Feats for Scholars

[g3taso]

What kind of feats, items or spells are available to spellcasters (or anyone else) to pump up knowledge skills? I"d love to find stuff to build on the real "savant" or "sage" aspects of a spellcaster, or perhaps the Mentat of the Dune novels. Stuff like Jordain Vizier is a good example. It should be said this is a pathfinder game, but 3.5 is allowed with review. I"m hoping for buffs to knowledge skills, more ranks, more class skills, bonuses when using them, or whatever you can find.

The idea for the NPC is a city-based mage who wields no power but considerable influence due to his knowledge. A profoundly talented and knowledgeable scholar who, coupled with an equally talented trove of Diplomacy skills and the cohort advantages of Leadership can be a wonderfully capable NPC who wrecks character plans while wearing a smile and keeping his hands absolutely clean. A Macchiavelli wearing the guise of your patron, or source of information. :)

[Spore]

Bard 2 into Lore Oracle.

[True believer]

there arent many ways to boost knowledge skills. The reason why is the Knowledge devotion feat.


Some ways are:

spells: guidance of the avatar, lore of the gods, Divine Insight
Feats: Draconic Knowledge,Trivial Knowledge
The Cunning Knowledge ability of Factotum
Item familiars

Also you can make a homebrew item ( if your dm accepts such things) using the guidelines in Unearthed arcana and CM

[g3taso]

I thought knowledge devotion was just to get information on a creature you want to attack, sort of a way to translate knowledge to combat power. Does it have application to bonuses on knowledge skill checks?

[Stegyre]

I thought knowledge devotion was just to get information on a creature you want to attack, sort of a way to translate knowledge to combat power. Does it have application to bonuses on knowledge skill checks?
The point they are making is that because knowledge devotion gets you a bonus on attacks, there has been a game incentive for spells, feats, items, etc., that will boost knowledge skills.

[True believer]

I thought knowledge devotion was just to get information on a creature you want to attack, sort of a way to translate knowledge to combat power. Does it have application to bonuses on knowledge skill checks?

KNOWLEDGE DEVOTION [DOMAIN]Edit
You can use your knowledge to exploit your foes’ weaknesses and overcome their strengths.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (any) 5 ranks.
Benefit: Upon selecting this feat, you immediately add one Knowledge skill of your choice to your list of class skills. Thereafter, you treat that skill as a class skill, regardless of which class you are advancing in. Whenever you fight a creature, you can make a Knowledge check based on its type, as described on page 78 of the Player’s Handbook, provided that you have at least one rank in the appropriate Knowledge skill.
You then receive an insight bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against that creature type for the remainder of the combat. The amount of the bonus depends on your Knowledge check result, as given on the following table.
Check Bonus
Result Granted
15 or below +1
16–25 +2
26–30 +3
31–35 +4
36 or higher +5
You can make only one Knowledge check per creature type per combat. If you fi ght creatures of multiple types during the same combat, you can make one Knowledge check per type, thereby possibly gaining different bonuses against different opponents.
Example: Alhandra faces a black dragon, a vampire, and a beholder. She has the Knowledge Devotion feat and ranks in both Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (religion). At the beginning of the battle, she makes checks to gain bonuses against the dragon and the vampire, but since she possess no ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering), she has no chance to gain a bonus against the beholder (an aberration).
Alhandra’s Knowledge (arcana) check grants her a +3 insight bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against the black dragon. Later, a half-dragon enters the fray. Alhandra cannot make another check since she has already checked for the dragon type this combat, but she can apply the +3 insight bonus to her attack rolls and damage rolls against the half-dragon as well.
This benefi t is an extraordinary ability.


If you are an Archivist (UA) with the knowledge devotion feat , collector of stories skill trick and the dark knowledge ability you will have more chances to hit a monster than your big stupid fighter even if you are a strength-less "geek"

[Nifft]

Draconic Knowledge - You gain a bonus on Knowledge checks equal to the number of draconic feats you have. All Knowledge skills are class skills for all your classes.

[A_S]

Truenamers actually get two utterances (Universal Aptitude and Hidden Truth) that are very strong boosts for Knowledge checks. See Zaq's guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?214115-In-the-Beginning-Was-the-Word-and-the-Word-Was-Suck-A-Guide-to-Truenamers) (especially the section on utterances) for more details.

Of course, you have to be a Truenamer.

[Valwyn]

The Education feat gives you access to all Knowledge skills and a +2 unnamed bonus to two of them.

The Mentor (Philosopher) feat gives you a +2 competence bonus to any Knowledge skill.

The Urban Savant PrC (from CityScape) might be handy for using those knowledge skills in combat (you can use them to learn about some enemies' stats and deal extra damage).

[Malimar]

Heroes of Horror has Master of Knowledge, +1 to all knowledge checks. I put that on most of my knowy NPCs.

[Sagetim]

What kind of feats, items or spells are available to spellcasters (or anyone else) to pump up knowledge skills? I"d love to find stuff to build on the real "savant" or "sage" aspects of a spellcaster, or perhaps the Mentat of the Dune novels. Stuff like Jordain Vizier is a good example. It should be said this is a pathfinder game, but 3.5 is allowed with review. I"m hoping for buffs to knowledge skills, more ranks, more class skills, bonuses when using them, or whatever you can find.

