Masterwork Tools (3.5)

[msully4321]

So, after listing off all of the specific masterwork tools, the equipment list has an entry:

Tool, Masterwork

This well-made item is the perfect tool for the job. It grants a +2 circumstance bonus on a related skill check (if any). Bonuses provided by multiple masterwork items used toward the same skill check do not stack.

The tools listed are for Craft (all), Climb, Disguise, Heal, Appraise, Perform, Open Lock, and Disable Device. I suppose silk rope counts as a masterwork item for Use Rope. These all make a lot of sense.

I'm curious as to what people think a "masterwork tool" would be for all of the other skills. Here are my ideas (some more serious than others):

• Balance - An internally mounted gyroscope
• Bluff - ??
• Concentration - Ritalin?
• Decipher Script - Perhaps Cliffs Notes, like Knowledge, or some other sort of cheat sheet
• Diplomacy - Very nice clothing or some such? Depends who are you treating with...
• Escape Artist - Grease that you coat yourself in
• Forgery - ??
• Gather Information - A reporter's notebook.
• Handle Animal - A chair and a whip
• Hide - An army camo uniform. More seriously, garb that helps you blend in with your surroundings.
• Intimidate - A scary mask.
• Jump - Springs on your boots or a hat with a propeller.
• Knowledge - Cliffs Notes
• Listen - The type of big horn that people used before hearing aids.
• Move Silently - Padded shoes, securing all of your gear so it doesn't make noise, etc...
• Profession - This would be profession specific.
• Ride - A really nice saddle? Military saddle does this in *some* cases.
• Search - Google. Maybe glasses again? This feels unsatisfying
• Sense Motive - ??
• Sleight of Hand - Flashly things to distract people with
• Spellcraft - Perhaps Cliffs Notes, like Knowledge
• Spot - Glasses or binoculars
• Survival - A swiss army knife, a hatchet, and a towel
• Swim - Flippers or a life jacket
• Tumble - ??
• Use Magic Device - To quote my DM, kjones, (who inspired this by giving a UMD masterwork tool to a character he built): "What is it? I dunno. Maybe a hat."

I am very interested in both non-serious answers and serious ones (especially serious answers for things where I had nothing or just had a bad joke (which is most of them, I fear...)).

[Chronos]

Not all skills necessarily have a masterwork tool, and even those that do, don't necessarily have that cost and weight (the masterwork tool for alchemy, for instance, is a huge laboratory costing a thousand GP). That entry in the DMG is just intended as a rough guideline.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Balance - An internally mounted gyroscope

Or a 10' pole.

Bluff - ??

A holy symbol of the local god of truth. Free, though the Lightning may be an issue.

Concentration - Ritalin?

Blinders, perhaps.

Decipher Script - Perhaps Cliffs Notes, like Knowledge, or some other sort of cheat sheet

X-to-Common dictionary. Or just none, I don't like MW tools for mental skills.

Diplomacy - Very nice clothing or some such? Depends who are you treating with...

5 GP. Unless you have a better way of getting a bonus for 50 GP(over 10 uses).

Escape Artist - Grease that you coat yourself in

Ew. But it works.

Forgery - ??

A writing desk, covered in various impliments useful for duplicating writing(colored inks, seals, pens of various qualities)

Gather Information - A reporter's notebook.

See diplomacy.

Handle Animal - A chair and a whip

Doggie treats. The exact makeup depends on the monster, though dragons seem to prefer labrador.

Hide - An army camo uniform. More seriously, garb that helps you blend in with your surroundings.

Yes. Alternatively, camo facepaint.

Intimidate - A scary mask.

Any masterwork weapon. Unless you're saying that an exquisitely wrought dagger, 'so sharp that you don't feel feel the cut until I apply the acid' doesn't add +2?

Jump - Springs on your boots or a hat with a propeller.

I believe the shoes are dedicated to the great god Nike.

Knowledge - Cliffs Notes

See decipher script. Unless you're talking about a library or something, your char will probably know most of the info on his own with any ranks.

Listen - The type of big horn that people used before hearing aids.

It's called an ear trumpte, IIRC.

Move Silently - Padded shoes, securing all of your gear so it doesn't make noise, etc...

A rat covered in cymbals. It doesn't mke you quieter, it masks your sound.

Search - Google. Maybe glasses again? This feels unsatisfying

Magnifying glass, I'd say, which I think Dungeonscape came up with.

