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gallagher
2010-06-23, 03:08 PM
as we all know, bards can have a variety of ways to inspire his teammates. there are the standard lyre, flute, drums, or other instrument. some go with poetry or singing. the joker bard if i recall correctly had perform oratory! you can dance, tell jokes, and so much more! so what is your favorite!

i have to say mine is a very silly one. i had a bard who had a perform:mime check. silent spell made me an even better bard. unfortunately, i think i became the first bard made by a guy who has at least some experience in DnD to not take glibness (i had no use for bluff, i didnt talk)

Snake-Aes
2010-06-23, 03:33 PM
Perform: Vocalized Guitar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shw3lYC6DsY).

Rannil
2010-06-23, 03:39 PM
Shamefully Raw it doesn't work. I always wanted to play a dancing bard or something, but SRD clearly states it's needs to verbal, unless you are playing an instrument.
Also Silent Spell makes a clear exception for bards.
As DM I would accept it, nothing says "Inspire Competence" then a bard that's stuck in a invisible glass box. Or "Inspire Heroics" with a nice ballet dance.

I do have played a bard that smashed his guitar lute at the end of every performance and sometimes mid battle on enemies. I had both perform Lute and Singing, so I was never without my abilities. It did got expensive, until the party bought some kind of living crystal lute that regenerated.
It got me killed, because suddenly there was no penalty for smashing my instrument I ran into every front line. Silly me.

fryplink
2010-06-23, 03:44 PM
Perform: horrid screaming

We were playing a cliche evil party

lsfreak
2010-06-23, 04:01 PM
Thee of them that I've wanted to play but have yet to have a chance:
An assassin-type bard with Perform: Disturbing Detailed Account Of What I'm About To Do To You, backed up with a full compliment of feats and abilities to make his sneak attack particularly nasty.

A warblade/bard with Perform: Ritual Chant and Perform: Dance, with standard snowflake wardance stuff. Comes across as an elegantly brutal pseudo-barbarian.

Lyric Theumaturge buffer with Perform: Hum and Perform: Nonsense Singsong. Wandering off to chase butterflies optional.

Snake-Aes
2010-06-23, 04:03 PM
Thee of them that I've wanted to play but have yet to have a chance:
An assassin-type bard with Perform: Disturbing Detailed Account Of What I'm About To Do To You, backed up with a full compliment of feats and abilities to make his sneak attack particularly nasty.


That's technically oratory =P

Gecks
2010-06-23, 04:06 PM
I had a bard in an unfortunately short-lived campaign who played the bagpipes.

Wasn't exactly the suble type, but he never had trouble making his magical songs HEARD. :smallsmile:

Hague
2010-06-23, 04:23 PM
Gotta be drums man.

Nothing like the bard belting out a romanticized version of "I Don't Wanna Work" during a festival. Picked up levels of War Chanter and got himself dinosaur mount, pretending to be one of the units from Warcraft 3.

Reminds me that I wanna do an "all orc" campaign one of these times.

"Oh yeah, there's a group of low-level adventurers here to kill your family."

lsfreak
2010-06-23, 04:23 PM
That's technically oratory =P

I know. But I don't exactly like the system. Describing in graphic detail what violence you're going to inflict is completely different from the types of things you'd say during a religious gathering, in an address to a recently-conquered people, or as inspiring epitaph just before combat is met. Yet they're all covered by Perform: Oratory.

subject42
2010-06-23, 04:29 PM
Gotta be drums man.

I'm running a game now where one of the players is running a Halfling Bard // Warlock necromancer "Thriller Bard".

She uses Perform (Percussion) by playing the ribcage of her riding dog skeleton like a xylophone.

