D&D 5E Perform Skill: What's it good for?

[Davinshe]

I believe performance is the general skill when trying to deceive someone with a studied act.

Play the king in a disguise:
Disguise kit to make your look perfect
perform to act like you are the king
deception if someone talks to you while acting and asks questions you are not prepared for.

The actor feat specifically lists charisma(performance) as the skill used for pretending to be another person. I think that's a use for performance that is often overlooked. In addition, here are some ideas for it's use.

-- "Playing it cool", and blend in with a crowd. Useful in situations where outsiders are unwelcome or prohibited.
-- "Generate buzz", spread the word about an event, activity, club, etc. in order to increase it's popularity.
-- "Taunt", maybe allow a perform check in combat to inflict disadvantage on the first attack roll a creature makes against a creature other than the performer next round.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

Anyway, I was looking over the Perform skill, and I don't see that it actually DOES anything for you mechanically.

You need to ask the local ruler for a favour. The more flattered she is, the more likely she will consider the proposal. You perform for her (CHA\Performance) before your ally asks her for the favour (CHA\Persuasion).

You need to get in good with a local warband. You challenge the toughest fighter to a duel. During the duel you posture and pose and talk trash and act tough to impress the crowd (CHA\Performance or maybe STR\performance).

You need to petition a local deity for divine aid. He is a vain and petty god and is moved by beautiful displays. You choreograph (INT\Performance) and perform (CHA\Performance) an intricate pageant for the god's benefit.

 

[Sunseeker]

Perform typically refers not to the performance of class abilities, but to the ability to perform extra-class-ular stuff. Like to put on a magic show (without magic) or to tell a story or to dance in a dance competition.

Typically, I use it flavor my character. In addition to being a stabby-stabby rogue, they're also a dancer.

 

[mrpopstar]

It's well-hidden, but under the heading of "Downtime Activities," the third and final paragraph of the "Practicing a Profession" subsection (on the final page of chapter 8) states that having Performance proficiency, and using that proficiency to perform during downtime, allows you to "earn enough to support a wealthy lifestyle instead."

Chapter 5: Equipment states that a "wealthy lifestyle" costs a character 4 gold pieces per day, so these two pieces of information combined would appear to say you would earn about that much by doing that.

Actually, the downtime activity of practicing a profession allows you to work between adventures and maintain a certain lifestyle without having to pay per day. If you have proficiency in the Performance skill and put your performance skill to use during downtime, you don't pocket the money.

I'd be hard pressed to believe that standing on a street corner and playing your lute is going to generate 4 gp per day. That's a crazy amount of money! Instead, it seems to be implied that you're being courted by wealthy establishments or other hosts that offer accommodation in exchange for nightly performances.

That's how it occurs to me, anyway.

 

[Warpiglet]

I had a street preaching prophet (cleric actually) that had performance. I thought it appropriate that he could hold others attention and maybe if DM is generous "persuade" by virtue of a good sermon/performance.

I think that is reasonable. I also utilized the by popular demand feature in order to be invited to stay and have a room if performances drew crowds.

There is a lot of wiggle room in skills and I see them as starting points for ways to interact with game. Sure, a few are "harder" like athletics and grappling or survival and foraging, but a lot of them work best when we propose and intended effect and role with it (IMHO).