Performance (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition)

Skills

Definition

Performance is the Charisma skill for entertaining: playing a tavern, reciting an epic at court, or impersonating a herald long enough to get through the door. It measures how well you hold an audience, not whether you are telling the truth. It comes up in social scenes, in downtime when the party needs money or attention, and as a cover for infiltration. A good performance can also shift a crowd's mood before the real negotiation starts.

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How it works

**Ability**: Charisma **Common checks**: Delighting an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or another form of entertainment; keeping attention on you as a distraction; earning a living by performing. **Typical DCs**: 10 to satisfy a drunk tavern crowd, 15 to impress a noble's dinner guests, 20 or more to move a hostile audience or win a competition against professionals. **Instruments**: Proficiency with a musical instrument is a tool proficiency; the GM may let you add it to a Charisma check made while playing. Performance covers the art overall.

Tips

**Best for**: Bards, who get it for free through class flavor, and Rogues who want a disguise that talks. **Character concepts**: Minstrel, stage actor, storyteller, street busker, court fool, traveling acrobat troupe member. **Synergies**: Pairs with Deception for impersonation and with Persuasion for winning a crowd over. Combines with Sleight of Hand for stage magic.

Frequently asked questions

Do Bards need Performance to use Bardic Inspiration?

No. Bardic Inspiration works without a check. Performance is for scenes where the audience's reaction matters.

When is it Performance and when is it Deception?

Pretending to be a generic bard is Performance. Pretending to be a specific person who exists is Deception. If both apply, the GM picks the one that matters more.

Performance (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition)

Definition

How it works

Tips

Frequently asked questions

Further Reading