What skills can be broken easily?

[KoboldShaman]

We all know that jump is... strange, and that escape artist is also, but are there other skills that can be pushed to the limits? Is instantaneous basket weaving possible?

[cosmonuts]

Lucid Dreaming (MoP)?

[Amphetryon]

Any one of the CHA-based Skills can be used to break open encounters if the DM isn't expecting it.

Using Exemplar can make any Skill perform. . . oddly. . . for purposes of creating Fanatic fans.

[Squirrel_Dude]

Diplomacy is notoriously abusable in 3.5, and not too much better in Pathfinder.

[ben-zayb]

In b4 Truespeak?

Perform probably, especially when used to substitute for Concentration and Intimidate.

EDIT: Oops, and Sleight of Hands, for the Lightning Thief abuse.

[Erik Vale]

Is instantaneous basket weaving possible?

Yes and no:
-Doing it in a time stop makes it effectively instantainous.
-No. Crafting time is based on the cost/progress. You can approach 0 but never reach it.

[deuxhero]

I think we are better off asking which ones can't.

Exemplar aside, I think it's just the ones invalidated by low level spells spells (Climb, Speak Language, Heal) and skills with a finite list of uses, none of which are broken (Open Lock, Use Rope, Change Shape, Autohypnosis).

[HunterOfJello]

Hide and Move Silently along with the Darkstalker feat can get you in and out of almost any dungeon without anyone realizing you were ever there.

Anything based on Charisma.

Forgery and Disguise can probably get you pretty far in life (although some Bluff will be needed eventually).

Handle Animal can get pretty broken once you start raising gigantic herds of dinosaurs.

[ArqArturo]

I was gonna go with Tumble, but yeah, any Charisma skill is one step away to be a spell.

[Abithrios]

Is instantaneous basket weaving possible?

Yes, if you are a deity acting within your portfolio.

The god of basket weaving could automatically succeed at 20 DC 30 skill checks per round* to make baskets. Due to having the Craft Magical Pots and Baskets item creation feat, the cost of magically enhancing its baskets is cut in half.


*These numbers are as large as they are because the god of basket weaving is obviously a greater deity.

Source: Deities and Demigods

[ArqArturo]

Yes, if you are a deity acting within your portfolio.

The god of basket weaving could automatically succeed at 20 DC 30 skill checks per round* to make baskets. Due to having the Craft Magical Pots and Baskets item creation feat, the cost of magically enhancing its baskets is cut in half.


*These numbers are as large as they are because the god of basket weaving is obviously a greater deity.

Source: Deities and Demigods

Also, Warforged basket weavers never tire.

[Juntao112]

I've always found it interesting that Sleight of Hand can't be stopped, only noticed.

[Yanisa]

Handle Humanoid

As a victim of that skill, I have felt how broken it is.

[nedz]

I've always found it interesting that Sleight of Hand can't be stopped, only noticed.

Sleight of Hand can be countered with Sleight of Hand — Pickpocket Ping Pong.

[Sewercop]

Handle Humanoid

As a victim of that skill, I have felt how broken it is.

That is the skill that silly catlady wrote fro aprils fool right?
Humor is fun, but its still raw and messed up. She annoys me

[Yanisa]

That is the skill that silly catlady wrote fro aprils fool right?
Humor is fun, but its still raw and messed up. She annoys me

Yeah (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c), but I don't know the author or her work, so I refrain from comment on that one.
As for the RAW, yeah it is broken up and probably more messed up then diplomacy, but also eerily true in real life.

[prufock]

Yes and no:
-Doing it in a time stop makes it effectively instantainous.
-No. Crafting time is based on the cost/progress. You can approach 0 but never reach it.

Unless the cost of the item is 0, that is! Quarterstaff, club, and sling all qualify. See this piece of the craft rules: "(If the result × the DC equals double or triple the price of the item in silver pieces, then you’ve completed the task in one-half or one-third of the time. Other multiples of the DC reduce the time in the same manner.)" The result is technically undefined, but can be solved by any number (which is why it's undefined), hence 604800 times the silver piece cost is a valid solution, completing the task in 1 second.

