[3.5] Optimizing Social Skills

[NineThePuma]

I'm building a character right now, and am looking for any awesome tricks to optimize those.

The base premise is, I want to infiltrate a compound, bluff/disguise/diplomance my way into the king's quarters, and kill him.

Then I get out.

I've already decided to play as a Changling, and am fairly certain I want at least 1 level of Rogue, for the substitution. But are there any other really nifty tricks?

[grimbold]

well at times intimidate can be better than bluff
using intimidate you can do pretty much anything

[Draz74]

Intimidate is the least of the three main social skills. Diplomacy in its RAW automatic game-winning form is the strongest, but assuming the DM nerfs Diplomacy into something reasonable, Bluff becomes king of social skills for three reasons:

Intimidate is blocked by immunity to fear or mind-affecting abilities. It's still great, but you can't base your character entirely around it.
Bluff can substitute for Disguise or Diplomacy, using skill tricks.
Glibness.

And that pretty much sums up my advice. Take those skill tricks, get access to Glibness.

Bard is the best class for this overall, since it has the Improvisation spell (which even the Beguiler doesn't get), as well as Glibness. You'll want a one-level dip in Warlock or Dragonfire Adept, too, though, for the invocation Beguiling Influence (+6 untyped bonus to Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate).

Circlet of Persuasion should be obvious.

[prufock]

Pump up charisma. One level of Marshall for Skill Focus (Diplomacy) and Motivate Charisma minor aura. That grants your charisma modifier to all charisma-based skill checks as a circumstance bonus. One level of Warlock for the least invocation Beguiling Influence gives you +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate, and I think it's an untyped bonus. Take the rest in Bard, get Glibness (untyped). Feats: Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Focus (whichever) - all untyped bonuses. The Nymph's Kiss feat (circumstance bonus, which stacks with Marshall's aura) for +2 to all charisma checks, and extra skill points.

Circlet of Persuasion is good. A level of the Exemplar PrC (CAdv) is very slightly better, if you are of high enough level (easy requirements to enter). They're both competence bonuses, so they don't stack. Just depends on how important that +1 difference is to you, and whether you'd prefer to spend money or a class level.

Edit: Another idea is to take Exemplar levels until you get Persuasive Performance (Perform: storytelling). It allows you to use your perform check as a diplomacy check. It has to be one in which you have Skill Artistry, so you have a +4 to it. It's still a charisma check, so much of what I said above applies. Beguiling Influence doesn't help this check, but if your total character level is above 13, be a Spellscale instead of a Changeling. Meditate on Hlal, and you get 1/2 your character level as a racial bonus to Perform: Storytelling. Spellscales also have a racial Charisma bonus.

[Delwugor]

The best tricks are scheming and subtlety.
My last social character (an evil enchantress) would have hired ineffective assassins to make failed attempts of killing the king. Encouraged the king to depend on his reliable Captain of the Guard. Seduced the captain so that he coordinates and executes the real assassination. Then seduce the king's wizard to discover the Captain was part of a group of conspirators who also included the head priest, the top advisors and the King's general, conveniently excluding her.
As trails/executions are commencing seduce the next high ranking general to finish it all including the wizard who was "discovered" to be hiding his tracks. Ohh and now this general controls all forces and decides to make her the Regent since she would be the only ranking person left who is trust worthy.
Evil is a matter of style. :smallbiggrin:

[d13]

A single Binder level will let you bind Naberius, for the ability to take 10 on bluff and diplomacy checks.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Consider using Skilled City-Dweller (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) regardless of what you use. Here are what my choices would be for various types of social characters:

Strong-arm social: Human, Jotunbrud and Able Learner, Thug (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#fighterVariantThug) with Zhentarim Soldier (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060327a) substitution levels and Dungeoncrasher ACF, Knock-Back and Imperious Command feats, and as many skill tricks as you can get.

Cunning social: Gray Elf, Beguiler with a Mindbender dip, Mindsight and Versatile Spellcaster feats. Arcane Disciple for the Travel domain and/or various parts of the Raiment of the Four are highly recommended.

Charismatic social: Bard, take your pick; preferably using Sublime Chord and/or a 2-3 level Arcane Duelist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a) dip and/or a Mindbender dip.

Mercenary social: Hexblade 3/ Sorcerer 2/ Talon of Tiamat 5/ Spellsword 1/ Talon of Tiamat 5/ Spellsword 4. Surprisingly versatile, and great bonuses to several social skills.

Anything I want social: Factotum with a two level dip into Chameleon.