I've never even seen these feats and haven't played bards much, but I don't think you can stack these with each other.
Improved/Greater Dirge of Doom aren't separate effects, they simply improve the way Dirge of Doom works. Improved Dorge of Doom says it stacks fear effects when combined with "another fear effect".
Avain this isn't something I'm an expert at, but that's what it looks like to me.
The second you stop your performance, all effects of Dirge of Doom stop as well. Greater Dirge of Doom makes the effect linger when the target moves out of the 60ft area, but it doesn't make it linger if you stop performing.
So you start DoD as a swift action, creature X becomes shaken. You start another DoD as a move action, your first DoD ends, and creature X becomes un-shaken, and immediately becomes shaken again. Dito for the standard action.
You don't start a "Improved Dirge of Doom" or "Greater Dirge of Doom", you start a Dirge of Doom, modified by the feat(s).
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Yes, you can start multiple performances in a round, but you can only have one performance in effect at a time (even with abilities like lingering performance).
Instantaneous effects (like dealing damage) would already have happened even if you switch performances, and there are some archetypes that have abilities that last beyond the end of a performance. For example, a 13th-level Chelish Diva could:
1) Standard Action - Devastating Aria (deals damage)
2) Move Action - Scathing Tirade (cause fear and lasts for 1d4 rounds after she stops performing)
3) Swift Action - Inspire Courage
The feats Improved and Greater Dirge of Doom modify the base effects of Dirge of Doom... once you have both feats you are always using the effects of Greater Dirge of Doom when you use the Dirge of Doom performance.
That said... even if you can use start the performance three times in the same round, the fear effect will not stack.
Benefit: The range of your dirge of doom ability is extended to 60 feet. Additionally, if a creature is shaken from effect, the effect of your dirge of doom is changed to frightened for that specific creature. This benefit cannot cause a creature to become panicked, even if a target is already frightened from another effect.
Normal: The range of dirge of doom is 30 feet. A creature that is already shaken cannot become frightened by dirge of doom. Once affected by this feat, a creature cannot be affected by it again for 24 hours.
Benefit: The effect of your dirge of doom lingers with a target for 2 rounds after the creature leaves the dirge’s area of effect. If you use your dirge on a creature that is shaken, it becomes frightened. If you use it on a creature that is frightened, it becomes panicked. Once affected by this feat, a creature cannot be affected by it again for 24 hours.
Normal: Fear effects on a creature end immediately once it leaves the area of dirge of doom. A fear effect cannot be made more extreme by dirge of doom and can be changed only to the frightened condition by the Improved Dirge of Doom feat.
As outlined in the feat descriptions, it can only modify pre-existing fear effects from OTHER effects... meaning, they must be shaken from a source other than a prior usage of your Dirge of Doom.
A greatsword hack is a greatsword hack whether or not Tog chooses to use power attack. Dirge of Doom is Dirge of Doom whether or not you choose to add the boost from Improved/Greater.
Intimidating performance would go well with this.
There's not a huge functional difference between Frightened and Panicked in most corcumstances, so you could forget about that step and just go for Frightened.
Dazzling Display plus Improved Dirge of Doom is Frightened in 1 round. Greater Dirge of Doom keeps them Frightened for 2 rounds after they run (likely taking them out of combat for 5-6 rounds).
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Ok. Bummer. I see what y'all are saying. Thanks for all of the thoughtful replies. =^) I just assumed that you would be able to not use the Improved Dirge feat if you didn't want to (Only scare the 30 feet of bad guys not 60 feet) Thus it became a different source. Original vs. Improved vs. Greater. I can agree with you there.
Mmmmm..... well.....
Then what about this. Panicked in 1 round....
Swift action: Dirge of Doom = Shaken
Standard action: Cast Shadowbard
---- Shadowbard Performance: Improved dirge of Doom. = Frightened
---- This is not my Dirge so it can stack.
Move action: Greater Dirge of Doom = Panicked
The original Dirge stops, but Greater builds off of the Shadowbard's Improved Dirge.Does this work? =^)
Same source is still same source. Dirge of doom is still dirge of doom. Or you would allow 3 different casters to cast Eagle splendor on a bard and give him a +12 to charisma?
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When a shadowbard comes into being, it immediately begins a bardic performance of your choice—it has access to all of the bardic performances that you do. It continues that bardic performance until you direct it as a move action to switch to a different performance.
It has access to your performances, not your feats, so it can't start Improved Dirge of Doom.