Spells that save you from taking feats or investing skill points?

[Bullet06320]

Originally posted on MinMax (https://web.archive.org/web/20150427002252/http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=3797) by Eviltedzies on March 05, 2012
also mirrored here (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=223.0)

I am currently trying to find any spell that either duplicates/mimics feats and or spells that give bonuses to skills.
The criteria I am looking for in the spells is preferably flexibility and, in the case of skill points, spells that give bonuses to any skill.

Examples of spells I'm looking for include:

Psionic powers marked with an *

Spells/Powers that duplicate multiple feats:
Alter Self (Racial Feats)
Heroics (Extra Fighter Feat)
Mirror Move (http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20000901a) (Mimics a recently witnessed combat feat)
Polymorph Chain (Racial Feats)

Spells/Powers that duplicate specific feats:
Arrowstorm (Ranged Whirlwind Attack)
Beastland Ferocity (Diehard)
Bladestorm (Whirlwind Attack)
Blood Frenzy (Extra Rage)
Lion's Charge (Catfolk Pounce without the suck)
Master's Touch (Complete Adventurer, Spell Compendium) grants weapon proficiency with whatever weapon you are holding
Nerveskitter (Improved Initiative)
Sign (Cleric 1) +4 to initiative for 10 minutes/CL or until used. Replaces improved initiative
Wieldskill(PgtF) lets you count a single skill as trained and grants a +5 competence bonus. It can also grant proficiency with a single weapon or armor

Spells/Powers that give bonuses to any skill:
Crown of Glory (+4 morale bonus on all skill checks)
Divine Insight (+5 - +15 insight bonus to one skill check)
Dream Casting: Rage (+2 morale bonus to any skill used in attacking the casting?)
Extract Gift (FC1:HotA) can give a bonus to any skill
Focusing Chant (+1 circumstance bonus to all skill checks)
Greater Heroism (+4 morale bonus to all skills)
Greater Skill Knowledge* (+10 competence bonus to a single skill check)
Good Hope (+2 morale bonus to all skill checks)
Guidance (+1 competence bonus to all skill checks)
Guidance of the Avatar (+20 competence bonus to a single skill.)
Heroism (+2 morale bonus to all skills)
Improvisation (+2 luck bonus/level to selected checks or attack.)
Loresong Dragon Magazine 335 Adds 4 + 1/2 caster level to any skill for 1 minute, makes you act as if you had ranks in that skill so you can act as if trained
Major Action* (Allows you to take 20 on a single skill check)
Master's Touch (Phb2) grants a +4 bonus to one skill check
Minor Action* (Allows you to take 10 on a single skill check)
Moment of Prescience (+1 to +25 insight bonus to attack, skill, opposed check, or AC vs single attack)
Prayer (+1 luck bonus on all skill checks)
Skill Knowledge* (+5 competence bonus to a single skill check)

Spells/Powers that give bonuses to individual and or some skills:
Alter Self (Racial and size bonuses to skills)
Appraising Touch (+10 insight bonus to Appraise)
Balancing Lorecall (+4 insight bonus to Balance)
Bears Endurance (+2 enhancement bonus to Constitution based skills)
Bulls Strength (+2 enhancement bonus to Strength based skills)
Camouflage (+10 to hide)
Cats Grace (+2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity based skills)
Eagles Splendor (+2 enhancement bonus to Charisma based skills)
Find Traps (Insight bonus to search and find traps like a rogue)
Find Traps* (2 or higher bonus to Search checks and can locate traps untrained)
Forestfold (+20 to hide and move silently) <Both have no restrictions>
Foxes Cunning (+2 enhancement bonus to Intelligence based skills)
Glibness (+30 unnamed bonus to Bluff for purpose of lying)
Gutsnake (Can use Balance and Climb skill of giant constrictor)
Invisibility (+20 to Hide checks)
Jump (+10 to jump checks)
Magecraft gives you a +5 to a single craft check for a days worth of work. (Eberron Sor/Wiz 1st lvl spell)
Microkinesis* (Replaces need for tools for Open Lock and Disable Device. Also give minor untyped bonus to said skills for boosting the power.)
Polymorph spell chain (Racial and size bonus to skills)
Owls Wisdom (+2 enhancement bonus to Wisdom based skills)
Sirine's Grace (+8 unnamed bonus to Perform; also gives +4 Cha and Dex)
Snipers Eye (+10 competence bonus to Spot)
Spiritual Advisor (+4 divine bonus on Knowledge checks; may make checks untrained)
Surge of Fortune (+2 luck bonus to attack and damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks, AC, spell penatration checks AND take an automatic 20 once during duration.)
Voice of the Dragon (+10 bonus to Diplomacy)
Wieldskill(PgtF) lets you count a single skill as trained and grants a +5 competence bonus. It can also grant proficiency with a single weapon or armor

Spells/Powers that negate the need for a skill completely:
Alarm situationally (Spot or Listen vs Hide or Move Silently)
Create Food and Water (Survival)
Discern Lies (Sense Motive)
Eyebite (Intimidate)
Fly (Jump checks)
Freedom of Movement (Escape Artist checks or opposed grapple check)
Gaseous Form (SRD) negates the need for some Escape Artist checks
Glitterdust situationally (Spot vs invisible)
Iron Silence (Removed Hide/Move Silently penalty from armor)
Knock (Open Lock)
Silence (Move Silently checks)
Spider climb (climb)
Tongues (Speak langauge skill)
Tree Shape (Makes you look like a tree, replaces hide, spot cannot see, detect magic reveals faint transmutation)
True Seeing (Eliminates need for certain Spot and Sense Motive checks)
Water Walk (Swim)


Special Comments:
*Using Shapechange to become a Midguard Dwarf grants Forge Ring, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, and Craft Wondrous Item as bonus Feats.

