Bardic Music states two conflicting things. I want to know what you guys think should be the ruling, because I'm seriously trying to convince my DM that this should work.
- Bardic Music can use ANY Performance skill.
- Bardic Music must be HEARD.
If you must be heard, you can't use any skill, as some are Dance.
My roommate wants to make a Bard/Chaos Monk with Capoeira as his fighting/dance style.
I think he should be able to Inspire Courage while fighting, since he's still performing.
The rules both say that any perform skill works, and that it must be heard… This is one of the few times which you could conceivably use a non-musical performance to inspire. Other ones like Act, just don't work during battle! This one does. I know it's still reliant on a ruling by the DM who is leaning on the side of "no" but is there any errata that clarifies this contradiction in wording directly?
Best Answer
Within 3.5e D&D you cannot use an inaudible performance for Bardic Music. Bardic Music specifically states (from the d20 SRD):
Note that only audible forms of performance are listed.
While there is no particular rules-based reasoning for this, I would assume the logic-based reason is something along the lines of: you can't counter a sonic or language-based effect with a mime (Countersong), and it would be otherwise quite difficult for your allies to focus on you enough in a combat situation to gain a benefit from a purely physical performance (Inspire Courage/Competence/Greatness/Heroics).
If your GM is willing, you could instead use all or some of the rules from Pathfinder's Bardic Performance which covers uses of purely physical Perform skills.