PDA

View Full Version : Optimizing Inspire Courage



theos911
2010-06-22, 06:49 PM
I recall someone here, recently, mentioning how an optimized bard can add 20d6 to theirs party's damage. I don't believe this is possible. Can someone tell me how to actually make that possible, or even close to that?

Tyger
2010-06-22, 06:53 PM
This thread should answer your questions handily (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19869994/Bard_Inspire_Courage_Optimization)

Ironically, it was obtained by typing "optimizing inspire courage" into google.

:smallbiggrin:

That thread is pretty good, and I think is the most up to date one. Others may chime in if I am wrong.

theos911
2010-06-22, 06:59 PM
I.... am...not...an....idiot.
I have(had) that bookmarked. I heard someone mention 20d6 to party's damage. I'm looking for how to actually manage that cheese.

(btw, most of the things in that thread I am currently using on gnome bard in the play forums)

Douglas
2010-06-22, 07:12 PM
Bard 20: +4
Song of the Heart: +1
Inspirational Boost: +1
Badge of Valor: +1
Vest of Legends plus Masterwork Lute: +1
Words of Creation: x2

That's +16 Inspire Courage, which Dragonfire Inspiration turns into +16d6 damage. 20d6 was almost certainly an exaggeration, but not by all that much.

Keld Denar
2010-06-22, 07:32 PM
Do note that its debatable where the multiplication with Words of Creation happens and whether or not you can apply DFI to the +1/-1 that a Masterwork Lute gives.

Practically, you shouldn't push that number, but theoretically, if everything worked in your favor, it pretty much caps out there.

theos911
2010-06-22, 07:34 PM
THAT is what I was looking for!

theos911
2010-06-22, 09:31 PM
Id' rather not start a new thread for this:

Is there a way I could get more musics per day? I'm in a gestalt and can't take more bard levels atm. I am aware of extra music, but I don't need 4. I need like 1 maybe 2. I'm not sure how to achieve this without a feat. I doubt it's possible, but if anyone knows how I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Theos911

Keld Denar
2010-06-22, 09:37 PM
Um, there is a regional feat in PGtF called Artist that gives you 3 extra uses and some misc bonuses to skills.

Still a feat, but different levels of useful.

Other than that, unless you are taking Paladin levels and take Devoted Performer, I can't think of any other way. They are only tied to your bard level, not any stat.

Maybe you can buy an item that grants you Extra Music as a feat.

theos911
2010-06-22, 09:48 PM
The key word in what you just said was regional. If I can get DM to allow that feat as part of the race I'm using, we are good. The race is a re-fluffed desert gnome and their culture is heavily Bronze dragon and musicy influenced.

Keld Denar
2010-06-22, 10:14 PM
Artist
Prereq: Gnome (Thesk or Western Heartlands)

Thesk isn't exactly desert, but there are a lot of Rock Gnomes there. Of course, if you aren't playing in Faerun, you could adapt that to any sparsely settled boarderlands region where men are manly.

Wings of Peace
2010-06-22, 11:24 PM
I'll let you in on a secret. Take Master Thrower and choose the talent "Palm Throw". Now look at Skullmarbles from the Ghostwalk Campaign Setting, they're in the magic items section. Now add your Dragon Fire Inspiration damage to them and calculate how many you can throw at a time.

theos911
2010-06-23, 05:15 AM
Well for this gnome, I made a whole backstory, and his tribe was kinda solitarty from everyone, until the bronze came. This is why they're called desert gnomes, but they really aren't your "Standard Desert Gnomes". They are artsy, but survivalist at the same time, with a high respect for anyone advancing his dragon heritage in anyway(duh).

Here is the back-story if any of you are really that bored:

You ask Why a desert gnome as I, have the blood of an aquatic dragon; Well take a seat, your gonna be here a while.

