Acquiring Additionl Skill Points

[Elric VIII]

I am just wondering if there are any ways of acquiring additional skill points each level that do not rely on increasing Int or taking a level in a high-skill class?

So far I know about Item Familiar and Nymph's Kiss. Item Faliliar suffers from the same problem as a Wizard's spellbook, in that you are either god with it or gimped/useless without it. Then, Nymph's Kiss is way too restrictive as to what type of character may actually use it.

Is there anthing else, perhaps some sort of ritual (i.e. gp expendature) that grants increased skill points?

[Andion Isurand]

The Open Minded feat grants 5 skill points.

[Chess435]

You can take Open Minded (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#openMinded) for an additional 5 skills points. No prerequisites, restrictions, or limits to the number of times you can take it.


Edit: Ninja! Run away!

[Hirax]

Nymph's kiss from Book of Exalted Deeds grants a skill point every level.

[Elfinor]

If it's allowed there's the Human Blood feat from Dragon 324. You gain +1 skill point and then +1/level. The flip side is you need 'Partial Human Ancestry' and it can only be taken at first level.

[Darrin]

There are a variety of feats you can gain at any level: Otyugh's Hole, Frog God's Fane, Least/Lesser/Master Legacy, etc. Once you've earned one of those, you can use Dark Chaos Shuffle to switch them to Open Minded.

[Elric VIII]

If it's allowed there's the Human Blood feat from Dragon 324. You gain +1 skill point and then +1/level. The flip side is you need 'Partial Human Ancestry' and it can only be taken at first level.

Does this need to be a Half-X or can you claim small human ancestry as another race?


There are a variety of feats you can gain at any level: Otyugh's Hole, Frog God's Fane, Least/Lesser/Master Legacy, etc. Once you've earned one of those, you can use Dark Chaos Shuffle to switch them to Open Minded.

That's a good idea. Would this work with Psychic Reformation, as well?

[sreservoir]

if you want to abuse the wording, it says you immediately gain the skill points. it does not say that the skill points are attached to the feat. it does not say you lose the skill points when you lose the feat.

the feat comes from the same book as psychic reformation. that means you can get as many sets of five skill points as you want at 100 xp a pop. they can even come in sets of ten if you manage to get an unrestricted bonus feat at the same level as you normally get a feat!

[Elric VIII]

if you want to abuse the wording, it says you immediately gain the skill points. it does not say that the skill points are attached to the feat. it does not say you lose the skill points when you lose the feat.

the feat comes from the same book as psychic reformation. that means you can get as many sets of five skill points as you want at 100 xp a pop. they can even come in sets of ten if you manage to get an unrestricted bonus feat at the same level as you normally get a feat!

This is funny. It reminds me of a build idea I had that used Able Learner to easily meet skill prerequisites and then trained it away after I was in the class that needed those skills. Although, this might be a bit more abusive than would be allowed. :smallamused:

[MesiDoomstalker]

This is funny. It reminds me of a build idea I had that used Able Learner to easily meet skill prerequisites and then trained it away after I was in the class that needed those skills. Although, this might be a bit more abusive than would be allowed. :smallamused:

You could do this with Open Mind. Use it to make pre-reqs faster than your class comboes and Int would allow (possibly at the minimum level for a given PrC). Take a few levels in the PrC, which should have the pre-req skills as class skills. Once you have enough ranks through your PrC to retoractivly qualify, retrain/Choas Shuffle/Psychic Reformation away.

[sreservoir]

it's more often used with those cityscape feats because they actually let you break cap.

[Elfinor]

Does this need to be a Half-X or can you claim small human ancestry as another race?

RAI, I would say no. However, the actual text says:

HUMAN BLOOD [RACIAL]
Prerequisites: Partial Human Ancestry (such as half-elf or half-orc), must be taken at 1st level.
Benefit: You gain +1 skill point at 1st level and every level thereafter. For all effects related to race, you are considered human.

There's nothing else on the page indicating anything either way; so I guess it's up to you(-r DM). Also relevant, if you're still planning on taking the feat, you can only take one racial feat.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

The apprentice feat also lets you max two skills for free. The skills need to come from a selected list, depending on who your mentor is, but it's great for saving on skill points.

The Master class from War of the Lance (Dragonlance) let you treat, depending on your chosen focus, all knowledge, profession, or perform skills as having half the number of ranks as one knowledge, profession, or perform skill you designate.

Bardic Knack lets you treat yourself as having 1/2 Bard level in any skill you don't have ranks in.

If you're looking for skill points to fill out a skill monkey, or just for gameplay, where you don't need to actually have the ranks, the second and third option work out well.

[dextercorvia]

The apprentice feat also lets you max two skills for free. The skills need to come from a selected list, depending on who your mentor is, but it's great for saving on skill points.

The Master class from War of the Lance (Dragonlance) let you treat, depending on your chosen focus, all knowledge, profession, or perform skills as having half the number of ranks as one knowledge, profession, or perform skill you designate.

Bardic Knack lets you treat yourself as having 1/2 Bard level in any skill you don't have ranks in.

If you're looking for skill points to fill out a skill monkey, or just for gameplay, where you don't need to actually have the ranks, the second and third option work out well.

You still have to pay the skill points, they just are treated as class skills.

[Claudius Maximus]

Also, I'm pretty sure you get exactly two skill points ever from it, not 2 per level.

And War of the Lance is 3rd party. That doesn't mean it's not valid to bring it up, considering how the class you cite would help, but you should usually note that since a lot of DMs won't take 3rd party material.

[Elric VIII]

Also, I'm pretty sure you get exactly two skill points ever from it, not 2 per level.

Also, it turns into mini-leadership at level 5, which turns off a lot of DMs. Although, I could retrain Mentor to Open-Minded to avoid that.

[Quirp]

Does this need to be a Half-X or can you claim small human ancestry as another race?


"Other half also human!":smallbiggrin:

[Trouvere]

A skillmonkey can lose skill points but still come out ahead. For example, a Rogue might dip into Psion. He spends the bonus feat on Psicrystal Affinity, and picks Call to Mind, Conceal Thoughts and Precognition, for instance. He gains only 2+Int skill points at that level, but in exchange he gets +3 to one particular skill, +2 to Listen and Spot, a second roll or +2 from aid another for a lot of skills from his psicrystal, and an occasional +4 to a downtime Knowledge check, +10 to Bluff, and a floating +2 to any skill, while his PP last, and he effectively gains a lot of ranks in UPD. I think that can be worth more than an extra 6 skill points.

[Morph Bark]

Does this need to be a Half-X or can you claim small human ancestry as another race?

Ask your DM. RAW, it only works for Planetouched (human-descended ones), Changelings, Shifters, Kalashtar, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs and Mongrelfolk. And technically full-blooded humans too, but I don't think that will fly. :smalltongue: