Determining CR/HD in Character

[Mad Wizard]

My character in one D&D 3.5 campaign is planning on starting a fight club. Since I want the fights to be interesting and not one-sided roflstomps, I'd like to find a way of determining the CR of a creature in character. I'm aware of the Complete Adventurer enhancement of Sense Motive, but the problem is that I'd like to hire someone to size up the combatants, and if he's low level, he won't be able to distinguish between a 5th level fighter and a 17th level fighter. Even if I can't determine CR directly, I'd be fine with a way to determine hit dice or hit points. Can anyone help?

[Glimbur]

Per Trap The Soul (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trapTheSoul.htm), people's hit dice can be researched. You could also use a Sleep (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/sleep.htm) spell, and Deep Slumber (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/deepSlumber.htm), as a partial screening too though will saves will be an issuel. Cloudkill is a bit too fatal to use for screening.

Paladins and clerics and such have auras that scale with their level, but the bands are pretty broad.

[Mad Wizard]

Right, I thought about the Sleep line of spells, but they're not quite specific enough for me. That clause from Trap the Soul might work, although I'm hoping for something that works immediately.

[Alabenson]

Per Trap The Soul (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/trapTheSoul.htm), people's hit dice can be researched. You could also use a Sleep (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/sleep.htm) spell, and Deep Slumber (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/deepSlumber.htm), as a partial screening too though will saves will be an issuel. Cloudkill is a bit too fatal to use for screening.

Paladins and clerics and such have auras that scale with their level, but the bands are pretty broad.

I don't know I think Cloudkill could be an amusing way to screen out weak contenders.
"Alright, in order to join the fight, all you have to do is run through that greenish cloud over there. Don't worry about the smell, just go."

[Novawurmson]

Knowledge skills (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/knowledge.htm):


In many cases, you can use this skill to identify monsters and their special powers or vulnerabilities. In general, the DC of such a check equals 10 + the monster’s HD. A successful check allows you to remember a bit of useful information about that monster.

I figure a Knowledge (Local) check for humanoids of 10+HD should be sufficient to get a relative idea of their power. For comedy, have one of the "examiners" have a penalty in the skill (despite having a cross-class rank in it) so that almost anyone who comes in he shivers and cries, "Their power level...s-so high! I can't even tell how strong they are!"

[Palanan]

There are three divination spells that might help on p. 129 of the Spell Compendium, in particular Know Greatest Enemy. It gives you a rough reading on the CR of everyone nearby, using the same spectrum of auras as Detect Evil and etc. This wouldn't give you a precise read on CR or hit points, but it would easily distinguish between your 5th- and 17th-level fighters.

If your DM allows 3.0 material, I'd suggest Power Sight from Masters of the Wild, which is a first-level druid spell. It gives you the total hit dice of one creature at a time, and you can't distinguish between monster HD and class levels, but it's more precise than the other options.

[Flickerdart]

Oriental Adventures has new uses for Sense Motive that might help you out.