Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Origin Point 11-24-05, 06:20 PM	Am trying to make a Bard that tells stories and sagas about great heroes and such. But all Bard are apparently singes :confused: In shot is they any Bard that uses storytelling and not music for his magical abilities? I am a little despaired so any help will be much appreciated.
Darth_Azalin 11-24-05, 06:21 PM	So I take it you want your bard to be little like Bob Dylan?
Gundragon 11-24-05, 06:29 PM	Just change "Bardic Music" to "Bardic Speech" or something. Bards can use singing to convey their powers, so I don't see why they can't make heroic or inspiring speeches during battle.
Origin Point 11-24-05, 06:32 PM	no... :eek: More like: listen boys I know that the dragon is tough, but ones there was this guy...............so I think we could kill this dragon. +2 morality. Kind of Bard
scienceman47 11-24-05, 06:55 PM	Okay im not 100% sure about this so dont assault me if its wrong but I believe you can use any perform for your bards ability. I believe amongst those options is a storytelling perform. I believe you can even use buffoonery.
mythSSK 11-24-05, 06:59 PM	Okay im not 100% sure about this so dont assault me if its wrong but I believe you can use any perform for your bards ability. I believe amongst those options is a storytelling perform. I believe you can even use buffoonery. Bardic Music can be used with any Perform skill. I had an idea for a Michael Flatley-esque bard, but never got to use him. :(
thought_riot 11-24-05, 07:00 PM	Actually, no you can't. You can't dance to grant bardic music abilities. From the SRD: While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance. You can recite poetry, etc. It has to involve some kid of speech or music.
Silverthumb128 11-24-05, 07:15 PM	You can recite poetry, etc. It has to involve some kid of speech or music. Seriously? That is total crap, man. That really sorta limits what a Bard can and can't do. I'd allow it to work with any Perform check.
thought_riot 11-24-05, 07:16 PM	Seriously? That is total crap, man. That really sorta limits what a Bard can and can't do. I'd allow it to work with any Perform check. Well, I'm going by what the RAW says (EDIT: And what somebody told me on another thread on these boards). It's not unbalancing at all to allow any perform check.
Silverthumb128 11-24-05, 07:21 PM	Well, I'm going by what the RAW says (EDIT: And what somebody told me on another thread on these boards). It's not unbalancing at all to allow any perform check. Yeah. I understand, I always try to go by RAW. It just seems like that's incredibly petty, as far as rules go, that absolutely every Bard has to be a good singer to use its class abilities decently.
Edymnion 11-24-05, 07:22 PM	The main restriction is that the Bard must make an audible performance that his allies can hear in order to affect them. But it doesn't matter WHAT that audible performance is. You could take ranks in Preform (Trash Talking) and sit there Inspiring Courage all day by ragging on the bad guy's momma if you wanted to.
scienceman47 11-24-05, 07:49 PM	What if you whistle while you dance?
Mr. Sarcastic 11-24-05, 07:51 PM	How about making sarcastic comments about the enemy over a loudspeaker? Perform; Mockery. Hey, it beats interpretive dancing.
Darth_Azalin 11-24-05, 07:53 PM	What if you whistle while you dance? You dont really want to do that... If you take Perform(Sing) you could actually give out instructions to your party as you are preforming you bardic music abilities.. Because it doesnt imply that you have to sing song A or B just that you are actually using Verbal
Gandal 'The Grim Fisted' 11-24-05, 08:12 PM	Whilst I guess dance might be getting into a grey area, all the examples given as coming under the banner of 'Bardic Music' involve either (or both) a vocal or instrumental element. Oratory fits perfectly! There's no reason why you couldn't use 'inspiring words' or recount stiring great deeds or even insulting your enemies to bolster your companions spirits. You could whisper seductive words of flattery comparing your target to great figures of legend to fascinate them... I'm about to start a Bard who will indeed use such a style of Bardic music.
caeruleus 11-24-05, 08:44 PM	Yeah. I understand, I always try to go by RAW. It just seems like that's incredibly petty, as far as rules go, that absolutely every Bard has to be a good singer to use its class abilities decently. It doesn't have to involve singing. It has to involve some type of sound. It's not petty, it's just that it would be pretty hard to be inspired by dance, when you're paying attention to the guy trying to gut you with his sword.
