Ways to optimize Bluff?

[Road_Runner]

My google search skills are failing me, and I can't find any sort of guide for optimizing bluff.


So far I have:

Skill Focus(Bluff)
Persuasive feat
Nymph's Kiss feat
Illiterate trait
Dishonest trait


+competence item
Silvertongue Mask (+4 insight)
Masterwork item


Excluding level dips, glibness, and item familiars, what other ways are there to get bonuses to bluff? What LA +0 races give bonuses to bluff? Thanks :smallsmile:

[Lonely Tylenol]

I can't remember what bonus the Amulet of Wordtwisting gives you (and I'm away from my books), but if it's not competence, odds are it can help you as well.

[Gnorman]

It is an insight bonus, and it is +2.

(as a side note: has anyone asked themselves why this item gives a special bonus to orcs, of all things?)

[VGLordR2]

Here are some feats that can help:
Spawn of the Dark Prince. +10 untyped (requires full round action, lasts minutes/Cha bonus).
Backstabbing Traitor. +2 untyped.
Infamous Traitor. +2 untyped.
Secret Society. +2 untyped.
Born Under the Gibbous Moon. +1 untyped.
High Society. +3 untyped (against nobles only).
Badge of Bondage. +2 competence.
Celestial Scion. Reroll Bluff check.
Rapscallion. Add Int to Bluff.
Tongue of Mougol. +3 untyped (business dealings only).

[Flickerdart]

Truenamers and Clerics both have ways to boost skill checks, but I'm guessing you already have a class in mind.

[Socratov]

marshall for the +cha.mod bonus to certain skills (unsure which type), Dragon shaman for the skillbonuses (untyped), Warlock's Beguiling Influence for a +6 untyped, Potion/spell of glibness (+30), Bind Vestige feat: Naberius for a bonus (+6? untyped?), Factotum for it's intbonus to everything. Those are the additions I can come up with

[Spuddles]

LA +0 templates for charisma:
unseelie fey
spark/magic blooded
lesser (native outsider) removes an LA, so lesser aasimar has +2 cha/+2wis for instance.

[HunterOfJello]

The Shape Soulmeld (Lamia Belt) feat gives +4 competence bonus to both Bluff and Hide. The only prerequisite is that you have 13 Con. The bonus can also be increased by investing essentia into the soulmeld. Therefore, if you play an incarnum race like an Azurin (human -skill points +1 essentia), you get another +2 to a total of +6.

[Diovid]

I'm pretty sure the Changeling race gets a bonus to bluff (they're from Races of Eberron but they are also in Monster Manual III). Changelings also gain access to the amazing Changeling rogue substitution levels (also from Races of Eberron).

Classes that boost bluff (either through a flat bonus or through new uses for the bluff skill):
Charlatan prc (Dragon Magazine #335)
Marshal (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20030906b) base class
Exemplar prc (Complete Adventurer)
Mountebank prc (Complete Scoundrel)
Spymaster prc (Complete Adventurer)

Some feats you might like:
Changeling racial feats (Races of Eberron)
Combat Panache (PHB II)
Fade into Violence (PHB II)
Wanderer's Diplomacy (PHB II)
Rapscallion (Dragon Magazine #315)

Also take a look at the interaction skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel.

[HunterOfJello]

Binder 1 dip is also worth mentioning for the Naberius vestige. It allows you to take 10 on bluff and use disguise self at-will (always important if your bluffs fail). The ability to use Command whenever you like and heal ability damage and drain very quickly is just icing on the cake.

[JaronK]

Admiral's Bicorn, from Stormwrack, gives +2 to all skill checks and an additional +5 to all Charisma based skill checks. So, +7 total. Does it for allies too.

JaronK

[Darrin]

Feycraft armor/shields (DMGII). Each item gives an untyped +1 bonus to verbal-based Bluff checks. Chain shirt + dastana + chahar-aina + shield = +4 bonus.

Also:

Circlet of Persuasion (+3 competence)
Masterwork Tool: Fancy Hat (+2 circumstance).
Charm domain (+4 Cha)
Nobility domain (+2 morale)

[SinsI]

Well, you can always have a level in Ranger for Favored Enemy bonus or a caster with Snake Familiar for one.

P.S. What would you do with such epic amount of Bluff?
I wonder - can you use Display False Alignment to fool Holy Word?

[Sgt. Cookie]

Potion of Glibness +30 untyped to bluff. Expensive to use all the time, but can be a lifesaver when you need it.

[Road_Runner]

Truenamers and Clerics both have ways to boost skill checks, but I'm guessing you already have a class in mind.



Well, you can always have a level in Ranger for Favored Enemy bonus or a caster with Snake Familiar for one.

P.S. What would you do with such epic amount of Bluff?
I wonder - can you use Display False Alignment to fool Holy Word?

Well actually, this was to hypothetically optimize an Imachination specialist from Kellus's magitech (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252794) homebrew, which rely completely on bluff to determine how hard their illusions are to see through.

[Socratov]

In that case at least dip warlock for the +6, get a way of getting glibness, dip marshall, burn a feat on the bind vestige feat for naberius. (and the bicorn shouldn't be a bad investment as well) Oh, and your second (or even main) stat will best be CHA instead of DEX (or INT). That should get you into epic purposes of bluff pretty early