In the great southern desert, there was an oasis, the grandest in all the desert. To the south layed the freezing ocean, the west the gold flats, and the east the salt mines. To the north were "The Untouchables", it was said they had a great forest in the north.(Though this was speculation). If it was not for the grand spring that was refilled with water at the coming of each summer, we all would of perished long ago. However we existed in near solitude, hell for a gnome. Then one day, "The Untouchables" began their raid. They wanted gold and salt to trade with the Northerners. The first raid we repulsed, but many more came. We were only so many, we could not hold out forever. Then on the day of the final raid, the main gate was about to be breached by catapults, and a grand metallic green Dragon(which I did not know was their name at the time) appeared and replused them all with it's near presence. That my friends was the last raid. I had always thought the greens of the giant lizards were the sneaky, evil ones. I was right in this assumption, however it was no green we had, she (as we later found out) was a magnificant bronze. She knew we couldn't last forever when the raids returned, and neither could she. We begged her to stay, so we made a deal. We dug out the well to about 7 times it's size, and she would live there. She would keep the weather calm and the well full. However, she knew her days were limited but our's were not, and as such; about a decade after her arrival, she began the seeding. We were not aware of it until long after it had began. Apparently through some shape-shifty magic, she bred with the young warriors of the tribe. Her children were the blessed ones. One day, when she had been with us for what I have been told was almost one thousand years,she said Goodbye, and she left, never to return. Our best mages scryed and scryed for her. Their search resulted in a lifeless shireveled form, lying halfway to the northern forest. She had went to go to the sea, and they killed her. Those Maurding monsters! Our water was now never to be replenished, but alas, we had the blessed ones. The few blessed ones who were talented with arcane power, began to practice water magic. Soon, we had enough water to last for millenia! By this time she had been gone for nearly 250 years. Then, I was born, my father was a quarter-blessed(basically 1/4 bronze) and my mother was near full blessed one(about 2/3 bronze). I am said to be about somewhere in-between(about 1/2 bronze). My mother can still remeber the great dragon, the dragon was her mother. My father was much younger, but he was one of the water mages, so my parents were highly respected for their blooline and Profesion respectively. This when things got VERY bad. The untouchable, with the help of an ACTUAL green, had been spying on us. They sent their mages to create an antimiagic field over us, and with their dragon's help they succeded. It was permanent, our mages dispelled it, but through some sort of time break, their dispels were being transported roughly 5,000 years into the future, but still with full affect. This is where I come in. There was no longer any magic, and father became more and more reclusive, as his uses dwindled. My mother, and the other remaining full bloods, asked me to go, outside the field, and get help from the north.

Since there was no magic, for the time I spent in the tribe, I studied hard my draconic heritage and did my best to let it flow naturally. As such, I felt many powers from my grandmother seeping through. I decided to embrace these to the fullest, dedicating two years to the study of them. After I had unlocked my power, I couldn't help but wish for more. This is why I became a Dragon Shaman. Many others in my tribe, had went down this path before unlocking their bloodline, they would never be able to expieirence more than the minor benefits of their bloodline, and they'll never even know what they are missing. I feel sorry for them. After a long time in reclusive study, I came back to reality, and noticed the horrid morale state of my tribe. I wished to help. This is why I began my musical training. Very shortyly after is when I received the request to find help. Since then, I've been all over the world, searching for a way to free my tribe from this fell magic. To this day I have not succeeded, I have not seen my own mother in over 86 years, but I cannot return without a method to free them, I simply cannot...

theos911
2010-06-23, 05:35 AM
Is there a way to have inspire courage boost your party mate's Caster levels. However it can be done I'd like to know, but atm my feats are gone so an item would be more helpful(mention the feat anyway, I still wanna know)
Thanks

Keld Denar
2010-06-23, 09:09 AM
About the closest thing to what you want is Song of Arcane Power, the 2nd level Sublime Chord power. It only affects you though. I believe there is a spell like Hymn of Praise that boosts CL only with respect to overcoming SR, but I don't remember off the top of my head.

theos911
2010-06-23, 09:26 AM
Hymn of Praise(SC 117) and Harmonic Chorus(SC ) come to mind for spells.

Hymn of praise-level 3 bard spell
lasts 1round/lvl
standard casting time
+2 effective CL to any good aligned Divine caster, and a +4 on their turn attempts and -4 on evil enemy's turn attempts

Harmonic Chorus-level 2 bard spell
lasts max 1round/lvl must keep concentration...yuk
Standard action casting time
+2 morale bonus on CL and DC's, works on divine and arcane casters

I'm looking for an item, I'm sure there's probably something like it in the MIC, but I'm not sure how to find it.

Private
2010-09-14, 06:31 AM
Just in case people were still looking at this:

If you add the Draconic Heritage (Battle): Feat to this, which can change the damage to Sonic damage, and then cast Creaking Cacophony, which gives everything around you a vulnerability to Sonic Damage, that doubles everything, which would be 32d6 extra damage/attack.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-09-14, 06:43 AM
Just in case people were still looking at this:

If you add the Draconic Heritage (Battle): Feat to this, which can change the damage to Sonic damage, and then cast Creaking Cacophony, which gives everything around you a vulnerability to Sonic Damage, that doubles everything, which would be 32d6 extra damage/attack.

Vulnerability in 3.5 is only 50% more damage, not double, so 16d6 would become 24d6. Bardic Music also doesn't normally affect undead, which includes undead created by Thread Necromancy.

The Glyphstone
2010-09-14, 07:04 AM
Great Modthulhu: That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons even threads may die.

Unless someone necro's them.