vigor

[Vhalen Warren]

Okay, so here's my thing: Skald's Vigor states:

Your song and your enthusiasm combine to invigorate you in battle.

Prerequisite(s): Raging song class feature.

Benefit: While maintaining a raging song, you gain fast healing equal to the Strength bonus your song provides, starting in the round after you begin the song. If you stop maintaining your song, the fast healing ends, even if the effects of your song persist.

Totemic Skald of lvl 3 gets a +2 morale bonus to strength. The animal focus bull raging power gained through totemic skald archetype grants another +2 str, but this is an enhancement bonus.

If Skald's Vigor states that you gain fast healing equal to the strength bonus the song provides, does that equate to the +4 strength it now provides?

[Just a Guess]

I read it as you get fast healing equal to the strength bonus not the bonus to strength, which is different. If the strength increases by 2 this gives you a strength bonus of +1.

But as to your question I can't tell. But I would lean towards the "the enhancement bonus does not count" side.

So by my interpretation you'd get fast healing 1.

[Secret Wizard]

RAW: It works.

RAI: They probably meant to affect only Inspired Rage by this, but f#*@ them.

[Vhalen Warren]

Hmmm Though it is stated not as bonus to strength but strength bonus in the song.

"+2 morale bonus to Strength"

If they have an errata on this it would clear it up. However, "strength bonus" you are thinking of would be more of a strength modifier.

"You apply your character's Strength modifier to:"

So the real question isn't whether I get the +2, it's whether I get +2, or +4.

[Cavall]

I would not allow that as it seems to be adding outside the original song. However, I would allow a Courageous Weapon to allow the bonus increase to be added in. Mostly due to it saying it increases the "source" in a much better wording.

That being said if you really want to give up what you are in order to gain a +1, I can see a GM allowing it. Not the worst trade off.

[Vhalen Warren]

Cavall wrote:

I would not allow that as it seems to be adding outside the original song. However, I would allow a Courageous Weapon to allow the bonus increase to be added in. Mostly due to it saying it increases the "source" in a much better wording.

That being said if you really want to give up what you are in order to gain a +1, I can see a GM allowing it. Not the worst trade off.

I can't say I agree. You say it's outside the song, but it is a rage power, that becomes a part of the song. The song is providing a +4 strength bonus.

The wording on skald's vigor relates to the strength bonus provided by the song.

If they didn't mean for it to be adaptive to other archetypes/items/feats than they should have stated it is +2 fast healing at skald lvl 1 and increases to 4 at lvl 8, and so on.

I wish there was an official ruling on this.

[Cavall]

Like I said since you're giving up things like spell Kenning for the archetype and gaining a little hit damage and fast healing increase of one for a very limited time, it's really not a huge deal.

I may not do it but it's fair trade. We may never get a ruling but it may not really matter so long as the GM doesn't mind a limited boost to fast healing.

Given that you're using a feat too, it's a pretty big investment at the start of game.

But I concede I can see your point too.

[Vhalen Warren]

Cavall wrote:

Like I said since you're giving up things like spell Kenning for the archetype and gaining a little hit damage and fast healing increase of one for a very limited time, it's really not a huge deal.

I may not do it but it's fair trade. We may never get a ruling but it may not really matter so long as the GM doesn't mind a limited boost to fast healing.

Given that you're using a feat too, it's a pretty big investment at the start of game.

But I concede I can see your point too.

The reason it is important to me is because at lvl 10 he can give the same fast healing to anyone in the party who accepts the raging song.

Though I am thinking of being able to give the whole party evasion and than improved evasion at lvl 12 instead.

[Cavall]

Given that he should be healing the group for about 15 points a turn and giving them damage reduction, the fast healing doesn't really mean that much if it's 2 or 4. But it's an interesting point. The skald in my game went with a more viking feel for the skull and shackles game and took dragon skald action.

That's a two feat investment.

I guess the real question is this. Is this a rage power? The book lists it as such. "The following rage power".

So yes, I guess it would be a modification. Looking at the feat, it simply states the strength bonus the song provides. Not the morale bonus. But the total strength bonus. Therefore, strength would be added.

I take back my earlier statement. The bonus would in fact work. As would the courageous enchant.

[tivadar27]

This isn't hard. "While maintaining a raging song, you gain fast healing equal to the Strength bonus your song provides." Your song is giving you a +2 strength bonus at level 1. It is only what your song provides, not due to rage powers (which is what animal focus is). You're not getting this from the song, you're getting it from the rage power, which you get from the song (different).

Also, as far as I'm concerned, "strength bonus" and "bonus to strength" are the same thing. This is +2. This results in increasing your net strength ability bonus, but that's not what the song grants you. Also note, things like courageous should increase this appropriately.