5e Bard Question

[Mummy king]

Hi
I am making a 5e bard character, having grown up on 3.5. It seems like there is (counter-intuitively) no point in taking the perform skill.
Am I right in thinking that as I get proficiency with 3 musical instruments as a bard and 1 more through my outlander background, I gain the proficiency bonus on perform checks with any of drums, panpipes, fiddle, or ocarina which doesn't stack with the bonus I would get from being proficient in perform? And also that bardic inspiration & other abilities don't depend on perform like, at all?
Not necessarily inelegant design, I was just surprised by this reading of the rules because pumping that perform check was the way to play a bard in 3.5.
Thanks!

[leogobsin]

Yeah by RAW, having proficiency in Performance doesn't do anything for you if you're performing using an instrument you're proficient with. That said, Xanathar's Guide has a variant rule that if a tool and a skill would both grant you proficiency on a single check you can make the check with advantage, maybe talk to your DM about that.
And yep, there are zero Bard class features that ever require you make a Performance check.

[Mummy king]

Thanks for the response! I think i'll stick with intimidation/perception/stealth then, and that frees up some more options for expertise and lore bard later one :)

[ZorroGames]

Yeah by RAW, having proficiency in Performance doesn't do anything for you if you're performing using an instrument you're proficient with. That said, Xanathar's Guide has a variant rule that if a tool and a skill would both grant you proficiency on a single check you can make the check with advantage, maybe talk to your DM about that.
And yep, there are zero Bard class features that ever require you make a Performance check.

Tangent possibly but the near forgotten Actor Feat talks about “... advantage on... Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person.”

[JellyPooga]

It's worth bearing in mind that Performance is for more than just singing and oration; a GM might ask for performance over an Instrument when swaying a crowd to a certain mood is the goal rather than just playing well, for example. Also worth bearing in mind that you can take Expertise in Performance, but not Instruments.

[Theodoric]

It's still important if you want your character to do any acting, stand-up comedy or sing-and-dance routines.

[sophontteks]

Roll instrument profeciency for skill checks involving your raw skill with an instrument (very rare).

Roll performance for entertaining a crowd or influencing a crowd's mood/disposition (very common).

Its kind of like. Anything you'd really call useful that has to do with using an instrument involves a bit more then just playing the instrument well, and you won't be profecient at those things.