DuctShuiTengu 11-24-05, 09:11 PM	Personally, I still think Perform: Weapon Drill (Complete Warrior) should be usable for the more martial Bard Songs, if not all of them. p.s. Edymnion, love the Perform: Trash Talk idea.
scienceman47 11-24-05, 10:07 PM	Whilst fighting a chimera Bard:"And chimera, whats up with that? You got a dragon head, you got a lion head, you got a goat head, pick one and go with it! And orcs, dont get me started on orcs, okay this one time..." Paladin: His cliche stand up comedy has filled me... With courage! (raises sword) Half orc barbarian: Im about to get an attack bonus to his face.
Mr. Sarcastic 11-24-05, 10:13 PM	"Man! I know some Yo' Momma jokes, but daaamn you take the cake." Making fun of chimeras sounds like a fun profession to take up, if you don't mind the occupational hazards.
scienceman47 11-24-05, 10:37 PM	"So balor I heard your mother jumped into the plane of elemental air, and got stuck! Get it?" "MY MOTHER IS THE NIGHTMARISH ABYSS, WHOSE LAYERS EXTEND INTO INFINITY FILLED WITH HORRORS YOU COULD NOT POSSIBLY COMPREHEND!" "Wow, and I thought my mother was bad....he he he.... no but seriously when your mother extends into infinity thats when you know she REALLY let herself go" Stand up bards last words
General_Ridley 11-24-05, 10:46 PM	Perform (Drinkmixing). Serves two purposes. He can assure everyone that they will be fine when all is done (the verbal requirement), and he can provide a beverage to the party after the battle.
Edymnion 11-24-05, 10:56 PM	Preform (Bark Orders) "Alright you slimey maggots! You, if I see that sword arm drop again, I'm gonna bust you down so hard your head is going to spin! Hey! Did I say you could stop spellcasting? Get back to work you lazy piece of trash! Hey, Warlock boy, you gonna put your back into that blast, or do I need to get my elderly grandmother down here to show you how it's done?!?" Gawd, can't you just imagine Gunny (the Mail Call guy) "Inspiring Courage" that way?
pizzaboy 11-24-05, 11:56 PM	a bard can also be a priest/cleric bardic knowledge -> priests knowledge, representing his grade of education bardic music -> ejaculatory prayer or something similar perform -> let it be. a score to tell how good you are at impressing people spells -> fits perfect weapon and armor proficiency -> np ---- it wont work with every god. but with tymora or fharlanghn it will work well
scienceman47 11-25-05, 04:30 AM	drinkmixing is a craft, bartender is a profession. So you must be referring to that bad movie with tom cruise.
Darth_Azalin 11-25-05, 11:05 AM	Cocktail wasn't that bad.. Had a good soundtrack.
ShadowCub 11-25-05, 01:00 PM	Bardic Music Once per day per bard level, a bard can use his song or poetics to produce magical effects on those around him (usually including himself, if desired). While these abilities fall under the category of bardic music and the descriptions discuss singing or playing instruments, they can all be activated by reciting poetry, chanting, singing lyrical songs, singing melodies, whistling, playing an instrument, or playing an instrument in combination with some spoken performance.So the determining factor for Bardic Music appears to be it making some sort of sound: Singing/Chanting, Playing Music, Receiting Poetry, or a combination thereof. So by RAW, Perform(Dancing) wouldn't qualify and Perform(Weapon Drill) specifically precludes it's use for Bardic Music. If I could get my GM to to allow me, however, I'd do a Bard whose "music" was Weapon Drills. (Hmmm.... Maybe if I was limited to no more ranks in Perform(Weapon Drill) than my maximum attack bonus with the weapon?)
Jaxgaret 11-25-05, 01:09 PM	You could take ranks in Perform (Trash Talking) and sit there Inspiring Courage all day by ragging on the bad guy's momma if you wanted to. sigged!!
Jaxgaret 11-25-05, 01:14 PM	a bard can also be a priest/cleric bardic knowledge -> priests knowledge, representing his grade of education bardic music -> ejaculatory prayer or something similar perform -> let it be. a score to tell how good you are at impressing people spells -> fits perfect weapon and armor proficiency -> np ---- it wont work with every god. but with tymora or fharlanghn it will work well Ejaculatory prayer? I'm not even gonna go there. Actually a Cloistered Cleric is more like a Cleric with Bardic Knowledge than a Bard is.
CaoSlayer 11-25-05, 01:39 PM	Perform(tap dancing) rulz! :P