[3.5] Feats That Change Or Add Skill Uses

[Thurbane]

Hey all,

Just looking for feats that change how skills are used, or add new uses for skills.

Thing like Track, Investigate (I know there is some controversy about the fact that Search should already included these uses, but still) etc. Specifically looking for feats, rather than class features, items, racial abilities etc.

Side note: is there any way to craft alchemical items without being a spell caster or having a caster level? I know of the Craft Alchemical item feat from UA, but that's basically designed with an alternate crafting system in mind.

As usual, official 3.5 and un-updated 3.0 please; no PF, no Kalamar etc.

Cheers - T

[loky1109]

Knowledge Devotion. Knowledge check to add attack and damage.
Iaijutsu Master. 1/day Iaijutsu focus check instead of attack/skill/etc check.
Unnerving Calm. Concentration instead of Intimidate in a duel of wills.
Combat Acrobat. New uses for Balance.
Fade into Violence. Bluff vs Sense Motive to redirect enemy's attack.
Master Manipulator. New uses for Diplomacy.
Intimidating Strike. Intimidate with hit.
Keen-Eared Scout. New uses for Listen.
Wanderer’s Diplomacy. New uses for Diplomacy, Sense Motive and Bluff.
Melodic Casting. Perform instead of Concentration.

[AvatarVecna]

Oh cool, a thread for "Feats That Shouldn't Exist". If this wasn't specifically about feats, this probably where I would say "every skill trick" and call it a day.


Appraise Magic Value
Augmented Alchemy
Brachiation
Disguise Spell
Extraordinary Concentration
Extraordinary Spell Aim
Hear The Unseen
Legendary Tracker

[Saintheart]

Mobile Spellcasting. It terms itself a "special" Concentration check to move while casting (and also combine casting and movement into a single action, but we won't talk about that.)

[Anthrowhale]

Darkstalker makes max{hide,move silently} apply to extra senses.

For the generic classes, the "Trap Sense" feat provides trap finding. Or you could use Planar Touchstone[Catalogues of Enlightenment[Kobold Doman]] to a similar effect.

[Jervis]

Do 3.5 dragon mag updates to official 3.0 content count? If so, silver tongue (Dragon 315) lets you cast Good Hope and Crushing despair at will with a DC 25 diplomacy check. Also lets you change the opinions of creatures towards eachother (which hilariously lets you negatively shift one enemy's opinion of another if your diplomacy is bad enough) and inspire romantic feelings with diplomacy checks. There's also a feat (undead diplomacy maybe?) that lets you use diplomacy on a mindless undead.

[daremetoidareyo]

In my skill guides for a couple of the skills I separate out the transformative feats, the ones that I think you are looking for

[MaxiDuRaritry]

One of the feats that grant you a 1st level power (Expanded Knowledge or Hidden Talent) can give you access to psionic minor creation, which allows you to use skill checks to craft temporary items out of ectoplasm.

Aren't there some Dragonmark feats that do similar things?

[ShurikVch]

Urban Tracking (Eberron Campaign Setting/Races of Destiny) - Gather Information to attempt to locate or trail an individual
Vatic Gaze (Players Handbook II) - Sense Motive to determine the highest level spell the target is still capable of casting

Have more - but they're all from Dragon magazines...

[Telonius]

Research feat (Eberron Campaign Setting): changes how you use Knowledge skills.

Going through some of the Epic feats, I guess Epic Trapfinding would technically count? (Auto-search within 5 feet of a trap). Huh, never noticed that - d20srd lists Epic Trapfinding and Trap Sense as two separate Epic feats that do almost exactly the same thing.

Epic Trapfinding
If you pass within 5 feet of a trap, you are entitled to a Search check to notice it as if you were actively looking for it.

Trap Sense
If the character passes within 5 feet of a trap, he or she is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if the character was actively looking for it.

Same with Legendary Climber, Legendary Rider, both of which remove penalties you'd usually have when using a skill.

Shattering Strike lets you use Concentration instead of Strength for breaking objects.

Terrifying Rage gives you an opposed Intimidate check to attempt to panic your enemies.

[Thurbane]

This is great stuff everyone, just what I'm looking for!

[Eurus]

I know Combat Panache uses skill checks to do its tactical maneuvers, I can check for some other tactical feats when I have more time...

