Question About Skill Kits

[theIrkin]

I remember seeing somewhere in a book/on a forum that you can have a kit for any skill. Is that correct? If so, where would I find that rule? Also, does anyone know of a Move Silently Kit?

[Chronos]

This is a topic of some debate. I'm on the side that says that, if a masterwork tool exists, the listing in the PHB means that 50 GP is usually a reasonable price for it, but that exceptions exist. There's another school of thought that says that the listing in the equipment list means that some tool or another always exists, and always costs 50 GP, and never mind if you can't figure out what the item is.

[gr8artist]

Move silently: Padded gloves and boots, and a frictionless cloak. Or perhaps joint lube or oil for your armor, and leather straps to keep the jangly bits from jangling.
That was an easy one. Diplomacy, Bluff, and Handle Animal are the ones that are tricky.

[Doc_Maynot]

Let alone Lucid Dreaming? A skill that lets you pull others you are grappling into the dreamscape and many other interesting things.

[theIrkin]

@Chronos: Yeah, I've seen that masterwork option in the PHB. The problem comes with the question: does a tool exist for every skill? I'm of the opinion that it should, but from what you said it's a matter of RAI rather than RAW.

@gr8artist: I am right there with you, that it should exist. Heck, a set of 30 cloth or leather straps would work, tying up loose cloth and your dangling bits of armor is all you'd need for a +2 competency bonus. But I'm hoping to find something printed rather than trying to convince with my group (we all take turns DM'ing so we make decisions like these democratically).

[Tim Proctor]

Tool, Masterwork
This well-made item is the perfect tool for the job. It grants a +2 circumstance bonus on a related skill check (if any). Bonuses provided by multiple masterwork items used toward the same skill check do not stack.

'the perfect tool for the job', its vague for a reason because there is one for every skill, at least in 3.5/SRD.

The MW Tool for Lucid Dreaming might be a mediation crystal or something, I'd have to read Manual of the Planes again.

I've used a 'bright red handkerchief' as a MW tool for bluff, because its really feinting and not bluffing.

[Curmudgeon]

'the perfect tool for the job', its vague for a reason because there is one for every skill, at least in 3.5/SRD.
It's the perfect tool for the job, not for all the jobs included in one skill. For instance, you would need different MW tools for the "jobs" of Long Jump, High Jump, Hop Up, and Jumping Down using the Jump skill. Some skills only have one job: Hide, for instance. But most skills have multiple jobs associated with them.

[Urpriest]

The standard interpretation of that section is that there is a masterwork tool for every skill.

Me, I interpret it to mean that there is a masterwork version of every listed tool that can be used for skill checks. If a tool can be used for a skill check, you can buy a masterwork version for 50gp. The example given is Masterwork Pitons giving a bonus on Climb checks. Since that's in the Adventuring Gear section, it's safe to assume that anything in there that makes sense for use in a skill check counts as a tool. Most other random objects don't. In particular, if there isn't a description and cost of the item listed anywhere (dream crystals or whatever) there isn't a tool of it in general and thus you can't get a masterwork one. But you could, for example, use a Masterwork Fishing Net for Survival, or a Masterwork Shovel for Profession(Miner), or the like.

[Vizzerdrix]

That was an easy one. Diplomacy, Bluff, and Handle Animal are the ones that are tricky.

War Medals, Groucho Glasses and scooby snacks.

[Jeff the Green]

That was an easy one. Diplomacy, Bluff, and Handle Animal are the ones that are tricky.

Diplomacy has a sort-of case in shiftweave (ECS), so particularly attractive clothing probably works.

Handle animal has a training kit (CA) that includes "signal whistles, a short hollow pole with a loop of rope threaded through it, savory treats, and other well-made items suited for the training of animals" and only works for training, but I'd say that if a creature's been trained with a particular signal whistle then you can use that whistle to get the +2 bonus to get them to perform the trick.