Hive Mind And Bards

[Ranis]

I'm sitting here making a Formian squad to fight my PCs, and I'm curious: can a Formian Bard legitimately "sing" through the Hive Mind?

Hive Mind:
All Formians within 50 miles of their queen are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none are. No formian in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.

And all the bard entry says is that it affects "Allies that can hear them." I would rule that "constant communication" means that they're sending and relaying messages; wouldn't that include music from bards?

[Jayabalard]

I would say no; communication is not the same thing as hearing. All allies would be aware that the bard is singing, and even know what is being sung, but that doesn't mean that they "hear" the music.

[Ranis]

Well, all the registration of sound is is a reception of mental impulses that your brain interprets from sound itself, so why couldn't a formian bard "sing" into the Hive Mind, seeing as the way that they communicate ends up being exactly the same way sound is interpreted anyway?

[Fax Celestis]

If you feel like making hell for your PCs, sure.

[Jayabalard]

Because, like I said, being in constant communication does not have anything to do with hearing. Musical inspiration comes hearing the music; using another sense (like mind to mind communication) does not transfer the true nature of that music any more than just seeing the notes written down on a page of sheet music does.

And besides, a formian bard doesn't make any sense to me: the idea does not fit their society lore at all; they're lawful while bards are not (unless you're house ruling that or using some sort of variant I suppose); none lower than a Myrmarch would have enough creativity and sense of self to become one.

[Tola]

I suppose it really depends on how often they've encountered adventurers, and especially bards, before. How long would it take for them to equate the singing with the group seeming to do better? And how long after that would it be before they decide to mimic it, maybe better it in the way described in the original idea, to improve the hive?

[Bardbarian]

--->Are you relaxing alignment restrictions on Bards in general, or only the Formian Bards? With Hive Mind, I would assert that a non-lawful Formian would be treated as a diseased individual (and likely culled from the Hive Mind and killed.) Or is there a non-formian bard singing somewhere, and you aren't sure if the morale bonus should count for the entire mind?

[shadowmage]

The way I look at it is it is not so much the "hearing" it but the sound that transfers the magic that enhances the people. So I would say no.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I would have no hesitation whatsoever having bardic music carrying through the hive mind.

The non-lawful requirement of the Bard class might be a bit more difficult...

[Mr Horse]

ehh... formian bards?
formians can be non-lawful??

[stainboy]

I'd say no, just because it would make no sense to the PCs. Since the PCs can't perceive the formian's bard's use of bardic music, they'll never know that that one weaker formian in the back is a bard, or have any way of realizing that he's the source of those buffs the other formians seem to be getting. A formian bard doesn't do anything make the encounter cooler, so there's no point.

That's even assuming you'd let a formian bard perform through the hivemind, which seems to run counter to the descriptions of bardic music, hivemind, and the Perform skill. So as a rules-lawyer I'd say no too.

[Collin152]

I'd say that Formians have no concept of music anyways and would probably scream through the Hive Mind "Turn off that racket!"

[Kantolin]

The only requirement is to hear the bard sing.

Therefore, I'd go with sure. You can utilize hive mind so that if one Formian is singing, they all gain the bonuses (Bonii?).

[Jasdoif]

I'd say it depends on which use of bardic music you're after. A number of them specify a maximum range, those wouldn't necessarily work through the hive mind (and if they did they'd carry the same range restriction).

On the other hand, Perform (oratory) includes storytelling, which should work just fine through the hive mind. So if using such a skill, bardic music without range limits should do just fine.

[Piccamo]

The part of me that hates the bard defense league says no.

[TSGames]

Well, all the registration of sound is is a reception of mental impulses that your brain interprets from sound itself, so why couldn't a formian bard "sing" into the Hive Mind, seeing as the way that they communicate ends up being exactly the same way sound is interpreted anyway?

*RIPS HAIR OUT VIOLENTLY and RUNS SCREAMING*
"IT'S MAGIC!!! STOP KILLING CAT GIRLS!!!"