[Vedhin]

Forgery. It's opposed by itself, and when was the last time you saw someone take Forgery?

[ArqArturo]

Forgery. It's opposed by itself, and when was the last time you saw someone take Forgery?

I had a town in which all the city guards had one rank in forgery and sleigh of hand.

Sure, the government was notoriously corrupt, and the local Bandit Guild controlled the guard, but hey, they all had it.

[Gildedragon]

Yeah (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c), but I don't know the author or her work, so I refrain from comment on that one.
As for the RAW, yeah it is broken up and probably more messed up then diplomacy, but also eerily true in real life.

Holy 'Ccob! How did I not know of this? Factotums get it... How did it not crop up in the skill list the other day... So good!

[nedz]

Forgery. It's opposed by itself, and when was the last time you saw someone take Forgery?
I've just built a 1st level character with ranks in Forgery, if I can get any mileage out of the skill then I'll spend more ranks.

I had a town in which all the city guards had one rank in forgery and sleigh of hand.

Sure, the government was notoriously corrupt, and the local Bandit Guild controlled the guard, but hey, they all had it.

Forgery can be used untrained.

[Chronos]

Only feline factotums, though.

[Gildedragon]

Alter self into catfolk... No biggie...
Also I will have to roleplay that next time I play a factotum and get captured. "Will you, mrowr, be a dear and, -purr- get me my handy haversack" all the while rubbing up and down the cell bars

[Gemini476]

Only feline factotums, though.

So what, Tibbits, Rakshasha, and Cheshire Cats? Maybe Were-lions as well?
There aren't terribly many felines out there, although perhaps more of them than you'd expect.

[Gildedragon]

So what, Tibbits, Rakshasha, and Cheshire Cats? Maybe Were-lions as well?
There aren't terribly many felines out there, although perhaps more of them than you'd expect.

Catfolk, Rakshasa-blooded Tieflings, Half-Rakshasas, Changelings

[sideswipe]

escape artist can walk through walls of force (its about dc 120)

[Kuulvheysoon]

What, ridiculous skill check results and no one's mentioned the Arseplomancer?

[Alex12]

Only feline factotums, though.


So what, Tibbits, Rakshasha, and Cheshire Cats? Maybe Were-lions as well?
There aren't terribly many felines out there, although perhaps more of them than you'd expect.

Actually, given tibbits were brought up, the Savant (another base class from Dragon Compendium) also gains all skills as class skills. Everyone forgets about the Savant.

[Gildedragon]

Actually, given tibbits were brought up, the Savant (another base class from Dragon Compendium) also gains all skills as class skills. Everyone forgets about the Savant.

Limited (v. limited) spell list, and not very useful abilities. Skill assistance is it's only notable ability and it's kinda cute... treat others like familiars. I mean having spells is cool, but it really is the NPC factotum

[ben-zayb]

What, ridiculous skill check results and no one's mentioned the Arseplomancer?

Escape Artist has already been mentioned a few times, I believe.

[Alex12]

Limited (v. limited) spell list, and not very useful abilities. Skill assistance is it's only notable ability and it's kinda cute... treat others like familiars. I mean having spells is cool, but it really is the NPC factotum

I'm not saying it's good, but there's got to be some good tricks available for it.
Heck, the fact that it's both divine and arcane means that you could go single-class mystic theurge (which is weird, if nothing else) and that might progress it faster. After all, the specific wording of the theurge ability is "the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class and any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to previously."
Since Savant is both, the argument could be made that each theurge level progresses spellcasting as if he'd leveled up twice.

[Gildedragon]

Heck, the fact that it's both divine and arcane means that you could go single-class mystic theurge (which is weird, if nothing else) and that might progress it faster. After all, the specific wording of the theurge ability is "the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one arcane spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class and any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to previously."
Since Savant is both, the argument could be made that each theurge level progresses spellcasting as if he'd leveled up twice.

Fair'nuff.
I really ought to write a subsection on savants... try and see what use can be got of them

[Alex12]

Fair'nuff.
I really ought to write a subsection on savants... try and see what use can be got of them

I'd like to see that.