Curse Song? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Curse Song? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
BlackRequiem
09-20-07, 03:16 PM I seem to keenly remember there being a Curse Song feat that Bards can take. I might be getting my PnP muddled with Neverwinter Nights, but is this perhaps in a supplement somewhere? An aspiring Bard inquires!
PhaedrusXY
09-20-07, 03:22 PM There is certainly an ability like that in NWN. There are similiar things in D&D, but nothing as good as the one in there. The best approximation would probably be something like a Blackguard's Aura of Despair. There is also a feat in an Eberron book that let's a bard use his music to produce a fear effect, I think.
BlackRequiem
09-20-07, 04:24 PM Thanks! Maybe i'll ask my DM if I can transition it over to our campaign.
Lael
09-20-07, 06:30 PM Can you give anything more specific? Perhaps if you are looking at a anti-bard, then look at the harbinger variant in on Page 93 Dragon Magazine 337and the dirgesinger from Libris Mortis. I use one and its great fun, espically combined with feats like Doomspeak and spells that do ability damage :)
BlackRequiem
09-20-07, 08:07 PM I found it!
Dirgesinger was a class I was considering, but by Curse Song I mean a Song that, rather then buffing your allies, you debuff your enemies inflicting penalties on them and such. It is in Neverwinter Nights and at higher levels becomes a very potent tool for the Bard. Here's the listed effects for the Curse Song;

Bards are able to sing a song that can curse their enemies. Deafened creatures are not affected by the bard's singing. The song affects all enemies within 30 feet and lasts for 10 rounds. The higher the bard's final Perform skill and class level, the better the Curse song. All of the penalties listed are additive.

* 3 Perform and Bard Level 1:
-1 to Attack and Damage rolls.
* 6 Perform and Bard Level 2:
-1 to Will Saves.
* 9 Perform and Bard Level 3:
-1 to Damage rolls and -1 to Fortitude Saves.
* 12 Perform and Bard Level 6:
-1 to Reflex saves, -1 to Skill rolls.
* 15 Perform and Bard Level 8:
-1 to Attack rolls, 8 damage.
* 18 Perform and Bard Level 11:
-2 to Dodge Armor Class, -1 to Skill rolls.
* 21 Perform and Bard Level 14:
-1 to Damage rolls, 8 damage and -1 Dodge Armor Class.
* 24 Perform and Bard Level 15:
-1 Will Saves, -1 Reflex Saves, -1 Fortitude Saves, -1 Dodge Armor Class.
* 25 Perform and Bard Level 16:
-1 Will Saves, 4 damage. -1 Dodge Armor Class.

* For each additional 5 Perform and 1 Class level in Bard an additional 2 damage is granted.

Pretty ugly!
BlackRequiem
09-20-07, 08:11 PM guh, double post
The_Shaman
09-20-07, 08:16 PM Might have been a 3.0 thing. There are feats and PrC abilities that allow bards to use music for debuffs - look at the Dirgesinger from Libris Mortis or the Doomspeak feat from CoRuin, but I haven't seen anything quite like the NWN version. Then again, bards haven't had any of those NWN 2 "inspirations," either.
Rustmonster
09-20-07, 08:22 PM Can you give anything more specific? Perhaps if you are looking at a anti-bard, then look at the harbinger variant in on Page 93 Dragon Magazine 337and the dirgesinger from Libris Mortis. I use one and its great fun, espically combined with feats like Doomspeak and spells that do ability damage :)

Ugh. I've never understood why Dirgesinger was "any non-good". Somehow using music to show your pain suddenly moves you closer to Evil?
BlackRequiem
09-20-07, 09:42 PM Ugh. I've never understood why Dirgesinger was "any non-good". Somehow using music to show your pain suddenly moves you closer to Evil?

Well, in that case does that mean you can use Smite Evil on emo kids with any amount of musical aptitude? :D
Lael
09-21-07, 12:09 AM Thats why I combined it with the harbinger variant :)
Thief_of_Hope
09-21-07, 02:15 AM I've never seen anything like it in a WotC book, but if your DM is okay with it, there's something in Mongoose Publishing's Quintessential Bard 2 book that's perfect for that. The book gives a few ways of getting it, including having it be a replacement-variant of the normal bardic music, or getting it as a feat, or whatever your DM is cool with.

