Fascinating in Battle

[Weirdlet]

Hey, all. I have a question, and though I'm not holding my breath on an answer, I'm hopeful. Is there any way to be able to fascinate once engaged with the enemy? By the description it's impossible once battle's started, and anyone else starting battle or drawing weapons ends the effect- but it seems to me that at least at higher levels, it makes sense for a bard to be able to distract someone and force that opponent to pay attention to them and only them. Attacks of opportunity would abound, I'm sure, but I'm wanting a chance to use my perform check. Anyone got any ideas, or am I fishing for a homebrew?

[Riffington]

You're looking at a homebrew. What kind of effect do you want?
A: the swords were clanging and trumpets blaring, but people had ears only for the notes of Sir Peverly's lyre. The elves could hear neither the encouragement of their own bards nor the orders of their liege, but battled demoralized under their enemy's tune. (reasonable with a feat and high perform check.)

B: Marek scanned the ranks of enemy soldiers, but quickly drew note of a man clad in black and red, who swirled his weapons about him with practiced ease. Let someone else take out the wizard... this foe is mine!
(very plausible skill trick with a high Bluff and Perform)

C: As the enemy horsemen rode towards the king, his bodyguards suddenly turned to see a lone minstrel. Their jaws dropped and their weapons fell, as they watched the astounding performance. (pure cheese)

[Weirdlet]

I'm thinking closer to B. My gal is a dancer rather than a singer, but I figure it would work for any performance that can grab your attention, and that's what I'm looking for- a probably one-a-day effect from sheer force of skill and personality, reaching out and pulling the eye of an enemy, briefly distracting them from all they really should be paying attention to.

Actually, I just hauled out my Complete Scoundrel, and Cloaked Dancer has an effect similar to what I'm looking for, without saying it can't be done in battle, which might be what I was thinking of.

[Riffington]

I'm having trouble understanding the exact way Cloaked Dancer's Beguiling Dance works. It says a creature that saves or fails to save can't be affected again for 24 hours. But it also says each round you induce a save in each enemy that fails, or daze&move attitude one step friendlier. So there's two possible interpretations, neither of which I like.

a: one save, then they can't be affected again. So if you maintain the dance, you just affect more creatures (as you move across the room), each of which is dazed for a max one round total, and has an attitude adjustment of one step max.

b: one dance, then they can't be affected again. So if you can maintain the dance long enough, the viewers are now all your fanatics.

interpretation a is pretty weak, and interpretation b is insanely good.

Edit: oh, I guess a isn't actually weak at all if you use it just before combat. Or in ordinary social situations.

[Weirdlet]

True. Still, it sometimes helps to have published precedence when bringing something up to a DM. The idea of homebrewing something like a skill trick appeals to me, though, even if it's unlikely I'll get to use it.