[3.5] Knowledge as a Weapon

[Thurbane]

Just wondering how many ways there are to use Knowledge (checks) as a weapon in D&D?

Most people know about the Knowledge Devotion feat (CC p.60) [bonus to hit and damage] and the Dark Knowledge class feature of Archivists (HoH pp.82) [bonus on saves, bonus d6s of damage, dazzle/daze/stun and bonus to AC]...

I recently discovered one I wasn't aware of: the Urban Savant (Cty p.100) and the class feature Urban Savvy - specifically, against humanoids: learn BAB, AC and combat feats; HD, DR and saves; bonus d6s of damage and a modified Protection from Evil effect.

Are there others out there?

Cheers - T

[Thurbane]

...no one?

There must be some prestige classes I've missed?

I'm aware of things like Loremaster, Dark Scholar, Paragnostic Apostle and tainted Scholar, but they're not really what I['m looking for.

[daremetoidareyo]

Exemplar 5 can use knowledge skills as a diplomancy check.

[One Step Two]

The only feat I know of that does something similar is Magic of the land from Races of the wild. While in a "natural setting" it allows you to make Know (Nature) checks as a free action to add a positive energy effect to your spells. The target recieves 2hp per spell level, which can harm undead.

[Thurbane]

The only feat I know of that does something similar is Magic of the land from Races of the wild. While in a "natural setting" it allows you to make Know (Nature) checks as a free action to add a positive energy effect to your spells. The target recieves 2hp per spell level, which can harm undead.

I was completely unaware of that feat...thank you! That will be quite handy of a couple of NPC builds I have.

[daremetoidareyo]

The only feat I know of that does something similar is Magic of the land from Races of the wild. While in a "natural setting" it allows you to make Know (Nature) checks as a free action to add a positive energy effect to your spells. The target recieves 2hp per spell level, which can harm undead.

So the transmuter ACF from UA allows you to turn a necromancy spell into a transmutation spell. Which may allow you to circumvent the protections of magic of the land somehow... What spells do you think they were trying to hem in. The only clues that we have are that it can heal and it's a necromancy spell.

[Deophaun]

Warblade gets Int to crit confirmations, damage against flat-footed/flanked enemies, opposed rolls to resist combat maneuvers, and attack and damage on AoOs.

[One Step Two]

I was completely unaware of that feat...thank you! That will be quite handy of a couple of NPC builds I have.

Yeah, I had the same thought when I found it. It was a nice addition to my elf wizards, so that their buffs had a nice minor heal effect, and that their damage spells did a little more oomph to undead when they were protecting the forests.


So the transmuter ACF from UA allows you to turn a necromancy spell into a transmutation spell. Which may allow you to circumvent the protections of magic of the land somehow... What spells do you think they were trying to hem in. The only clues that we have are that it can heal and it's a necromancy spell.

I think it was more for flavour, than any particular spells they wanted to stop getting buffed by it. It also bans the use with spells that have an alignment descriptor, it's a very druid feat. Hell, it adds a nice little bump to druid heals in the wild, which I think was their main idea behind the feat as is, but they decided to give it a little more breadth for it's application. If you used the Transmuter ACF to turn a Necromancy spell into a Transmutation spell, it would just work normally. I think False Life has the best synergy, getting a heal with temp HP is neat if you wanted to go to the length.

[daremetoidareyo]

Ancestral Knowledge from races of stone move the knowledge checks to wisdom and allows for untrained checks. Must be dwarf, changeling, or stoneblessed 3 though

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Factotum. Seriously, practically everything they do involves Intelligence. +Int to saves, attacks, damage, Str- and Dex-based skills, and so on.

[Thurbane]

Warblade gets Int to crit confirmations, damage against flat-footed/flanked enemies, opposed rolls to resist combat maneuvers, and attack and damage on AoOs.


Factotum. Seriously, practically everything they do involves Intelligence. +Int to saves, attacks, damage, Str- and Dex-based skills, and so on.

I know there's a lot of classes who get various bonuses from Int, but I'm specifically looking for effects related to Knowledge checks.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I know there's a lot of classes who get various bonuses from Int, but I'm specifically looking for effects related to Knowledge checks.Factotum gains its class level as a bonus to every skill in the game 1/day each.

[daremetoidareyo]

Dreamtelling from heroes of horror has some powerful uses of knowledge. Pair with astral tracking and planeshift to go murder people in their dreams

[daremetoidareyo]

You can win wars with strategic planning with knowledge checks. P.70 of Heroes of Battle. If you max out all 9 knowledge skills, take a few dreamtouched feats for free +10 insight bonuses to knowledge and skill checks, veteran knowledge for another +5 on those knowledge checks, and make knowledge checks for strategic advantages, you can pre-accumulate up 90 victory points while in a battle: The equivalent of seizing favorable ground.

[daremetoidareyo]

Skullclan hunter from miniatures handbook:

Track Undead (Ex): A skullclan hunter gains the ability to track undead (only) as if using the Track feat. A skull clan hunter uses his Knowledge (religion) skill modifier instead of his Survival modifier for the skill checks associated with this feat.

Complete warrior has uses for knowledge skills that are awesome and jive the the last post.

Also, Eberron Campaign setting has education and research feats.

Favored in house + dragonmarked p.73 = +10 circumstance bonus to knowledge check.

[nyjastul69]

Factotum gains its class level as a bonus to every skill in the game 1/day each.

Cunning Knowledge only applies to skills with at least 1 rank in them.

[Extra Anchovies]

If there's a way to use Knowledge in place of Concentration, there'd be a number of ToB maneuvers (most in the Diamond Mind discipline) that would be of use.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Ancestral Knowledge from races of stone move the knowledge checks to wisdom and allows for untrained checks. Must be dwarf, changeling, or stoneblessed 3 though

Kami's Intuition from OA (was updated in the 3.5 errata) does something extremely similar.