Getting intimidate on my class skill list(s)

[ILM]

So I'm making a character that plans to use a bit of intimidate optimization, except I just realized intimidate is on none of my classes' skill lists (Bard, Paladin of Tyranny - WTF, Tyranny and he keeps Diplomacy on his class skill list - Lyric Thaumaturge, Sublime Chord) with the exception of Marshal, of which I have a single level.

I really have no feats to spare and I have next to no floating levels, so I was wondering if there was maybe a variant rule or an item or something that would let me pump ranks in intimidate without it costing me an arm and a leg in skill points.

Seriously, I can't get over this Paladin of Tyranny thing.

[BIGMamaSloth]

Well I'm not familiar with the variant paladin you're talking about, but if it seems like Intimidate should be on you're skill list, and it's a character goal, see if your DM could just let you have it or see if you could spend some gold for a magic Item that either boosts you're intimidate or just makes it a class skill.

[Coidzor]

Tome of Battle has martial study which will give you a maneuver and intimidate or another class skill as class skills.

DMG2 has the apprentice feats which will allow you to get intimidate on your class skill list, I believe.

But if you're as strapped as you are, ...All I can think of is that you're basically left to beg of your DM.

[Curmudgeon]

So I'm making a character that plans to use a bit of intimidate optimization, except I just realized intimidate is on none of my classes' skill lists (Bard, Paladin of Tyranny - WTF, Tyranny and he keeps Diplomacy on his class skill list - Lyric Thaumaturge, Sublime Chord) with the exception of Marshal, of which I have a single level.
You're already in trouble with alignments (Paladin of Tyranny is Lawful Evil, and Bard must be nonLawful), so you've got bigger problems than your skill list.

[sreservoir]

You're already in trouble with alignments (Paladin of Tyranny is Lawful Evil, and Bard must be nonLawful), so you've got bigger problems than your skill list.

bard merely prevents advancement when becoming non-lawful, so it's doable.

[ILM]

You're already in trouble with alignments (Paladin of Tyranny is Lawful Evil, and Bard must be nonLawful), so you've got bigger problems than your skill list.
O Em Ef Gee, how could I miss that sort of stuff? :smalleek:


bard merely prevents advancement when becoming non-lawful, so it's doable.
Wish I could say I totally knew that and took it into account, but I'd be lying. Thankfully, this still saves my bacon.

(on the other hand the only specific and significant thing those 3 levels of Pally give me is the -2 to saves aura, which I could probably have lived without at the end of the day)

[Garagos]

Not sure if your DM plays by the Favored Class/XP penalty rule or not. If not, one thing I was considering giving to humans and half-elves in my campaigns to replace Favored Class of Any was to allow them to choose 1 skill that is always considered a class skill at every level. See if your DM would let that fly.

[gallagher]

can you fit some CW samurai onto that build? because iirc, intimidation is one of their main schticks

[Person_Man]

Um, you realize that you only need 1 level of any class with a Skill in order to max out that Skill, right? When you take a level of a class that does not have the Skill it costs twice as much (unless you take the Able Learner feat), but you can still put the maximum amount of Skill points into it.

Also, even if it's on none of your class lists it's not an issue. You're a Charisma based character, Intimate is modified by Size (ask someone to cast Enlarge Person on you), and there are a variety of cheap magic items, feats, and spells which drastically boost pretty much any Skill.

[ILM]

Um, you realize that you only need 1 level of any class with a Skill in order to max out that Skill, right? When you take a level of a class that does not have the Skill it costs twice as much (unless you take the Able Learner feat), but you can still put the maximum amount of Skill points into it.

Also, even if it's on none of your class lists it's not an issue. You're a Charisma based character, Intimate is modified by Size (ask someone to cast Enlarge Person on you), and there are a variety of cheap magic items, feats, and spells which drastically boost pretty much any Skill.
Sure, that's how I've done it for the moment (buying it cross-class up to the cap), it's just really expensive. And I do have a bunch of bonuses (currently at +47 before ranks) but optimizing a skill - if modestly - withount having max ranks just feels wrong to me. :smalltongue:

[Telonius]

You're a Charisma based character, Intimate is modified by Size (ask someone to cast Enlarge Person on you)

Careful with that spell-check there, PersonMan. :smallbiggrin:

[Lateral]

can you fit some CW samurai onto that build?
Or Zhentarim Fighter. They're evil, intimidation-focused, and SUCK WAY LESS THAN CW SAMURAI.

There's a reason Shneeky is so awesome, you know.