Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
You can gain proficiency in any tool using downtime days.
D&D 5E Perform Skill: What's it good for?
- Thread starter Werebat
- Start date
You can gain proficiency in any tool using downtime days.
UngeheuerLich
Legend
yes. But 250 days to learn rolling dice...
Dragon chess is different though.
A little bit more granularity as an option would be nice.
Dragon chess is different though.
A little bit more granularity as an option would be nice.
Greenstone.Walker
Adventurer
Ummm.... I believe that is what those words mean.
Psikerlord#
Explorer
sorry!
Psikerlord#
Explorer
I never noticed this before - awesome!
Saeviomagy
Adventurer
Nope. Intimidation can be instilling fear of a third party threat. Persuasion doesn't necessitate truth, and a good deception is mostly made up of truth.
EzekielRaiden
Follower of the Way
Yeah, I did a quick ctrl+F to see if someone else had already made the joke--good God, y'all!
More seriously: yeah, Perform is in a really weird place. Especially for the Bard, because there seem to be few places where the three free Instrument proficiencies won't count just as well as Perform does...and plenty of much more useful places to spend your Skill Profs than Perform, whether you're a Valor Bard (like mine) or a Lore Bard.
Though this does have the somewhat-ironic result of my Valor Bard (with the homebrewed Academy Graduate background) being less of a performer than our Moon Druid (with the Entertainer background--he's a "slam poet" named Kann, whose surname is the elf word for "West.") Instead, my character is more like a scholar-warrior, well-educated but also well-armed.
Performing is singing, acting, orating, dancing, etc. Musical Instrument proficiency is playing that instrument. While both situations would qualify as a "performance" in common language, Performance the skill has nothing to do with the latter.
While I agree some of the skills/tools are little muddy, the general concept is that a tool proficiency requires a physical object to attempt (whether its thieves' tools, a flute or an alchemist kit) whereas a skill can be attempted naked and empty-handed. (However, you can sometimes use physical objects, such as a climber's kit, to assist is specific tasks while using that skill.)
In terms of Performance vs. musical instrument in practice, I would say that someone proficient in both Performance and a Musical Instrument should probably have advantage in situations where the circumstances allow them to actually "put on a show". They combine theatrics with their musical ability to make things more memorable/enjoyable.
While I agree some of the skills/tools are little muddy, the general concept is that a tool proficiency requires a physical object to attempt (whether its thieves' tools, a flute or an alchemist kit) whereas a skill can be attempted naked and empty-handed. (However, you can sometimes use physical objects, such as a climber's kit, to assist is specific tasks while using that skill.)
In terms of Performance vs. musical instrument in practice, I would say that someone proficient in both Performance and a Musical Instrument should probably have advantage in situations where the circumstances allow them to actually "put on a show". They combine theatrics with their musical ability to make things more memorable/enjoyable.
Other than using performance as Oratory skill for making speeches, it really has no practical use in games I have seen. It is more on par with a tool proficiency in usefulness, and I would tend to allow people to take it in a limited form in place of such e.g. Performance (Poetry).
It can be useful for swaying large groups of people. I would allow a Performance roll to give an inspiring speech to help the militia keep their nerve, convince people not to burn a witch, or sway the elders to vote for your proposition. In all of these cases, Persuasion would work though normally. Most people that care about Performance already have Persuasion anyway.
It can be useful for swaying large groups of people. I would allow a Performance roll to give an inspiring speech to help the militia keep their nerve, convince people not to burn a witch, or sway the elders to vote for your proposition. In all of these cases, Persuasion would work though normally. Most people that care about Performance already have Persuasion anyway.
Midrealm DM
First Post
Perform skill can alter the audiences mood -
making them happy, sad, angry, etc.
Need a mob to storm the gate?
Get them riled up with Performance
Trying to persuade someone to help you?
Sing them a ballad that appeals to their nature.
After the performance (and assuming they sit still and listen to it*)
"In general terms, an NPC's altitude toward you is described as friendly, indifferent, or hostile. Friendly"
So your DM might allow you to shift the attitude one step - DM determines DC
After your performance, or as part of it, you can make a persuasion check or some other check to try to get them to do what you want. (See DMG p 245)
*In my games this requires at least 1 minute
making them happy, sad, angry, etc.
Need a mob to storm the gate?
Get them riled up with Performance
Trying to persuade someone to help you?
Sing them a ballad that appeals to their nature.
After the performance (and assuming they sit still and listen to it*)
"In general terms, an NPC's altitude toward you is described as friendly, indifferent, or hostile. Friendly"
So your DM might allow you to shift the attitude one step - DM determines DC
After your performance, or as part of it, you can make a persuasion check or some other check to try to get them to do what you want. (See DMG p 245)
*In my games this requires at least 1 minute
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