Perform Question

[Bartmanhomer]

Can you use Perform: Dance to show off? Because I'm playing a Level 2 Male Human Fighter with no Perform skill rank at all. And in the arena he's getting really popular. So when he survives the match, he's want to perform a victory dance to show off.

[Blu]

Your character does not necessarily need ranks in a certain skill to perform a certain action. Character actions are dictaded by the player and the skills only represent training in that task.
In special something so simples as doing a victory dance.

[LibraryOgre]

Notably, Perform is not a Trained only skill. You might, therefore, take 10 (if you have a 0 or positive modifier) and produce a not-terrible performance. If you can manage a 15, then you've danced enjoyably.

[Zaq]

Quote from PHB, pg. 62: "Your character may have solid familiarity with many skills, without having the actual training that grants skill ranks. Knowing how to strum a few chords on a lute or clamber over a low fence doesn’t really mean you have ranks in Perform or Climb. Ranks in those skills represent training beyond everyday use—the ability to impress an audience with a wide repertoire of songs on the lute, or to successfully scale a 100-foot-high cliff face." So if you aren't trying to do anything crazy, you really don't need any ranks.

More importantly, one of my core beliefs about RPGs is that one should only pick up the dice when both success and failure are interesting. This has several implications in this specific context. First, both the GM and the players should assume minimum competence, and you should probably just be able to succeed at doing something reasonably simple unless something is preventing you from doing so. (After all, if you need numbers for this, a "routine performance" is DC 10, and so you should be able to hit that by taking 10 if you don't have any penalties.)

Second, a check should always have a goal or a desired outcome. When you pick up the dice and roll a Perform check, that means more than that you're just performing—it means that you're trying to accomplish something with your performance. When you're "showing off," what are you hoping to have happen? Are you trying to impress someone or be particularly memorable in some way, or are you just having some fun? If you're just having some fun, leave the dice in your bag and just have some fun. You should only be making an actual check if you're trying to have some kind of concrete outcome. If you can't point to what success on a check would mean, then why bother rolling?

This is true for more than just Perform, but Perform is a pretty good example.

[Âmesang]

Notably, Perform is not a Trained only skill…
Unfortunately the default character sheet neglected to point that out; took me longer than I care to admit to look through the book and find the truth. :smalltongue: