Perform HRs

[LightPhoenix]

There was a thread a while back on the old boards discussing how the Perform subskills might be a little broader, and each learned individually. I'm planning on using what was discussed as a house rule, and I'm interested in what people think.

Perform Subskills:
Musical: Voice, Piano, Guitar, Strings, Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Composition (includes Theory)
Non-musical: Acting, Combat, Poetry, Prose, Storytelling, Dance

Specific Notes:
Composition: 5 ranks in any musical skill grants a +2 competence bonus when composing a song for those instruments. For example, a bard (or other) with Perform(Strings) +12 would get a +2 bonus when composing a cello concerto.

Acting: 5 ranks in Bluff grants a +2 competence bonus when Perform(Acting) is used.

Combat: This allows a Bard to stage fight. At the DM's discretion, the Bard may substitute his BAB with his ranks in this skill for stage fighting only.

Dance: 5 ranks in Tumble grants a +2 competence bonus when Perform(Dance) is used.

LightPhoenix

 

[CRGreathouse]

How will you convince players to take more than one Perform skill? I'd think bards would take Combat or Dance - the first is cool, the second gets a bonus from Tumble.

Would the BAB substituton work for stage archery (shooting an apple off a dummy's head)?

 

[LightPhoenix]

How will you convince players to take more than one Perform skill? I'd think bards would take Combat or Dance - the first is cool, the second gets a bonus from Tumble.

Would the BAB substituton work for stage archery (shooting an apple off a dummy's head)?

To answer the second question first, I wouldn't see why not. It's supposed to represent an ability to impress people, make flashy moves that normally aren't made in a fight, perform stunts, that sort of thing. I was thinking of British acting, where more actors need to learn to fence. To be honest, that's the one skill I'm hesitant in leaving in, I'm still debating just covering that stuff with either BAB or Perform(Acting).

For the first question - I won't. Many musicians only know how to play one or two groups of instruments with much proficiency - though most pick up at least rudimentary knowledge in more than that. In my experience, only teachers really learn to play more than two groups skillfully, and since I don't anticipate PCs being teachers, I don't really find it a problem.

I may remove the competence bonus from Dance, now that you've pointed it out; I hadn't really thought about that. Most of the magical instruments would require the specific Perform skill to use properly. Finally, I may make the skills trained-only. When you learn to play violin, you don't learn to buzz your lips to play trumpet, or do anything more musical than hit a drum.

LightPhoenix