> In the group composition thread, someone mentioned that they have a
> bagpiper whoc accompanies thr group. Now I'd be inclined to permit a
> bagpiper to augment the combatants with their Play ability... is this
> analogous to missile fire?
More analogous to Cheerleaders; though armed, heavily muscled, and bearded ones :-).
Seriously (or at least *more* seriously) if augmenting a group you could explain it as "playing stirring music to fire the blood". The clan probably has a couple tunes that are "ours" for warfare (and others for reaping or sowing, or driving cattle to market), so an enemy piper won't be stirring *our* blood, nor will out piper stir theirs.
Alternatively, the piper can "attack" the enemy with the pipe tune, functioning much like the barratus of the ancient Germans, or the "Rebel Yell" of the American Civil War. Either way, the tune is affecting Morale more than actual fighting ability or wounds. This works best against opponents that aren't used to them, of course...
I can even see a piper loaning APs to a hero by playing a tune specially for him - "Oddi is being driven back, play _The Alynx of the North_ to give him heart!"
There *is* a reason that pipes were declared weapons of War (along with muskets, swords, targes, pikes and even dirks) after the '45.
And yes, I * have* heard most of the pipe jokes out there, having several Piper friends.
Other instruments of a loud and stirring quality could be used like this - drums are good, as are horns or even massed fifes and drums (check out any Revolutionary War film, or Barry Lyndon or Little Big Man for fife&drum corps in warfare). All loud musical instruments can also be used for signalling orders as well, of course, whether by saying "Look at the standard to get further orders" or simply "Attack when you hear three blasts on the cornu"
RR
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