Nah, I don't need any dice [3.5]

[Bakkan]

There are some character archetypes built around the idea of randomness and chaos, involving luck feats and the like. I wanted to see what the options are for a character who would never (or almost never) have to touch a die, but simply say "I do this" and do it. Many people would not like to play a character like this (heck, I'm not sure I would), but perhaps some might. In any case, this could become a reference for people who always seem to fail one type of die roll.

Please provide feedback and other options for eliminating die rolls. Thanks in advance.

Let's take a look at what die rolls are used for

• Weapon or spell attack rolls
• Miss chances
• Weapon or spell damage/effects
• Caster level checks
• Saving throws
• Skill and ability checks
• Initiative checks
• Other miscellaneous rolls (like the chance of a Teleport error)

Let us suppose that forcing opponents to roll dice is OK.

Weapon or spell attack rolls
At this point, there are a few known ways to avoid a roll when taking an action requiring an attack roll. Some of those are given here.

• The Weapon Supremacy feat (PHB2) allows an 18th level Fighter to take 10 on one attack with his chosen weapon per round
• The Aura of Perfect Order stance (ToB) allows the initiator to take 11 on one attack per round

Miss chances
This will rarely come up if a player is not making attack rolls. However, ways to avoid making a miss chance roll include the Improved Precise Shot feat for ranged attacks.

Weapon or spell damage/effects
Some ways to avoid making rolls for damage or effects are

• Using a weapon that is small enough to only do 1 damage
• Using a weapon that deals 1d2 damage and having an ability that allows a reroll of damage dice that come up 1 (Combining this with Aura of Chaos if of course not recommended)
• Using spells whose effect do not depend on dice, e.g. Heal, Harm, most buffs, the Vigor line of spells (SpC), and most crowd control spells.

Caster level checks
Here you have two options:

• Pump your caster level to the roof so you atuo-succeed on any caster level check that comes your way (requires mid-high levels and often much gp)
• Do not use spells that allow SR, make dispel checks, or cast from a scroll of too high a level

Saving throws
In some ways saving throws are the most problematic of the dice rolls to eliminate. They fail on a natural 1, like attack rolls, but there is (usually) little way to avoid situations where a saving throw will be necessary. a solution, then, would be a way to both be sure you could pass the save and eliminate the chance of failing by rolling a 1. Enter Tome of Battle, and the Diamond Mind counters Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, and Mind over Body. These maneuvers let you replace a Will, Reflex, or Fort save (respectively) with a Concentration check that explicitly does not fail on a natural 1. Also, since skills scale much faster than saves, it's far easier to get a Concentration check high enough to essentially auto-pass anything even remotely level-appropriate.

Incidentally, for dips Warblade is preferable to Swordsage, since the Warblade can recover all three maneuvers as a swift action his next turn. However, a Swordsage with the Adaptive Style feat (ToB) would work nearly as well.

The big downside to this is that both Warblade and Swordsage are martial characters, so they have the same difficulties with avoiding attack rolls that all combat-oriented characters do.

Here's an example build that doesn't have to worry about saves from level 6 on:

Spoiler

Show

Warblade 6 or Swordsage 6(up to 2 levels may be replaced with other classes, but if so, Warblade or Swordsage must be the last level taken - we need initiator level 5 to get Mind over Body)

Maneuvers Readied include Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, and Mind over Body

Feats: 6th level - Steady Concentration (RoS) - Allows character to take 10 on Concentration checks

Items: Tunic of Steady Spellcasting (MiC) - +5 competence bonus on Concentration checks (2500 gp)

Constitution score at least 18

Concentration check:
10 Take 10 + 9 ranks + 4 Con mod + 5 Tunic = 28 Concentration check, every time.

I'm pretty sure that no CR 6 encounter will have a save DC higher than 28, which is equivalent to a 9th-level spell cast by someone with a primary stat of 28

So for an investment of one feat and 2500 gp, we get essential immunity to anything requiring a save.

