So lucky you don't even need it

[Nettlekid]

I would like to compile a list of spells, class features, items, and anything else that (either effectively or entirely) removes the need for rolling dice. Usually in game terms anything that does this is described as making the user super lucky, which I think is amusing because it's actually removing real-life luck from the equation.

Examples of this that come to mind are:
Surge of Fortune: Discharge to make the next d20 roll a Nat 20.
Auspician's Luck of the Gods and Legendary Leader's Heroic Success: Automatically make your next save.
Exacting Shot: Automatically confirms critical hits against Favored Enemies.

Examples that I'd still like to have even though they're not exactly what I'm looking for are those like True Strike, Guidance of the Avatar, the Fatespinner's Seal Fate, or the Auspician's Lucky Blow, all of which grant such large bonuses that success is all but assured, but you do still have to roll.

And as a special note, I'd really love to find similar spells/effects which force a foe to automatically fail a roll. All of the above (except for the Fatespinner's Seal Fate, and that can go either way) assure success on your part, but I'd love to see something that can force a save of a Nat 1. I know it's broken, but really no more than Surge of Fortune.

[Curmudgeon]

Skill Mastery (Rogue, Exemplar, some others) lets you "take 10" always on mastered skills. For a Rogue, the Savvy Rogue feat (Complete Scoundrel) makes that "take 12" instead.

The Clerical Pride domain lets the Cleric reroll a 1 on any saving throw, once per save.

[Sian]

The Clerical Pride domain lets the Cleric reroll a 1 on any saving throw, once per save.

to clarify ... it says you can't reroll a dice more than once ... not that you only can do it once per type of save

[Chronos]

Clarification: Skill Mastery lets you always take 10 on those skills. Even without Skill Mastery, though, you can still take 10 on skills in many circumstances. Similarly, you can often take 20 on skills. Neither of these is described as luck, though: The first is a result of being careful, and the second a result of being persistent.

From Tome of Battle, there's a Devoted Spirit stance called Aura of Perfect Order which lets you take 11 on any d20 roll, once per round. I don't think the fluff for that is fully laid out, so it could be interpreted as being luck-related.

[Flickerdart]

From Tome of Battle, there's a Devoted Spirit stance called Aura of Perfect Order which lets you take 11 on any d20 roll, once per round. I don't think the fluff for that is fully laid out, so it could be interpreted as being luck-related.
Taking the average roll and "perfect order" sounds like it's taking luck out of the equation.

[Yael]

Skillful Moment is a 1st-level Bard, Sorcerer/Wizard divination (chronomancy)* spell that converts next round's d20 skill check to a plain Natural 20; it comes from Dragon Magazine #350 (iirc). Not sure if that helps.

* not an actual subschool.

[Greenish]

Hardened Criminal feat (CoS) lets you pick one skill on which you can always take 10.

[AmberVael]

Well in terms of giant bonuses, the Moment of Prescience and Divine Insight spells are noteworthy. I feel like the bard spell Improvisation is also worth noting even though it doesn't add a massive bonus, if only because it just gives a very nice pool of bonus to use over time.

The psionic power Fate of One, especially the Fate Mantle version, is also kinda crazy for this. It doesn't remove the need to roll dice, but when you can roll for the same thing three times you're a lot more assured of getting the result you want.
The Seer power Second Chance is similarly nice since you can reroll something every single round of its duration, which is just amazing.

[Curmudgeon]

to clarify ... it says you can't reroll a dice more than once ... not that you only can do it once per type of save
I didn't use that phrase, so what made you think that restriction was implied? The reroll is once per individual 1 rolled.

[Sian]

I didn't use that phrase, so what made you think that restriction was implied? The reroll is once per individual 1 rolled.

thought that it was needed since i read your post that way and knew it was another way than i remembered it being writen

[Nettlekid]

Hmm, I guess the Take-10 and variants of that fall into what I'm looking for, removing luck from the matter of rolling.

The Pride domain ability and similar abilities like Steadfast Determination, while impressive, aren't really what I'm after. Although they prevent automatic failure on your part, they don't ensure automatic success or guarantee failure on the part of your opponents.

Similarly, Divine Insight and Improvisation don't really fit what I'm after since it's just a boost. I'm not after "all the ways to raise a check" as much as I'm looking for ways to bypass one.

[AmberVael]

I think you should reconsider Divine Insight if that's your impression of it. A +15 bonus is pretty massive and will generally do more for skill checks than simply taking 20 would (by raising your result by more on average). You can honestly think of it as True Strike for skill checks.

Improvisation I understand, though it seemed in theme.

[Oneris]

Cruel Disappointment (BoVD) makes the target auto-fail their next action that needs a dice roll. Only SR can prevent this failure. The only saves are against the illusion of success and morale penalty.

