Can I use Perform (Act) to act like someone else, replacing a Bluff check?
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2 Answers
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No.
The description of the Bluff skill describes the set of things for which you use the Bluff skill. The description of the Perform skill describes the set of things for which you use the Perform skill. A quick look through the lists suggests they don't overlap, and Perform certainly doesn't mention anything about replacing Bluff checks with Perform (act).
The cases where you can replace one skill check with another are explicitly spelled out in the rules. For example, you can use the Social Recovery skill trick to replace a Diplomacy check with a Bluff check under some circumstances. Without a rule telling you so, there's no reason to suppose a similar replacement is allowed for Bluff and Perform (act)
It would be reasonable for a DM to rule that having ranks in Perform (act) could provide synergy or circumstance bonuses to Bluff or Disguise checks that involved acting, but this would be a pure houserule.
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2\$\begingroup\$ To be honest, the Perform skill is about providing an entertaining performance; Bluff is about being convincing when not presenting the truth. Being entertaining doesn't make a claim more believable, but being convincing CAN help sell a performance - if anything, a synergy bonus should only work the other way around. \$\endgroup\$– CarcerMar 31, 2017 at 18:12
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No, but.
No. Strictly speaking, you cannot do that under the rules as written. A_Soo explains why.
In general, I would expect that sort of check to fall under disguise, not bluff.
But, it’s not likely to be game-breaking if your DM allows it. There’s a reasonable argument for how it works, so the result isn’t wacky (as opposed to, say, using jump as bluff). The actual bluff skill gives you a lot of options, which performance does not duplicate (can’t use perform to feint, for example). I also can’t think of many places where putting ranks in perform is more advantageous than putting them in bluff (qualifying for some prestige classes is about it), so it is unlikely that you are trying to do this while also gaining some disproportionate benefit.
All in all, while it’s not strictly by the book, It’s likely to be a non-problematic house rule.
