(PF)One-time maxing a roll

[Occasional Sage]

As a Wizard5 (maybe six) I'll need to make a single enchantment roll at a DC26. Since my character is not built for this, what options exist, Paizo-only, to maximize my chances?

For any good it does, I will be adding Brilliant Energy to my Arcane Bond item, currently a +1 Reliquery weapon. The GM has ruled that while I can enchant this even though I'm below CL16, the too-advanced magic is not reduced in DC, so 5 + CL16 +5 for missing the req is 26.

[avr]

What sort of resources do you have available? It sounds like this is an existing character so you wouldn't be able to assign feats to the purpose. Can you buy magic items (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/amulet-armillary) for this, or get an assistant to Aid Another on you, or hire a spellcaster to cast (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/bestow-insight) spells (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/ceremony) on you?

[Rabble]

You have a goal of 26. You can get 8 from ranks in spellcraft and your class skill bonus. You can get a +5 luck bonus from crafter's fortune. You can get at least a +3 from your int bonus. With taking a ten you will hit a 26.

If you can't take a 10 you'll need a few more boosts. You can arguably get +2 from heroism doubled to +4 from moment of greatness.

[Occasional Sage]

Ceremony looks great, and the amulet has a thousand uses! DM doesn't like taking 10, and durations shorter than "the whole time I'm casting" will take some arguing.

Yes this is an existing character, and this is already taking all the money ever since anything; if I can get a sure thing, though.....

ETA: this isn't a Crafting check, that's for making a non-magical (new) item. This is Spellcraft.

[Squirrel_Dude]

Aid-another? Do you have any other spellcasters in your party?

[Occasional Sage]

Aid-another? Do you have any other spellcasters in your party?

There is, but our characters... don't exactly get along. Perhaps if he weren't a monster half-orc we'd get along?

[Segev]

So...what resources DO you have? money? allies? a home base? skills/talents you could broker or barter into money or allies? a soul you can sell to somebody for a boon? talents/skills that you could promise somebody to "owe them a favor" for help now?

I don't have my MIC on hand, and skill shards were a 3.5 thing, but you could probably argue for a one-shot competence-bonus item to Spellcraft at 1/50 the cost of a permanent such item. Permanent items are (bonus)^2*100.

Assuming max ranks and in-class bonus, you need 26-8=+18 other bonus. I don't know your Int score; I'll assume at least a 14 for a +2, meaning you only need a +16 bonus.

16^2 = 256; 256*100/50 = 512 gp for a one-shot +16 competence to Spellcraft.

[Elricaltovilla]

This is a pathfinder character yes? So MIC isn't gonna help then.

[Segev]

Yes, I noted as much.

We're in custom item rules territory; the rules for one-off versions of permanent or use-activated items are to divide by 50, IIRC. Hence my calculation.

[Occasional Sage]

Mostly I have limited cash for open-book buying of spells and gear, and a variety of NPCs around who seem to be burly (and perhaps aren't fully stated) who could provide cross-class buffs.

[Elricaltovilla]

Yes, I noted as much.

We're in custom item rules territory; the rules for one-off versions of permanent or use-activated items are to divide by 50, IIRC. Hence my calculation.

:smallsigh: except that we're not, because OP is in a Pathfinder game, which doesn't have a Magic Item Compendium and uses a different skill system to boot. OP doesn't have 8 ranks in spell craft as a 5th level character because in Pathfinder you can't have more ranks in a skill than your class level.

So OP should have 5 ranks in spell craft + at least a +4 from INT yes?

Let's start from the beginning. What is your total bonus to Spell craft, Occasional Sage? If you could break it down for us that would be great.

Also, What books do you have access to in your game?

[doko239]

Let's assume 18 int and max ranks in Spellcraft:

5 ranks - +5
+3 class skill bonus - +8
+4 Int bonus - +12
+2 MW Tool Bonus - +14
+2 Heroism bonus - +16
+2 Moment of Greatness - +18
+2 Fox's Cunning - +20


That's about as high as I can see it getting without a Spellcraft-focused character, which honestly should be high enough. You're succeeding on a 6 at that point.

[Elricaltovilla]

Let's assume 18 int and max ranks in Spellcraft:

5 ranks - +5
+3 class skill bonus - +8
+4 Int bonus - +12
+2 MW Tool Bonus - +14
+2 Heroism bonus - +16
+2 Moment of Greatness - +18
+2 Fox's Cunning - +20


That's about as high as I can see it getting without a Spellcraft-focused character, which honestly should be high enough. You're succeeding on a 6 at that point.

If there are people around to be hired, you could add in a Bard for a +2 from inspire competence, and pay a cleric 5gp to cast guidance on you for another +1.
that gives you:

Barding Inspiration- +22
Guidance- +23

Now you only fail on a 1 or 2.

