There are seven magical instruments. Each can be fully utilized only by a bard, particularly a bard of at least as high a college as the instrument is named for, i.e. Fochlucan, Mac-Fuirmidh, Doss, etc. Bards of lower status, as well as other characters able to play such an instrument, will be able to use the device with only limited results. The seven instruments are described below:
Fochlucan Bandore: If this small, 3-stringed instrument is played by a 1st level bard (probationer) or a non-bard, it has a 50% chance per round of playing to cast a faerie fire spell, but there is a 10% chance that the musician will be limned by the glow, if the spell is so cast, rather than the desired target. A bard of Fochlucan or higher college casts the faerie fire spell at base 50% per level of bard experience above 1st, reducing the reverse effect by 1% per level above 1st. Furthermore, the bandore also has the following song properties when properly played:
add 10% to the bard’s charm percentage;
cast an entangle spell once per day;
cast a shillelagh spell once per day; and
enable the bard to speak with animals once per day.
If a 1st level bard attempts these powers, there is a 30% chance that they will work, but a 70% chance that the player will take 2-8 hit points of damage.
Mac-Fuirmidh Cittern: This lute-like instrument is 50% likely to deliver 3-12 hit points of damage to any non-bard or bard under 5th level who picks it up and attempts to play it. A 5th or higher level bard who uses the cittern has a 15% better chance of charming and can sing the following songs once per day which :
Lower level bards cannot use the cittern even if they do not harm themselves (whether they toke damage or not).
Doss Lute: This instrument is 60% likely to deliver 4-16 hit points of damage to any non-bard or bard under 8th level who picks it up and attempts to play it. An 8th or higher level bard who plays the lute has a 20% better chance of charming and can sing magical songs once per day which :
Canaith Mandolin: The mandolin is 70% likely to cause 5-20 hit points of damage upon any non-bard or bard of under the 11th level who attempts to utilize its powers by playing it. An 11th or higher level bard is able to employ the instrument to add 25% to his or her charming ability and also to cast the following spells once per day:
Cli Lyre: A Cli Lyre is 80% likely to cause 6-24 hit points of damage upon any non-bard or bard of less than the 14th level of experience who plays it. A 14th or higher level bard adds 30% to charming ability and can cast the following spells by singing and playing on the Lyre, once each per day:
Anstruth Harp: This powerful instrument is 90% likely to cause 8-32 hit points of damage to any non-bard or bard of less than 17th level who attempts to strum it. In the hands of a 17th or higher level bard, the harp adds 35% to charming abilities and can be played so as to cast the following spells, one each per day:
Ollamh Harp: If an Ollamh Harp is played by any non-bard or bard of under 20th level, it will inflict 10-40 hit points of damage upon such an individual. When played by a bard of 20th or higher level, it adds 40% to his or her charming abilities and can cast one each of the following spells daily:
confusion;
control weather; and
fire storm.
General Properties Of All Bard Instruments: Each and every instrument looks exactly alike due to powerful dweomers placed upon them.
Any character able to play one of these instruments can sing so as to do one of the following for as many turns as the order of the college, i.e. 1-7, a magnus alumni for 8 turns with any of the seven, once each per day:
put up a 10 ft. radius protection from evil;
become invisible (although the strumming and singing can still be heard distantly, the exact location is impossible to discover unless detection of invisibility is possible);
levitate; and
fly.
Each ability of the instrument takes 5 segments to activate, and not less than 1 full round to complete.
If the bard’s charming ability exceeds 100% with instrument bonus, the creature saving against the magic does so at -1 for every 5% above 100%, 3% or 4% being rounded to the next 5%, i.e. 3% = 5%, 8% = 10%, 13% = 15%, etc.
The type of instrument found is determined by the table below:
