The Nature of Gadgeteers and Bards

[judee]

Something I said on another post got me thinking.

Gadgeteers make their gadgets that then create certain effects. Those effects seem similar to certain spells, but... are they magic?

Example: Will the small box that creates Terror be resisted by a creature that resists mind spells? Or will it work anyway because it is a mechanical device?

Same question for Music. Though I could see how the Bard's Music might be considered magic for the sake of resistances, etc. Because they are presumable magical instruments played with a certain skill level.

But the same doesn't seem logical when applied to a gadgeteer.

Any thoughts/experiences out there?

judee

['Guest']

I've got very little Gadgeteer experience (it's on my list of things to play with...) but a fair bit of Bard experience.  Courtney Hobbit (my Bard) is up to 18th level now.

Every Bardic instrument casts a magic spell when played.  As far as I've seen so far, every one is either a Psionic spell (the majority are), or a Divinity spell (Bless, Heal All).  Each instrument has a Bard experience level and a Music skill level which must be satisfied to use the instrument.  As far as I'm aware, the Bard experience level exactly corresponds to the experience level a pure spellcaster of the appropriate realm would have to be in order to learn that spell.  (E.g., the Piercing Pipes which play Shrill Sound require Bardic experience level 5.  Shrill Sound is a level 3 spell, and it would require a level-5 pure spellcaster to learn it.)

Bardic instruments do not work in anti-magic zones (like the central room of the Fourth Bough in Trynton).  An attempt to play one only generates a popup message, and no loss of stamina.  Also, a Fire realm spell/instrument (like the Rousing Drums which play Haste) does not work under water (you cannot cast Fire realm spells like Light under water, either).

To the best of my knowledge, the Bard songs are affected in the expected way by monster magic resistance.  A monster with a high Mental resistance has a lower chance of being affected by a Bard's insanity/pandemonium spell, etc.

[Merkin]

LOL, Greycat,
My Bard is a hobbit named Courtney as well (mine came from Courtney Love)

['Guest']

Yes, Courtney Love.  Precisely.

[Wrolf]

I know that you can use gadgets in non-magic zones but the bard instruments wont play.  I am not sure which resistances come into play though.