Weapons as musical instruments (visa versa)?

[GregoryTheBard]

I'm trying to make a heavy metal themed Bard and I was wondering if any of the standard weapons could potentially be used as a basis (both statistically and in terms of shape) for a musical instrument.

Right now I'm thinking about the possibility of having the character be a vocalist and using a microphone whose cord is either a whip, or if the DM would allow it, a spiked chain.

Thoughts?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Carry an axe.

[Greenish]

There are a few printed musical instruments that work as weapons, like steel flute (SoS) or lute-bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070314a), but by and large they aren't terribly heavy metal.

[Urpriest]

Hmm...

In general, ruleswise you're better off as a bard using a normal weapon and singing...that said...

The whole idea of a microphone whose cord is a weapon is potentially quite doable. Put a wand chamber (Dungeonscape) in the weapon, and make the wand in it be a wand of Amplify, or a similar spell.

[JusticeZero]

Not at the same time, and not well. I can imagine someone putting an mbira (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIPORpN27CY) into something for ease of access, because those are small and relatively durable, but you won't be able to play it while using whatever it's in as normal, and an mbira doesn't have much of the distorted "metal" sound that African instruments tend to have by design.
Or I suppose one could build some sort of straight horn up as a mace.

[The Oni]

Personally I love the microphone idea. A guitar-axe would be cool, but unless Dwarves have somehow invented steampunk guitars, it's gonna have that acoustic sound and not be very "metal." If you can convince the DM to let you buy a rare combat guitar with a magical amp or something for that electric sound, then you're golden. The guitar would just have blades on the outside and a reinforced neck, so you'd treat it like a 1-sided greataxe.

If it gains the broken condition you have to replace the strings, but it looks super badass so you get an Intimidate bonus for the next few rounds :D

[ArcturusV]

Pair of warhammers or maces, use them to play drums on any surface that's within arm's reach. Unless you spend a lot of time flying, that should always be available. And I think pounding out a percussion beat with steel on stone or the likes would be appropriately Metal.

[Raendyn]

Pair of warhammers or maces, use them to play drums on any surface that's within arm's reach. Unless you spend a lot of time flying, that should always be available. And I think pounding out a percussion beat with steel on stone or the likes would be appropriately Metal.

Ths guy is a metal drummer, and a melee monster at the same time (http://www.google.gr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rapturegaming.net/vn/upload/image_upload/1-%2520RGN%2520VN%2520Pictures/LoL/2013/July/27/1/pentakill_olaf_splash.jpg&imgrefurl=http://rapturegaming.net/vn/news/detail/3226&h=717&w=1215&sz=356&tbnid=NZCwqWN4f1qYGM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=153&zoom=1&usg=__DwGHPfMbiFc3Vz1sMSkZx9lyk2w=&docid=xriKIE0FcHxw4M&sa=X&ei=3UYsUvPlF8KO4ASX8IGoCg&ved=0CFQQ9QEwBA&dur=4389)

[Greenish]

The kodo-riding orcs in Warcraft 3 had throwing axes with blunt reverse they used to beat their war drums.

http://classic.battle.net/war3/images/orc/units/animations/kodo.gif

[Nagukuk]

Lighting maces = play drum solo on your enemies bones.

Wand chamber what ever instrument you like,... Strum / Play your instrument and use it to blast your enemies with lighting fire and such.

Make it sonic or acidic and your solo could blow people away or even actually melt their face :)

Custom rods or staves into instrument shapes?

Make your instrument out of iron wood or some similar material or just magically reinforce it and "El Kabong" people on the head.

OR
make it out of the (whatchamacallit element) that can be re-integrated when broken, then you can smash your instrument during a "performance" and simply put it back together like new.