General Rules - Bardic Performance Effects

Bardic Performance Effects

In addition to the abilities gained through the use f the various mystical performance feats, bards are able to roughly approximate metamagic feats with their performances. They are unable to manipulate their own spells in this way - a bard has great power to change the way in which those around him cast spells, but is powerless to alter his own spells without using traditional metamagic.

The bard is able to assist his companions in the creation of spectacular spells and one bard (or more) can assist another bard in the same way he can aid any other spellcaster. In groups, even the relatively weak spells of bards can be enhanced to great potency. The following enhancements are available for enhancing the spells of others.

In order to augment a spell, the bard must use his Perform skill to create a mystical performance. Each performance requires at least one full-round action that must begin before the spellcaster initiates his casting. The bard must continue performing until the spell is cast. For spells requiring more than one round to cast, the bard need only make a single Perform check, but must expend a full-round action each round until the spell is successfully cast or the caster abandons the spell preparations. Just before the spell is completed, the bard makes a Perform check (the DC is determined by the type of effect desired - see the individual effect description) to determine what, if any, change he has wrought upon the spell in question. If the Perform check fails, the bard is unable to manipulate the spell as it is cast, though the spell slot costs for the effect must still be paid. If the bard fails the perform check by 10 or more, a miscast occurs as detailed in the effect description. When a miscast occurs, the cost for the spell effect must still be paid.

Most of the effects described in the table below may be applied to any allied caster's spell with the following restrictions:

• The caster must be in view of the bard at all times while the spell is being cast. It is not necessary for the caster to be able to see the bard, but the bard must be able to watch as the spellcaster prepares his spell so that the bard may adjust his performance accordingly.


• The bard must be able to engage in a performance of some type - if he is silenced and bound, he's not going to be augmenting must of anything until he has gotten himself free and able to use his skills.

As long as these two conditions are met, the bard may use his mystical performance abilities on any allied caster's spell. Each effect has an affinity for a particular type of mystical performance. If the correct performance type is used in conjunction with an effect, the bard receives a +2 synergy bonus on his Perform check.

Effect	Affinity
Arcane Power Increase	Bardic Singing
Duration Increase	Bardic Singing
Effect Increase	Bardic Instrumentals
Effect Magnification	Bardic Instrumentals
Focused Energy	Bardic Singing
Range Increase	Bardic Chanting
Range Magnification	Bardic Chanting
Spell Bounce	Bardic Chanting
Spell Delay	Bardic Dancing
Sustain Spell	Bardic Dancing

Just as bard may attempt to augment the effects of an ally's spell, they may also attempt to impair the power of an enemy's spells. Using one of these effects requires the same steps as augmenting an ally's spells. This means the bard must begin his performance before the enemy spellcaster he wishes to impair - if the spellcaster then chooses not to cast a spell, the bard will have wasted his action for the round, though not his spell slot as these are only expended if a spell is cast and an attempt to affect it is made.

In order for the impairment performance to be successful, the bard must make a successful Spellcraft check to determine which spell the enemy is casting. This is part of the full-round performance action. If this check succeeds, the bard;'s performance continues as normal and the bard must expend a spell slot of the appropriate level when the enemy's spell is cast. If the Spellcraft check fails, the bard is unable to determine which spell the enemy caster is unleashing and realizes his performance is futile. Though the bard's full-round performance is wasted, his spell slots are not expended in this case.

In the descriptions of the individual effects from the table below, references to effective caster level of a performance are a reference to the effective caster level of the enemy spellcaster releasing the targeted spell. Each effect has an affinity for a particular type of mystical performance. If one of these performance types is used in conjunction with this effect, the bard receives a +2 synergy bonus on his Perform check.

Effect	Affinity
Chant of Dissipation	Bardic Chanting
Diffused Energy	Bardic Singing
Effect Dampener	Bardic Instrumentals
Effect Reduction	Bardic Instrumentals
Range Inhibitor	Bardic Chanting
Spell Deflection	Bardic Chanting

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