New OOTS products from CafePress
New OOTS t-shirts, ornaments, mugs, bags, and more
Results 1 to 16 of 16
  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Diarmuid's Avatar

    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    USA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Is there a feat/spell/etc that would allow for taking 10 on Knowledge Checks while in combat?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Nov 2010

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Rogues' Skill Mastery allows them to do this if they choose the appropriate Knowledge skill for it.

    The Aura of Perfect Order stance (Devoted Spirit 6) lets them "Take 11" once per round on any d20 roll.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Spamalot in the Playground
     
    Psyren's Avatar

    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Psychic Rogues get Skill Mastery as well. Though you'll typically want it for Concentration and Autohypnosis before Knowledge, unless you have KD.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
    Plague Doctor by Crimmy
    Ext. Sig (Handbooks/Creations)

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Titan in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Sunnydale

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    There are lots of classes which get some form of Skill Mastery; see the Lists of Stuff. Many forms of Skill Mastery are specific to particular skills, but none of them are specific to the various Knowledges. Still, there are a lot of them which are user-selectable like the Rogue ability.
    Spoiler
    Show
    Skill Mastery - aka "Take 10"
    Rogue 10
    Rogue 1, Changeling substitution level, Races of Eberron, Diplomacy/Bluff/Gather Info/Intimidate/Sense Motive
    Ranger 13, Half-elf substitution level, Races of Destiny, select 3+(Int mod) skills
    Swashbuckler 13, Complete Warrior, jump/tumble
    Invisible Blade 4, ecl 9, Complete Warrior, bluff
    Exemplar 1, ecl 11, Complete Adventurer, 1+Int and a new one each level
    Dread Pirate 8, ecl 13, Complete Adventurer, balance/climb/jump/tumble
    Dungeon Delver 3, ecl 10, Complete Adventurer, select 3+Int
    Nightsong Infiltrator 6, ecl 13, Complete Adventurer, climb, disable device, open lock, search
    Thief-Acrobat 4, ecl 8, Complete Adventurer, balance/climb/jump/tumble
    Evangelist 4, ecl 9, Complete Divine, select 1+Int from list
    Temple Raider of Olidammara 9, ecl 14, Complete Divine, select 3+Int
    Urban Soul 6, ecl 13, Races of Destiny, balance/climb/jump/move silently/tumble
    Artificer 13, Eberron Campaign Setting, spellcraft and Use Magic Device
    Warlock 4, Complete Arcane, on Use Magic Device checks
    Shade Hunter 6, ecl 11, FR: Champions of Ruin
    Dervish 1, ecl 6, Complete Warrior, jump/perform/tumble
    Cyre Scout 8, ecl 11, Eberron: Dragonmarked, survival
    Deneith Warden 8, ecl 12, Eberron: Dragonmarked, sense motive
    Savvy Rogue, feat, Complete Scoundrel, "take 12" on skill mastery
    Court Herald 10, ecl 17, Power of Faerun, selet 3+(int mod)
    Darkrunner 8, ecl 12, Lords of Madness, balance/climb/escape artist/jump/swim
    Naberius, vestige, ecl 1, Tome of Magic, diplomacy
    Hoardstealer 8, ecl 13, Draconomicon, 3+Int

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2011

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    Though you'll typically want it for Concentration and Autohypnosis before Knowledge, unless you have KD.
    You can get Concentration from a feat (Steady Concentration).

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Person_Man's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Other useful Knowledge stuff:

    • Dantalion Vestige (Binder 8, or a similar Binder/PrC build) provides a +8 unnamed bonus on all Knowledge checks. The vestige's other abilities are pretty useful as well, especially if you take the Scion of Dantalion prestige class.
    • Draconic Knowledge Invocation (Dragonfire Adept 1 or Warlock 1): +6 bonus of Knowledge and Spellcraft checks for 24 hours. (Dragon Magic p.80)
    • Divine Insight spell: 5 + caster level insight bonus to one check.
    • Improvisation spell: Caster level/2 luck bonus to one check.
    • Trivial Knowledge: Whenever you make a Knowledge check or a Bardic Knowledge check, roll twice and use the better result. Requires that you be a Gnome. Races of Stone pg 145.
    • Mantle of Second Chances: Reroll one die once per day. No reason you can't have several, and swap them out each combat. 6,000 gp, DMG II pg 269.
    • Knowledge Devotion feat: Make a Knowledge check to gain a scaled insight bonus (up to +5 if you can hit 36 or higher) to hit and damage. Complete Champion pg 60.
    • Lunatic Insight feat: You are considered trained in all Knowledge Skills, and gain a +2 (untyped) bonus to Initiative and Mind Effecting abilities. Heroes of Horror pg 123.
    • Collector of Stories skill trick: +5 bonus on Knowledge checks to identify the weakness of monsters. Complete Scoundrel p.85
    • Paragnostic Apostle: OK Knowledge based PrC - synergizes well with Archivist, and grants Lore ability. Complete Champion p.94.
    • Make Your Own Luck Feat: Expend a luck reroll to reroll any skill check. Note that Luck uses are very limited unless you invest heavily in it, and Luck abilities generally suck, so this is more of an NPC option. (Complete Scoundrel, p.79)
    • Masterwork item: +2 bonus to any Skill check.
    • Book of All Knowledge: +10 insight bonus to a Knowledge check, after persuing the book for 2d4 hours. Complete Champion p. 142.
    • Tome of Worldly Memory: +5 competence bonus to a Knowledge check, after persuing the book for 1 minute 3/day. If you have 5 ranks in the skill in question, it only requires a standard action. Magic Item Compendium p.190
    • Item Familiar: Scaled bonus (Class level + 3) to any one Skill check, though you have to sacrifice twice as many Skill ranks. Unearthed Arcana.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2010

