Musician is competence on an instrument, and it is defined narrowly on purpose: one instrument, within one of three categories — percussion, string or wind. Mastery Level describes that instrument. Anything else is played at a penalty.
| Category | Examples | On percussion | On string | On wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percussion | Cymbals, tabor, tambourine | 0 | −40 | −40 |
| String | Fiddle, harp, lute, zither | −10 | −20 | −40 |
| Wind | Flute, horn, shawm, recorder | −10 | −40 | −20 |
Read the row for what the character actually plays and the column for what they are reaching for. A lutenist picks up a harp at −20 and a drum at −10; wind is beyond them entirely until they have Mastery Level enough to survive the −40. Where the penalty reduces Mastery Level to zero or less, the instrument simply cannot be played. A character may of course take up a second instrument in earnest, beginning from that penalised level and improving it separately thereafter.
A Musician Success Value test measures the aesthetic worth of a performance, read exactly as Dancing is, and its Value Diamonds bear on persuasion for as long as the room is listening.