Would you allow this?

[Giant2005]

A Tinker Gnome building Music Boxes that play Bardic Music. Most notably, the Song of Rest and Countercharm.
The argument could be made that those abilities aren't just songs but magic that a machine could never replicate. On the other hand, the argument could be made that they aren't magical at all based on the fact that those are infinite use abilities that don't consume resources and therefore don't use magical energy.

[JoeJ]

A Tinker Gnome building Music Boxes that play Bardic Music. Most notably, the Song of Rest and Countercharm.
The argument could be made that those abilities aren't just songs but magic that a machine could never replicate. On the other hand, the argument could be made that they aren't magical at all based on the fact that those are infinite use abilities that don't consume resources and therefore don't use magical energy.

I wouldn't allow it using the Tinker racial ability because it allows the character to essentially do two things at once. A bardic music box would make an interesting magic item, though.

[Mrmox42]

I would not allow it. I do not view the Tinker ability to be able to make items of such power.

(You may argue that the Tinker ability is rather limited, and as a GM you could boost it by allowing these things, but I would say no)

[Astovidas]

On the other hand, the argument could be made that they aren't magical at all based on the fact that those are infinite use abilities that don't consume resources and therefore don't use magical energy.

So, cantrips are not magical by this logic?

Anyway; I would not allow it either. I would compare it to a concert (bard playing his songs) and a recording (music box). Although the recording can be good and entertaining, when you hear the musicians performing live, it gives you a whole other feeling. And these "feelings" are the magic of the song.

Furthermore as I see it, a music box can only play simple melodies and not complex songs like the bard plays.

[cobaltstarfire]

Neat idea, I think I wouldn't allow it without a lot of talking about it trying to make sure it's not an overpowering thing.

Like I've got the weird idea of a box that needs magical sheet music to play, but it destroys the music in the process. Maybe requires the bard to give something up to create those little sheets (like bardic inspiration uses per day, and the dice the box gives are a size smaller)...or using the scribing rules, I haven't seen them so I don't really know what they're like.

[mister__joshua]

To buck the trend, I would allow it. How much advantage is it really anyway? You can use Bardic Music abilities by singing, that requires no hands. Having a music box that can be activated by the same action type as the ability would be fine. No mechanical advantage, plus it's fluffy and creative.

edit: Unless you meant a non-bard Tinker, or music boxes that anyone can activate. Those I probably wouldn't allow. Though in the case of Song of Rest I don't think there would be much harm in them creating a box that replicated the ability but didn't use up the ability.

[JAL_1138]

Using Rock Gnomes' racial ability, I wouldn't allow it if it could be used to hand out bardic inspiration at-will; there's a reason it's resource-based. It'd trigger the Magic Item Creation rules if anyone could use it and/or it never ran out, and it'd probably be a very expensive and time-consuming magical instrument to make (I haven't looked at those rules yet).

For actual Krynnish Tinker Gnomes, I would allow it and then have it explode or go rogue and start maiming people.

[Totema]

Ehh... I wouldn't mind allowing it for the Song of Rest ability, since they'd probably spend the rest using it anyway and there's not much else for them to do during the rest in question. But certainly not for the Countercharm ability, since it frees up your action to let you do one of many other things. There's also the fact that it's a fairly innocuous (though useful) 2nd level ability weighed against a potent 6th level ability. And I wouldn't allow either of them if the creator wasn't a bard, of course.

[Person_Man]

If the character is a Tinker Gnome Bard, then I would allow them to use a device they created as their instrument. But I would not allow them to basically create magic items at no cost, regardless of whether or not its technically magic.

[Fwiffo86]

If the character is a Tinker Gnome Bard, then I would allow them to use a device they created as their instrument. But I would not allow them to basically create magic items at no cost, regardless of whether or not its technically magic.

This is also my opinion.

[Edenbeast]

I would allow it if the player is a bard with said songs or abilities. It's not the device, it's the bard knowing how to create a peaceful tune or other effect that soothes the others. You could tell a story while the music box plays. All other requirements for bardic abilities should still be met, like spending actions etc.