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I know this is pretty high level shenanigans, but does this work the way I think it does?
At 14th level, a Court Bard replaces Frightening Tune with a performance called Scandal:
Each enemy within 30 feet is affected as if by a song of discord for as long as it can hear the performance. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the bard’s level + the bard’s Cha modifier) negates the effect, and that creature is immune to this ability for 24 hours. Scandal is a language-dependent, mind-affecting ability that uses audible components.
Using audible components could be an instrument, right? An instrument like the Riot Pipes?
This simple musical instrument seems and behaves in all ways like any other kind of magical pipes until its owner plays it in an urban setting. Once he does, it requires all people within hearing range to make a DC 15 Will saving throw to avoid falling into a murderous fury. Those who fail their saves gain the effects of a rage spell for the next 1d6 hours and experience a strong compulsion (DC 15 Will save negates) to attack any stranger or disliked person whom they encounter during this time. If the owner spends more than 3 consecutive days in an urban setting, he must make a DC 15 Will saving throw each day to avoid playing the riot pipes at some point during each subsequent day. The pipes remain with the player until the curse is broken.
So, say this particular Court Bard uses their Riot Pipes to perform their Scandal Performance in an urban setting... Rage and Song of Discord... now it's a party. However, how/where could this be used? Even as a plot device?
It seems that a bunch of rioting townsfolk is honestly but a minor inconvenience, at best. And the high level Bard playing the pipes is probably a very obvious point of interest in such a riot.
I wish I would have known about this combination when I was running Kingmaker, probably could have worked it in... a riot in the new kingdom seems both fitting and fun. But other than that, I am at a loss on how to incorporate this combination into a game. Maybe a riot on a ship in my upcoming pirate campaign?
Any ideas how to make this fun and challenging for a party to deal with?
If some people they don't want dead are affected then they need to protect those people before/at the same time as going after the bard. Including from each other.
If the person playing the riot pipes is not the same as the court bard then they have at least two targets to go after. A 14th level bard could easily be mostly invulnerable to a DC 15 Will save.
'All people within hearing range' implies that line of sight isn't necessary for the pipes, which could mean that going after the piper is a bit tricky. Though at that level dimension door is on the cards for the party, teleporting into a fight sight unseen is the sort of thing that I saw get a magus killed - your PCs may have had similar enough experiences to want to avoid it.
I was thinking the Court Bard would be the one with the Riot Pipes. It seems fitting.
My idea was to have combat bust out in a populated area, full of civilians that start to riot...
A bunch, and I mean a BUNCH, of aristocrats, commoners, experts, and warriors... just going bonkers mad... now the difficult terrain caused by crowds is probably easily manageable by this level, and the nonlethal damage from untrained unarmed attacks can be mostly ignored, no use taking any AoO against the rioting civilians...
But lots of soft cover, no real ability to use area spells and most battlefield control spells are also out... should add at least some element of difficulty to the situation.
Maybe have some Rogues hidden in the crowd? Have the Court Bard switch to his Glorious Epic, now people are flat-footed...?