Once combat starts this works fine. You have a quickened action that can be used for a composition. You can use that at any point mixed in with your other actions. So yes, Fortissimo, Composition, Cast a Spell/Stride/Whatever works normally.
The only thing you can't do is have a Fortissimo Composition up before combat starts, as you can't do Fortissimo as an Exploration activity.
The only thing you can't do is have a Fortissimo Composition up before combat starts, as you can't do Fortissimo as an Exploration activity.
Well, it is a free action. I could allow it - sort of. But not really.
You could use it during exploration mode. You would just run out of focus points well before you got any benefit out of Fortissimo pre-combat.
I wouldn't allow you to presciently cast Fortissimo 'right before' the start of battle so that it is active before your first opportunity to act.
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Could I use Courageous Onslaught on the first round of combat also?Why do you think this could be a problem? Yes, you can. Is the issue that you normally can't use reactions on first combat round before your turn? Well, the feat says they can 'immediately' use reaction, so they can.
The feat doesn't overrule if they have a reaction or not. It's actually just saying that the target gains an option to react to at that moment to do what Courageous Onslaught says.
The rules say this: "The GM determines whether you can use reactions before your first turn begins, depending on the situation in which the encounter happens."
If the GM says you can't use reactions before your turn starts, then you can't use reactions before your turn starts. That covers all reactions, including the one Courageous Onslaught lets you use.
But that doesn't impact if the Bard can cast it on their turn or not, since thats just a normal turn.
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Nominally maybe. But actually this is already very hostile GMing. This not only prevents reaction from non-acting target, it destroys a bard's turn. And bard is already acting.The rules say this: "The GM determines whether you can use reactions before your first turn begins, depending on the situation in which the encounter happens."
If the GM says you can't use reactions before your turn starts, then you can't use reactions before your turn starts. That covers all reactions, including the one Courageous Onslaught lets you use.
This is how the rules work. GMs in my experience only tend to do that if you're being surprised. It's often not the default state. Calling it hostile GMing doesn't change that it's explicitly in the rules that it can happen and Courageous Onslaught doesn't bypass it.
Courageous Onslaught also doesn't work if the target already used their reaction and doesn't have one available. If that "destroys a Bard's turn", I have serious questions about what a Bard high enough level to have Courageous Onslaught is doing because they should have a LOT of strong options.