Ilmryn
2010-06-23, 04:36 PM
as we all know, bards can have a variety of ways to inspire his teammates. there are the standard lyre, flute, drums, or other instrument. some go with poetry or singing. the joker bard if i recall correctly had perform oratory! you can dance, tell jokes, and so much more! so what is your favorite!

i have to say mine is a very silly one. i had a bard who had a perform:mime check. silent spell made me an even better bard. unfortunately, i think i became the first bard made by a guy who has at least some experience in DnD to not take glibness (i had no use for bluff, i didnt talk)

I haven't encountered weird performskills, but there is a bard player in a group i play with who tends to actually start singing what her bard sings...Anyways, in the campaign we were playing, the DM didn't name the country the PCs were from, he said it was inconsequential. So naturally, the country got named Inconsequentia. The bard's usual insprie courage song was "Inconsequentia is so great...", sung in a very shrill voice. :smallbiggrin:

Kallisti
2010-06-23, 04:40 PM
Perform (Mime) is all kinds of fun, especially mixed with Evangelist from Complete Divine. The idea of using a Perform (Mime) check for Convert the Unfaithful is quite amusing. Note to self: Run with this. Are there any Cleric/Bard dual-progression PrCs? Jazzhands, High Priest of the Silent God. I think I like it...

Eorran
2010-06-23, 04:51 PM
How about One-Man Band? Drums, cymbals, harmonica, accordion, all in one convenient package!

Other fun options:
sousaphone-style tuba
digeridoo (spelling?)
double bass
baritone sax
mouth harp
musical saw
yodel (Riiiiiicolaaaaa!)

Dogmantra
2010-06-23, 05:59 PM
Perform (Tesla Coils) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdrqdW4Miao)

skeeter_dan
2010-06-23, 06:20 PM
I'm a fan of Perform (Juggling), especially with throwing knives and the like. Perform (Evil Laugh) is a good one for evil parties. Perform (Kazoo) is fun for a joke campaign, especially if you have one at the table.

For a four-armed character in an old campaign, I had Perform (Double-Necked Lute).

Kaulesh
2010-06-23, 06:21 PM
Now I've got the itch to play a chubby, sweaty bard with Perform (Armpit Farts). I think it would work well in a silly game.

AsteriskAmp
2010-06-23, 06:26 PM
Perform Harpischord (I DMed an evil campaign, the Bard spread word of the PCs through the use of a wheeled Harpischord)

Perform Dulcimer, sitar, Upright bass, percussion (The whole party formed a wandering gypsy band, through the investment in perform ranks)

Hague
2010-06-23, 06:27 PM
Yes! Now we need to develop a PrC based around Perform (Buffoonery) call it the Goof-Off, an ode to Dragon Quest 3.

Critical
2010-06-23, 06:27 PM
Uh, umm, yeah. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctVmNbVu2KA)

Deth Muncher
2010-06-23, 06:36 PM
Uh, umm, yeah. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctVmNbVu2KA)

I'm revoking your posting privelages.
I don't actually have any powers that allow me to do such a thing, but instead, I give you this (http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/unmario/images/2/20/Weegee.png) to discourage your ever posting again. RAWR.


I'm kidding, you know.

EDIT: It is surprisingly hard to hide hyperlinks in whitetext.

Hadrian_Emrys
2010-06-23, 06:58 PM
*cough* (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)

Methinks it would be especially fitting in a CN party, but that's just me.

Daitini Peck
2010-06-23, 07:54 PM
Perform: Vocalized Guitar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Shw3lYC6DsY).

I think I just fell in love. That is the most awesome thing I have ever seen/heard. :smallsmile:

Lycanthromancer
2010-06-23, 08:40 PM
It's not exactly the most unique character concept on the block, but I currently have a dragonforged bard/crusader/warblade who was a wartime commander that uses Perform (Oration; not Oratory - Oration) on his allies to direct them on the field of battle, rather than singing at them or giving praise.

He's buffed up for inspire courage (partially Pathfinder bard 3, CL 5, with +8 to hit and damage) and has a set of incredibly loud war drums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeg_drum) for mass battles (since drums were originally - at least partially - used for long-distance communications during war-time), and uses Perform (Percussion) for the times when he's wanting to affect distant allies (since proper lambeg drums are louder than jet engines, and can be played to be heard from literally miles away). Those drums? Grant an extra +2 to IC with Words of Creation.

He also uses White Raven maneuvers and Devoted Spirit to boost and buff his allies and to make his direction actually meaningful. Since the group is entirely composed of people who can kick arse in physical combat (bard/crusader/warblade, factotum/swordsage, druid and baby t-rex companion, and a non-combat artificer who has a 9 HD warbeast polar bear...at level 5...and a DMPC archer), he's going to be extremely viable.

