Bard instroments. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bard instroments. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Olidammara
03-09-07, 11:25 PM are there any really good instroments for bards to use? i dont really know the magic ones, so... yeah... help?
mcnoo
03-09-07, 11:45 PM An ocarina. They're tiny, you can always have a few spares hidden on you in case you are somehow robbed of your main one.
Fireclave
03-10-07, 12:02 AM Your voice
A mandolin
Two spoons
A violin. Not many bards adventuring with one of those.
A didgeridoo has built-in kickassitude :cool:
So does a sitar
A bongo
A EMS Harding serpent (http://www.e-m-s.com/cat/brass/brass.htm)
A harp
A lyre (of building)
A guitar
dengarbountyhunter
03-10-07, 12:08 PM Bagpipes of the Damned (which is an oxymoron), from Libris Mortis.

In fact, any bagpipes will send your enemy cowering in fear. Even nonmagical ones (especially non-masterwork ones?).

I play (great Highland) bagpipes, and I like to joke about them even though I love the sound.

Other than that, a hurdy-gurdy is cool (I like polyphonic instruments). A carnix (carnyx?) or a horn is LOUD, but I'm not sure you can really make music with it.

Go for anything portable that you can hold in one hand (like the aforementioned ocarina), because those bagpipes are gonna need both hands to play, and at least one full minute assembling and tuning the drones and chanter (not that tuning makes a big difference anyway). The best instrument is a kazoo: it's small and it can be played without your hands! Or at least have a shoulder strap lest you have to drop your instrument...

By the way, does it not strike anyone as silly that with Perform (wind instruments), one can play all the wind instruments with the same degree of skill? I've houseruled that you can play one instrument without penalty, and similar instruments with a -2 penalty. For example, flute and fife, or fiddle and cello.
Steevo
03-10-07, 12:25 PM are there any really good instroments for bards to use? i dont really know the magic ones, so... yeah... help?

Singing is the only way to go, assuming you have any interest in doing anything else during combat other than providing your allies with bonuses. To the best of my knowledge, there's really no such thing as a one-handed instrument (unless your DM would allow a tambourine as an instrument.) You generally need at least one hand to hold any given instrument and the other to manipulate it.
Lael
03-11-07, 11:14 PM There is always the animate instrument spell option :)
Kanosint
03-11-07, 11:38 PM Hmmm, Barrel Organ, those little ones :P Play the Song of Storms all day long :3
Jam_Warrior
03-12-07, 07:03 AM Complete Adventurer gives many small boosts (sometimes not so small!) to using a wide variety of mundane masterwork instruments for your bardic music.
Chrono Nexus
03-12-07, 07:08 AM A pandemonic sword. You time your strikes and synchronize the force of your blows to create disharmony that frightens and destroys the morale of your foes.
dengarbountyhunter
03-12-07, 05:32 PM "Pandemonic" as in " made with pandemonic steel from Complete Warrior"?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Olidammara 03-09-07, 11:25 PM	are there any really good instroments for bards to use? i dont really know the magic ones, so... yeah... help?
mcnoo 03-09-07, 11:45 PM	An ocarina. They're tiny, you can always have a few spares hidden on you in case you are somehow robbed of your main one.
Fireclave 03-10-07, 12:02 AM	Your voice A mandolin Two spoons A violin. Not many bards adventuring with one of those. A didgeridoo has built-in kickassitude :cool: So does a sitar A bongo A EMS Harding serpent (http://www.e-m-s.com/cat/brass/brass.htm) A harp A lyre (of building) A guitar
dengarbountyhunter 03-10-07, 12:08 PM	Bagpipes of the Damned (which is an oxymoron), from Libris Mortis. In fact, any bagpipes will send your enemy cowering in fear. Even nonmagical ones (especially non-masterwork ones?). I play (great Highland) bagpipes, and I like to joke about them even though I love the sound. Other than that, a hurdy-gurdy is cool (I like polyphonic instruments). A carnix (carnyx?) or a horn is LOUD, but I'm not sure you can really make music with it. Go for anything portable that you can hold in one hand (like the aforementioned ocarina), because those bagpipes are gonna need both hands to play, and at least one full minute assembling and tuning the drones and chanter (not that tuning makes a big difference anyway). The best instrument is a kazoo: it's small and it can be played without your hands! Or at least have a shoulder strap lest you have to drop your instrument... By the way, does it not strike anyone as silly that with Perform (wind instruments), one can play all the wind instruments with the same degree of skill? I've houseruled that you can play one instrument without penalty, and similar instruments with a -2 penalty. For example, flute and fife, or fiddle and cello.
Steevo 03-10-07, 12:25 PM	are there any really good instroments for bards to use? i dont really know the magic ones, so... yeah... help? Singing is the only way to go, assuming you have any interest in doing anything else during combat other than providing your allies with bonuses. To the best of my knowledge, there's really no such thing as a one-handed instrument (unless your DM would allow a tambourine as an instrument.) You generally need at least one hand to hold any given instrument and the other to manipulate it.
Lael 03-11-07, 11:14 PM	There is always the animate instrument spell option :)
Kanosint 03-11-07, 11:38 PM	Hmmm, Barrel Organ, those little ones :P Play the Song of Storms all day long :3
Jam_Warrior 03-12-07, 07:03 AM	Complete Adventurer gives many small boosts (sometimes not so small!) to using a wide variety of mundane masterwork instruments for your bardic music.
Chrono Nexus 03-12-07, 07:08 AM	A pandemonic sword. You time your strikes and synchronize the force of your blows to create disharmony that frightens and destroys the morale of your foes.
dengarbountyhunter 03-12-07, 05:32 PM	"Pandemonic" as in " made with pandemonic steel from Complete Warrior"?