TOPIC: Lyre of Rage (or MWBI) + Widseths Lute-can they stack?

I just had this thought, since Widseth's Lute requires no hands to use, can a bard also use the Lyre of Rage or the Masterwork Bard's Instrument at the same time to give even a greater bonus?  So LoR+WML = +2 to hit/+2 to Damage?  How about MWBI+WML = +1 to Hit/+3 to damage? <br /><br />Looking at this from a physical (so not game logic) standpoint - a bard with nothing can sing up a song and have as many instruments as he is physically capable of playing to help him.  With the introduction of WML that requires no hands to use, why couldn't a bard use another instrument (eventually becoming a one person band).  <br /><br />From a game mechanic perspective, each of the currently existing bard instruments (MWBI, WML) update/change the bards Inspire ability, by changing their +1 to damage to +2 (though if you read the Token Guide, Players Guide, and the actual tokens it might not appear that way), so I can see the MWBI and WML not stacking, but with the introduction of the LoR, perhaps WML and LoR could stack.

a regular one man band

The bard can only sing one tune at a time, so Bard's instruments don't stack.

I think that's the right decision, although the lute playing itself and a multitalented bard playing a few instruments might make a good comedic scene.

All I can see is Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins.  Hey I want magic chalk so I can jump into a side walk adventure.  <br /><br />Jeff, that would be a room of many uses.  All of a sudden you are on a space freighter with an alien stalking you, or on Tatooine running from or slaughtering sand people (depends on which side of the force you are drawn into), or trying to kill a raptor with a +1 stone knife.  We need the magic chalk as a new purp.

While not to use a modern equivalent, but I have seen many a performer sing while playing an instrument ( a guitar) and someone else playing a different instrument as backup (drums, bass guitar, etc.). How is that differnt than a bard playing the LoR and have WML as the second instrument.  Look at something like Rock Band, where you can be theb singer and the computer plays the drum, guitar, and base.  Isn't that what WML is?

Simple. Sing + play = bonus. If a character had two heads, they could get both sing and get bonuses with widseth and MW but that's about it. Sing + play + play != 2x bonus

I saw a two headed calf once (or maybe that was just the taxidermy). How about two heads mooing at the same time? double effect?

<br />The bard can only sing one tune at a time, so Bard's instruments don't stack.<br />

<br />Cool new item for 2010 tokens.  Flute of Dancing: After playing for 1 full round, a bard can set it aside to play another instrument, and the flute keeps playing.  Both would be full round actions, but could stack.  As all Mets fans are used to saying: wait 'til next year.<br />

<br />Simple. Sing + play = bonus. If a character had two heads, they could get both sing and get bonuses with widseth and MW but that's about it. Sing + play + play != 2x bonus<br />

<br /><br />Correct me if I am wrong, but the bard knows only one 'song' - Inspire.  If he uses the MWBI he gains a +1 to damage to his already +1/+1 ability.  If he uses WML he also gains +1 to damage, and the freedom to use his two hands for some other purpose.  If that purpose is to play yet another instrument, why could it not stack (other than Jeff saying so, which he has already done).  The point I am making with this is if you read the text about WML is it floats there playing along with your singing.  Why could not the song use two different instrument.  Both the Lyre (a hand harp) and the Lute could be used to sing a song, just like a modern day vocalist could sing along with a guitar, keyboards, drums, bass guitar, etc.  <br />Still if Jeff says no stack, then no stack.  But from a "fluff" perspective, I could see it being done.

I can't see it stacking - the bard still has to concentrate on Widseth's Lute for it to keep up it's magical playing.  Concentrating on another song/instrument would cancel the magic.<br />

I agree that in essense, the bard only knows one 'song' - inspire.  Therefore, I see all the different bonuses as "different" ways the bard inspires - to help focus people on hitting better or hitting harder.  If someone try to "inspire" too many things at the same time, people just get mixed messages and the focus is lost.  That is, it is one thing to be better at inspiring (her music grants +10 to hit and +10 to damage) but another thing to mix a bunch of inspirations (if we combine a mace, a sword, a staff and a bow into a single weapon, it would be 4X as deathly).  Unless, of course, there are game rules that trumps my rationale.