Anyway, I don't remember the whole thing (it has a variant ability for each bardic music ability), but I know that the variant for the Inspire Courage ability basically gives penalties to enemies that are the same as the bonuses your allies would get with Inspire Courage (so enemies get -x on attack, -x on will saves, etc). It's not one of the "OMG QUINTESSENTIAL BOOKS R BROKENZ !!1!" sort of things, it's a fair variant on the bard's normal song progression, and IMO gives bards a much-needed expansion of options regarding their character.

After all, not EVERY bard would care about learning songs that help other people.

"Oh, I'm a happy little bard, let me play you a song! Happy happy happy happy team helping song! Yay! Bubble gum and lollipops!"
Neutronium_Dragon
09-21-07, 07:33 AM The Curse Song feat from NWN is vastly more powerful than anything in official D&D. Bioware has a habit of getting "creative" with their D&D implementations, usually on the "way overpowered" side.

There *is* a feat called Haunting Melody (or something close) in the Eberron Campaign Setting, which causes enemies to become shaken, imposing some penalties - but nothing approaching what NWN's Curse Song does.
The_Shaman
09-21-07, 08:05 AM Ugh. I've never understood why Dirgesinger was "any non-good". Somehow using music to show your pain suddenly moves you closer to Evil?

I think it was at least partially because of the animate feature. I can understand it to a point though - when all you are interested in is giving voice to your personal pain, you can be somewhat insensitive to that of other people.
Rustmonster
09-21-07, 05:02 PM I think it was at least partially because of the animate feature. I can understand it to a point though - when all you are interested in is giving voice to your personal pain, you can be somewhat insensitive to that of other people.

I see what you mean, although, then again, a Good Wizard can animate dead too. I'm one of those guys who thinks animate dead should not be an Evil spell, just to let you know. :P

