GameMastery Guide Storyteller Bard Cannot Use Countersong.

[Lakesidefantasy]

The storyteller bard in the NPC Gallery under Entertainers cannot use their countersong bardic performance ability because they do not have ranks in Perform (keyboard, percussion, wind, string, or sing)?

Correct?

[Dave Justus]

Perform checks can be done untrained.

[Lakesidefantasy]

Fair enough, but the "special" part of the Perform skill says this:

Special: A bard must have ranks in specific Perform categories to use some of his Bardic Performance abilities.

This does not specifically call out countersong, but it leads me to believe that that was the intent. Unless of course there is at least one of the Bardic Performance abilities that specifically indicates the need for ranks in a specific Perform category.

I'm not trying to argue, I just thought it odd, and possibly an oversight on the author's part to list countersong within the stat block for a bard that possibly can't use it.

Thanks for responding, by the way, it is always nice to get others' opinions on these questions.

[Whisperer in Darkness]

I'd have to say that the game is not uniformly consistent as it is a work of art and descriptive in nature. It's also rather complex as it gets added on to by different authors with different concepts about how things work. I can't comment on intent or why an author did this or that... who knows. Are you familiar with the history of the public iconic characters?

That NPC can not use countersong using oratory or storytelling, he has to use an instrument or sing (untrained). At times things are not optimal.
My advice is to change some of his skill points around and review his equipment and magical items(wands, scrolls, potions) for your home game.

[Diego Rossi]

I recall reading the text of some bardic performance that requires a minimum rank in the appropriate skill, but maybe it was in 3.5.
Countersong doesn't require to have ranks in any of the skills but is way more useful if you have them.

As Whisperer said, when using the NPC you can always adjust the skill point usage and equipment. They are templates and small adjustments can make them more interesting without affecting their power in a meaningful way.