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Hardened Criminal feat lets you take 10 on any (you pick one) skill, any time.
    Last edited by andromax; 2013-01-23 at 02:53 PM.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Person_Man's Avatar

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Washington, DC
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    And as a side note, Taking 10 is mathematically inferior to just rolling a d20. Taking ten always adds +10. Rolling d20 gives you an expected average result of 10.5. So you should only Take 10 when you know that a result of 9 or less will fail, and that there is no benefit to a result of 11 or higher. Thus, it's useful for fixed DC's, but not useful for opposed DC's, or in situations where a higher result might give you better options.

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    DruidGirl

    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Realm of Dreams

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    The skillful moment spell from Dragon Magazine spell collection .pdf allows one to count the next skill check made as if a 20 had been rolled, as long as the skill check is made the round after the spell is cast (standard action, first level spell). Could be useful to combo it with a rod of metamagic (quicken), perhaps, particularly for purposes of Knowledge Devotion and similar effects that scale with DC. Also nice because there is no bonus type associated with the effect, so it stacks with everything.
    In my dreams, I am currently a druid 20/wizard 10/arcane hierophant 10/warshaper 5. Actually, after giving birth to a galaxy by splitting a black hole, level is no longer relevant.

    Extended Sigbox

    Quote Originally Posted by Keledrath View Post
    I've never been able to put my finger on how to describe you Phelix, but I think I have an idea now.

    You're Tippy's fluffy cousin...

  10. - Top - End - #10
    Ogre in the Playground
    Join Date
    Sep 2011

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Quote Originally Posted by Person_Man View Post
    Thus, it's useful for fixed DC's, but not useful for opposed DC's
    Unless of course you're at least +11 higher than them.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Titan in the Playground
     
    Flumph

    Join Date
    Nov 2010

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Quote Originally Posted by Story View Post
    Unless of course you're at least +11 higher than them.
    I think that falls under "9 or less will fail". Also, good luck determining your opponent's modifier before an opposed roll.

  12. - Top - End - #12
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    OldWizardGuy

    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    taking 10 on physical skills and UMD is what it's usually used for- because those things are fixed DCs, where (In the cas of UMD) rolling a 1 is an auto-fail.

    Knowledge checks is a bit out of left field, but doable.

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Titan in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Sunnydale

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Quote Originally Posted by Acanous View Post
    (In the cas of UMD) rolling a 1 is an auto-fail.
    No, it's not. However, if you roll a natural 1 and also fail the check, there are consequences. But if you roll a natural 1 and succeed, you simply always succeed.

  14. - Top - End - #14
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2010

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    As a side question.. do you get the special +2 bonus to described under 'Activating Blindly' when you are 'activating a wand' after having done it successfully before?

  15. - Top - End - #15
    Titan in the Playground
     
    AssassinGuy

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Sunnydale

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    Yes, succeeding at least once previously gives you +2 to Activate Blindly. You can't activate a wand via Use a Wand unless you've successfully identified the spell contained therein first. Knowing that it causes heat damage when you point it and Activate Blindly still doesn't tell you if it's a wand of Fireball, or Aganazzar's Scorcher, or Burning Hands with Maximize Spell applied to it; you need spellcasting knowledge (a successful Spellcraft check)) to nail down the actual spell.

  16. - Top - End - #16
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Feb 2010

    Default Re: Taking 10 on Skill Checks in Combat?

    EDIT: NM I just noticed the DC was 5 higher for that
    Last edited by andromax; 2013-01-23 at 10:14 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •