After having read THIS article on the blog Intelligence Check, and knowing that it is quite likely one of my players will want to play a bard in my new game, I have been tinkering with stream-lining the bard ability 'Versatile Performance.' Here is what I am considering:
§ The Bard class will have two types of Perform skill. Theatre, and
Music.
- The skill 'Perform: Theatre' will encompass the following skill
groups listed in the Core Rule Book: Act, Comedy, Dance, and Oratory.
'Perform: Theatre', as such, will also encompass the related skill
synergies as listed under the Versatile Performance found on page 38
of the Core Rule Book. - The skill 'Perform: Music' will encompass the following skill
groups: Keyboard, Percussion, Sing, String, and Wind (and any other
instrument related music skills). 'Perform: Music', as such, will
also encompass the related skill synergies listed under Versatile
Performance found on page 38 of the Core Rule Book.
This game will be taking a cue from the Beginner's Box and I would like to simply some things as all my players are not only new to Pathfinder, but new to role-playing. Your thoughts?
Edit: Non-bards wanting to gain a rank in a performance skill must still select a specific type of performance. Keyboard, Sing, Comedy, etc.
Getting more than two performances just so you can 'use' higher levels of versatile performance is a trap. Even two performances is a questionable investment since it means you will likely suck at the associated skills until you get to level 6.
Picking performances based on countersong and distraction is a trap. IMO these should be viewed as a very minor bonus if you happen to cover both (you will always get at least one).
It is somewhat irrational to claim that by not using a given class feature that you are making the class weaker. In this case ignoring the class feature is a better option. The idea that the class has been underpowered because it has some weak features is not necessarily true either, not all features are equal and classes should be taken as a whole. Also keep in mind that "balance" is a very fuzzy thing in RPG's to start with.
I can see the arguement for the instrument based performances being significantly more limited than the non-instrument based performances if you take the common sense approach of saying the bard is actually performing while the effect is going. I will point out that getting out an instrument and playing it is not actually listed as a requirement for using bardic performance and in fact it does not even reference any particular performance skill except in the case of countersong and distraction. That said I would just rule that the bard magically sustains the music without continuing to play his instrument, thus freeing up his hands for other things.