Grumman
2010-06-23, 08:47 PM
Does Profession (siege engineer) provide a synergy bonus when performing the 1812 Overture?

BobVosh
2010-06-23, 08:49 PM
One man band (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKTknLD9eWw)

Ormur
2010-06-23, 11:02 PM
Does Profession (siege engineer) provide a synergy bonus when performing the 1812 Overture?

I'd just give it to perform: cannons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-4SRvGUtn8&feature=related).

zenanarchist
2010-06-23, 11:06 PM
Perform: Obscure Warcries

"Fooooorrrrr Ponnnyyyy!"

"OOGLIBOO!!"

"I'M JUST A SWEET TRANSVESTITE!"

gorfnab
2010-06-24, 03:31 AM
In a campaign I ran one time there was an OA samurai with max ranks in perform haiku. In the same campaign was a gully dwarf bard with max ranks in perform rain stick and rat.

Zaq
2010-06-24, 03:45 AM
I'm using Perform (Awesome) right now. Basically I run around chewing scenery and generally being an over-the-top overactor.

(Mechanically, it's perform: dance so I qualify for snowflake wardance, but I defend this by saying that kabuki is a kind of dance, and if anyone asks, this is explicitly BAD kabuki. You know, the kind that people think they're doing when they've never seen a kabuki play but have maybe played a Goemon game.)

Friend Computer
2010-06-24, 07:43 AM
It's not exactly the most unique character concept on the block, but I currently have a dragonforged bard/crusader/warblade who was a wartime commander that uses Perform (Oration; not Oratory - Oration) on his allies to direct them on the field of battle, rather than singing at them or giving praise.

He's buffed up for inspire courage (partially Pathfinder bard 3, CL 5, with +8 to hit and damage) and has a set of incredibly loud war drums (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambeg_drum) for mass battles (since drums were originally - at least partially - used for long-distance communications during war-time), and uses Perform (Percussion) for the times when he's wanting to affect distant allies (since proper lambeg drums are louder than jet engines, and can be played to be heard from literally miles away). Those drums? Grant an extra +2 to IC with Words of Creation.

He also uses White Raven maneuvers and Devoted Spirit to boost and buff his allies and to make his direction actually meaningful. Since the group is entirely composed of people who can kick arse in physical combat (bard/crusader/warblade, factotum/swordsage, druid and baby t-rex companion, and a non-combat artificer who has a 9 HD warbeast polar bear...at level 5...and a DMPC archer), he's going to be extremely viable.

Similar to this, I once played a bard who used perform: oratory to make inspiring political speeches to fit the situation... and threaten allies who were scared. If any PC's or hirelings ran, I'd attack them. Yup, I played a commissar. ^___^

Whammydill
2010-06-24, 08:14 AM
My recent (and short lived,) bard with perform: Vuvuzela. My DM promptly had swarms of angry giant bees massacre him. It was great!:smallcool:

Merk
2010-06-24, 08:28 AM
Powerful Build + Enlarge Person + Perform (Piano)

Warforged + Craft (Jukebox) + Perform (Self)

Perform (Ghost Sound)

Deth Muncher
2010-06-24, 08:33 AM
My recent (and short lived,) bard with perform: Vuvuzela. My DM promptly had swarms of angry giant bees massacre him. It was great!:smallcool:

What is this sudden fascination with the vuvuzela? You're not the first person I've seen on these forums mention it.

Whammydill
2010-06-24, 09:01 AM
From the World Cup games in South Africa. It's the ever present, ever annoying plastic foghorn that is some sort of South African cultural thing. A stadium full of them sounds like a pack of demented bumblebees. Very loud, very annoying.

Stone Heart
2010-06-24, 03:01 PM
Warforged + Craft (Jukebox) + Perform (Self)



Well, I think I just found my next character.

How about Perform: Humanthesizer. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f06aZ0yoJv8) Magic instead of the technology and all that goodness, but it just seems very bardy to be doing something with a group of scantily clad ladies.

PersonMan
2010-06-24, 03:05 PM
In a PBP game I'm in, I'm playing a bard who used Perform: Inspiring Speech.

I'm planning a concept for a bard who used Perform: The Power Of Friendship Speech.