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View Full Version : Song of the White Raven+Inspirational Boost: How do I use both?



unre9istered
2010-06-11, 07:04 PM
Just noticed this while playing a somewhat DFI optimized bard: you can't do it all at once. Also: Song of the White Raven is useless if you intend to use Inspirational Boost.

The piece of equipment I frequently see on IC or DFI bards, the Badge of Valor, can't be activated the first round of music if you use the spell I always see such bards using: Inspirational Boost. You have to wait until the second round of singing because the spell is a swift action and the item is an immediate action, and the spell has to be cast in the same round you start your music, before you start your music. The item can be activated at any time to give a bonus to an ongoing bardic music effect.

Edit: I was wrong about this part you just wait until after your turn to use an immediate action on the Badge.

Song of the White Raven lets you start a bardic music as a swift action, so you can't use it with Inspirational Boost, since you have to start using a bardic music the same round you cast the spell.

Are their anyways to get another swift action or two to solve this?

The Glyphstone
2010-06-11, 07:06 PM
I'm pretty sure the rule for Immediate actions is once per round, not once per turn, so you can use your Swift action during your turn, and your Immediate action for the round also during your turn without problem. Or it consumes your Swift/Immediate action for the next round/turn, I can't remember.

Thrice Dead Cat
2010-06-11, 07:09 PM
This is generally how your actions start for combat:

Swift Action -> Inspirational Boost
Immediate Action, eating next turn's Swift Action -> Badge of Valor
Standard Action -> Sing so hard fire/sonic/cold/whatever bursts onto your allies' weapons

Now, Song of the White Raven is a "may" ability, so, you just use the standard action like normal even if you are in a White Raven stance. If not, just start combat in another stance.

unre9istered
2010-06-11, 07:14 PM
Just reread that, you are correct. You can use the badge after your turn is over to get its effects for everyone but yourself on the turn you begin your music. I'd still like to be able to use Song of the White Raven and Inspirational Boost at the same time to get an enhanced bardic music going and an attack or another spell on the first round, so I need another Swift action. I spent 3 feats to get that dang feat and I don't want to beg a retrain out of my DM.


This is generally how your actions start for combat:
Swift Action -> Inspirational Boost
Immediate Action, eating next turn's Swift Action -> Badge of Valor
Standard Action -> Sing so hard fire/sonic/cold/whatever bursts onto your allies' weapons

This doesn't work. Immediate actions used during your turns count as swift actions, so you have to wait until after your turn has ended. Not that it matters much though as you've only got a move action left at that point, unless your using a Belt of Battle or something.

Tyger
2010-06-11, 07:17 PM
Actually, that's close but not quite.

1) Your turn, swift action, cast Inspirational Boost.
2) Your turn, standard action, start singing.
3) Your turn, move action, whatever you need to do with movement.
3) Whoever comes next's action, activate Badge of Valour as an Immediate Action. You can't take the Immed. on your turn, as you have already used your swift. But you can take it on anyone who follows you in the initiative order. This does use your swift/immediate for your next action.
4) Profit.

It works, and its a great combination.

EDIT: Swordsaged by unregistered.

The Glyphstone
2010-06-11, 07:17 PM
The only way to get extra swift actions that I know of is Ruby Knight Vindicator. Or, there's the Synad race, that can get extra swift Mental actions a few times per day.

unre9istered
2010-06-11, 07:20 PM
Where is Ruby Knight Vindicator from? I doubt it works with this build anyway but I'm curious. I see it mentioned all the time but haven't ever seen it. Never mind found it in ToB.

As I suspected, not useful for this character as he doesn't worship WeeJas and I'm not interested in dipping him into a class just to gain Turn Undeads to then take him 7 deep into another class without progressing his Bardyness.

The Glyphstone
2010-06-11, 07:22 PM
It's a Cleric/Initiator prestige class from Tome of Battle. Among other things, it lets you burn Turn Undead usages for extra Swift actions. There ya go.

unre9istered
2010-06-11, 08:00 PM
Found a way to do this:

Take the Obtain Familiar Feat.
Take the Spell-Linked Familiar.
Be 14th or higher caster level.
Have your familiar cast Inspirational Boost for you.

So it takes 5 feats or a Initiator dip and 3 feats for a bard to be able to do this, (Martial Study, Martial Stance) or Initiator dip for White Raven Stance, Song of the White Raven, Obtain Familiar, and Spell Linked Familar.

At this point for my character to pull this off (pre-epic hd) I need 4: Obtain Familiar, Spell Linked Familar, and Practiced SpellcasterX2 to get my racial HD to count for my caster levels. Seems like I'd be throwing good feats after bad, I might as well ask for that retrain. *sigh*