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Fawsto
2007-11-05, 02:47 PM
Hey, I was wondering today... I am to get the PrC Kensai, so I am spending skills like hell on Concentration 'cause some of his best class features take lots of benefits from it. But I am a lvl 3 Fighter with lots of ranks on the skill and I asked myself "I am a Fighter, is this skill useful for something else?"

Tell me, pls.

Aquillion
2007-11-05, 03:09 PM
Well... you can use it to use other skills without provoking an AoO. But since you're a level 3 fighter, you're not likely to have many other skills you'll want to use in combat anyway...

MrNexx
2007-11-05, 03:12 PM
That extra bit of time while engaged in acts described by the Book of Erotic Fantasy?

That said, the SRD (www.d20srd.org) does provide some additional uses for concentration based on psychic powers. If you have a couple free feats, you might look into grabbing some psychic feats to use them.

More generally, however, look for uses of it. Anytime your DM suggests you might be getting penalties because of distraction, ask him if Concentration will help you out, there. I wouldn't go so far as to give a bonus to strike when sniping, for example, but it might be useful in some situations... even as an alternate Will save, in some situations (like Hypnotic Pattern).

Dausuul
2007-11-05, 04:38 PM
Hey, I was wondering today... I am to get the PrC Kensai, so I am spending skills like hell on Concentration 'cause some of his best class features take lots of benefits from it. But I am a lvl 3 Fighter with lots of ranks on the skill and I asked myself "I am a Fighter, is this skill useful for something else?"

Tell me, pls.

In the Book of Nine Swords, there is an entire school of maneuvers (Diamond Mind) which is largely based off Concentration. The highlights are probably the ones that let you substitute a Concentration check for a saving throw; Moment of Perfect Mind is ideal for fighters, who usually have weak Will saves. There's also one that lets you substitute a Concentration check for a melee damage roll.

To get these maneuvers, you can either dip into a Book of Nine Swords base class, or use the Martial Study feat.

AslanCross
2007-11-05, 04:48 PM
Yeah, I agree with Dausuul. Check out the Tome of Battle and get access to the Diamond Mind discipline. Concentration will be a whole lot more useful.

Prometheus
2007-11-05, 06:03 PM
Whenever you are Climbing or Swimming and being attacked, you have to make a concentration check not to be so distracted as to take a serious penalty. For example, it would certainly be bad to fail a Concentration check for taking an arrow while climbing a cliffside. Being pushed is another matter altogether though.

Iku Rex
2007-11-05, 06:29 PM
A headband of conscious effort (CAdv, MIC, 2000 gp) lets you substitute a concentration check for a fortitude save 1/day. If you don't want to multiclass you can get the Tome of Battle maneuvers with the Martial Study feat, along with concentration as a class skill. A ring of the diamond mind (ToB, 3000 gp) also gets you a maneuver.

Make sure you buy a tunic of steady spellcasting (CAdv, MIC) or a third eye concentrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#concentrate) (ExPsiH, MIC) as soon as you can afford it.

A nifty trick with concentration-check-as-save abilities is to get at least one power point and thus psionic focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/concentration.htm#gainPsionicFocus). Instead of rolling you can just "take 15". Multiclassing to psychic warrior (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psychicWarrior.htm) gets you that one point and concentration as a class skill as well.

Other good multiclass options for a kensai are warblade (concentration and diplomacy as class skills, maneuvers, uncanny dodge) and monk (diplomacy and concentration as class skills, feats, evasion).

Arbitrarity
2007-11-05, 06:52 PM
Whenever you are Climbing or Swimming and being attacked, you have to make a concentration check not to be so distracted as to take a serious penalty. For example, it would certainly be bad to fail a Concentration check for taking an arrow while climbing a cliffside. Being pushed is another matter altogether though.

As I recall, you actually have to make another check of the appropriate kind for most, and concentration for a couple of skills that provoke AOO's, like disable device.

E.g.
Any time you take damage while climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the slope or wall. Failure means you fall from your current height and sustain the appropriate falling damage.

You must make a Concentration check whenever you might potentially be distracted (by taking damage, by harsh weather, and so on) while engaged in some action that requires your full attention. Such actions include casting a spell, concentrating on an active spell, directing a spell, using a spell-like ability, or using a skill that would provoke an attack of opportunity. In general, if an action wouldn’t normally provoke an attack of opportunity, you need not make a Concentration check to avoid being distracted.