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
BlackRequiem 09-20-07, 03:16 PM	I seem to keenly remember there being a Curse Song feat that Bards can take. I might be getting my PnP muddled with Neverwinter Nights, but is this perhaps in a supplement somewhere? An aspiring Bard inquires!
PhaedrusXY 09-20-07, 03:22 PM	There is certainly an ability like that in NWN. There are similiar things in D&D, but nothing as good as the one in there. The best approximation would probably be something like a Blackguard's Aura of Despair. There is also a feat in an Eberron book that let's a bard use his music to produce a fear effect, I think.
BlackRequiem 09-20-07, 04:24 PM	Thanks! Maybe i'll ask my DM if I can transition it over to our campaign.
Lael 09-20-07, 06:30 PM	Can you give anything more specific? Perhaps if you are looking at a anti-bard, then look at the harbinger variant in on Page 93 Dragon Magazine 337and the dirgesinger from Libris Mortis. I use one and its great fun, espically combined with feats like Doomspeak and spells that do ability damage :)
BlackRequiem 09-20-07, 08:07 PM	I found it! Dirgesinger was a class I was considering, but by Curse Song I mean a Song that, rather then buffing your allies, you debuff your enemies inflicting penalties on them and such. It is in Neverwinter Nights and at higher levels becomes a very potent tool for the Bard. Here's the listed effects for the Curse Song; Bards are able to sing a song that can curse their enemies. Deafened creatures are not affected by the bard's singing. The song affects all enemies within 30 feet and lasts for 10 rounds. The higher the bard's final Perform skill and class level, the better the Curse song. All of the penalties listed are additive. * 3 Perform and Bard Level 1: -1 to Attack and Damage rolls. * 6 Perform and Bard Level 2: -1 to Will Saves. * 9 Perform and Bard Level 3: -1 to Damage rolls and -1 to Fortitude Saves. * 12 Perform and Bard Level 6: -1 to Reflex saves, -1 to Skill rolls. * 15 Perform and Bard Level 8: -1 to Attack rolls, 8 damage. * 18 Perform and Bard Level 11: -2 to Dodge Armor Class, -1 to Skill rolls. * 21 Perform and Bard Level 14: -1 to Damage rolls, 8 damage and -1 Dodge Armor Class. * 24 Perform and Bard Level 15: -1 Will Saves, -1 Reflex Saves, -1 Fortitude Saves, -1 Dodge Armor Class. * 25 Perform and Bard Level 16: -1 Will Saves, 4 damage. -1 Dodge Armor Class. * For each additional 5 Perform and 1 Class level in Bard an additional 2 damage is granted. Pretty ugly!
BlackRequiem 09-20-07, 08:11 PM	guh, double post
The_Shaman 09-20-07, 08:16 PM	Might have been a 3.0 thing. There are feats and PrC abilities that allow bards to use music for debuffs - look at the Dirgesinger from Libris Mortis or the Doomspeak feat from CoRuin, but I haven't seen anything quite like the NWN version. Then again, bards haven't had any of those NWN 2 "inspirations," either.
Rustmonster 09-20-07, 08:22 PM	Can you give anything more specific? Perhaps if you are looking at a anti-bard, then look at the harbinger variant in on Page 93 Dragon Magazine 337and the dirgesinger from Libris Mortis. I use one and its great fun, espically combined with feats like Doomspeak and spells that do ability damage :) Ugh. I've never understood why Dirgesinger was "any non-good". Somehow using music to show your pain suddenly moves you closer to Evil?
BlackRequiem 09-20-07, 09:42 PM	Ugh. I've never understood why Dirgesinger was "any non-good". Somehow using music to show your pain suddenly moves you closer to Evil? Well, in that case does that mean you can use Smite Evil on emo kids with any amount of musical aptitude? :D
Lael 09-21-07, 12:09 AM	Thats why I combined it with the harbinger variant :)
Thief_of_Hope 09-21-07, 02:15 AM	I've never seen anything like it in a WotC book, but if your DM is okay with it, there's something in Mongoose Publishing's Quintessential Bard 2 book that's perfect for that. The book gives a few ways of getting it, including having it be a replacement-variant of the normal bardic music, or getting it as a feat, or whatever your DM is cool with. Anyway, I don't remember the whole thing (it has a variant ability for each bardic music ability), but I know that the variant for the Inspire Courage ability basically gives penalties to enemies that are the same as the bonuses your allies would get with Inspire Courage (so enemies get -x on attack, -x on will saves, etc). It's not one of the "OMG QUINTESSENTIAL BOOKS R BROKENZ !!1!" sort of things, it's a fair variant on the bard's normal song progression, and IMO gives bards a much-needed expansion of options regarding their character. After all, not EVERY bard would care about learning songs that help other people. "Oh, I'm a happy little bard, let me play you a song! Happy happy happy happy team helping song! Yay! Bubble gum and lollipops!"
Neutronium_Dragon 09-21-07, 07:33 AM	The Curse Song feat from NWN is vastly more powerful than anything in official D&D. Bioware has a habit of getting "creative" with their D&D implementations, usually on the "way overpowered" side. There is a feat called Haunting Melody (or something close) in the Eberron Campaign Setting, which causes enemies to become shaken, imposing some penalties - but nothing approaching what NWN's Curse Song does.
The_Shaman 09-21-07, 08:05 AM	Ugh. I've never understood why Dirgesinger was "any non-good". Somehow using music to show your pain suddenly moves you closer to Evil? I think it was at least partially because of the animate feature. I can understand it to a point though - when all you are interested in is giving voice to your personal pain, you can be somewhat insensitive to that of other people.
Rustmonster 09-21-07, 05:02 PM	I think it was at least partially because of the animate feature. I can understand it to a point though - when all you are interested in is giving voice to your personal pain, you can be somewhat insensitive to that of other people. I see what you mean, although, then again, a Good Wizard can animate dead too. I'm one of those guys who thinks animate dead should not be an Evil spell, just to let you know. :P