Flame of Anor
2015-09-18, 11:37 PM
This is not my work; it's a duplicate of this (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1109291) thread. Since the Wizards forums will be disappearing soon (bad form!) I wanted to preserve a few of these threads. Feel free to continue discussing the thread's topic.
(posted March 25, 2007)
Thanks to EvilVegan for this new format:
Inspire Courage (Su)
A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.
Feats
Direct Improvements to Inspire Courage
Song of the Heart (ECS, pg. 60): Bonus granted by your music increases by +1.
Dragonfire Inspiration (Dragon Magic). Convert inspire courage bonuses to elemental damage depending on dragon type.
Words of Creation (BoED, pg. 48). Get DM approval. Doubles bonus from bardic music effects, but you take subdual damage.
Other feats for bardic music
Music of Growth (ECS): Kind of like Augment Summoning but with singing.
Melodic Casting (CM, pg. 44): Replace Concentration with Perform. Cast spells/use items while maintaining bardic music.
Song of the White Raven (ToB) Activate Bardic Music as a swift action. (Doesn't work well with the spell inspirational boost).
Lingering Song (CA, pg. 111): Bardic Music lasts 1 minute after you stop playing.
Snowflake Wardance (Frostburn): Expend Bardic music to get Charisma to damage.
Spells
Inspirational Boost (Spell Compendium, pg. 124): +1 to inspire courage. Can be used during the start of bardic music for longer lasting effect.
Equipment
Vest of Legends (DMG II, pg. 272). Bonus to Diplomacy and Perform. Treated as a bard of higher level for bardic music bonuses.
Badge of Valor (MIC, pg. 208). Bonus on Charm or Fear saves. Or +1 to inspire courage. Either 3/day.
Crystal Echoblade (MIC). Bonus Sonic Damage while using bardic music.
Harmonizing Weapon (MIC). Bonus on Perform checks and the weapon maintains the bardic music, allowing you to cast spells or activate items.
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows (Dragon#314, p20) Fire Damage bonus to your weapon equal to charisma bonus.
Prestige Classes
Dread Pirate (CA)- Improves Inspire Courage faster than standard bard.
Battle Howler of Gruumsh (Dragon#311) stacks with bard for bardic music uses per day and affects, bardic spells and the 4th lvl ability increases the bonus of inspire courage by 1 as well as make the radius 60 feet.
Heartfire Fanner (Dragon#314) grants bonus feats, free metamagic up to +2 and increase the duration of spells and ex abilities by your Cha Modifier in rounds. Gives full spellcasting, bardic music per day, and teachers the bard all the bardic music affects of a normal bard, but inspire courage is not advanced.
Tips
1) If you have both inspirational boost and a Badge of Valor, activate them in this order: inspirational boost -> inspire courage -> Badge of Valor. This uses your swift/immediate actions for the first 2 rounds of the inspire courage, but gives you the full benefit for the duration of the song.
2) A harmonizing weapon helps negate the need for the Melodic Casting feat, but Melodic Casting does have the additional benefit of freeing up some skill points.
(posted March 25, 2007)
Thanks to EvilVegan for this new format:
Inspire Courage (Su)
A bard with 3 or more ranks in a Perform skill can use song or poetics to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to hear the bard sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. At 8th level, and every six bard levels thereafter, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 8th, +3 at 14th, and +4 at 20th). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.
Feats
Direct Improvements to Inspire Courage
Song of the Heart (ECS, pg. 60): Bonus granted by your music increases by +1.
Dragonfire Inspiration (Dragon Magic). Convert inspire courage bonuses to elemental damage depending on dragon type.
Words of Creation (BoED, pg. 48). Get DM approval. Doubles bonus from bardic music effects, but you take subdual damage.
Other feats for bardic music
Music of Growth (ECS): Kind of like Augment Summoning but with singing.
Melodic Casting (CM, pg. 44): Replace Concentration with Perform. Cast spells/use items while maintaining bardic music.
Song of the White Raven (ToB) Activate Bardic Music as a swift action. (Doesn't work well with the spell inspirational boost).
Lingering Song (CA, pg. 111): Bardic Music lasts 1 minute after you stop playing.
Snowflake Wardance (Frostburn): Expend Bardic music to get Charisma to damage.
Spells
Inspirational Boost (Spell Compendium, pg. 124): +1 to inspire courage. Can be used during the start of bardic music for longer lasting effect.
Equipment
Vest of Legends (DMG II, pg. 272). Bonus to Diplomacy and Perform. Treated as a bard of higher level for bardic music bonuses.
Badge of Valor (MIC, pg. 208). Bonus on Charm or Fear saves. Or +1 to inspire courage. Either 3/day.
Crystal Echoblade (MIC). Bonus Sonic Damage while using bardic music.
Harmonizing Weapon (MIC). Bonus on Perform checks and the weapon maintains the bardic music, allowing you to cast spells or activate items.
Gauntlets of Heartfelt Blows (Dragon#314, p20) Fire Damage bonus to your weapon equal to charisma bonus.
Prestige Classes
Dread Pirate (CA)- Improves Inspire Courage faster than standard bard.
Battle Howler of Gruumsh (Dragon#311) stacks with bard for bardic music uses per day and affects, bardic spells and the 4th lvl ability increases the bonus of inspire courage by 1 as well as make the radius 60 feet.
Heartfire Fanner (Dragon#314) grants bonus feats, free metamagic up to +2 and increase the duration of spells and ex abilities by your Cha Modifier in rounds. Gives full spellcasting, bardic music per day, and teachers the bard all the bardic music affects of a normal bard, but inspire courage is not advanced.
Tips
1) If you have both inspirational boost and a Badge of Valor, activate them in this order: inspirational boost -> inspire courage -> Badge of Valor. This uses your swift/immediate actions for the first 2 rounds of the inspire courage, but gives you the full benefit for the duration of the song.
2) A harmonizing weapon helps negate the need for the Melodic Casting feat, but Melodic Casting does have the additional benefit of freeing up some skill points.