[DF] Bard Song Terror - does Bardic Talent help?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by trooper6

But the advance planning you are talking about is that all the PCs use ear plugs when dungeon delving, .

That's not planning. Planning is deciding that a certain objective contains a large number of low-will mooks so we'll plug our ears at the start of this fight.

[ErhnamDJ]

Terror is awesome! All you need is a little bit of planning ahead. The Bravery spell is really cheap. The bard can cast that first, then blast his horn or drums to terrify the enemy with his Terror advantage.

It's amazingly powerful, since it affects people at any distance. It's great for when you get to choose how to start the battle. Cast Bravery first (which is an area spell that can get your whole party) and then start the battle with a frightening performance.

If anything, the bard should be more like the mentalist. He should be able to purchase all those cool bard powers as alternative abilities.

The only one he gets that I haven't found any use for is Empathy, which requires you to play an instrument or sing while you're trying to use it.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Now I have a question. I am playing a DF Bard and getting into combat for the first time with the character...and I have some reservations about Terror. Terror says that *everyone* must roll a Fright Check. Terror doesn't have selective. So--doesn't that mean that *everyone* includes the other PCs as well? If so, Terror seems like a power that one can't really use in a party context, because you're just as likely to mess with your Allies as well as your Enemies. Am I missing something?

The PCs should at minimum be able to claim the +3 from learning the details of the threat in advance (B p360).

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by ErhnamDJ

Terror is awesome! All you need is a little bit of planning ahead. The Bravery spell is really cheap. The bard can cast that first, then blast his horn or drums to terrify the enemy with his Terror advantage.

Wouldn't the effects of Bravery end the second the Bard stop singing?

[ErhnamDJ]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Wouldn't the effects of Bravery end the second the Bard stop singing?

You can sing and play an instrument at the same time, can't you?

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by ErhnamDJ

You can sing and play an instrument at the same time, can't you?

Wouldn't you need Compartmentalized Mind to be able to have two spells going on at once? It doesn't seem to be copacetic to the rules for Bards to be able to cast and maintain two spells simultaneously.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Wouldn't you need Compartmentalized Mind to be able to have two spells going on at once? It doesn't seem to be copacetic to the rules for Bards to be able to cast and maintain two spells simultaneously.

Magicians can certainly cast a spell while maintaining another.

[ErhnamDJ]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Wouldn't you need Compartmentalized Mind to be able to have two spells going on at once? It doesn't seem to be copacetic to the rules for Bards to be able to cast and maintain two spells simultaneously.

You might be right, but I'm not sure. I am confused by the whole thing, though. If it's supposed to work like the Song limitation, which is what it says in DF 1 and what Kromm says here, then why can you use an instrument at all?

The text is different from the Song limitation. Look under Power Modifier: Bard-Song in DF 1.

It says: "Bard-Song abilities require the bard to sing or play a musical instrument at skill 14+"

If we go by that, then he could maintain a spell and use one of his powers at the same time by singing for one and playing an instrument for the other. If he can't, then he needs some kind of power-up to allow it. That's a very hefty limitation that he should have the option to ignore in some way.

The way I would rule is that he has to sing to cast spells, but he can sing or play an instrument for his powers. That part is RAW, I think. The bard-song limitation is only -30%, not the -40% of the song limitation.

Then I would arbitrarily assign a -6 penalty to sing one song and play another at the same time. So that way he could do both at once.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Magicians can certainly cast a spell while maintaining another.

But they don't have the -40% Song limitation on their Magery.

For a Mage, casting the spell Bravery. He casts Bravery and without concentration/maintenance it has a 1 hr duration.
The Bard doesn't have the ability to do that. Their effects don't persist, the Bard must be constantly performing.

It would be awesome if the Bard could cast and concentrate on two spells simultaneously, but it seems outside of the rules.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Wouldn't you need Compartmentalized Mind to be able to have two spells going on at once? It doesn't seem to be copacetic to the rules for Bards to be able to cast and maintain two spells simultaneously.

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Magicians can certainly cast a spell while maintaining another.

It's definitely possible to sing one song and play another. You might need to practice the combo a few times, and it might sound bad, but alternately you might get a lovely medly or mash/up effect. Fundementally, whatever you play on your instrament is whatever you play on your instrament.

Habitually playing one particular pattern of notes while you sing something doesn't mean you HAVE to play those notes with those words at all times.

One-man bands prove you can juggle a LOT of instruments at once with the right equipment, preparation, and practice. And with a skill penalty, but ;)

EDIT: I would simply say they can't cast more than one spell at the same time without compartmentalized mind, any more than any other kind of spell caster can. Maintenance and spells-on penalty are as usual, and in this case the spells-on penalty can easily be justified by "trying to concentrate on different tunes".