As our levels increase, we just have to keep putting skill points into Concentration. If we keep it maxed out, we will always be able to pass a save with DC less than or equal to our level + 22. If even more save is needed, the Third Eye Concentration (MiC, 10,000 gp) grants a +10 competence bonus to Concentration, Githcraft armor or shield from the DMG2 gives another +1 for minimal investment along with some other caster-friendly goodies, and Skill Focus(Concentration) is still available to us

Incidentally, this can be accomplished with only a 1-level dip in Warblade or Swordsage if one waits until 9th level to take it.

Skill and ability checks
Skill checks are probably the easiest rolls to avoid - they don't fail on a natural 1, and they can reach high modifiers extremely quickly. If someone wants to link a good skill check optimization guide, I'll link it here.

Ability checks also do not fail on a natural 1 but are not as easy to get to insane levels. In this case Moment of Prescience and similar spells are your best friend.

Initiative checks
Like saves, it usually impossible to completely avoid situations where you need to roll for initiative (unless you never use combat in your game, but then why are you worried about reducing the amount of rolling you do?). One could, in theory, get an initiative modifier 19 higher than anyone else in combat, which would ensure you go first. Ways of doing this include

• The ever-popular Improved Initiative feat
• The Moment of Prescience spell (an Initiative check is technically a Dexterity ability check)
• The Nerveskitter spell (SpC)
• The Hummingbird familiar (Dragon magazine) grants a +4 bonus to your initiative checks. There is a feat (don't have the reference) that doubles the numerical bonus your familiar gives you, which would bump it up to a +8

Other miscellaneous rolls
The easiest way to avoid a roll is to not take actions that would make the roll necessary. For example, you could never cast Teleport (or Augury, or others of this type of spell). However, going so far as to literally never want to touch a die would probably prove detrimental to most games.

Please suggest any other methods of eliminating some or all of a certain type of roll. Eventually, perhaps we can get a build for the No-Dice King.

[Draz74]

Weapon Supremacy lets you Take 10 on an attack roll 1/round.

Aura of Perfect Order lets you Take 11 on any d20 roll 1/round.

Skill Mastery should be an obvious mention.

[Trouvere]

I suppose a cleric, bard or similar built specifically around buffing other party members could contribute without ever making an attack roll of their own, or even requiring a save of an enemy. Whether such a build could truly pull its own weight, I'm not sure.

A Rogue with Skill Mastery and the Savvy Rogue feat can "take 12" rather than 10.

If you have the tactical feat Elusive Target (CW), you could - sort of - let your enemies whack each other for you.

[JellyPooga]

I may be getting this from a 3rd party Planescape source, but don't the Zenithri (or however it's spelled), the Law-born Planetouched have some ability that basically allows you to take-10 on stuff like damage rolls and such? I'd have to go look it up...

[AslanCross]

The Warlock's Deceive Item class feature allows him to take 10 on UMD checks, which as far as I can tell, is a unique ability.

[JellyPooga]

I may be getting this from a 3rd party Planescape source, but don't the Zenithri (or however it's spelled), the Law-born Planetouched have some ability that basically allows you to take-10 on stuff like damage rolls and such? I'd have to go look it up...

I looked it up...it's nothing to do with Zenythri (correct spelling this time!). It's a Metamagic Feat which makes the spell have the [Lawful] descriptor and you take the average for any dice you roll as part of the spell (instead of rolling)...so a CL:7 Fireball would deal (3.5 x 7) = 24.5 (round down) damage.

[Jimbob]

what about initiative checks though?

[shadow_archmagi]

Does it count if OTHER people make rolls? Like

"I cast Laser. Roll a saving throw vs lasery death."

[katans]

Here's an example build that doesn't have to worry about saves from level 6 on:

Spoiler

Show

Warblade 6 or Swordsage 6(up to 2 levels may be replaced with other classes, but if so, Warblade or Swordsage must be the last level taken - we need initiator level 5 to get Mind over Body)

Maneuvers Readied include Moment of Perfect Mind, Action Before Thought, and Mind over Body

Feats: 6th level - Steady Concentration (RoS) - Allows character to take 10 on Concentration checks

Items: Tunic of Steady Spellcasting (MiC) - +5 competence bonus on Concentration checks (2500 gp)

Constitution score at least 18

Concentration check:
10 Take 10 + 9 ranks + 4 Con mod + 5 Tunic = 28 Concentration check, every time.

