Gaining Perform as a class skill

[Diirk]

I was looking at the master of masks prestige class from Complete Scoundrel and thought it was very flavourful, but I was looking for an unusual way in to it; the main stumbling block to this is the perform ranks required. I know that rogue and bard offer perform, but are there any other classes that offer it, or have ways to gain it ?

Bluff and disguise are much easier to gain (and more classes offer them too).

 

[Dross]

I have no direct help but.......

You could try (it is a very rules bendy thing to do and I don't consider it legal): the use of tumble as a perform check to entertain people. would this meet your needs?

I don't use any of the non-core base classes. A search through these might help you. Also, see about a PrC that offers Perform.

 

[Diirk]

The PrC requires 8 ranks in each of Bluff, Disguise, and Perform to qualify. So unfortunately no tumble instead.

 

[dirkformica]

Off the top of my head, feat-wise there are the Apprentice feats from DMG 2. One of them gets you permanent Perform as a class skill. The Skill Knowledge feat from Unearthed Arcana can allow you one permanent class skill of your choice (or make two existing class skills permanent class skills.)

Class-wise, there's the Human Paragon from Unearthed Arcana which allows you to choose your own class skills and one of them becomes a permanent class skill. This loses one caster level progression however.

What kind of character were you looking at? Caster? Skillmonkey? Blend? What were the lead ins to Master of Masks?

 

[avr]

In Eberron, the Greensingers - fey-flavoured druids - can take a feat which gives them bluff & perform as class skills among other things (from the ECS). In the Players' Guide to Eberron there's a 1st level only feat for Aerenal elves which allows them to take one skill and make it a class skill & get a +3 bonus to it (as per skill focus). It'd be one weird way to qualify, but it's not impossible as a concept.

In other odd news, Monks get Perform as a skill in the core rules. You'd still have to work out some way to get Bluff & Disguise tho'.

 

[Diirk]

Off the top of my head, feat-wise there are the Apprentice feats from DMG 2. One of them gets you permanent Perform as a class skill. The Skill Knowledge feat from Unearthed Arcana can allow you one permanent class skill of your choice (or make two existing class skills permanent class skills.)

Class-wise, there's the Human Paragon from Unearthed Arcana which allows you to choose your own class skills and one of them becomes a permanent class skill. This loses one caster level progression however.

What kind of character were you looking at? Caster? Skillmonkey? Blend? What were the lead ins to Master of Masks?

Those are both interesting options, thanks. Wasn't entirely sure what type of character yet, was just tossing around ideas.. with that apprenticeship stuff a cleric w/ trickery domain and entertainer apprenticeship looks pretty interesting tho...

Master of Masks requirements aren't too bad; just perform, bluff, disguise at 8 ranks each and 4 languages known.

 

[Roger]

Expert.

 

[Jhaelen]

Expert.

Factotum.

 

[irdeggman]

Take one level in a class that gives perform as a class skill (which will help with the max ranks limit) and then take Able Learner feat from Races of Destiny (which allows purchasing 1 rank of any skill for 1 sp.

This works for humans and doppleganger (or other shape shifters) only though.