Busk, orate, deliver propaganda, sing, or play the glitter-circuits.
Performance covers busking for coin, holding a crowd's attention, moving
a crowd emotionally, delivering propaganda, and turning a hostile audience.
The cantina singer, the union-boss orator, the street-corner prophet with
a battered amp-rig and a sermon that lands -- all Performance. Where
Persuasion sells to one and Deception misleads one, Performance sells to
the room. A crowd bent one way is a mob that can be turned; a crowd bent
the other way is a mob that breaks you. Glammers and astropop divas
started on street corners; the ones who lasted knew how to read a room
as well as a microphone. Failure by 5+ on propaganda or a hostile-audience
check can flip the crowd from neutral to hostile.
Rules Reference
Field
Value
Armor Check Penalty
false
Key Ability
CHA
Trained Only
false
Untrained Use
Full use untrained at listed DCs; ranks add on top.
Key Ability
CHA
Notes
Special: Hostile audiences may force an opposed roll or +5 DC. Failure by 5+ on
propaganda or hostile-audience checks can flip the crowd hostile.
Special: Against a hostile or restive audience the GM may call for an opposed check
vs the room's mood (CHA + level of an NPC ringleader) or apply a +5 to DC.
Failure by 5+ on a propaganda or hostile-audience check can flip the
audience from neutral to hostile, and from hostile to violent.
Untrained: Anyone can sing, recite, or play a borrowed instrument at the listed DCs.
Untrained Performance works against a passive crowd, but a hostile or
trained audience will eat an amateur alive.
Descriptors
dc: 10
Field
Value
dc
10
task
Busk for coin in a public place
dc: 15
Field
Value
dc
15
task
Hold a crowd's attention
dc: 18
Field
Value
dc
18
task
Move a crowd emotionally
dc: 22
Field
Value
dc
22
task
Deliver effective propaganda
dc: 25
Field
Value
dc
25
task
Deliver a legendary performance
dc: 30
Field
Value
dc
30
task
Sway a hostile audience
Synergy
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
from
Persuasion
threshold
5
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
from
Deception
threshold
5
Synergies
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
ranks
5
skill
Persuasion
bonus: 2
Field
Value
bonus
2
ranks
5
skill
Deception
Uses
application: Busk for coin in a public place
Field
Value
application
Busk for coin in a public place
dc
10
failure
Hat stays empty; you are politely ignored.
success
Hat fills; 1d6 x 10 chits or equivalent.
application: Hold a crowd's attention
Field
Value
application
Hold a crowd's attention
dc
15
failure
Crowd drifts; noise and chatter win.
success
Crowd leans in; you have the room for 10 + CHA minutes.
application: Move a crowd emotionally
Field
Value
application
Move a crowd emotionally
dc
18
failure
Crowd stays flat; act reads as corny or off-key.
success
Crowd weeps, laughs, or roars as you intend.
application: Deliver effective propaganda
Field
Value
application
Deliver effective propaganda
dc
22
failure
Message falls flat; audience spots the spin.
success
Message lands; target audience takes the bait as intended.
application: Deliver a legendary performance
Field
Value
application
Deliver a legendary performance
dc
25
failure
You choke; the room remembers the failure.
success
Night to remember; reputation and contacts open up.