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I have a Bard with the Street Performer archetype. The Quick Change ability allows him to take a 20 on a Bluff or Disguise check once per day. Can he use Versatile Performance to make a bluff check with Perform (Comedy) and take a 20 on it using the his Perform check, or does the check have to be made with the Bluff Skill?

Also, does the streetwise ability add the bonus to bluff check to a versatile performance check to bluff?

Edit: If my Bard (Level 9) has 0 ranks in Bluff (giving him a +7) and 9 Ranks in Perform (Comedy) (Giving him a +26 after bonuses), can i use Quick Change to take a 20 using my Perform (Comedy) skill and make the check a 46, or do i specifically have to use my Bluff skill for the ability? And does Steetwise (+ 1/2 class level to bluff check) add that bonus to Versatile Performance checks made to bluff with Perform (Comedy)?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ You may also be interested in this question and in this question. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 7, 2018 at 18:35
  • \$\begingroup\$ Those don't help me at all. What i'm trying to figure out is: If my Level 9 Bard has 0 Ranks in Bluff and 9 in Perform (Comedy) and after bonuses has a +7 to Bluff and a +26 to Perform (Comedy), can i take a 20 (using the Street Performer Quick Change ability) using my +26 in Perform, or do I have to specifically use my Bluff skill for this check? AND, does my 1/2 class level bonus from Steetwise apply to a check made using Versatile Performance. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 7, 2018 at 19:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ Relevant meta: Don't signal your edits in text. \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented Jul 26, 2018 at 1:35

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When a bard uses the extraordinary ability versatile performance, the bard does not use the picked Perform skill specialty as a substitute for the associated skills; instead, the bard "can use his bonus in that [Perform] skill [specialty] in place of his bonus in associated skills."

That is, the bard does not, for example, use his Perform (comedy) skill instead of his Bluff or Intimidate skill but can substitute—wholly and completely—his Perform (comedy) skill modifier for his Bluff or Intimidate skill modifier when he makes a Bluff or Intimidate skill check.

This makes it legit for a such a bard to use, for example, the bard archetype street performer's special ability quick change to take 20 on a Bluff skill check yet see that Bluff skill check use the bard's Perform (comedy) skill modifier rather than the bard's normal Bluff skill modifier.

The bard archetype street performer's natural ability streetwise grants the bard, in addition to other bonuses, "a bonus equal to half his level on Bluff… checks made to influence crowds." Because this is a bonus to Bluff skill checks, this bonus is replaced by the bard's Perform (comedy) modifier if the bard uses versatile performance to use his Perform (comedy) skill modifier in place of his Bluff skill modifier.

In short, the bard does not get to pick which of his individual skill bonus and penalties are replaced. Either the bard uses all of his Bluff or Intimidate skill modifier and makes a Bluff or Intimidate skill check or the bard uses all of his Perform (comedy) skill modifier and makes a Bluff or Intimidate skill check.

The bard does not get to use a combination of the two. For example, a bard can't use his Perform (comedy) modifier to make a Bluff check and apply to that skill check a bonus to Bluff checks via the ability streetwise because any and all modifiers to Bluff skill checks are utterly replaced by the bard's Perform (comedy) skill modifier.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must rid myself of this enormous headache. Thanks, Pathfinder.

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