Performances

Now that you have your bard fully defined, it is time to put on a show. Bards perform in every situation, from street shows to elaborate performances in the town's grand theater. This section contains the information you and your Dungeon Master need to determine the cost, turnout, and income from such performances.

In several places in this section, a proficiency check is asked for without the exact proficiency being specified. The actual proficiency depends upon the type of performance. If the bard is playing an instrument, use the musical instrument proficiency; if he is juggling knives, use the juggling proficiency; and if he is singing, use the singing proficiency. Thus, the proficiency check matches the performance being given.

Street-side Performances

Street-side performances include any situation in which the bard plays for a changing audience in a public place. Bards can try playing on the sides of streets, in front of public buildings, in the town bazaar, etc.

All a bard needs to perform street-side is a coin collection device (a box, cup, or open knapsack), his performing implements, and some time.

In some towns and villages, the law considers street-side performers to be beggars and vagrants. In such towns a permit containing a wax seal set with the appropriate official's ring must be carried or the performer is likely to end up paying twice the amount he made and possibly spending a night in the town dungeon. The typical fee for such a document is 1 gp. The document is good as long as it lasts (which is usually 1d8 days, due to the fragile nature of the wax).

The big danger or thrill (depending upon point of view) of performing street side lies in the performer's exposure. Thieves consider street-side performers to be easy pickings; even beggars have been known to loot a bard's takings. On occasion a gang of ruffians will attack the performer in an attempt to gain his valuables (instruments are well worth such a risk).

Performing street side for money is considered a desperate act; a bard with a reputation of 10 or above loses two places on the ladder during any week in which he gives such a performance.

The income gained from a street-side performance is figured by rolling both a proficiency check and a reputation check. The number of successful rolls (0 {both fail}, 1, or 2 {both succeed}) is checked against the conditions, as determined by the Dungeon Master, on Table 29. The bard's total income from the performance is determined by multiplying the hourly income (found in Table 29) by the number of hours the bard performs that day. New checks are needed for each day's performance.

Table 29: HOURLY STREET-SIDE INCOME

Successful Checks

Conditions	0	1	2
Horrid	0	1 cp	1d2 cp
Poor	0	1d2 cp	1d4 cp
Fair	1 cp	1d4 cp	1d8 cp
Good	1d4 cp	1d2 sp	1d4 sp
Excellent	1d10 cp	1d4 sp	1d8 sp
Fabulous	1d4 sp	1d8 sp	1d4 gp

Booked Performances

A booking is an arrangement in which a bard entertains the crowd of some private business (usually a tavern). The tavern master and bard come to some prearranged agreement as to the income, hours, and type of entertainment. The bard (and his assistants if any) simply show up and perform. The tavern master always has a place set aside for the performer. Perhaps a small stage, a corner of the tavern floor, or even some old keyboard instrument.

Typically, it is the bard's responsibility to bring all the instruments required for his performance. Other than that, the bard has no set expenses. Drinks are usually on the house as long as the bard doesn't select the more expensive items. However, it is considered professional to tip the bar maids and wenches heavily when they bring a performer drinks (it sets a good example for the customers).

Few cities have any legal limitations on booked performances.

Although a booked performer is a bit more protected from snatch-and-run thieves, the danger from bar fights and brawls is almost as bad. It is unlikely that the bard will lose money in such situations, but his body and instruments can be severely damaged.

Bookings are considered a good starting place for bards. Such performances satisfy the requirement for a bard to perform locally in a town in order to maintain his reputation. However, highly reputable bards (13 or higher) suffer a -1 reputation adjustment for giving a booked performance in any but the most lavish surroundings.

The method of payment varies widely from tavern to tavern and from low to high social level. The tendency is for the tavern master to pay the bard a set salary once a night, week, or month. On top of this, wise tavern masters also allow bards to put out a collection bowl. This ensures that the bard gives his all during the performance.

Collection bowls gain money at the street-side performance rate specified on Table 29. The salaried income should be determined randomly on Table 30. The bard can then adjust this random result by one in any direction if he rolls a successful reputation check or a proficiency check, or by two if he succeeds with both checks.

Table 30: BOOKED INCOME

D8 Roll	Salary
1	Free room
2	A free meal
3	Room and board
4	Double the collection bowl contents
5	5 electrum per night
6	5 gold per night
7	2d8 gold
8	2d12 gold

Carnivals

The term carnival is used here to include any circus, carnival, caravan, or other traveling form of entertainment. All of these groups arrive at most towns from time to time. During the local harvest season, circuses often arrive to join in the celebration and festivities. Holidays are often targeted by carnival bands. Occasionally the governing body of a large city actually contracts for a carnival as part of a fund raising drive.

Carnival bands are complex and expensive operations to run, and they include multiple performers. It is easiest for a bard to join in an existing carnival, but if he wants to start his own he has to invest some time and money. The base list of needed assets includes at least one wagon (though a one-wagon carnival is unlikely to see much success), horses or oxen to pull it, entertaining implements, portable performance area (a stage, tents, etc.), several high-quality performers, and the necessary support crew (teamster, cook, carpenter, etc.). Total outlay of gold for such an operation is in the thousands of gold pieces.

