Lute: instrument of battle!

[Ehsteve]

So I've been playin around with the idea of creating a bard who not only uses his musical instrument for playing, but also as a weapons. As such I am reaching out to the community for creative ideas of how to create a bard who is proficient with using his instrument as a weapon (a lute in my case) in an effective manner. There's no use in having a weapon that always has -4 to hit or straight up pitiful damage.

Any other hilarious ideas are welcome (from dropping church organs on people to turning the spoons into deadly weapons).

[Wise Green Bean]

There is no question in my mind that a bad bagpiper does sonic damage.

[Kerilstrasz]

Well... if you want that bard to hit with the actual lute then let it be of some
strong material...

although...
there are some kinds of blades that you can attach to instruments...
i think they r on Arm.&equip. Guide

[Darrin]

Instrument blade: 10 GP, Complete Scoundrel p. 109. Turns your lute into a dagger.

And let us not forget the almighty Lute-bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070314a).

[Marlowe]

So you could have a violinist doing TWF with a bladed violin and bow?

That might almost be worth getting stuck doing TWF fighting for.

[oldkingkoal]

Dude, should totally make his race a horse anthro... and name him 'El Kabong'
Gahd that's an old reference...

[Telonius]

Dude, should totally make his race a horse anthro... and name him 'El Kabong'
Gahd that's an old reference...

Only if you get Leadership and give him a burro cohort.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hfirdv34n7A/TP2SYm49YXI/AAAAAAAAG2E/FQWaXFyLFO4/s200/WHO%2BIS%2BEL%2BKABONG%2B17.png

[umbergod]

So you could have a violinist doing TWF with a bladed violin and bow?

That might almost be worth getting stuck doing TWF fighting for.

My DM approved a "battle violin" for my bard/warblade idea I had. The violin itself would function as a masterwork club, capable of being offensively enchanted, and the violin bow was basically a refluffed kukri.

[Bloodgruve]

Attach some spikes to Maracas..

Throw a wand chamber in a Lute case so you can be a gangster (not to be confused with a gangsta)

Blood~

[Cuthalion]

You could use a metal guitar.

[Agent 451]

The only instrument that doubles as a weapon that I know of (other than the lute-bow) is the steel flute from Secrets of Sarlona.

[gorfnab]

Import the feats Catch Off-Guard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/catch-off-guard-combat) and Improvised Weapon Mastery (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/improvised-weapon-mastery-combat---final) from Pathfinder.

I really want to play a Pathfinder Bard sometime with the Cantrip: Summon Instrument and the Catch Off-Guard feat.

[Baltic]

My Hillbilly Halfling Bard (Elroy Grasso'blue) used to be armed with a mithral Banjolele. My DM had it statted as an improvised weapon that did the damage of a club. And on a 1 it would get knocked out of tune and I'd get penalties to play it.

[Axier]

If you can get Improvised Weapon Proficiency as a feat (I think they had a feat for it in Pathfinder), you can just make the lute out of durable materials and beat people senseless with it as an improvised weapon.

Other than that, the lute can get the Complete Scoundrel instrument blade and lute bow attachments.

[laeZ1]

We could also look at this from the other direction. One of my players started his own game, and it started out in a bard festival, and we watched high level bards perform until (gasp!) disaster struck.

One of the NPC bards he had used a (magical) hollowed our greatsword, with holes in it so it would make a tune as he swung it. We could take that idea and go a little further with it.

Basically, instead of making an instrument into a weapon, have you given thought to making a weapon into an instrument?

If green ranger can do it, why not you?

[Feralventas]

I had a player who played Bard as a Barbarian and wanted an instrument to go along with it. Master-work weapons can be customized to any number of interesting details and designs, so I told her if she bought a MWK battle-axe, she could fluff it however she wanted including but not limited to strings down the side to function as a guitar.

[Ravenica]

oh man, battle-axe must be lightning enchanted for that electric bass sound :smallbiggrin:

[Medic!]

Ye cannuh defea tha SHADA AHCKS

[Sheogoroth]

Oboe/short spear?

Guitars are sometimes called Axes...

[Magic Myrmidon]

I once had a bard archer who kinda did the reverse. He used the bowstring as an instrument. He'd pinch it at different places to make different pitches, and he'd use magic to make it vibrate differently than it should.