As I played Everquest, my thinking was something like:
Harper songs dont use power points, harpers songs each use a diferent instrument for its playing wich there are 4 types:
Singuing
String instruments (Mandolin type)
Wind Instruments (flute type)
Percusion Instrument (Tambourine type)
Brass Instrument (Oboe)
Each song requires a diferent skills to being cast has different reuse time if needed, and may only permit combinations on singuing and percusion or string intrument and so on, more powerfull songs require more skill on the type of instrument.
for example:
Breath underwater song
Skill and instrument required wind instrument (flute)
Skill needed 4 skills at flute instrument (for example)
upgraded options:
for each other member afected 3 skills in wind instrument
for each 10' more area of effect afecting 2 skill more in wind instrument
Note when playing a wind instrument a bard will only be able to do other things wich require only one hand (there are wind instruments wich require only one hand to play them) but will not be able to sing singued required songs
Haste song
singued song, player will be able to sing haste for himself during combat, but if he wants to combat he will be not able to do any other thing
for each other player beeing afected by song 3 skills more in singuing
heal song
Stringued instrument player can heal 3 hits for each round of concusion hits
increasing heal rate to 5 hits/round +3 skills in stringued song
healing 1 hit/round bleeding 5 skills in string instrument
Stun Song
Singuing song
player yields his potent voice causing stun to the targuet target will have a RR for his stun
after this brutal song bard will need 3 rounts of recuperation until he can sing another stun song
for each aditional round of stun caused 5 skills in singuing (may need more additional rounds of recuperation)
Does the idea like to anybody?