[3.0/3.5] Magic Items/feats to avoid nat 1 skill checks

[Alleran]

As the title. I'm specifically trying to find a magic item I remember reading about that allowed the wearer to 1/day (maybe 2/day, I'm not quite sure) treat a roll as being a natural 20. My perusal of the MIC hasn't turned anything up, unless I managed to just miss it.

However, any other means of getting out of a natural 1 on skill checks would also be appreciated. Has anybody made up a list of them?

EDIT: Specifically Use Magic Device.

[The Glyphstone]

You could...have a high enough modifier to still pass on a 1? Skill checks are not affected by critical fail/pass, so rolling a 20 is nothing better than a total of 20+bonus, and a 1 is just a 1+bonus.

[Taelas]

Natural 1 on skill checks is "just" the lowest possible result; you do not fail automatically on skill checks.

[Squiggles]

The only thing I can think of is the Better Lucky Than Good feat

[bigstipidfighte]

Are you aware there's no such thing as a critical failure on skill checks?

I don't know about a way to "fudge" nat20s other than having a high Divine Rank, but there are plenty of things that allow rerolls, either for specific things like saves, or just general rerolls.

The only item that springs to mind immediately is the luck Blade from the DMG, gives the possessor a reroll once/day. There are others, and more likely than not someone will post a link to a list of them eventually.

EDIT: Swordsage'd by Glyphstone, then Ninja'd by Szar.

@Szar: Get with the program buddy! If you picked a higher tier class you might have gotten here first!

[Alleran]

You could...have a high enough modifier to still pass on a 1? Skill checks are not affected by critical fail/pass, so rolling a 20 is nothing better than a total of 20+bonus, and a 1 is just a 1+bonus.
Should have been more specific:

Use Magic Device.

[OracleofWuffing]

Don't forget about Taking 10- it's how heavy people climb out of bed in the morning.

Depending on the skill and situation in question, Taking 20 might be possible, too, though I'll dig around my books to see if I find anything more to your taste.

EDIT: Belt of Ultimate Athleticism gives you 10 on some checks and 1/day 20, but given the below, it won't work for you.


Should have been more specific:

Use Magic Device.
Warlock 5 nets you UMD Take Ten, even if distracted.

[Taelas]

The UMD penalty for natural 1s only occur if you actually fail. Simply get a high enough skill check and it never comes up.

[NecroRick]

The only thing I can think of is the Better Lucky Than Good feat

The thing I find fascinating about that feat (from a game design point of view) is that it requires a swift action. But most of the stuff you might do to power up the attack are also swift actions, so it looks amazing, but in fact is 'only' good on a 'normal' attack. On the other hand, if you had a +16 BAB and got four attacks per round, odds are pretty good you'll roll a 1 every 5 or so combat rounds... (ie once per encounter)

[ericgrau]

IIRC a nat 1 on UMD only hurts if you actually fail the check. If you pass on a nat 1 you're fine. If you fail and roll 1 you can't use the item for 24 hours. But as long as you don't also fail by 10 the item isn't expended. So carry 2 :smalltongue:.

[OracleofWuffing]

IIRC a nat 1 on UMD only hurts if you actually fail the check. If you pass on a nat 1 you're fine. If you fail and roll 1 you can't use the item for 24 hours. But as long as you don't also fail by 10 the item isn't expended. So carry 2 :smalltongue:.
Going off that idea, the Rod of Mimicry from Arms and Equipment Guide (3.0 material, so check if it hasn't been reprinted before running it by your DM) grants you a +10 competency on all UMD checks, among other things.

Going away from that idea, Complete Mage has a feat called "Magic Device Attunement," which lets you automatically succeed on activating a magic item for 24 hours after you've successfully activated that item once.

Edit 1: A single level in Exemplar (Complete Adventurer) gets you the same thing the Warlock has, and it might apply to more skills depending on your ability.

Edit 2: Here's an archive (http://web.archive.org/web/20090506193346/http://forums.gleemax.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-869795) of a Wand User Handbook. Arcane Schooling will make it so you don't need to roll UMD for a school of magic.

[Alleran]

Edit 1: A single level in Exemplar (Complete Adventurer) gets you the same thing the Warlock has, and it might apply to more skills depending on your ability.
I'm pretty sure that Exemplar actually doesn't do what I'm looking for. Skill Mastery only allows you to take 10 on checks that you otherwise wouldn't be able to do when stressed or distracted, not take 10 on checks that you just plain can't take it on. For that I'd need the Artificer version of it (or Warlock, I think).

[OracleofWuffing]

I'm pretty sure that Exemplar actually doesn't do what I'm looking for. Skill Mastery only allows you to take 10 on checks that you otherwise wouldn't be able to do when stressed or distracted, not take 10 on checks that you just plain can't take it on. For that I'd need the Artificer version of it (or Warlock, I think).
Hm, fair point.

Make Your Own Luck is a Complete Scoundrel feat that lets you reroll skill checks, carrying all the other mechanics of luck feats, though.

Edit1: Fatespinner (Complete Arcane), level 4 is needed for self-reroll (1/day, on any roll), or level 2 if you can convince someone else in your party to help you.

Edit2: Vigilante (Song and Silence, 3.0 again) 1/day at level 3 and 2/day at level 7, just as above, reroll any roll.

[IonDragon]

According to a post on enworld.org, the Errata states that Skill Master can NOT be used with UMD (Convoluted explanation because I don't have the erata) Personally, I disagree and would allow it, but I'm not running your game. Before dismissing it out of hand, you should still ask your GM.

Auspician: Faiths and Pantheons (Forgotten Realms) Allows you to re-roll failed checks. It also includes the Luck domain who's granted power allows the same.

Luck Blade: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#luckBlade)22,060 for one with 0 wishes remaining, allows you to reroll 1/day, grants +1 to all saving throws, and still functions as a +2 Short Sword.

[TroubleBrewing]

Luck Blade: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#luckBlade)22,060 for one with 0 wishes remaining, allows you to reroll 1/day, grants +1 to all saving throws, and still functions as a +2 Short Sword.

Best part about it? As was pointed out to me in another thread, the item specifies that the "possessor" gains these benefits, not the "wielder".

You can toss this thing in your backpack and forget about it, because you don't have to be holding it to gain its bonuses!

[Xtomjames]

While in RAW rules there is no critical failure or success for skills, it's a common house-rule (one that I despise) to make all D20 rules affected by the natural one and natural twenty rule.

While I don't know if this is the problem for the original poster of the thread, this would most definitely interest me if there is more options to avoid skill check failures that don't require taking 10 or taking 20.

[Psyren]

While in RAW rules there is no critical failure or success for skills, it's a common house-rule (one that I despise) to make all D20 rules affected by the natural one and natural twenty rule.

While I don't know if this is the problem for the original poster of the thread, this would most definitely interest me if there is more options to avoid skill check failures that don't require taking 10 or taking 20.

Beat your DM over the head with the PHB until the actual rules are properly reinforced in his brain.