Sense Motive - ??

The person's loved ones and a dagger.

Sleight of Hand - Flashly things to distract people with

A cape and large sleeves.

Spot - Glasses or binoculars

Glasses work.

Swim - Flippers or a life jacket

Fins work.

Use Magic Device - To quote my DM, kjones, (who inspired this by giving a UMD masterwork tool to a character he built): "What is it? I dunno. Maybe a hat."

A monk.

[Keld Denar]

Most of my characters who have ranks in Tumble invariably buy some masterwork tights. Nothing says agility like underwear that won't bind or hang up on you.

As far as mental skills, it could just be something like a library card. Your character swaps books in between adventures, and this access to large amounts of random knowledge helps you be prepared when the time comes. Just because its a tool, doesn't mean you have to be using it at the exact time you make the check. That doesn't mean that reading every night won't feed you tidbits of info that may or may not be useful in a given circumstance.

[Devils_Advocate]

A copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Multiverse gives a +2 bonus on all Knowledge checks. However, it can also cause negative consequences on a failed check:

Failure by less than 5: Nearly accurate information
Failure by 5 to 10: Plausible-sounding but wholly inaccurate misinformation
Failure by over 10: Hilariously dangerous misinformation

[Coidzor]

Decipher Script: A Reference Book of Runes and other Characters, Alphabets, and Sigils and their relation to the common tongue. Essentially the etymology of how all the languages meld together and flow, probably from the standpoint of the common tongue.

Knowledge: Encyclopedias/Reference Guides covering appropriate subject matter.

Survival: Any number of handybooks on outdoorsmanship(even if it's underdarkmanship).

UMD: Bellippo's Most Popular Command Words

I'm gonna have to go for Forgery with the sentiments on some kind of "Forger's Kit" which might also be what one would do with Decipher Script, y'know, things to reveal hidden inks and dyes, lenses to reveal certain runes that kind of thing...

[Ravens_cry]

. Ew. But it works.

The spell grease offers a significant enhancement on escape artist checks.

I believe the shoes are dedicated to the great god Nike.

Nike is a goddess, heathen.

[Trouvere]

The Arms and Equipment Guide lists a few MW tools or consumable kits that didn't make it into 3.5, viz.:
an animal trainer's kit of whips and treats(!),
a collection of different pens, parchments and waxes for Forgery,
a jester's kit for certain Perform checks,
navigator's tools for what would now be a subset of Survival checks at sea,
a snorkel and flippers for Swim, and
focusing crystals and other aids for the now defunct Scry skill, which could convincingly be appropriate for UMD also.

[Olo Demonsbane]

My character has a book of magical phrases that is a UMD tool.

[Epinephrine]

I am very interested in both non-serious answers and serious ones (especially serious answers for things where I had nothing or just had a bad joke (which is most of them, I fear...)).

I'll go serious, and say that I often don't allow items for skills - or I may allow it, but it's not portable, or only applies to a certain type of check covered by the skill.

• Balance - a pole, if appropriate to the task might work. Can't simply have it at all times though, it precludes using weapons.
  
• Bluff - Can't think of any low-tech non-magical item
  
• Concentration - Depends on the role; I might allow an analgesic drug to aid concentration checks related to pain, for example, but would apply a penalty to dex skills or something.
  
• Decipher Script - Library of appropriate texts, etc. Bulky, costly, not generally portable, but available for consultation in bigger cities.
  
• Diplomacy - Appropriate attire, certainly.
  
• Escape Artist - Grease could work, but obviously carries other penalties.
  
• Forgery - Sure, a kit might help with this; varieties of inks/pens/waxes, common stamps and carvable blocks for duplicating seals, etc.
  
• Gather Information - Can't think of much.
  
• Handle Animal - Appropriate gear by species; a horse trainer might have a variety of horse related training gear.
  
• Hide - Camouflage clothing - by terrain.
  
• Intimidate - Gear suiting the character; what works for the barbarian may not help the warlock.
  
• Jump - Unlikely.
  
• Knowledge - Library, again.
  
• Listen - Unlikely, though a listening horn for doors might make sense for that particular purpose.
  
• Move Silently - Padded shoes, securing all of your gear so it doesn't make noise, etc...
  
• Profession - This would be profession specific.
  
• Ride - A really nice saddle, yes.
  
• Search - Probably multiple tools; small magnets carefully balanced and free to swing to detect metal (nails, etc), liquids (or coloured gases) that can be poured to discover cracks, bugs that try to find dark hiding spots (release them and watch where they go), small ballbearings that can roll on non-level surfaces, etc.
  
• Sense Motive - Hightech? Possibly MRI, polygraph (though we know that these are not always reliable). Low tech, anything that might make the opponent more nervous - drugs that cause anxiety?
  
• Sleight of Hand - Flashly things to distract people with. Outfits with hidden pockets, trick sleeves, etc.
  
• Spellcraft - Another type of library...
  
• Spot - Glasses or binoculars
  
• Survival - Well made camping gear.
  
• Swim - Inflated sheep bladders, etc.
  
• Tumble - Depending on the tumbling in question? For example, a sprung floor is used in the floor show; a specially padded suit might be handy in a tumble to ignore damage from a fall?
  
• Use Magic Device - No idea - unless agins, a book (or more than one) with common activations, magic phrases, etc.

[Chronos]

bugs that try to find dark hiding spots (release them and watch where they go)

I'm now ashamed of myself that I never thought of this. That's one more item for my characters' five-page equipment lists!

[NephandiMan]

• Swim - Inflated sheep bladders, etc.

But can they be employed to prevent earthquakes?

[Michaelos]

Bluff - Masterwork Sunglasses. A noticeable amount of sense motive is done by looking at the persons eyes. Also, when playing in a gambling game, having the character bet his sunglasses (And play at a penalty, because he wasn't wearing them for the bonus) was cutely dramatic.

[yilduz]

Decipher Script - Rosetta Stone.

[Flickerdart]

Edit: freakin' ninjas. This forum should be a +2 to Move Silently.

[Book Wyrm]

Alternatively, instead of a masterwork weapon for intimidate, how about a crudely made weapon. I think I'd be more intimidated by a broken glass bottle, rusty dagger, or dull knife than a sharper utensil. It'll take longer or have nastier effect, which equates to more pain, thus scarier.

[monty]

Bluff - Masterwork Sunglasses. A noticeable amount of sense motive is done by looking at the persons eyes. Also, when playing in a gambling game, having the character bet his sunglasses (And play at a penalty, because he wasn't wearing them for the bonus) was cutely dramatic.

Now go out and get yourself some thick black frames
With the glass so dark they won't even know your name
And the choice is up to you cause they come in two classes
Rhinestone shades and cheap sunglasses

[lsfreak]

Alternatively, instead of a masterwork weapon for intimidate, how about a crudely made weapon. I think I'd be more intimidated by a broken glass bottle, rusty dagger, or dull knife than a sharper utensil. It'll take longer or have nastier effect, which equates to more pain, thus scarier.

Alternatively, the crude weapon is the weapon of a drunk who's not thinking straight; painful, perhaps, but also fairly ineffective. A guy who sits down and starts running a scalpel along his arm, mumbling to himself about where the nerve clusters are (maybe even nicking himself purposely for later reference) is a whole other kind of intimidate.

Intimidate is really two rather different skills, like being able to appraise a gem and appraise a house, both encompassed by the same skill. Which leads to problems when you get into these kinds of details.

[Killer Angel]

My character has a book of magical phrases that is a UMD tool.

This. With a page (as in the dictionary) showing the right pronuntiation of the magical letters.
Also, it's possible to have a masterwork-made grip, that helps in keeping your fingers in the right position to wave the wand.

[Kurald Galain]

So, after listing off all of the specific masterwork tools, the equipment list has an entry:

There is one problem with that guideline: for most mental skills, taking out a MW item and using it should increase the time taken by a lot. For instance, a knowledge check is generally a free action, but looking something up in a MW book should take e.g. 2d6 rounds instead.

