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there is a complain about the bard... and its linking her life and death to the need... an absolutely need of an skill
the complain is not of her to be linked to it... but that its rather useless and it ask of the character to devote to many of them if he really wants to have a well rounded performer... which should not be
ok of course we have seen that there are singers that try acting, or dancing and are worth less than 2 coppers in what its not their main profession, and viceversa... but there is also the fact that musicians learn not one, but many instruments, and not always are devoted to only that...
so what is the difference? does someone needs to devote 100% of the time to a profession to be that good and know that much? then that means it becomes Profession (musician), for example...
but i think most of us don't want to be rid of perform as an skill, even being a suboptimal choice... so we don't want to get rid of craft or profession, many of us love those love those skills because they allow us to give our characters an interesting background, make him something else than just another fighter or wizard...
but the fact is that with the exception of the rogue... everyone is penalized for chosing such skills...
for example... a fighter should be able to give maintainace to his equipment, to mend his armor and prepare his sword, to take the hits form his shield and make his helmet ready for battle... but the fact is he needs 2 different skills to do that craft (weaponsmithing) & craft (armorsmithing), which of course he can't take because 1) he has not enough skills ("since he doesn't need them to function as a class..." which makes him a piece of sheet and numbers and not a well rounded person and a professional fighter as how i see), 2) well you can make either swords or armor, you can sell them, it takes time you could better keep adventuring and aside of that... well its pretty useless...of course you can make swords or armors for all the team, but unless is magical, in this system is worthless except in the very first levels
i am sure, for what i have read and i have seen in my tables that what we want is an interesting options, something that would be fun and worth while, if a fighter or a cleric had a choice... why would any of them chose a craft, profession or performance instead of lets say... acrobatics, survival or perception?
talking with a friend (Dogbert) i commented in a few ideas for perform and a few of the craft and profession
what is perform about? perform is about looking great and make a good show, even if is oratory and comedy, you keep your people entertained, motivated, exited, in suspension, laughting their pants of, etc... the point is you move hearts...
ok the bard already does this... with "magic" lets not forget her powers work as magical abilities... but where is left the performer who has no bard skills? just get a few coins and that is all, that is all the skill worth at all, instead of hert, the performer moves coins, meaning perform is just an excuse for having street performers, and maybe artist, but where is left the orator or the tragic artist... forgotten of course
what i was telling a friend... what happens when you hear someone sing or express such confidence in her ideas that you have no other option than to agree, and not because its magic... but becuase her words or her song or her music or her dance moved you.
we can keep the half a dozens performs if you want... but i would like to see the above estatement reflected in mechanics... when you see someone perform something happens:
a) its so horrible you would not want to hear it ever again, an abyssmal fail should make the chartacter a paria, or at least the fun of the town for a few weeks... ("damn Godefroy is comming... talk of somethiung, anything, but not about dwarfs, he loves to tell jokes about dwarves but sucks at it..." -2 in diplomacy rolls for a while
b) mediocre, no effect at all, people don't aclaim, they don't applaud and the critics are little, no one cared at all, no mechanics affected
c) good!... people liked what they saw, you convinced a few of them or made the crowd cheer and applaud a bit... +2 in diplomacy rolls for the night
d) excelent!! people loved it, cheared for it, you convinced many of them of what you said... people will remember you for a while... +2 to diplomacy for a week or +4 for the night
e) superb (high DC or natural 20)! people where actually standing to see who applauded the hardest, you were loved, the crowd was moved, you won hearts and maybe a few other things, this night would be long in the memroy of the poeple +4 to diplomacy for the night and +2 for a month (or +4 for a week)
why this? easy, people remmeber you, they will talk about you, and seek you, and many will try to earn your favor
of course this makes hiding and disguising a bit more difficult, but i suppose it would depend on circumstances... -2 to both rolls for the time your diplomacy is affected.
*****
in the same tone professions and crafts should give something else
for example profession(bureacrat) with a good roll coudl give +2 to diplomacy or intimidation dealing with the goverment and or the poeple
craft: smithing should mix weaponsmith and armorsmithing, and maybe some of blacksmith, you can do this, but can also give maintainance to equipment in a high roll or a natural 20 your equipment earn a TEMPORAL bonus earning a +1 to attacks, or -1 to armor penalties, and +2 to saving throw vs Sundering
etc, this are just 2 quick examples that come to mind.