*The Charm/Dominate Person/Monster spell line can arguably also replace Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate. Suggestion as well, albeit more limited in application

*Warp Wood/Wood Shape/Stone Shape (Assists in craft)

If you know of any other's please let me know. I want to see how cheap a character can afford to be when choosing feats and or skills. :D

[logic_error]

Spider climb.

[Dingoman]

Cleric 1 spell Sign: +4 to initiative for 10 minutes/CL or until used. Replaces improved initiative.

[Bullet06320]

Spider climb.

that's a pretty obvious one that was missed, thanks


Cleric 1 spell Sign: +4 to initiative for 10 minutes/CL or until used. Replaces improved initiative.


There are two versions of the Master's Touch spell. One grants weapon proficiency with whatever weapon you are holding, the other grants a +4 bonus to one skill check.

added and updated

[Telonius]

Charm Person (Diplomacy)
Glitterdust, situationally (Spot vs invisible)
Alarm, again situationally (Spot or Listen vs Hide or Move Silently)

[Professor Chimp]

Charm Person (Diplomacy)The Charm/Dominate Person/Monster spell line can arguably also replace Bluff. Suggestion as well, albeit more limited in application.

Nerveskitter (Improved Initiative)

[Âmesang]

Special Comments:
*Using Alter Self or Polymorph to become a Midguard Dwarf grants Forge Ring, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, and Craft Wondrous Item as bonus Feats.
I don't think that's true, at least for polymorph, since the target "gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities."

Unfortunately the midgard dwarf's Master Smith extraordinary ability is a "special quality." :smalltongue: Darn. I was just about to consider polymorphing an outsider familiar (imp, quasit, &c.) in order to receive such benefits—granted it would require a fair amount of casting to equal an 8 hour work day and I'm not sure if familiars are considered to have experience points (since I believe the crafter still needs to spend a small portion on an item even if the total is shared amongst a group).

Shapechange can work in a pinch, and I suppose there's always an off-world planar binding? (Being that they're native outsiders who's environment is the "cold hills.")

[Mike Miller]

Loresong from dragon magazine. Adds 4+ 1/2 caster level to any skill for... some duration. Probably rounds/level

[flappeercraft]

Loresong from dragon magazine. Adds 4+ 1/2 caster level to any skill for... some duration. Probably rounds/level

IIRC its for 1 minute. In addition to that, it makes you act as if you had ranks in that skill so you can act as if trained

[Bullet06320]

I don't think that's true, at least for polymorph, since the target "gains all extraordinary special attacks possessed by the form but does not gain the extraordinary special qualities possessed by the new form or any supernatural or spell-like abilities."

Unfortunately the midgard dwarf's Master Smith extraordinary ability is a "special quality." :smalltongue: Darn. I was just about to consider polymorphing an outsider familiar (imp, quasit, &c.) in order to receive such benefits—granted it would require a fair amount of casting to equal an 8 hour work day and I'm not sure if familiars are considered to have experience points (since I believe the crafter still needs to spend a small portion on an item even if the total is shared amongst a group).

Shapechange can work in a pinch, and I suppose there's always an off-world planar binding? (Being that they're native outsiders who's environment is the "cold hills.")

changed that to shapechange after reading through things, it was part of the original post, but I think your right unless im missing something

added under special comments
*The Charm/Dominate Person/Monster spell line can arguably also replace Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate. Suggestion as well, albeit more limited in application

also added
Loresong Dragon Magazine 335 Adds 4 + 1/2 caster level to any skill for 1 minute, makes you act as if you had ranks in that skill so you can act as if trained
Nerveskitter (Improved Initiative)
Glitterdust situationally (Spot vs invisible)
Alarm situationally (Spot or Listen vs Hide or Move Silently)

[zyggythorn]

For Pathfinder:
paragon surge
Bonus feat as human, +2 dex, spell available only for Half-elves. 10min/lv if I recall correctly

[Goaty14]

Camouflage (+10 to hide)
Forestfold (+20 to hide and move silently) <Both have no restrictions>
Jump +30 to jump at CL 9 (1st level spell compared to fly)
Tree Shape (Makes you look like a tree, replaces hide, spot cannot see, detect magic reveals faint transmutation)
Warp Wood/Wood Shape/Stone Shape (Assists in craft)
Mending?
Eyebite (Intimidate)
Create Food and Water (Survival)
Discern Lies (Sense Motive)
Water Walk (Swim)

[Âmesang]

changed that to shapechange after reading through things, it was part of the original post, but I think your right unless im missing something
Either way I'm glad it was brought up since I hadn't noticed them before; even if a real midgard dwarf was summoned/called/hired by a PC and paid full price for any equipment made it's at least a near-guarantee of getting said equipment. :smallsmile:

[prototype00]

Magecraft gives you a +5 to a single craft check for a days worth of work. (Eberron Sor/Wiz 1st lvl spell)

prototype00

[Nifft]

Extract Gift (FC1:HotA) can give a bonus to any skill.

Gaseous Form (SRD) negates the need for some Escape Artist checks.

[Zanos]

Wieldskill(PgtF) lets you count a single skill as trained and grants a +5 competence bonus. Handy in a potion for convincing the wizard to make a DD check. It can also grant proficiency with a single weapon or armor.