[3.5] New uses For Sense Motive

[Thurbane]

Hey all,

Just reading the Vigilant Sentinel of Aerenal PrC. I see one of it's class abilities (Thought Theft) adds new things you can do with a Sense Motive check.

Are there other things that add new ways or more things you can do with the Sense Motive skill?

Cheers - T

[Inevitability]

Wanderer's Diplomacy lets you communicate with (or just understand?) creatures that don't speak your language using a Sense Motive check.

Vatic Gaze lets you use it to determine an opponent's spellcasting ability.


I think the rules compendium has a bit about using Sense Motive to gauge an opponent's strength.

[Doctor Despair]

I think the rules compendium has a bit about using Sense Motive to gauge an opponent's strength.

Wasn't that ToB or CWar or Heroes of Battle or something?



Edit:

Vigilant Sentinel of Aerenal is fairly unique as classes/prestige classes go. Deneith Warden 3 grants Devoted Lawkeeper which can use Sense Motive to activate the aforementioned ability, but that's probably the closest thing I've got offhand.

[loky1109]

I can misremembering, but somewhere in Sword and Fist is use for SM. Study opponent and get +4 on first attack or something like that.

[ShurikVch]

Master Manipulator feat (Player's Handbook II) - "Trap of Words": Sense Motive + Diplomacy cause target to "inadvertently reveals his lie and the reason behind it."

Vohoun Eye feat (Dragon #350) - Determine spell being cast and +2 save if it is directed at you


I think the rules compendium has a bit about using Sense Motive to gauge an opponent's strength.

Wasn't that ToB or CWar or Heroes of Battle or something?
Actually, in the Complete Adventurer


I can misremembering, but somewhere in Sword and Fist is use for SM. Study opponent and get +4 on first attack or something like that.
Indeed - under the the "Same Skills, New Uses"

[Buufreak]

Isn't SM the skill used in iaijutsu duels to know if you will get wrecked or do the wrecking?

[Aceon]

Isn't SM the skill used in iaijutsu duels to know if you will get wrecked or do the wrecking?

Yes.



Stance: In the first round of an iaijutsu duel, the two samurai stand a few steps apart and appraise each other, looking for signs of their opponent’s skill, training, and reflex in the samurai’s ready posture. Many duels go no further: One samurai concedes victory to the other, recognizing a clearly superior opponent.
Such duels are the only bloodless iaijutsu duels. Conceding in this manner is not dishonorable.

When the duelists assume their stance, they each make a Sense Motive check. The check result determines how much information they discern about the other samurai:

Check Result Information Gleaned
15 or higher Opposing samurai’s character level
20 or higher Opposing samurai’s ranks in Iaijutsu Focus
25 or higher Opposing samurai’s total attack and damage bonus with his primary weapon

Also



SENSE MOTIVE (WIS)
You can assess the combat prowess of an opponent, identifying
particularly dangerous or vulnerable foes.

Assess Opponent: As a standard action, you can
use Sense Motive to ascertain how tough a challenge
an opponent poses for you, based on your level and
your opponent’s CR. This skill check is opposed by
the opponent’s Bluff check. To attempt this task, your
opponent must be visible to you and within 30 feet. If
you have seen the opponent in combat, you gain a +2
circumstance bonus on the check.
The accuracy of the assessment depends on the
amount by which your Sense Motive check result
exceeds the opposed Bluff check result. On a successful
Sense Motive opposed check, you can gain the following
information:


Assess Opponent
Opponent’s CR Result
4 or more less than your level/HD A pushover
1, 2, or 3 less than your level/HD Easy
Equal to your level/HD A fair fight
Equal to your level/HD plus 1, 2, or 3 A tough challenge
Exceeds your level/HD by 4 or more A dire threat

[Aceon]

When you are tailing someone and fail your hide check.


Even if you fail a Hide check while tailing someone
or you are spotted while moving too great a distance
between hiding places, you can attempt a Bluff check
opposed by your quarry’s Sense Motive check to look
innocuous. Success means your quarry sees you but
doesn’t realize you’re tailing him; failure alerts him
that you’re actually following. A modifier may apply to
the Sense Motive check, depending on how suspicious
your quarry is. The table below provides Sense Motive
modifiers for particular situations.
Sense Motive
Your Quarry . . . DC Modifier
Is sure nobody is following –5
Has no reason to suspect anybody is following +0
Is worried about being followed +10
Is worried about being followed and knows
you’re an enemy +20

[Gruftzwerg]

Tome of Battle:

Baffling Defense: use SM check to doge attack

and IIRC there is a legacy weapon that boosts this in ToB

[Inevitability]

There's a bunch of tactical feats where the target has to make a sense motive check to avoid the effects (Wolfpack, Combat Panache, etc), are we interested in these?