Proficient with Musical Instruments?

[smashers101]

Benefits?

[Oozy Monster]

District NPCs so you can steal since their valuables aren't in their line of sight. Make a few coins. Join in with background NPC minstrels just for fun.

[GriffinPilgrim]

You can play your instrument in crowds and people will throw money at you. And I mean that literally.

[RhiTheWitch]

Fun.

[Angel]

it gathers a crowd around you and people give you gold coins, that's it

[AokiYakumo]

It's a bit of extra cash in certain spots (particularly in Act III where you can have DOZENS of NPCs in a localized area), and it's needed for the achievement to get 100gp from bystanders after a performance.

Beyond that, you need it to gain the Superior Inspiration feature from Alfira in Act II, and you can use it the same way you'd use a Minor Illusion or a cat familiar: Make some noise in an area to get people all huddled around a localized point, either for an Oppenheimer or for a Mission Impossible.

[smashers101]

How do you become proficient is really my big question?

[AokiYakumo]

Originally posted by smashers101:

How do you become proficient is really my big question?

Easiest is Be a Bard. They get instrument proficiency by default.

You can also grab the Performer feat which grants it, or if you're confident in your Performance rolls you can have Alfira teach you musical instrument proficiency in Act I.

[Aprosule]

Originally posted by AokiYakumo:

...you can have Alfira teach you musical instrument proficiency in Act I.

This. I love whipping out my D:OS2 music on every character.

Also no instrument is the best instrument.

[EricHVela]

When it was mentioned that audience NPCs throw coins at your party after a successful performance, they really do and can hit the party members (for no damage, though). Pretty funny to see, I think it is.

(I will also always love "Play that booyahg music, ranga!" in the Goblin Camp. That's also when I found out that NPCs with equipped instruments will join in even if not playing any music at the time. Surprised that the Goblins knew the songs.)