I'm pretty sure that no CR 6 encounter will have a save DC higher than 28, which is equivalent to a 9th-level spell cast by someone with a primary stat of 28

So for an investment of one feat and 2500 gp, we get essential immunity to anything requiring a save.

As our levels increase, we just have to keep putting skill points into Concentration. If we keep it maxed out, we will always be able to pass a save with DC less than or equal to our level + 22. If even more save is needed, the Third Eye Concentration (MiC, 10,000 gp) grants a +10 competence bonus to Concentration, Githcraft armor or shield from the DMG2 gives another +1 for minimal investment along with some other caster-friendly goodies, and Skill Focus(Concentration) is still available to us

Incidentally, this can be accomplished with only a 1-level dip in Warblade or Swordsage if one waits until 9th level to take it.

You don't have to bother about saves as long as you still have an immediate action to take and don't have to make two identical saves over the course of 1 round. The only absolutely reliable method I know is going Knight 20.

[Trouvere]

Does it count if OTHER people make rolls?

Depends whether the guide is for the player who is just too lazy to throw dice for himself, or one who is cursed with abysmal luck, in which case avoiding any sort of PC action-related rolling would be ideal. There are enough of us out there who only know that a d20 actually has numbers above 12 because we see them on the DM's dice.

what about initiative checks though?

If a particular Captain No-Dice relied on a set of always-on effects such as auras, he'd still have to make a roll for initiative, but would be largely uninterested in the result. Having uncanny dodge might aid his indifference.

[ericgrau]

Spells with no save or damage rolls. Wall spells, solid fog, sleet storm, etc. Buffs too. Get your concentration high enough that you succeed even on a roll of a 1. You could easily make a viable character this way.

[Kol Korran]

um, i can't say i don't need any dice, but i'm quite close to it. i play (as had been suggest) a buff-the-party cleric. when i do roll dice, about 40% come out as 2 (no matter which dice), while the rest are usually not much higher. about 10-20 % of my d20 ever go above 10 (which kinda sucks at saves).

i am quite usefull however with shield of faith, bull/bear/owl's strength/endurance/wisdom, mass resist energy, speak with the dead, recitation and so on. and a wand of lesser vigor sure helps a lot. (level 8, with a cure critical i heal on avrage 16 hp... damn 2's!)

this doesn't help much, but i thought to share. saving throws i think are your main problem in getting this done.

[Starbuck_II]

Binder's Ronove has a auto hit Bullrush Force Punch. Deals 1d6 damage, but no need to roll to hit then cause foe to bull rushed.

Drawback, the Bull Rush is unlikely to ever succeed. And you have to roll damage.

[Bakkan]

I looked it up...it's nothing to do with Zenythri (correct spelling this time!). It's a Metamagic Feat which makes the spell have the [Lawful] descriptor and you take the average for any dice you roll as part of the spell (instead of rolling)...so a CL:7 Fireball would deal (3.5 x 7) = 24.5 (round down) damage.

Do you have the source for this feat? I can't seem to find it.

[jiriku]

Well, become a sorcerer, take maximize, easy metamagic (maximize), and practical metamagic (maximize). Now for the low low price of +1 spell level, you'll never roll dice to determine a spell effect again. Choose exclusively spells that don't allow spell resistance or target friendly's, and you're done with spell penetration checks. Invest your skill points only in Concentration and in skills that are used outside of combat and allow you to take 10 or take 20. No need to roll for skills any more. Multiclass a little to pick up those martial maneuvers to sub Concentration for saves, and combine with an effect that lets you take 10 on Concentration checks at all times (there must be one somewhere). Now you never save, never roll a skill check, never roll to hit, and never roll spell penetration. Since you never roll to hit, you have no miss chances, and you never roll damage, thanks to maximize spell.

Done!

Edit: For further dice-avoidance, use point buy to determine your stats and take the optional rule in the DMG that allows you to take half for your hit points at each level up instead of rolling. Now you've gotten out of rolling stats and hit points as well.