Bring Back the Talent: Craft and Perform Skills for 4e

As I’ve become more familiar with 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons® over the last couple of years, it’s become clear to me that the various powers and skills were meant to be utilized in a combat situation. I believe that emphasis on combat is what guided the “paring down” of the various skills available to players.

I’m not really seeing this as a bad thing; as I believe there are creative and role-playing opportunities to be had in trying to fit a skill to an important task. Need to lasso a torch sconce in order to swing across the room? Well, in previous additions, you’d use a “Use Rope” skill. Today, the DM might ask you to use an Acrobatic or even Dungeoneering skill to perform that task. The task can still be done, you now just have to use a different skill to accomplish it.

Unfortunately, there were two groups of skills that got left behind in this re-imaging: Crafting and Performing. Both of these skills were really only useful in a role-playing situations. Crafting allowed players to create items they might use later; or provided an ad-hoc solution to a problem during the adventure by creating an item to overcome the problem. In addition, Crafting could provide a character with a little coin in the form of goods they could make and then sell.

Even more than Crafting, Performing was a pure role-playing skill. Although frequently used only by Bards, Performing could also be used by anyone that wanted to be good with a specific talent like singing or playing a musical instrument. Performing enabled a character to “show off” in a non-violent matter and win hearts and minds. Performing could also “woo the ladies” and get you a couple of free drinks at the tavern.

Despite a shifting of emphasis in 4e, these skills still have a place. The latest edition of That Grand Game still utilizes role-playing; and Crafting and Performing can be retooled to fit into the spirit of the 4th Edition.

How you ask?

Well, that’s the trick, isn’t it. When considering these two skills, I needed to come up with some basic rules that wouldn’t impact the balance of the existing game. I wasn’t interested in adding to a character’s power, only to their role-playing potential. However, at the same time, I wanted to make the skills attractive, so that pure power gamers would have some interest in them. Here’s what I decided for my own campaign:

• Any character can choose either a free Craft skill or a free Perform skill. The skill is available to anyone, and is automatically considered trained (granting that character the +5 bonus with that skill).

• Each skill would come with a single enhancement bonus to another existing skill. I believe the 3.5 rules referred to this as “synergy”. I really liked that concept, so I brought it back. This synergy bonus would be a simple “+1”.

• Crafting skills are based on Wisdom; Performing skills are based on Charisma. Bonuses granted by those ability scores apply to their respective skill.

Next, I had to come up with a list of specific skills:

• Craft: Armor
• Craft: Weaponry
• Craft: Woodworking
• Craft: Masonry
• Craft: Tailoring/Weaving
• Craft: Cooking
• Craft: Writing
• Craft: Leatherworking

• Perform: Singing
• Perform: Instrument (choose an instrument)
• Perform: Dance
• Perform: Oratory
• Perform: Painting/Drawing
• Perform: Ceremony

I don’t imagine this is a complete list. I’d love to see others, if you’re so inclined. In the next couple of posts, I’ll go into detail about each skill (I’ll tackle Crafting skills in one post, and Performing skills in another).

It’s time to let the PCs do something while they’re taking that Extended Rest. Give them a new skill to use!

Until next time…

Game excellently with one another.