That said,
Balance - balancing rod, duh
Bluff - sunglasses
Concentration - some of those zen stones
Diplomacy - clothing would definitely help, but in general the way to get bonuses for diplo is to buy nice stuff for whomever you're trying to influence
Escape artist - razor ring
Forgery - a set of special quills
Gather info - beer
Handle animal - scooby snacks
Hide - camo gear, duh
Intimidate - a badass tattoo
Jump - ten foot pole time, again
Ride - saddle would work
Search - I fail to see how magnifying glasses would work; perhaps you should take a MW dog with you
Sense motive - mood ring
SOH - razor ring, again
Spellcraft - ether goggles
Spot - see search. Guess what my MW dog is called...
Survival - it's actually a knowledge check, but I suppose a badass tattoo would help
Swim - a MW lead girdle so that you can drop it one you're in the water
Tumble - not carrying a huge backpack, ten-foot poles, or a dog
UMD - whatever nonsense you can think of, but the DM would have to be quite silly to allow this, as twisting the rules to maximize UMD is a sure sign of munchkinry

[Coidzor]

haha... Search: Forensic's kit! Now as to what it contains....

[Killer Angel]

UMD - whatever nonsense you can think of, but the DM would have to be quite silly to allow this, as twisting the rules to maximize UMD is a sure sign of munchkinry

The tool should be defined and the eventual limitations clarified.
A grip to use a wand? OK, you'll have a +2 on UMD (wands only), and it's a standard action to "set in place".
A page with the right pronuntiation for magical letters? OK, it works only for scrolls, but using a scroll became a 1 round casting time.
Simulate an alignment? Sorry, no masterwork item can do this.

[Lycar]

Concentration - some of those zen stones

Sure.

But throw the DMG at anyone who tries to use them in combat!

Incidentially, is there any use for that skill outside of combat?

Lycar

[Mnemnosyne]

Simulate an alignment? Sorry, no masterwork item can do this.

Sure it can - appropriate meditation techniques to put you in the right frame of mind.

Infact, a book of some kind is the most logical masterwork item for use magic device, it can include: Common phrases used as triggers, cross-referenced to common styles of magical item (Netherese wand? Yeah, they liked to use...), explanations of which parts of spells are appropriate for spell completion items, pronounciation of magical lettering for scrolls, and treatises on proper meditation techniques to project the right frame of mind to make the item believe you're a particular alignment or race.

[Killer Angel]

Sure it can - appropriate meditation techniques to put you in the right frame of mind.

I wouldn't concede it, but if the DM agreed, sure.
(but I find hard to believe it's feasible in combat round)


Edit: scrubbed part of my post, for an observation regardin' the infraction of a certain forum rule...

[Vangor]

For UMD masterwork tools, consider you're going to need something not quite mundane to assist, similar to whatever you might use with Spellcraft. In the case of UMD, I always figured a special material acting as a better medium for emulation made into gloves. The material is either inherently conductive for magic or is somehow lightly spelled, able to be identified as magical but not any specific spell and only confers the circumstance bonus.

[Zeful]

Bluff - nothing
Concentration - nothing
Diplomacy - nothing
Forgery - A forgery kit that includes stamps, pens, brushes, inks and parchements. Region dependent.
Gather Information - nothing
Hide - no one thing, but clothes designed to blend in with certain enviroments should all stack.
Intimidate - nothing
Listen - nothing
Move Silently - same as hide
Search - nothing
Sense Motive - nothing
Sleight of Hand - nothing
Spellcraft - nothing
Spot - nothing
Tumble - nothing
Use Magic Device - nothing

My thoughts are bolded. Some of them are listed as nothing because there's nothing that would actually allow you to be better at the skill while using it during battle.

[Eldariel]

There's some things for those in official material, Zeful:

Listen has Listening Cone
Search has Magnifying Glass
Tumble has Tumbling Vest


You should also use Dangerous Glue-on Mustache for Intimidate, and Kindly Eyebrows for Diplomacy.

[zaulsiin]

I can't recall where I read this, so I apologize that I can't give due credit, but I thought some of the following were pretty good (although most have already been mentioned in some fashion):

MW tools for Hide (cloak is mottled and dark), Bluff (distracting lapel pin), Diplomacy (fancy clothes), Spot (eyeglasses), and Concentration (prayer beads)

As for personal experience, the best item I could come up with for UMD was a pair of glasses with specially attuned lenses that help give insight into the workings of magical items. Sort of like polarized lenses that let you see magical auras or the like more clearly.

Also: Iaijutsu Focus - A bandolier/sheath specially designed to draw a weapon a fraction of a second faster, giving you the chance the catch the opponent that much more off-guard.

[elonin]

Balance=pole
Decipher script=field guide to idioms across languages
Hide=(for wilderness) ghillie suite
Forgery=specialty pens/inks
Knowledges=tomes
Concentration=incense