Bardic Music: Activation and Duration

[Elric VIII]

Does Song of the White Raven prevent you from activating your Bardic Music as a standard action? It says you can activate it as a swift action, but doesnt say you have to (unlike Arcane Spellsurge which clearly outlines this).

Is there a way to activate Bardic Music as a move action (I seem to recall something like this)?

In general, when playing a Bard, do you keep a music going for an entire dungeon or activate it each encounter? It seems cheesy, but I see nothing preventing you from singing 16 hours a day and sleeping for 8 hours (other than, perhaps social encounters). Basically, if I'm only takeing a few levels of Bard will I be able to stretch out my music?

[HunterOfJello]

As far as Inspire Courage goes, you can pretty much keep singing for as long as you want. Lots of DMs will probably have your voice go hoarse after 30 minutes of non-stop singing or make you do Constitution checks to keep singing for extended periods.

The downside of constantly singing is the fact that you're going to be making lots of noise if you're singing while walking through any dangerous location and easily going to be noticed.

The listen DC for anyone to hear you should be DC 0, while you should be giving your group a -5 or so modifier to listen for making so much noise and distracting them.

~

Any time that the text says that you can do something, that means you now have the option of doing that action in that manner. If you have Song of the White Raven, you can activate bardic music as a standard or a swift action.

Most of the texts in the 3.5e books are very specific in their wording. This is especially true for the wordings in the later books like the Tome of Battle (at least in the feat sections). If the feat stopped you from ever using bardic music as a standard and only allowed you to do it as a swift action from then on, then it would say so directly.

[Elric VIII]

As far as Inspire Courage goes, you can pretty much keep singing for as long as you want. Lots of DMs will probably have your voice go hoarse after 30 minutes of non-stop singing or make you do Constitution checks to keep singing for extended periods.

The downside of constantly singing is the fact that you're going to be making lots of noise if you're singing while walking through any dangerous location and easily going to be noticed.

The listen DC for anyone to hear you should be DC 0, while you should be giving your group a -5 or so modifier to listen for making so much noise and distracting them.

:elan:Sneak, sneak, sneak past the deadly monsters.


Any time that the text says that you can do something, that means you now have the option of doing that action in that manner. If you have Song of the White Raven, you can activate bardic music as a standard or a swift action.

Most of the texts in the 3.5e books are very specific in their wording. This is especially true for the wordings in the later books like the Tome of Battle (at least in the feat sections). If the feat stopped you from ever using bardic music as a standard and only allowed you to do it as a swift action from then on, then it would say so directly.

I wasn't sure if I was reading it too critically, thank you for the clarification.


Now, does anyone know about the ability that chages activation to a move action? It may have been a class ability that started by making concentrating on it a move action and improved over time, but I remember something like this.

[Keld Denar]

Harmonize from Races of Stone, IIRC, will let you start a bard song as a move action. If you had that running and Song of the White Raven, you could start 3 songs in a single round. Add in Combine Song from Warchanter or Seeker for added lulz.

[Elric VIII]

Harmonize from Races of Stone, IIRC, will let you start a bard song as a move action. If you had that running and Song of the White Raven, you could start 3 songs in a single round. Add in Combine Song from Warchanter or Seeker for added lulz.

That was the plan, along with Seeker of Song for 3 simultaneous songs. Thank you.