[Nettlekid]

I think you should reconsider Divine Insight if that's your impression of it. A +15 bonus is pretty massive and will generally do more for skill checks than simply taking 20 would (by raising your result by more on average). You can honestly think of it as True Strike for skill checks.

Improvisation I understand, though it seemed in theme.

No, I certainly understand that it's a high boost, but I'm looking for things that remove the need for a roll. I did say that True Strike and even Lucky Blow weren't actually what I was looking for.

[AmberVael]

No, I certainly understand that it's a high boost, but I'm looking for things that remove the need for a roll. I did say that True Strike and even Lucky Blow weren't actually what I was looking for.

You also said you wanted to have them anyway. Are you retracting that stance? :smalltongue:


In terms of removing the need for a roll entirely, psionic focus. Take 15 on a concentration check. Pair with diamond mind save replacing maneuvers for shenanigans.

[Nettlekid]

You also said you wanted to have them anyway. Are you retracting that stance? :smalltongue:


In terms of removing the need for a roll entirely, psionic focus. Take 15 on a concentration check. Pair with diamond mind save replacing maneuvers for shenanigans.

I'm obviously aware of it, so I've got it. I'm not looking to be convinced of its omnipotence or whatever you're trying to do here.

I always forget about that function of Psionic Focus.

[AngelOfFaith]

Arcane mastery
( Complete Arcane, p. 73)

[General]

You are quick and certain in your efforts to defeat the arcane defenses and spells of others.

Prerequisite
Ability to cast arcane spells or use spelllike abilities (including invocations),

Benefit
You can take 10 on caster level checks (as if the caster level check was a skill check). You can use this feat even while under stress.

Take 10 on caster level checks.

Aren't a lot of class features just what you are looking for? Aura of Courage(Su) and Divine Health(Ex) make it so the Paladin doesn't have to roll some fortitude and will saves for diseases or fear. Purity of Body(Ex) and Diamond Body(Su) for the monk as well - immunity to disease and poison. The druid has Trackless Step(Ex) so people automatically fail to track them and Venom Immunity(Ex). The Scout has Blindsense(Ex) and Blindsight(Ex) which allow them to not have to roll for Spot or Listen. There are probably other class features like this I can't think of.

In Complete Scoundrel there is a whole new type of feats that are Luck feats. A lot of them focus on rerolling stuff but there are some that just make you succeed:

Better Lucky than Good
( Complete Scoundrel, p. 74)

[Luck]

You can succeed where others would surely fail.

Prerequisite
Character Level 6, any two luck feats,

Benefit
If you roll a natural 1 when making an attack roll, you can expend one luck reroll as a swift action to instead treat the roll as a natural 20. You can use this feat once per day. You gain one luck reroll per day


Dumb Luck
( Complete Scoundrel, p. 77)

[Luck]

You can survive situations that should kill you.

Prerequisite
Character Level 6, any two luck feats,

Benefit
If you roll a natural 1 when making a saving throw, you can expend one luck reroll as an immediate action to instead trear the roll as a natural 20.
You can use this feat once per day.
You gain one luck reroll per day.


Tempting Fate
( Complete Scoundrel, p. 80)

[Luck]

You are very hard to kill.

Prerequisite
Character Level 6, any luck feat,

Benefit
You can expend a luck reroll to reroll a stabilization check. In addition, once per day, whenever you have at least 1 hit point remaining and would be dealt enough damage to kill you, you can expend one luck reroll as an immediate action to take only enough damage to reduce you to -9 hit points. You automatically stabilize. You gain one luck reroll per day.

Special
Unlike most other luck feats, using Tempting Fate requires no action.

(You auto stabilize I guess...)

[PaucaTerrorem]

Are you just trying to build a character in case you forget your dice bag?

[LudicSavant]

Sense Weakness lets you automatically confirm criticals. Combos well with Surge of Fortune for automatic critical hits. Grab a scythe or something and go nuts.

[Curmudgeon]

You know, Magic Missile doesn't need an attack roll, and Force Missile Mage (Dragon Compendium, pages 78-80) is all about using Magic Missile.

[Zaq]

Someone on this forum (I want to say it was Shneeky, but I don't remember specifically) built a variant on the Mailman called the UPS Man. It was based around delivering no-save-just-suck effects. I believe that it even managed to get around SR most of the time, so there were no die rolls standing between you and your goal. I don't have a link to it handy, but you might be able to find it with some searching.

[LudicSavant]

Many effects do something even if the target makes the save or otherwise engages with it with a successful roll. For example, Entangle still cuts people's movement in half even if they're making their strength checks and/or Reflex saves. Various save or dies deal damage even if the target saves. That sort of thing. In this way, they can be thought of as an effect that doesn't require rolling dice alongside a bonus effect that does.

[Susano-wo]

I don't think its been mentioned, but Warlock can take 10 on UMD after a certain level