[ShurikVch]

If Dragon stuff is OK, then:
Astral Tracking (#313) - allow to Track through the featureless Astral Plane, and determine the destination of a Teleport spell or effect when standing at the point of departure
Breath Control (#333) - hold your breath for either 2 times Constitution score –or– Perform (wind instrument) check rounds, whichever is higher
Master of Mockery (#333) - Perform (comedy) to enrage your enemy; if successful - the enraged opponent must focus all their attacks on you (ignoring all others) with +2 on attack rolls/-2 AC
Pathfinder (#339) - Survival check to reduce the effect of difficult terrain on movement
Supremely Confident (#335) - Perform (act) check in place of an Intimidate check to Demoralize enemy; on a confirmed Critical Hit - Demoralize the foe you struck as a Free Action

[St Fan]

Would feats such as Agile Athlete and Tactile Trapsmith counts?
Agile Athlete makes Jump and Tumble into Dexterity-based skills instead of Strengh-based.
Tactile Trapsmith does the same thing for Search and Disable Device.

Otherwise, about feats that open new uses for skills... well, there's Quick Draw.
Yes, Complete Warrior offers a new use of Sleight of Hand, for a feint-equivalent move, if you have Quick Draw.

For that matter, Einhander is another feat that allows feinting with Sleight of Hand instead of Bluff.

[Saintheart]

A number of the tactical feats from ToB do this.

Clarion Commander (ToB) has two tactical manuevers, Following Up and Perpetual Flank, that allow you to use Diplomacy and Initimidate, respectively, to draw an AoO from an ally and make an enemy flanked.
Gloom Razor (ToB) does similar-ish things with Hide and Tumble, albeit turn invisible with Hide and move without drawing an AoO as a free action.
Perfect Clarity of Mind and Body (ToB) does a similar thing with Intimidate - force a -2 to attack rolls for a round.
Scorching Sirocco (ToB) does similar stuff drawing on Spellcraft and Tumble for bonuses to attack, extra damage, or setting the opponent on fire.

Indeed Martial Study (ToB) indirectly does this with a large number of maneuvers from ToB. The feat allows you to pick up a maneuver such as Sapphire Nightmare Blade, Moment of Perfect X, or the like, which do variant things with skill checks.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Side note: is there any way to craft alchemical items without being a spell caster or having a caster level? I know of the Craft Alchemical item feat from UA, but that's basically designed with an alternate crafting system in mind.

I know that all that's required for Smokepowder is 9 ranks of Craft (alchemy). It's a substance from Stormwrack that functions as more expensive gunpowder for settings without the latter. Not explicitly a variant rule, but could probably be considered one since it's one of three setting options for DM consideration.

[Doctor Despair]

Side note: is there any way to craft alchemical items without being a spell caster or having a caster level? I know of the Craft Alchemical item feat from UA, but that's basically designed with an alternate crafting system in mind.



To make an item using Craft (alchemy), you must have alchemical equipment and be a spellcaster. If you are working in a city, you can buy what you need as part of the raw materials cost to make the item, but alchemical equipment is difficult or impossible to come by in some places. Purchasing and maintaining an alchemist’s lab grants a +2 circumstance bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks because you have the perfect tools for the job, but it does not affect the cost of any items made using the skill.

This would suggest no. On the other hand, what if we don't use Craft (alchemy)?


Iaijutsu Master [Ancestor]
Oriental Adventures, p. 63
Benefit: Once per day, you can make any one attack roll, saving throw, or skill check using your Iaijutsu Focus skill modifier in place of all other modifiers. For example, you can roll a melee attack roll using only your Iaijutsu Focus skill modifier instead of your total attack bonus (including Strength modifier, weapon enhancement bonus, Weapon Focus bonus, size modifier, and all other bonuses to your attack roll). You give up all your other modifiers and use your skill modifier instead.

I suppose you might still be using Craft, though, just with a different modifier hm.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Gatekeeper Initiate (ECS) allows Knowledge (The Planes) to identify aberrations and their abilities.

[Saintheart]

Combat Cloak Expert (PHB 2) has a technique Cloaked Strike: use Bluff vs. Sense Motive to deny an opponent their DEX bonus to AC, or Shield bonus.
Combat Intuition (CAdv), use Sense Motive to assess someone's challenge.
Giantbane (CWar), use Climb check vs. DC 10 to climb onto your foe if he's two size categories larger than you, debuff his attack rolls by -4.
Raptor School (CWar), use Jump check to do extra damage to an opponent.
Cavalry Charger (CWar), make Ride check to do extra damage on a charge (basically Raptor School but mounted).
Mounted Combat (PHB), make a Ride check to negate a hit on your horsey.
Wolfpack (RoTW), Bluff check permits all your allies with a flanking bonus to get an AoO on the enemy.