I'm trying to find ways to make the morale bonus to attack and damage as effective as possible.From Song and Silence:
When played to inspire courage, a natural horn raises the morale bonus on attacks and weapon damage from +1 to +2. The morale bonus on saves against charm effects, however, drops from +2 to +0.
Interpreted in 3.5 terms, I take this as a +1 to attack and damage, and a -2 to saves vs charm effects.
Similarly, I interpret the spell harmony from Magic of Faerun to add a +1 to attack and damage, and +2 to saves vs charm effects:
HarmonyEnchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting, Sonic]
Level: Brd 1
Components: V, S
Casting TIme: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Variable (see below)
When you play your instrument, sing your song, recite your epic poem, or speak your words of encouragement, you fill your allies with greater confidence than normal. When under the effect of this spell, you grant a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +2 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls when you use your inspire courage bardic ability.
The effect lasts as long as the effect of your inspire courage lasts. If you don't begin to inspire courage within 1 minute of casting this spell, the effects of harmony end.
Now comes the tricky part- the Words of Creation introduced in the Book of Exalted Deeds. Applied to bardic music, it says the following:
Inspire Courage: Double the morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear and the morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls (+2 at 1st level, +4 at 8th level, +6 at 14th level, +8 at 20th level).
First- can words of creation be used with a horn? Or do you need to be able to vocalize them? The BXD says
The Words of Creation can be woven into song, forming music that surpasses any earthly melody and echoes the grandeur of the music of the heavens.
But this is flavor text, and doesn't say that they can only be used in a song; who says that mental formation of the words wouldn't have the same effect on a performance. The Words of Creation feat is an exalted feat, and so is supernatural in nature rather than an extraordinary ability (p. 39). I don't know if the fact that words of creation is a supernatural ability helps decide whether they need to be vocalized to work.
So that's the first question- the second is whether one adds and then doubles, or doubles and then adds? I know that with the empower feat you add first, then increase by 50%. With critical hits constant modifiers are affected by the critical (but dice bonuses are not). Would the same hold true of the morale bonus- add, then double?
The most favorable interpretation of the rules (for the bard) would have words of creation work with a horn, and then, casting harmony first, an 8th level bard would be able to grant a +8 bonus to the attack and damage rolls of his comrades. +2 base, +1 from the horn, +1 from harmony, doubled by words of creation. +6 if the doubling happens first and then the addition.
Comments?
Does anyone know any other way of boosting the effectiveness of Inspire Courage?
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