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<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 6029129" data-attributes="member: 22779">The question is, what function does that Perform skill check serve?&nbsp; As it stands, as written, it allows you to make a small amount of money.&nbsp; That's it.&nbsp; It doesn't affect anything else.&nbsp; So, as you say, it's not really doing anything at all, other than serving as a skill tax on bards.Now, say I want to impress the king with my playing.&nbsp; Ok, fair enough.&nbsp; In 3e, I'd use the Perform check, even though that's not really what that skill does.&nbsp; In 4e, I'd use Diplomacy because that's exactly what that skill is supposed to do.&nbsp; Because the 4e skills are decoupled from any specific narrative, you are free to do so.In 3e, I actually cannot do that.&nbsp; At least, not under RAW.&nbsp; Granted, it's a trivially easy ruling to make and one that virtually every table will make.&nbsp; But, if that's so, then why have the Perform skill in the first place?&nbsp; If the only thing Perform is being used for is affecting the reactions of NPC's, why not tie it up under the Diplomacy skill where it's supposed to be?I mean, even with a 30 perform check, I'm averaging 9 gp per day.&nbsp; Is any player ACTUALLY going to do this?&nbsp; At the levels where you can reliably make those perform checks, that amount of money just doesn't matter.&nbsp; IOW, the Perform skill is an afterthought tacked on and has no real function.&nbsp; Not when you have a perfectly good Diplomacy skill right there.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 6029129, member: 22779"] The question is, what function does that Perform skill check serve? As it stands, as written, it allows you to make a small amount of money. That's it. It doesn't affect anything else. So, as you say, it's not really doing anything at all, other than serving as a skill tax on bards. Now, say I want to impress the king with my playing. Ok, fair enough. In 3e, I'd use the Perform check, even though that's not really what that skill does. In 4e, I'd use Diplomacy because that's exactly what that skill is supposed to do. Because the 4e skills are decoupled from any specific narrative, you are free to do so. In 3e, I actually cannot do that. At least, not under RAW. Granted, it's a trivially easy ruling to make and one that virtually every table will make. But, if that's so, then why have the Perform skill in the first place? If the only thing Perform is being used for is affecting the reactions of NPC's, why not tie it up under the Diplomacy skill where it's supposed to be? I mean, even with a 30 perform check, I'm averaging 9 gp per day. Is any player ACTUALLY going to do this? At the levels where you can reliably make those perform checks, that amount of money just doesn't matter. IOW, the Perform skill is an afterthought tacked on and has no real function. Not when you have a perfectly good Diplomacy skill right there. [/QUOTE]

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