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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Damon Griffin" data-source="post: 1024645" data-attributes="member: 3568">I don't have the 3.5 books yet, but from everything I've heard and read regarding Perform, I'd say I'm not going to like the 3.5 version any better than I did the 3.0 version.Here's one thing I suggested to my group to fix the 3.0 version; none of us were playing Bards, so we never had that much incentive to playtest it, but perhaps this will work for some of you:Under Perform v3.0, every added rank in the skill not only improved your existing performance style(s) but also gave you a new performance style at that same, improved skill level.  So, ignoring CHA bonus, masterwork instrument bonus, etc. a 1st level Bard could spend the maximum allowable 4 points to have 4 performance types all at skill level 4, and by the time he's 10th level, he may know 13 performance types, all at skill level 13 (again, not counting his CHA or other bonuses.)Note the geometric progression of virtual ranks gained by the above system.  Spending 4 skill points effectively buys you 16 ranks, because you get 4 ranks in each of 4 different styles.  Spending 10 points effectively buys you 100 ranks, because you get that level of skill in 10 different styles.This seems silly, especially as it was possible (although more expensive) for non-Bards to achieve the same effect.  So here's what I suggested:* Spending 1 skill point on Perform buys you 4 "pips" in Perform.* One "pip" can be used to either buy a new style or improve one existing style, not both.* The restrictions on max ranks (character level +3) also apply to pips.So, the 1st level Bard uses 4 skill points to buy 16 pips of Perform, and allots them as follows:Singing(ballad) @ rank 4 (max. for a 1st level character)Lute @ rank 4Mandolin @ rank 2Dance(jigs & reels) @ rank 2Panpipes @ rank 2Oratory(storytelling)  @ rank 1Juggling @ rank 1This is nice because the character isn't automatically equally good at everything; he can specialize in a couple of areas and dabble in others.  The character will still periodically be "forced" to take on new performance styles as his pip total exceeds his max. ranks in each style (the 1st level character above could have chosen to take three of the above styles at rank 4, but could not have chosen to take two at rank 6), but will not automatically get a new one every time he spends one more skill point on Perform. By the time this character reaches 10th level, and has bought 13 ranks (52 pips) in Perform, he might have:Singing(ballad) @ rank 10 Singing(chant) @ rank 2Lute @ rank 7Mandolin @ rank 6Dance(jigs & reels) @ rank 5Dance(waltz) @ rank 2Panpipes @ rank 5Oratory(storytelling) @ rank 5Juggling @ rank 4Acting(comedy) @ rank 3Acting(tragedy) @ rank 3If 52 pips sounds like a lot, remember that Perform v3.0 effectively gives the same character 169 pips, by giving him 13 ranks in each of 13 different performance styles.If 52 doesn't sound like enough for a 10th level Bard, just raise the number or pips per Perform skill point to 5 (or 6, or whatever you think best.)  Obviously, the higher this number is, the more often a character will be "forced" to take on new styles in order to be able to use the increased number of pips.  It may be tempting to give Bards a better exchange rate: say, give Bards 6 pips per skill point spent on Perform, and non-Bards only 3 pips.  This is not necessary, since Perform is a cross-class skill for most non-Bards, making ranks (and therefore pips) twice as expensive for non-Bards already.[That last paragraph assumes that cross-class skills work the same way under v3.5 as they did under v3.0, and I don't know if that's true.]This system also assumes that you are using a fairly detailed breakdown of styles; simply adjust the number of pips per skill point to your taste, and it will work if you treat each stringed instrument, for example, as a separate performance style (synergy bonuses from other stringed instruments would be okay), but it probably won't work well if you use broad categories such as those listed in v3.5.</blockquote>

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