| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Okay, so a character can only have one Bardic Performance happening at once…
Starting a bardic performance is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing a bardic performance from one effect to another requires the bard to stop the previous performance and start a new one as a standard action. A bardic performance cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the bard is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. A bard cannot have more than one bardic performance in effect at one time.
… and a Sensei’s Advice ability is identical to Bardic Performance…
A sensei’s advice is identical to bardic performance (using oratory), allowing him to inspire courage at 1st level, inspire competence at 3rd level, and inspire greatness at 9th level, as a bard of the sensei’s level, usable a total number of rounds per day equal to his level + his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).
My question is this: Can the same character have Advice and Bardic Performance active at the same time? They’re said to be identical, but are they the same thing? My thought is that “Advice” and “Bardic Knowledge”, while identical, could both be active at the same time, because they Sensei doesn’t gain “Bardic Knowledge”. They could only have a single Bardic Performance, and a single Advice active at the same time.
That having been said, I'm also the one wanting it, so I could be trying to convince myself, here.
Yeah, it says Advice is identical to bardic performance, and the bard says you can't have more than one active at once.
Now, while it does say "bard", I'm inclined to believe it means any character with bardic performance.
Yeah, it says Advice is identical to bardic performance, and the bard says you can't have more than one active at once.
Now, while it does say "bard", I'm inclined to believe it means any character with bardic performance.
If "Advice" is supposed to be identical to "Bardic Knowledge", then the rules text should be the same, excepting that all references to the original ability would be placed with the new ability name, wouldn't it?
Starting an advice is a standard action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. Changing an advice from one effect to another requires the sensei to stop the previous performance and start a new one as a standard action. An advice cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the sensei is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. A sensei cannot have more than one advice in effect at one time.
(The italicized items originally referenced the Bard class and ability, but were changed to the Sensei class and ability, for clarity).
Reading it like that makes two separate effects for the character: Advice, and Bardic Performance. They give separate effects, pools of rounds to track, and so on. Obviously, you wouldn't want to pick effects that wouldn't stack with each other (no "Inspiring Courage" twice), but couldn't the character use "Advice: Inspire Courage" on his allies and "Bardic Performance: Fascinate" on his enemies at the same time?
They grant the same type of bonus, meaning that the same preformance from both wouldn't stack.
I'm not worried about bonuses stacking - I'm not intending to use the same effect from both, at the same time. The question is can I have both going at the same time?
I would say no. Since Advice is identical to Bardic Performance, it counts as having a Performance active for the purposes of any feats and abilities you have - including Bardic Performance itself. That means you couldn't use a Bardic Performance while you have Advice active.
This sounds like a FAQ candidate if you ask me.
I would say no. Since Advice is identical to Bardic Performance, it counts as having a Performance active for the purposes of any feats and abilities you have - including Bardic Performance itself. That means you couldn't use a Bardic Performance while you have Advice active.
Nothing says that feats and effects that apply to BP apply to Advice.