General Rules: Feats - Bardic Singing

Bardic Singing [Special] (from Path of Magic)
You are able to create a mystical performance by singing.
   Prerequisites: Bardic music ability, Perform: Singing 1+ ranks.
   Benefit: You are able to use your bardic music abilities to create mystical performances with song. Some bardic music abilities require concentration, which means the bard must take a standard action each round to maintain the ability. Even while using bardic music that doesn’t require concentration, a bard cannot cast spells, activate magic items by spell completion (such as scrolls), spell trigger (such as wands), or command word. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use mystical performances with song. If he fails, the attempt still counts against his daily limit. In addition to the abilities listed below, you gain a +2 synergy bonus on Perform checks when using the following mystical performance effects: Arcane Power Increase, Diffused Energy, Duration Increase, and Focused Energy.

• Countersong (Su): A bard with 8 or more ranks in the Perform: Singing skill can use his song or poetics to counter magical effects that depend on sound (but not spells that simply have verbal components). Each round of the countersong, he makes a Perform check. Any creature within 30 feet of the bard (including the bard himself) that is affected by a sonic or language-dependent magical attack may use the bard’s Perform check result in place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a noninstantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use the bard’s Perform check result for the save. Countersong has no effect against effects that don’t allow saves. The bard may keep up the countersong for 10 rounds.


• Fascinate (Sp): A bard with 8 or more ranks in a Perform: Singing skill can use his song or poetics to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the bard, and able to pay attention to him. The bard must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every three additional ranks in a Perform skill a bard has beyond 8, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability. To use the ability, a bard makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the bard cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the bard continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 1 round per bard level). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the bard to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform check result. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.


• Inspire Courage (Su): A bard with 8 or more ranks in a Perform: Singing 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. For every five bard levels, this bonus increases by 1 (+2 at 5^th level, +3 at 10^th level, and +4 at 15^th level). Inspire courage is a mind-affecting ability.


• Inspire Competence (Su): A bard of 3^rd level with 10 or more ranks in the Perform: Singing skill can use his music or poetry to help an ally succeed at a task. The ally must be within 30 feet and able to see and hear the bard. The bard must also be able to see the ally. The ally gets a +2 competence bonus on skill checks with a particular skill as long as he or she continues to hear the bard’s music. Certain uses of this ability are unfeasible. The effect lasts as long as the bard concentrates, up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A bard cannot inspire competence in himself. Inspire competence is a mind-affecting ability.


• Suggestion (Sp): A bard of 4^th level with 11 or more ranks in the Perform: Singing skill can make a suggestion (as the spell) to a creature that he has already fascinated. Using this ability does not break the bard’s concentration on the fascinate effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the fascinate effect. Making a suggestion doesn’t count against a bard’s daily limit on bardic music performances. A Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ bard’s level + bard’s Charisma modifier) negates the effect. This ability affects only a single creature (but see mass suggestion, below). Suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language dependent ability.


• Inspire Greatness (Su): A bard 7^th level with 14 or more ranks in the Perform: Singing skill can use music or poetry to inspire greatness in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet, granting him or her extra fighting capability. For every three levels beyond 7^th, he can target one additional ally with a single use of this ability (two at 10^th level, and three at 13^th level). To inspire greatness, a bard must sing and an ally must hear him sing. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for 5 rounds thereafter. A creature inspired with greatness gains 2 bonus Hit Dice (d10s), the commensurate number of temporary hit points (apply the target’s Constitution modifier, if any, to these bonus Hit Dice), a +2 competence bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 competence bonus on Fortitude saves. The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependent. Inspire greatness is a mind-affecting ability.


• Song of Freedom (Sp): A bard of 9^th level with 16 or more ranks in Perform: Singing skill can use their song to create an effect equivalent to the break enchantment spell (caster level equals the character’s bard level). Using this ability requires 1 minute of uninterrupted concentration and music, and it functions on a single target within 30 feet. A bard cannot use song of freedom on himself.
• Inspire Heroics (Su): A bard of 11^th level with 18 or more ranks in the Perform: Singing skill can use music or poetry to inspire tremendous heroism in himself or a single willing ally within 30 feet. For every three bard levels the character attains beyond 11^th, he can inspire heroics in one additional creature. To inspire heroics, a bard must sing and an ally must hear the bard sing for a full round. A creature so inspired gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws and a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears the bard sing and for up to 5 rounds thereafter. Inspire heroics is a mind-affecting ability.
• Mass Suggestion (Sp): This ability functions like suggestion, above, except that a bard of 13^th level with 20 or more ranks in the Perform: Singing skill can make the suggestion simultaneously to any number of creatures that he has already fascinated. Mass suggestion is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting, language-dependent ability.

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