Does anyone know of any mechanically practical uses for the perform skill?

[Malik Gyan Daumantas]

Aside from spellsong and the versatile performance class feature?

[Eltacolibre]

Perform in the streets or in an opera or somewhere.

Roll high enough you attract the attention of outsiders.

[Deighton Thrane]

Well, if your campaign has downtime, it can be used to make money. In fact, perform is one of the better skills for making money.

[Wei Ji the Learner]

In a Curse of the Crimson Throne game recently, a character (who is not a bard, but has Performance and is a follower of Shelyn) managed to diffuse the anger of a mob by singing beautifully.

[Bardarok]

Not in combat but being a wandering minstrel or group of minstrels or performers is generally a good cover story if you need one. You can also somtimes get into high places by being a performer at a royal banquet or somesuch thing.

[Scott Wilhelm]

I just found out about Flamedancers. The Flame Dancer Archetype's Performance can empower themselves and their party to see through fire and smoke. Then you get an Eversmoking Bottle. Everyone is Blinded by the Smoke within 20' of you, except for the party with the Flamedancer, who can see just fine, even the Rogue who can still Sneak Attack his Blinded victims!

[Bob Bob Bob]

There's also the Distraction and Countersong bardic performances. And apparently there's a way to substitute Perform for Diplomacy and use it to make people like someone other than you more (for a higher DC).

[Josh-o-Lantern]

Well, Bard has a number of used for putting point into them but other than entertainment and possibly distracting people... I guess Perform: Surgery could be helpful! xD

[The Mad Comrade]

In Hell's Rebels, using one recent example, there is a very plot-important scene that a very, very good Perform [redacted] skill will be of great benefit. So much so that it can significantly affect the rest of the campaign afterwards...

[JDLPF]

There's a few things that let you substitute your Perform check for other skills, such as the feats Intimidating Performance and Persuasive Performer. The Fight for Liberty trait adds +2 trait bonus on attack rolls with improvised weapons and unarmed strikes with a DC 15 Perform (oratory) check, Rousing Oratory lets you add +1 or better trait bonus to your allies' fear saving throws with a DC 15 Perform check, and the Sustaining Performance trait lets you use Perform instead of Heal for long term care and also once per day to stabilize a dying ally within 30 feet distance. Plenty of items have a requirement for a type of Perform check to activate them, from the lowly DC 5 check for a signal whistle up to the potentially game-breaking power of the Lyre of Building.

Realistically, there's too many options to list them all.

[Bardarok]

Perform can also be highly effective against demons since the demon code prevents them from declining a rock off challenge.

[JDLPF]

Also devils, if you're in Georgia. Easy way to earn a solid gold fiddle.

[Wei Ji the Learner]

JDLPF wrote:

Also devils, if you're in Georgia. Easy way to earn a solid gold fiddle.

Or silver, depending on the telling?

[JDLPF]

I don't subscribe to that theory, since no self-respecting devil would ever carry a silver item as it bypasses their DR. It would be like a dragon keeping a sword of dragon slaying in their horde instead of destroying it.

[Ryan Freire]

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:

JDLPF wrote:

Also devils, if you're in Georgia. Easy way to earn a solid gold fiddle.

Or silver, depending on the telling?

Gonna be honest, there really needs to be a bestiary devil entry around that song.

[Bob Bob Bob]

Ryan Freire wrote:

Wei Ji the Learner wrote:

JDLPF wrote:

Also devils, if you're in Georgia. Easy way to earn a solid gold fiddle.

Or silver, depending on the telling?

Gonna be honest, there really needs to be a bestiary devil entry around that song.

It's a bardic masterpiece. Even requires Perform (string).

[Chromantic Durgon <3]

I ended up being invited to a ball on the plane of fire hosted by an efreeti because I'd attracted the attention of a Marid, gave such a good show at the party that the Marid granted me a wish.

So two weeks downtime at level 6 granted me a couple hundred gold and a wish. I'd say that was practical.

[BretI]

JDLPF wrote:

I don't subscribe to that theory, since no self-respecting devil would ever carry a silver item as it bypasses their DR. It would be like a dragon keeping a sword of dragon slaying in their horde instead of destroying it.

Unless the sword was really nice, with gems and gold inlay. Sure, the gold can be melted down but then you would lose the artistic value from the craftsmanship of the inlay! Oh, and the etchings on the blade really are a masterpiece!

Anyone who doesn't make their dragon slayer weapon fancy enough as a work of art that the dragon isn't tempted to keep in 'nice and safe' in their horde just isn't thinking ahead enough.

[Peff]

Perform(wind instrument) and a signal horn. DC10 and you can call retreats, advances, etc. Similar uses from a signal whistle as well.

[The Mad Comrade]

Perform skills all fall under "background skills", an ideal way to snag the best money-making skill in the game plus all of its attendant secondary benefits. Depending on how out-of-the-box one goes with the skill, there are more uses for the enterprising adventurer.

[Green Smashomancer]

Two ranks of Perform (Dance) and two feats will get you dex-to-damage. It even still works for dex magi! The other two magus options got canned, cause screw choicess.

[RainOfSteel]

I had a bard in a campaign who used his singing and storytelling to impress the heck out of crowds and make friends.

Charisma is not a dump stat in my campaigns.