You want to rank up perform for Versatile Performance. Otherwise it isn't really necessary.
Masterpieces have a requirement for a performance* and versatile performance are all about replacing your other skill checks with your charisma based perform skill(3 for 1!). Beyond that I don't think they really need to stack performance at all.
*Pageant of the peacock takes 4 for example, but actually doesn't use the performance check. That's usually how they work.
I don't think you need even one rank. Would be pretty amusing to have a drunken pirate or something inspiring his allies with off-key crooning.
It appears to me that the only bardic performance that is based on ranks in performance skills is the fascinate and counter-song. Do you need ANY ranks for inspire courage and the like? or is one good enough?
You don't need any, no, especially if your archetype trades out Versatile Performance.
This makes the bard very easy to reflavor into something not dorky.
Very few usages of "Bardic Performance" depend on the outcome of the roll,
and in fact you can make Perform checks "Untrained",
so you don't need ranks if you don't care about the outcome of the usages that do depend on the numeric result of the check.
You are still using the Performance skill and technically need to make the roll, but the outcome doesn't matter mechanically,
it's akin to having your character state they sing a lullaby every night around the fire for flavor purposes,
the roll may just be hand-waved if nobody cares how "good" a performance is,
it is just being done for the sake of doing it (+Su effect in this case), not for overcoming/establishing a DC.
This makes the bard very easy to reflavor into something not dorky.
I think they prefer the term Spoony.
RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Very few usages of "Bardic Performance" depend on the outcome of the roll,
and in fact you can make Perform checks "Untrained",
so you don't need ranks if you don't care about the outcome of the usages that do depend on the numeric result of the check.
You are still using the Performance skill and technically need to make the roll, but the outcome doesn't matter mechanically,
it's akin to having your character state they sing a lullaby every night around the fire for flavor purposes,
the roll may just be hand-waved if nobody cares how "good" a performance is,
it is just being done for the sake of doing it (+Su effect in this case), not for overcoming/establishing a DC.
According to the creative director, you don't make a Perform check unless you use one of the performances that specifically mention it:
Okay; I've been thinking this over and rephrased myself better on a similar thread... but basically, here's the trick.
Bardic performance does NOT require you to use a Perform skill that you have ranks in. It doesn't even need a Perform skill at all. Not only is Perform usable untrained, but the bardic performance ability does not require you to make Perform checks of any kind except for a few specific TYPES of bardic performance, such as countersong or distraction.
This means that when you inspire courage, you're not necessarily doing so by playing the flute or banging drums. It's more likely that you're singing or bragging or taunting or dancing or otherwise just showboating to raise your allies' morale. If you WANT to say that your bardic performance is from a particularly rousing violin solo, that's fine... but once it's started you don't have to keep playing the violin if you want to put the violin down and fight or spellcast or whatever because the actual Perform (strings) skill doesn't ever enter the picture.
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It appears to me that the only bardic performance that is based on ranks in performance skills is the fascinate and counter-song. Do you need ANY ranks for inspire courage and the like? or is one good enough?You don't need any, no, especially if your archetype trades out Versatile Performance.
This makes the bard very easy to reflavor into something not dorky.
It's pretty easy to do that even with Performance. Stirring speeches (Oratory) used to inspire are rarely dorky, for example. Nor is mocking your opponent as you fight ala Spider Man or witty swashbucklers the world over (Comedy). Nor singing an ancient war chant of your people for a barbaric skald (Sing). Or using a dance-based fighting style ala capoeira or a whirling dervish kinda dance (Dance, and doesn't require the archetype either). Heck, even stepping up and suddenly acting like an inspiring commander to give inspiration to the troops isn't particularly silly (Act, and that ones tricky). War-drummers and pipers are also very definitely real things, and not silly at all (Percussion and Wind).
The basic concept of "I perform and inspire people." is only silly if you let it be.
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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But based on James Jacob's comment, it would appear that none is required but for the specific....shame....
as a side note: in 3.5, the bard was required to have the perform skill and a fixed amount of ranks in the perform skill of each individual performance to be able to use it. That made more sense to me flavorwise....
I agree, it made more sense flavorwise. I guess the reason they changed it was removing a "skill point tax". In other words, no base class should be required to take ranks in a skill to be able to use its class features.