The idea for the NPC is a city-based mage who wields no power but considerable influence due to his knowledge. A profoundly talented and knowledgeable scholar who, coupled with an equally talented trove of Diplomacy skills and the cohort advantages of Leadership can be a wonderfully capable NPC who wrecks character plans while wearing a smile and keeping his hands absolutely clean. A Macchiavelli wearing the guise of your patron, or source of information. :)

Truenamers repeatedly get Knowledge Focus, which they can apply to any knowledge skill, even the same one multiple times if they want. It gives an untyped +3 bonus to knowledge checks with that skill. Which means you can stack it with:

Skill focus
Educated
Any trait that boosts knowledge checks
etc

I would suggest getting custom magic items made in the form of adamantine plates that each give a +10 to a particular knowledge skill, then collect them in a binder made of stone. Sure, it's heavy, and you could beat someone to death with it, but it's probably going to be super durable. And if the DM demands how you could possibly justify an item like that granting knowledge bonuses? It's the ultimate reference book. Each page is a subject and it displays relevant information within the subject to your inquiry. With enough raw cash you could probably get each item upgraded to a +15 or even a +20 competence bonus to knowledge checks. And if you start low, you could have the book the entire game, and upgrade it during downtimes. Start with pages for +1 to each knowledge skill individually and go on from there.

Why adamantine? because it's durable. Super durable. Get it hardened by a wizard later and even adamantine weapons can't ignore the hardness if someone is trying to break your book.

[Red Rubber Band]

Check this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?419276-3-P-Highest-skill-bonuses-for-Knowledge-checks-No-magical-items-skill-points).
One thing that stuck out was that Catfolk Bard favoured class bonus. It doubles your Bardic Knowledge bonus.

Most of this stuff below will be 3.5


Bards get to take 10 on Knowledge checks at level 5, I think. They would be your default class
Dragonfire Adept is a good 1 level dip for Least Invocation - Draconic Knowledge, a +6.
If you have a nice CHA score, a dip into Marshal will give you Motivate Intelligence. Circumstance bonus.
Obscure Lore feat gives +5 insight to Bardic Knowledge Checks.
You can dip/take levels in Cloistered Cleric. They get Lore, same deal as Bardic Knowledge. You/your DM may rule that it is considered the same.
Lore of the Gods is a cleric spell that gives +5 insight, if you worship a deity that gives access to Knowledge Domain (hey, look, Cloisterd Cleric) then it turns into a +10.
Collector of Stories skill trick gives you a +5 competence bonus.


If you are Human, want to splurge points elsewhere, and have spare feats, you can go Fast Learner, Improvisation, Improved Improvisation for a +4 to all skill checks you don't have points in; and you can use them even if they're trained only. These are from PF.

[Sagetim]

Check this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?419276-3-P-Highest-skill-bonuses-for-Knowledge-checks-No-magical-items-skill-points).
One thing that stuck out was that Catfolk Bard favoured class bonus. It doubles your Bardic Knowledge bonus.

Most of this stuff below will be 3.5


Bards get to take 10 on Knowledge checks at level 5, I think. They would be your default class
Dragonfire Adept is a good 1 level dip for Least Invocation - Draconic Knowledge, a +6.
If you have a nice CHA score, a dip into Marshal will give you Motivate Intelligence. Circumstance bonus.
Obscure Lore feat gives +5 insight to Bardic Knowledge Checks.
You can dip/take levels in Cloistered Cleric. They get Lore, same deal as Bardic Knowledge. You/your DM may rule that it is considered the same.
Lore of the Gods is a cleric spell that gives +5 insight, if you worship a deity that gives access to Knowledge Domain (hey, look, Cloisterd Cleric) then it turns into a +10.
Collector of Stories skill trick gives you a +5 competence bonus.


If you are Human, want to splurge points elsewhere, and have spare feats, you can go Fast Learner, Improvisation, Improved Improvisation for a +4 to all skill checks you don't have points in; and you can use them even if they're trained only, I believe.

I'm pretty sure Jack of All Trades is the feat that lets you act as if you had at least 1/2 rank in every skill.

[ShurikVch]

Check this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?419276-3-P-Highest-skill-bonuses-for-Knowledge-checks-No-magical-items-skill-points).I replied (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19354786&postcount=3) there

Also, there are:

Template: Symbiotic Creature (Savage Species): Guest's skill rank will become a racial bonus to Host's skills

Class Features: Truenamer 2 (Tome of Magic): Knowledge Focus

[Ruethgar]

Laborious Traing or was it Study, can't recall, from Ravenloft(WotC licensed official content though not first party). The fears gives all int based skills two more into the max potential ranks.

[Red Rubber Band]

I'm pretty sure Jack of All Trades is the feat that lets you act as if you had at least 1/2 rank in every skill.

Yes, it is.

However the ones I listed above give a +4 across the board instead of 1/2 a rank. It's also PF, which I should have mentioned. And I will.

Just taking Fast Learner and Improvisation will give you +2 to all skills you have no ranks in, allow trained ones to be used untrained, and gives you both the HP and bonus skill point from the Human Favoured Class Bonus.