Inspire Courage Op./Heartfire Fanner

[Aemoh87]

So my DM ruled that all inspire courage abilities stack in an attempt to get my to play a bard (since the rest of the party is into roleplaying but awful at character building).

I want to maximize my Inspire courage without taking bard (taking heartfire fanner later for 5 "free" levels). So three questions (new 3rd question):

A) What base and prestige classes can get Inspire Courage before level 7.
B) Would Ini. of Milil (C. of Valor) taking only Harmonious Pali and Cleric cause my "Bard" level to be 11 when I take Heartfire Fanner at level 11?
C) Any easy way to get inspire awe without giving up inspire courage?

[ShneekeyTheLost]

So my DM ruled that all inspire courage abilities stack in an attempt to get my to play a bard (since the rest of the party is into roleplaying but awful at character building).

I want to maximize my Inspire courage without taking bard (taking heartfire fanner later for 5 "free" levels). So three questions:

A) What base and prestige classes can get Inspire Courage before level 7.
B) Would Ini. of Milil (C. of Valor) taking only Harmonious Pali and Cleric cause my "Bard" level to be 11 when I take Heartfire Fanner at level 11?
C) Anyone have a link to Battle Howler of Gruumsh?

a) Bard. No, really, that's about it.

b) Wouldn't matter, harmonious paladin variant never increases his IC, it stays at +1.

c) That's against board policy.

[NNescio]

What about levels in Crusader/Warblade with Song of the White Raven and Dragonfire Inspiration? Granted, the number of uses would be limited, but op-fu can push the bonus damage dice to high levels to compensate. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6497.0;wap2)

[Rei_Jin]

Probably a silly question, but why don't you want to play a bard? They're a great class, with really good support in supplemental books and they can contribute to almost any scenario in a positive way.

If your DM has decided that all "Inspire Courage Abilities" stack, by which I assume you mean bardic music effects, then there's even more reason to play one!

[Kantolin]

Purple Dragon Knight, I believe?

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

If playing bard I would suggest looking into Dragonfire Inspiration. It is so worth it.

The only way that I currently know of to get Inspire Awe is 'War Chanter 7' but it is a good class considering it nets you combine songs and has full BAB, making it great for a battle bard and Pyroclastic Dragonfire Inspiration. Another class that has kind of the same effect is Warrior Skald from Races of Faerun. Also full BAB and has kind of the same effect starting with shaken at lvl 3 up to panicked at lvl 9.

Decide if you want a melee bard or a spell bard before continuing.

[Coidzor]

Probably a silly question, but why don't you want to play a bard? They're a great class, with really good support in supplemental books and they can contribute to almost any scenario in a positive way.

I think the interpretation is that if he doesn't have Bard, then Heartfire Fanner 5 either counts as 9 or 10 levels of effective bardhood, but if he takes Bard then it'd just count as 5 more Bard levels.

[JaronK]

Orc Warlord (available online, just google it) is interesting in that it has unlimited use Inspire Courage (though it doesn't count as Bardic Music and doesn't increase). You can get into the class by level 7.

JaronK

[Hyfigh]

There's a Paladin ACF that gives Inspire Courage as a bard of your level...

[ShneekeyTheLost]

There's a Paladin ACF that gives Inspire Courage as a bard of your level...

No, there's a Paladin ACF that gives you a flat +1 IC. There's a big difference.

[Coidzor]

There's a Paladin ACF that gives Inspire Courage as a bard of your level...

There's a Paladin Feat that gives you Inspire Courage as a bard of your paladin level.

From Smite to Song, Champions of Valor, IIRC.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

There's a Paladin Feat that gives you Inspire Courage as a bard of your paladin level.

From Smite to Song, Champions of Valor, IIRC.

Close.

What it actually does is let you blow a Smite Evil attempt (of which you get one at 1st, then at 5th and every 5 levels thereafter) to duplicate the effects of Inspire Courage with an effective Bard level equal to your Paladin level.

It does not grant you the Bardic Music ability (including Inspire Courage), merely the ability to blow a smite evil to duplicate the effects. There is an unsubtle difference between the two.

[Aemoh87]

I want to get inspire courage without being a bard so I can take the Inspire Awe bardic class feature with my 1 level bard dip. So far the only true option I have found is mystic exemplar.

[Hyfigh]

No, there's a Paladin ACF that gives you a flat +1 IC. There's a big difference.

Oops! My bad.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Heartfire Fanner? What is that? Some prestige class that give you the ability to aggravate your enemies' acid reflux disease? :smallconfused:

[Aemoh87]

Heartfire Fanner? What is that? Some prestige class that give you the ability to aggravate your enemies' acid reflux disease? :smallconfused:

It could. Depends if your dragon fire insp: black dragon with it.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I want to get inspire courage without being a bard so I can take the Inspire Awe bardic class feature with my 1 level bard dip. So far the only true option I have found is mystic exemplar.

Inspire Awe well and truly sucks. What could you possibly want with it?

[Talya]

Haunting Melody (feat) does the job of Inspire Awe better than Inspire Awe does, and doesn't cost you inspire courage.