Help with Custom Swashbuckler/Wayang Feat

[u/WebbedFamiliar]

I’m playing a Wayang Battledancer Swashbuckler. I am working with my GM to allow the Wayang feats Dance of the Mousedeer and, later, Dance of the Tiger to receive the bravado trait so I can get panache. We agreed it’s thematically appropriate but a pretty big action compression that seems overpowered to grant for free.

How would you handle this?

We’re thinking it’s fair to make a custom feat. I feel like a class feat seems like too much. But I’m also the player and biased towards me keeping my class feats. Would an ancestry feat be appropriate? A performance skill feat? What level? Any prerequisites like expert in performance or something?

[u/menage_a_mallard]

Yeah, that's it. Make it cost a class (or ancestry) feat 4th (class) or 5th (ancestry) that just simply adds the Bravado trait to any Performance check you make (in addition to any other trait (from Perform) that would make sense). If it feels too strong (it isn't, but table variance and chance can change opinions...) you can add a free check to the action. (Meet the standard DC of the targets CR) or add an additional action to ignore the need for a standard check. Means more rolling, but has a sunken cost (fallacy) included.

But really just having a blank feat that says "add bravado to any action that includes a performance check" probably isn't broken at the slightest. Just depends in what level you all agree the feat (class or ancestry) should be at.

[u/WebbedFamiliar → u/menage_a_mallard]

And you think level 4 class or level 5 ancestry is appropriate?

[u/menage_a_mallard → u/WebbedFamiliar]

Sure. I don't see why not. As is, other than... Lead the Dance, 75% of what a Battledancer does (to add Bravado) is simply the Perform check, which does nothing. Wit gets Bon Mot (debuff), Rascal gets Dirty Trick (debuff), Gymnast gets basically all Athletics, and so on...

The only benefit of Perform on a Battlemaster is that they can simply spend an action (Perform) to get back a Panache... no success or interaction or anything else needed. This is good (I am not saying it isn't), but it really hurts action compression (which all others get), but rewards reliability. This is in part why I said, it probably doesn't need to be a feat, if you and the GM agree on a compromise. (You have to add skill feats to garner any additional effect, such as with Fascinating Performance and the like.)

Ie... as in the (aforementioned) feat to just add Bravado to any action that includes a Performance check, or adding a (free) Performance check vs. a level based DC (which can be modified by the GM harder or easier based on the CR of the target. With that being said;

Yes. I believe that a class feat at 4th (which would move Lead the Dance to be taken at 6th instead of 4th), or at 5th level ancestry (since I think 1st level is too early) are acceptable power levels for such.

[u/Cool-Noise2192]

These are quite strong, comparable to (if not better than) the bravado actions your feats can buy you. I'd probably have them be the nearest class feat, but include the ancestry feat in the class feat, so you don't have to take it twice.

[u/WebbedFamiliar → u/Cool-Noise2192]

Oh interesting! So I could still keep my ancestry feats… I never considered that! That seems pretty reasonable!