Atlantean Trilogy Archive
A panorama of skills: an acrobat leaping, a scribe writing, a thief climbing a moonlit wall, a tracker, a lyre player and sparring fighters.

Music

Skill, Arts and Sciences

Training as a singer or instrumentalist; a percentile roll sets the talent tier, and better musicians gain Charisma bonuses, free meals and, at virtuoso level, a magical sway over listeners.

From the book

Music is a career as a singer or player, handled like Art: a percentile roll sets starting talent, and each new level brings a roll to move up a tier. An amateurish musician (1-10%) can more or less carry a tune, gains no Charisma modifier, and has a 75% chance to advance. A promising one (21-89%) gets +1 Charisma while playing or singing and a 50% chance to advance.

A talented musician (90-98%) gains +2 Charisma when performing, can learn two instruments, and has a cumulative 10% chance per level of reaching virtuoso. When such a musician plays in a tavern or inn, any listener who makes a save vs Charisma will stand the performer's drinks.

A virtuoso (99-100%) gains +4 Charisma while performing and never less than +2 with anyone who has heard the playing. The music becomes truly magical: listeners within 100 ft who fail a save vs Will can be moved to sympathy, antipathy or apathy, as with the Mystic spell Emotional Influence. Magic instruments work at +1 in a virtuoso's hands, a listener who makes a save vs Charisma will pay for a night's food or lodging, and the virtuoso can play three instruments and add one more per level. Harlequins learn Music at first level.

At a glance

Skill group
Arts and Sciences
Cost
2,000 XP (6 months' study if background/profession gives no access)
How it works
Percentile roll for starting tier and later advancement, as for Art; virtuoso playing can sway listeners within 100 ft who fail a save vs WILL
Learned by
Harlequin (1), Savant (optional, Divine Magic)
Talent tiers
Amateurish 1-10% (no CHA bonus; 75% to advance); Promising 21-89% (CHA +1 when performing; 50%); Talented 90-98% (CHA +2; +10% cumulative to Virtuoso); Virtuoso 99-100% (CHA +4, never less than +2)
Instruments
Talented: two; Virtuoso: three, plus one new instrument per level
Virtuoso magic
Magical instruments work at +1; listener saves vs CHA to pay a night's food or lodging

The printed Music talent table skips 11-20% (it runs 1-10%, 21-89%, 90-98%, 99-100%); a roll of 11-20% is not covered by the book.