Performance Combat
Not every fight is for survival. Performance combats are battles where showmanship and flair can matter as much as ruthless efficiency — from a bar brawl meant to rouse a crowd against local bullies to a sun-drenched gladiatorial contest where the favor of the audience can mean life or death.
Types of Performance Combat
Determine the goals and rules of the combat before it begins. These categories can be mixed to fit your campaign's story.
Crowd Attitudes
The crowd is an active participant. A crowd's attitude tracks like a Diplomacy attitude — five states from Hostile to Helpful — and shifts based on what happens on the battlefield. Each side of the combat has its own attitude track. The GM tracks these throughout the encounter.
| Attitude | Effect on that side's combatants | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Hostile | –2 penalty on attack rolls, CMB, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws (mind-affecting) | Failing a performance check by 5+ automatically loses the performance combat |
| Unfriendly | –1 penalty on attack rolls, CMB, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws (mind-affecting) | — |
| Indifferent | No effect | Typical starting attitude |
| Friendly | +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, CMB, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws (mind-affecting) | — |
| Helpful | +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, CMB, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws (mind-affecting) | Succeeding at a performance check grants 1 victory point |
Starting attitude: Typically Indifferent toward each side. Favored champions or local heroes may start one step higher; outsiders, prisoners, or criminals may start one step lower. In serialized combats, victory points from prior bouts can adjust the starting attitude (see Victory Points below).
Performance Combat Check
When a combatant triggers a performance check (see Affecting the Crowd below), she makes a Charisma ability check modified by two bonuses that use the same progression:
Perform = highest ranks in Perform (act), Perform (comedy), or Perform (dance)
| BAB or Highest Perform Ranks | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 0 | +0 |
| 1–5 | +1 |
| 6–10 | +2 |
| 11–15 | +3 |
| 16+ | +4 |
- Performance weapon: +2 on performance checks
- Natural 20 always succeeds
- Success improves crowd attitude by one step
- Failure by 5+ reduces crowd attitude by one step
- If crowd is Helpful and check succeeds: gain 1 victory point
- Usually a swift action; some triggers allow free or immediate
Performance Combat Check DC
The base DC is set by the crowd's current attitude, then adjusted for crowd size, number of combatants, and other circumstances.
| Current Attitude | Base DC |
|---|---|
| Hostile | 20 |
| Unfriendly | 15 |
| Indifferent | 10 |
| Friendly | 15 |
| Helpful 1 | 20 |
| 1 DC to gain a victory point | |
| Crowd Size | Count | DC Mod |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 2–25 | +0 |
| Medium | 26–100 | +2 |
| Large | 101–300 | +3 |
| Massive mob | 301+ | +4 |
| Combatants | DC Mod |
|---|---|
| 2–8 (small battle) | +0 |
| 9–16 (medium battle) | +4 |
| 17+ (large battle) | +8 |
Other DC Modifiers
If one side visibly cheats, their DC to improve attitude increases by +2 for the rest of the combat (cumulative). The crowd's base Perception and Sense Motive to spot cheating (usually +0 for an average human) is boosted by crowd size:
| Crowd Size | Crowd Check Bonus |
|---|---|
| Small | +8 |
| Medium | +12 |
| Large | +16 |
| Massive mob | +20 |
Pay gold and succeed at a Diplomacy check to lower your DC by 2 (–1 more per 5 points over the DC). If the check fails, you get the cheating penalty and lose the gold.
| Crowd Size | Diplomacy DC | Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 15 | 25 gp |
| Medium | 20 | 250 gp |
| Large | 25 | 750 gp |
| Massive mob | 30 | 2,000 gp |
Outnumbered: If your side outnumbers opponents by less than 2:1, DC +2. If 2:1 or more, DC +6. Adjust as the balance of forces changes. Unfair advantage (fortified position, clearly superior gear, unarmed opponents): DC +2, up to +6 at GM discretion.
Affecting the Crowd's Attitude
To affect crowd attitude, a combatant must be visible to the crowd — total concealment, invisibility, or total cover prevents any performance checks. When a trigger occurs, the combatant may make a performance combat check. General guidelines:
- Swift action checks — can always opt out; performance feats may grant extra effects.
- Free or immediate action checks — can opt to make as a swift action instead (enables performance feat effects); can spend a victory point to make as no action when off-turn.
- Mandatory checks — must attempt; not an action; no performance feat benefits; success = no change, failure = attitude drops one step.
Swift Action Triggers
| Trigger | Condition | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Charge | Hit with a charge attack | — |
| Combat Maneuver | Successfully perform any combat maneuver | — |
| Maximum Damage | Roll maximum on any damage roll (weapon or spell; excludes sneak attack and variable precision damage) | –4 light weapon; +0 one-handed; +2 two-handed or exotic; +1/2 spell levels |
| Energy Spell / Effect | Deal acid, cold, fire, electricity, force, or sonic damage in a visible way (includes burst enchantments on crit) | — |
| Feint | Successfully feint an enemy | — |
| Knock Prone | Knock another combatant prone | — |
| Multiple Hits | Hit with at least 2 attacks in the same turn | +2 per hit beyond the 2nd |
Free or Immediate Action Triggers
| Trigger | Condition | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Hit | Confirm a critical hit | Failure by 5+ does not drop crowd attitude. +2 if a critical feat effect triggers. |
| First Blood | First combatant to deal damage to an enemy (or first to hit in staged combats) | — |
| Raging | First time entering rage during this performance combat | — |
| Vanquish Opponent | Reduce any creature to 0 or fewer hit points | — |
Mandatory Triggers (not an action; success = no change; any failure = attitude drops one step)
| Trigger | Condition | Check Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| Magical Healing | Cast or use any healing spell, effect, or use-activated item on a turn | — |
| Natural 1 | Roll a natural 1 on an attack roll or saving throw | — |
| Withdraw | Use the withdraw action | –5 |
Victory Points
Victory points (VP) are earned when the crowd is Helpful and a performance check succeeds. They are pooled per side and can be spent by any combatant on that side at any time, as long as no teammate objects. Spending a VP is not an action.
Serialized Performance Combats
Unspent VPs carry over between bouts and affect the starting crowd attitude in the next combat:
- Prior loss (hostile failure by 5+): crowd starts Unfriendly next bout instead of Indifferent.
- ≥1 VP per side member: crowd starts as Friendly toward that side.
- ≥3 VP per side member: crowd starts as Helpful toward that side.
- Winning a bout (highest attitude at the end): each winning combatant gains 1 VP.
When splitting VPs after a roster change, distribute as evenly as possible — no individual gains more than 1 from the remainder.
Determining a Winner
At the end of the performance combat, the side with the highest crowd attitude wins. On a tie, compare victory points. If still tied, the bout is a draw.