Bonuses to Skills

[NikaBSG75]

Hi Everyone!!

So I am playing in an epic game and have a need to increase my sense motive score to high heaven. Right now I am sitting at around a +136, but would really like to get it higher (there is a high bluffer in the party and I would hate to not catch him :smallsmile:). That being said, I already have a +30 competence bonus, Moment of Prescience being cast continually, and Greater Heroism. Is there anything that would allow to add another state mod or anything? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!

[ddude987]

One level of Marshal would allow you to add Charisma to your Wisdom based skill checks. Skill focus (Sense Motive) and negotiator are feats that increase sense motive a little bit. A bard in the party could also use inspire competence.

[Chronos]

We need a breakdown of how you got that +136, because it's likely that many of the things we'll suggest, you already have.

[BowStreetRunner]

So you have +30 Competence bonus, Moment of Prescience is giving up to +25 Insight bonus, and Greater Heroism is proving a +4 Morale bonus. Sense Motive works off of Wisdom so you are also receiving that Ability Modifier. I would also assume you have Ranks in the skill.

Okay, the Marshal's aura doesn't require you to actually take a level in Marshal - you can just keep a Marshal around and stay within his aura. So that would give you his CHA modifier as a Circumstance bonus to your WIS based checks.

The Improvisation spell will give you a Luck bonus of up to 1/2 your caster level in the form of a floating pool of luck points. It's a Bard spell with range of Personal (scroll of Improvisation?). [Edit: Complete Adventurer/Spell Compendium]

[Dusk Eclipse]

If you are epic, why not craft (or aska friendly caster to do so) an epic spell which gives you Sense Motive: Yes?

[Zweisteine]

Get an always on item of truthfulness to poke at him whenever he talks to you.

[NikaBSG75]

Thanks so much for the help!! I would definitely be working to craft things, I just don't have enough money to get the bonus I am needing.

My bonus breakdown right now is:

MoP: +25
Competence: +30
Morale: +4
Racials: +4 (added bonus from the DM)
Template Lich: +8
Wisdom: +24
Ranks: +21
Skill Focus: +6
Trained in skill: +3
Then I have another +9, but I can't remember off the top of my head what that bonus is specifically from.
Total: 134

We do have one Marshal in the group, which I think their bonus is going to a save (just since they aren't "as high"-all are over 100-as necessary for some spells).

I hadn't thought about the Improvisation, but we have a buffer who does that for each combat anyway. That would be something worth grabbing a few scrolls and keeping around.

Ideally if I can have the bonus capable to hit 200 that would be great, but I am not sure there is too much more I can do without having a ton of gold to sink into it...