How long can a bard Inspire Courage

[FireLance]

The effect of a bard's Inspire Courage on an ally lasts as long as he can hear the bard sing, and for five rounds thereafter. The question is, how can a bard sing? According to the description of the Bardic Music ability, the effect can also be generated by playing an instrument. A bard playing a drum or bagpipes could theoretically keep his performance going for hours. Is there anything in the rules that sets a limit on how long a bard can sing or play an instrument to Inspire Courage? If not, what is to stop a bard from Inspiring Courage at the start of a game session and continuing to sing or play until the end (shades of the CRPG Bard's Tale here).

 

[Darklone]

No rules... I'd go with Fortsaves vs fatigue every 10 minutes

And will saves for the party members against clobbering the bard unconscious.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

There are some things that might stop a Bard from doing so (by the rules): Falling unconcious (or dead).
Wanting to cast a spell or use a spell-completion item.
Losing his instrument (becoming mute in case of singing)

If you want a rule to have a general time limit:
Look at the DMG and check out how long you can survive without air (like when drowning), and mutliply this amount by a number that seems appropriate to you (maybe x5 or x10). This is the amount of time anyone can sing or play an instrumet without getting fatigued/breathless/whatsoever...

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Darklone]

You forgot grappling/disarming (if he is singing/playing an instrument)

 

[andargor]

How about increasing the chances of random encounters because of the constant racket? The party is sure to be surprised more often than the other way around...

Andargor

 

[Christian]

A million bottles of beer on the wall, a million bottles of beer ...



Really-I and a friend on my high-school cross-country team kept that up for a solid hour during a charity run. Amazingly, nobody seemed to want to keep pace with us ...

 

[Norfleet]

A million bottles of beer on the wall, a million bottles of beer ...



Really-I and a friend on my high-school cross-country team kept that up for a solid hour during a charity run. Amazingly, nobody seemed to want to keep pace with us ...

Oh, I have a better bottles-of-beer-on-the-wall thing. I programmed a computer to sing this song. As it wound down towards 0 bottles, people prayed that it would finally be over.....

Nuh, uh. Being the computer it was, it continued...
-1 bottles of beer on the wall, -1 bottles of beer....