It is illegal in most towns and villages for a carnival to simply set up tents and begin performing (unless it is well outside of the town walls). Legal permission ranges from simple verbal approval to purchasing a carnival or circus permit from the town. Such permits typically cost 50 gold per tent, stage, or performing area and are generally good for one week.

The dangers a carnival faces are much the same as those faced by a traveling merchant: highway robbery, pirates (during water transport), and monster raids are common. Even within the walls of a town, a carnival is far from safe. Thieves and beggars are attracted to carnivals like flies. Although these lowlifes typically play the crowd, they aren't against making off with a valuable instrument or the carnival strong box. Even more dangerous are the rival carnivals and performers who are in competition for the same audience. Such groups occasionally resort to practical jokes, vandalism, employing bullies, or even hiring assassins to drive off the competition.

Performing in a carnival is considered quite reputable and satisfies the performance criteria of reputation up to and including a reputation of 17. If a more reputable bard performs for any but the most elite carnivals, he will suffer a -1 adjustment to his local reputation.

Carnival performers are given free room and board while on the road (typically some blankets and a mat to throw in, under, or around the wagon or tents at night and relatively good food from the traveling cook). On top of this, they make wages. The normal arrangement is that each performing night's income is divided up as follows: 50% to the carnival master and 50% to the crew. The crew's half of the money is not split evenly. Each member is assigned a number of shares. Typical shares are as follows:

Table 31: CARNIVAL SHARES

Position	Shares of Crew Income
Performers	3 + (# of successful checks)*
Cook	4
Carpenter	3
Teamster	2
Stage Hands	1
Guards	Level (generally 1-4)

*Roll one proficiency check and one reputation check; the number of successful checks is used on this table and on Table 32 as well.

The night's total income is equal to the total number of attendees (attendees plus patrons) times the carnival fee.

Each performer draws in a number of attendees based upon a reputation and proficiency check. (These attendees are in addition to applicable patrons--see page 117 for more about patrons.) The number drawn by each performer should be checked separately (for simplicity, DMs may use the "1" column on Table 32 for all NPC performers). Roll both a proficiency check and a reputation check, then consult the following table to determine how many attendees that performer drew into the carnival. Note that this doesn't mean that this is the number that the performer entertains, as attendees drawn in by other performers wander around and observe all the acts.

The typical fee for a night at the carnival is one electrum piece per person (except infants, who are admitted for free). If this carnival's entrance fee is higher or lower, the Dungeon Master will take this into account when he determines the nightly conditions for the purposes of Table 32 (higher fees effectively improve the conditions, lower fees worsen the conditions).

Table 32: NIGHTLY ATTENDANCE

PER PERFORMER

Successful Checks

Conditions	0	1	2
Horrid	1d4	2d4	3d4
Poor	1d6	2d6	3d6
Fair	1d8	2d8	3d8
Good	1d10	2d10	3d10
Excellent	1d12	2d12	3d12
Fabulous	1d20	2d20	3d20

Shows and Productions

Shows and productions are the big time for performers. These include any performance that takes place in an established building or place where the audience shows up specifically for the performance and nothing else. Some examples include plays and recitals given at the local theater or opera house, concerts at the local music hall, and productions put on at local bard colleges. Such a performance is either a regularly scheduled event or is accompanied by a lot of promotion and advertising.

The cost of putting on a show or production is large. Costs include advertising, facility rental, stage hands, performer's fees, etc. A typical outlay is 1d4 silver pieces times the maximum possible crowd (this is usually equal to the available seating).

Shows and performances are usually outside the domain of city laws. Even if there are fees, the owner of the facility is generally responsible for payment (typically an additional silver piece per audience member).

A nice side benefit to such extravagant performances is the unlikely event of victimization. The only crooks who dare mess with such events are high-ranking master thieves or a fully planned hit by the local thieves' guild, though these are very rare occurrences.

It is considered an honor to perform in shows or productions. This satisfies performance requirements for any reputation level and actually boosts reputations of 10 or less by +1. However, it is rare for any performer below a 10 reputation to be invited to perform at such events. The standard auditions eliminate all but the best performers.

Of all performances, productions provide the greatest for potential income, but they are also the most risky. As with carnivals, the net nightly income is equal to the number of attendees times the admittance fee. Typical admittance fees to productions are 1 gold piece, although really elaborate performances put on in extravagant theaters can range up to a platinum piece or more.

Before the actual number of attendees is determined, the maximum possible number must be found. If the performance is to take place within a building, the maximum equals the building's seating capacity. Otherwise, some reasonable number will have to be settled upon between Dungeon Master and the involved players.

Once the maximum possible crowd is determined, each performer rolls both a reputation check and a proficiency check. Take the total number of successful checks from all performers and divide this by the number of checks that were rolled. This gives a number between 0 and 1, inclusive. Multiply this number by the maximum possible crowd to determine how many people actually show up.

If every performer succeeds at both checks, then the maximum possible crowd shows up. If only half of the checks succeed, then the number of attendees is only half the maximum. If 25% succeed, then 25% show up, etc. On top of this, bards have their applicable patrons show up.

Half of the net income (attendance fees minus production costs) goes to the facility's owner and the other half is divided among the performers and stage hands using the carnival's share system.

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