[Barstro]

If there are people around to be hired,

... find a witch and get Fortune; you can roll twice.

[Segev]

:smallsigh: except that we're not, because OP is in a Pathfinder game, which doesn't have a Magic Item Compendium and uses a different skill system to boot. OP doesn't have 8 ranks in spell craft as a 5th level character because in Pathfinder you can't have more ranks in a skill than your class level.

So OP should have 5 ranks in spell craft + at least a +4 from INT yes?

Let's start from the beginning. What is your total bonus to Spell craft, Occasional Sage? If you could break it down for us that would be great.

Also, What books do you have access to in your game?
1) 5 ranks in a class skill results in a +8 bonus, due to +3 bonus for having a rank in a class skill.
2) The magic item creation rules in Pathfinder are nearly identical to those in 3.5e, and do in fact include the rules for skill bonus items.

Given what somebody else calculated out (assuming our OP has an 18 int), he's only +5 shy of auto-success if he follows that advice.

A magic item of +5 competence to Spellcraft is 5*5*100 = 2500 gp.

If that's too pricey, again divide by 50 for a one-off: 50 gp.

That's actually quite cheap.

[Lapak]

A magic item of +5 competence to Spellcraft is 5*5*100 = 2500 gp.

If that's too pricey, again divide by 50 for a one-off: 50 gp.

That's actually quite cheap.I'm now picturing the character working his way up to creating an epic item through Morrowind-style bootstrapping. Craft a +5 Competence to Spellcraft one time item; burn it to craft a +15 Competence to Spellcraft one time item...

*time passes*

...burn it to Create the Sceptre of the Sorcerer-Kings.

(I know that caps to bonuses plus GP and XP costs would shut this down quickly, but the thought was amusing.)

[Squirrel_Dude]

There is, but our characters... don't exactly get along. Perhaps if he weren't a monster half-orc we'd get along?Don't be jelly that he's playing the superior race that is the half-orc.

[Occasional Sage]

+5 ranks, +3 class skill, +3 Int is what I've got going, and taking 10 is not allowed as "PF has made enchanting easy enough already". Buffs need to be in continuous effect while enchanting, so renting bonuses from other casters becomes expensive, since Brilliant Energy will take 18 days of down-time (assuming I can get that much).

Is there an item (or a spell that can be itemized) which grants a reroll. I see "Fortune" being suggested, but can't seem to find it; what's the source of the spell? Even if I pick up a +5 item I'm looking at a 50-50 roll, which rerolls to be a 75%.



(I know that caps to bonuses plus GP and XP costs would shut this down quickly, but the thought was amusing.)

PF has done away with XP to craft.


DefpDon't be jelly that he's playing the verminous race that is the half-orc.

ftfy
Edit: Derp, there's Ffortune. It's not enchantable though, and the duration is too short.

[Barstro]

ftfy
Edit: Derp, there's Ffortune. It's not enchantable though, and the duration is too short.

If you mean the Witch's Fortune Hex that I suggested; it can be subject to Cackle for longer duration.

[Squirrel_Dude]

If you had a friend with Guidance, that would also help. Guidance being 0th level, and giving you a +1 to anything. It's a small bonus, but infinitely spam-able.

[gartius]

question- while not relevant to the discussion of how to optimise craft check- are you sure you want to spend 24000gp on your sword when as a wizard there is probably better things to spend your money on?

though as stated

+11 (from what you have already)
+5 competance item
+2 masterwork tools
+2 insight from ceremony
total so far-22, so 20% chance to fail so far
now here comes the tricky bit-by RAW its legal (fine) and cheap(hells yeah) though dm may say no.
hire trained hirelings as all they need to do is make the dc 10 aid other spellcraft check necessary to help you out. to ensure success hire 3 of them. at 3sp each per day you end up with 9sp *24=21.6gp for an additional +6

you could also research a spell which gives you the same power as crafters fortune but works for spellcraft. (though for that you need to make knowledge arcana and spellcraft checks at dc 18) which takes a week and cost you 1000gp

[Occasional Sage]

question- while not relevant to the discussion of how to optimise craft check- are you sure you want to spend 24000gp on your sword when as a wizard there is probably better things to spend your money on?


Yeah, I'm gishing it up partly for RP and partly for balance reasons. Also remember this is an arcane bond item, which means that this enchantment doesn't work for other people and disappears if I die. That brings the price down to 16.8 with the 30% discount for "highly restricted users".



you could also research a spell which gives you the same power as crafters fortune but works for spellcraft. (though for that you need to make knowledge arcana and spellcraft checks at dc 18) which takes a week and cost you 1000gp

Reasonably cheap. Easy to fluff-justify too.