Is there any use for Performance Combat in regular combat?

[GreatEscapist]

So I'm building a fighter and I have everything squared away except I could totally take Gladiator as well since it only replaces Bravery and the armor that I won't be using anyway.

However after reading the chapter on Performance Fighting I'm....less than convinced I'll find an excuse to use it.

I'd love to gather a crowd for a drunken barfight, but she has no charisma (-1 actually) and I don't know if any of the performance abilities would really benefit her in a non-planned combat anyway.

Thoughts? I guess I'd just like to rule it out now so I can stop thinking about it :P

[MC Templar]

presume it is useless outside of a gladiatorial engagement.

It utilizes an entirely optional ruleset to cover those specific events, so it doesn't translate as useful to other circumstances.

[GreatEscapist]

Awesome! Thanks for the quick and succinct reply, I suspected as much but I just wanted to make sure there wasn't an application for a character who is a bit of a show off when they fight.

[Nazard]

You use theperforming combatant feat, if your GM agrees to the rule subset.

[kBro]

If you've got the feats to spend, you can make use of it in normal combat using the Performing Combatant feat and the various performance feats. You can go with a Fighter for all those bonus feats, and possibly use the Gladiator archetype for the Charisma skills and the ability to take performance feats as bonus feats. Another option is to dip 2 levels in either Cavalier or Samurai with Order of the Cockatrice to be able to use Dazzling Display as a standard action with any weapon.

The full feat line requires (weapon focus), Dazzling Display, (any performance feat), Performing Combatant, (performance feat)x2, Master Combat Performer. Due to the use of Dazzling Display, you can also build into the Shatter Defenses feat and focus on debuffing through demoralize and a weapon with the Cruel enhancement.

Another thing to note how the performance check bonus works. The bonus is your Charisma modifier (which means you can't dump charisma) + BAB/5 rounded up + (ranks in Perform (dance/act/comedy))/5 rounded up. Rules are noted here. You'll notice that a DC20 check (required for Performing Combatant) is quite difficult to make, especially at low levels you've only got maybe a +5 bonus from combined BAB (assuming martial), ranks in perform (assuming maxed) and Charisma (assuming +3 mod). Using a performance weapon or having the Performance Weapon Mastery feat gives you a +2 bonus on performance checks. If you're making a check to gain the effects of a performance feat, you also gain a +2 bonus on the performance check.

And then even if you can manage to consistently roll well to make that DC20 performance combat check, you need to be able to perform actions that trigger a check, like charging, getting first attack, hitting an enemy multiple times in a round, etc. And if you do trigger a performance combat check, you need to spend a swift action to make the check, which doesn't even guarantee you'll gain the bonuses from the performance feats.

The performance feats themselves can be nice. Hero's Display is great for maintaining the shaken condition. Savage Display and Dramatic Display are great buffs for attack and damage. Masterful Display is a must have once you have others, and by that point you should have the Master Combat Performer feat so making the checks is a free action.

Can you use performance combat in regular combat? Yes. Is it optimal? Not really unless you're fully willing to spec towards it. Can it be useful? Sure in the sense of using demoralize as a debuff. Can it be fun? Absolutely if you're building a very theatric kind of character. It's very feat intensive, but if you've got the feats to spare and want to do it, there are ways to make it work.

[Gregory Connolly]

There is a prestige class Pit Fighter that you could take. You either need orc ferocity or rage and you can't be lawful, but otherwise it is easy to get by level 6. It gives you a power called Showmanship that you can use to turn any combat into a performance combat that only affects you. You can use it 1/day at 1st level and 1 more use/day at 4,7,10.

[Ipslore the Red]

There's also a few scenarios in a couple of APs, namely WotR, where you have to fight in front of a crowd. Using performance fighting to improve their mood increases the rewards and has other benefits, as I recall.