Gaining Knowledge Nature

[skycycle blues]

I will soon be joining a game and I've already decided on the character concept and basic build. I'll be a Human Wolf Totem-Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian for either 4 or 6 levels and then go into either Warblade, Crusader or Psychic Warrior.

For the purposes of role playing, I would like to have Knowledge Nature as a class skill.

Any help would be appreciated, but it's really not a big deal if I can't swing it. It shouldn't make any mechanical difference. Assume any 3.5 book that is not connected to a campaign setting is allowed. If there is a race, it would have to be LA 0 and have to outweigh the bonus feat from being Human.

Thanks.

[hydraa]

Campaign specific feats:
Education(s) {PGF, ECS, AOM} and university education{HoL} and Knowledgeable {HoL}

Could take a level of expert (or other classes)

Feats:
Well Read (dragon mag)
Draconic Knowlege (Sorc 1st lev)
Able learner (RoD) sorts of gets it

Race:
found one race Bhuka (sand) get heat endurance as a bonus feat and +2 racial bonus to Knowledge nature with +2 DEX -2 STR and a couple of other things

did not see any templates

[Elric VIII]

Here is a good resource on gaining new class skills. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6832.0)

From this list, from level 1 you can take Apprentice (Woodsman, Spellcaster, or Philosopher).

Not mentioned in this list is a feat from Dragon 326: Flexible Mind. It is an Anarchic feat (similar to Vile/Exalted) and requires you to be chaotic. It lets you treat 2 skills in which you already have ranks as class skills for all of your classes and you get +1 to them. So if you start out as something with K(nature) or just take cross-class ranks until level 3, this will add it to all classes.

[Yorae]

Knowledge Devotion works for this as well.
In addition to the reason people typically take it, it also lets you pick any one knowledge skill to always be a class skill for you. Nature is one of the better choices, since it covers so many creature types.

[Elric VIII]

Knowledge Devotion works for this as well.
In addition to the reason people typically take it, it also lets you pick any one knowledge skill to always be a class skill for you. Nature is one of the better choices, since it covers so many creature types.

Don't forget that while Clerics can grab it at level 1 (by trading in a domain), to take it normally you need 5 ranks in any one knowledge, so it doesn't come online until level 3.

[Yorae]

Don't forget that while Clerics can grab it at level 1 (by trading in a domain), to take it normally you need 5 ranks in any one knowledge, so it doesn't come online until level 3.

And a cloistered cleric gets that domain as a bonus.

[erikun]

Add Human Paragon to the Expert/Factotum/Cloistered Cleric one-level dips that grant it. As a bonus, the skill granted by Human Paragon is a class skill for all your classes from then on out. (You would need to Able Learner feat to avoid spending extra points for cross-classing otherwise.)

[teslas]

If your DM allows level adjustment buyoff from UA then LA +1 races aren't so bad at all. In fact, they're damn good at levels higher than five when the 3,000 EXP you lost matters less and less.

I say this because Goliath barbarians (substitution level which is friggen' awesome) gain Knowledge (nature) as a class skill.

So you lose the human bonus feat, skill points, 2 DEX, and 3,000 EXP, but you gain:

+4 STR
+2 CON
Powerful Build
Large-sized and an additional +2 STR when raging (does not "stack" with powerful build)
Always counted as having a running start for Jump checks (hello leap attack synergy!)
Know (nature) as a class skill and a +2 feel-good bonus to Sense Motive

All that in of itself is arguably worth the loss of a class level--especially if you're just dipping one level into another class to get it or basically spend your human bonus feat on Knowledge Devotion.


Another idea:
Take a level in Ranger. Full BAB, skill points, you can use some nice wands, and the Track feat so you can put your Survival to some good use. If you know you're going to be fighting a lot of something, the +2 damage from favored enemy never hurt.

[legomaster00156]

I've got a much easier way than consulting splatbooks or dipping in other classes. Ask your DM to have Knowledge (nature) as a class skill, for roleplaying reasons. Any reasonable DM will allow it if it advances roleplaying ability.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

other good dips include Ranger (duh) and Wilderness Rogue.