RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32
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So, recently the bad guys attacked the PCs and one of the bad guys was a bard. Being a bard, it started off with inspire courage helping all the enemies of the players.
Then one of the PCs, an enchanter, charmed one of the attackers, turning it against the bad guy bard.
Is the bad guy still an ally of the bard? Does it require an action on the bard's part to drop the charmed fighter from the list of allies?
What does the hivemind think?
I couldn’t find anything official. I’d probably make the bard wait until he maintains the song to add or drop an ally though.
yeah, I'd say it changes on the bards action too. Its a complete GM call though, to be fair, so any way you rule it is really fine. That just seems the 'fairest' way to go, and generally when players do cool stuff like that, I like to let it work out for them in the coolest way, including all the bonuses like those buffs.
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"To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard’s performance."
Does the bard consider the enemy an ally, or an enemy who's temporarily mind-controlled? Allies benefit from the performance and only need to be able to perceive it. No action is needed to toggle someone into, or out of, being able to benefit from it.
As soon as a creature becomes an ally and can perceive the performance, it gets the benefits. As soon as a creature stops being an ally or can no longer perceive the performance, it ceases to benefit.
So, recently the bad guys attacked the PCs and one of the bad guys was a bard. Being a bard, it started off with inspire courage helping all the enemies of the players.
Then one of the PCs, an enchanter, charmed one of the attackers, turning it against the bad guy bard.
Is the bad guy still an ally of the bard? Does it require an action on the bard's part to drop the charmed fighter from the list of allies?
What does the hivemind think?
The enchanter should have charmed the bard. Then the inspire would go to the party and away from the enemy.
/cevah
I have to agree with Merril on this. What charm doe is makes you think the caster is your friend. It does not alter any other relationships. If the bard is actually a friend of the attacker he is now facing a conflict between two friends. If the relationship is more distant than he is facing a conflict between a friend and whatever relationship the attacker has to the bard.
I would say that it does take some effort to change who is considered an ally. Also consider that inspire courage gives a bonus to saves vs charm and fear. Let’s say the attacker is a rogue with the slippery mind talent. Would the attacker get the bonus form inspire courage to the second save?
Dang, I forgot about that. Still, getting the bard's inspiration is still nice.
But if you can turn one enemy against another, why not choose the bard to turn?
/cevah
The reason the bard was not the target of the charm is probably because he would have a better chance of making the save. It is a sound tactic to target those who are more likely to be affected than those more likely to be able to resist.
The OP may have been using the term "charm" loosely too. It could have just been some compulsion effect, that got called "charm" by someone at the table.