Diplomacy Build (3.5)

[revolver kobold]

What are some effective builds for a character based pretty much entirely on diplomacy?

I am aware of Fred the Diplomancer and the other builds in the Char Ops boards, but the thread over at the Wizards boards isn't working for me (is anyone else also having this issue?).

If anyone could post any builds and advice for a diplomacy build, doesn't matter how crazy, that would be great.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Half Elf Bard with a MW tool kit, Circlet of Pusuasion, 5 ranks in Bluff, Sense Motive and Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty, and max ranks in Dimplomacy should get you a decent check.

Alternatively, a cleric who casts Divine Insight and Guidance of the Avatar.

[dsmiles]

Um...exactly what MW tool kit would you use for diplomacy?

Half-Elf Rogue or Bard...lots of bluff, sense motive, and diplomacy...a cloak of charisma (I forget the in-game name)...skill focus: diplomacy, skill focus: sense motive, skill focus: bluff...spend some ranks in speak languages to be a true diplomat...etc, etc.

Edit: See also the Expanded Psionics Handbook...specifically Thrallherd.

[kamikasei]

Um...exactly what MW tool kit would you use for diplomacy?

a big stick.

OP: Are you looking for something playable, or something hilariously ridiculous? If you want to make a diplomacy-focused character for play in an otherwise sane group, how is your DM houseruling the skill (because if he isn't, your character won't last long before being forcibly retired or having his gimmick rendered useless by contrivance)?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Now, if you want something rediculous, buff up your jump and aim for Exemplar...

[kamikasei]

I still maintain Hide is funnier.

[Temet Nosce]

I am aware of Fred the Diplomancer and the other builds in the Char Ops boards, but the thread over at the Wizards boards isn't working for me (is anyone else also having this issue?).

WotC decided we didn't need such things, and that creating that horrible mockery of a forum was more important.

Your best bet is probably asking on Brilliant Gameologists, more former members of the CO boards are over there and one of them might recall enough of one of the 200+ Diplomacy record threads to give you some help (or be more familiar with diplomacy optimization than me - I'm generally content at 50, I've never built a character to hit the 150 mark).

[revolver kobold]

a big stick.

OP: Are you looking for something playable, or something hilariously ridiculous? If you want to make a diplomacy-focused character for play in an otherwise sane group, how is your DM houseruling the skill (because if he isn't, your character won't last long before being forcibly retired or having his gimmick rendered useless by contrivance)?

While I'll probably end up making a character that's playable and not overly broken, feel free to post even the most hacked builds here, as I'd still like to look them over.

I don't know how he is going to house-rule Diplomacy, but I can see any shenanigans like the Jumplomancer being shot down rather quickly.

For an Exemplar, I had an idea to take Persuasive Performance with Slight of Hand, so I could rob people blind and make them love me for it.

[Akal Saris]

Half Elf Bard with a MW tool kit, Circlet of Pusuasion, 5 ranks in Bluff, Sense Motive and Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty, and max ranks in Dimplomacy should get you a decent check.

Alternatively, a cleric who casts Divine Insight and Guidance of the Avatar.

Just noting that Pharoah has summed it up very well here. the bard is mostly good because its substitution level in Races of Destiny allows you to use Diplomacy as a Calm Emotions effect, trading away the god-awful Countersong and giving you something to do in combat with your pretty self.

A 2nd level bard with a base 16 Cha and those bonuses above would have +19 to Diplomacy, I believe.

[Myrmex]

I think a level in Warlock nets you +6 to Diplomacy.

[dsmiles]

I think a level in Warlock nets you +6 to Diplomacy.

There's an Invocation you have to use in order to get that, but it lasts 24 hours.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

The keys are half-elf(racial bonus) Bard(right skills), then taking levels in half-elf paragon and Human Paragon(ability and dip bonuses). Grab Craft Wondrous Items for a +Dip item. Boost Cha as much as humanly possible(38 is doable core), and you're swinging an easy +81 using just SRD at level 20. Spells can, of course, boost this further.

[streakster]

BTW, There's a great diplomacy revision right here on this very site.

[JeenLeen]

The Evangelist PrC from Complete Divine lets you use Diplomacy (or diplomancy, depending on much you up your skill) in battle without as awful a check.

BoED has the Emissary of Barachiel PrC, which has some neat diplomacy-like abilities.

Exemplar, from Complete Adventurer (IIRC), could let you take 10 in battle.

[Draz74]

A one-level dip in Warlock or Dragonfire Adept gets you an all-day buff that boosts Diplomacy (and other social skills) by +6. I recommend Dragonfire Adept, of the two; it will get you one more HP and two more skill points, and a boost to your Fortitude save; and IMHO 1d6 Fire Breath area damage is more useeful than 1d6 Eldritch Blast.

A one-level dip in Marshal will let you get Skill Focus (Diplomacy) as a bonus feat, as well as the Motivate Charisma aura to double your Charisma bonus to Diplomacy checks (and other social skills).

A one-level dip in Binder will let you bind Naberius, who will let you Take 10 on Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and will also let you make Diplomacy checks as a standard action with no rushing penalty.

All three of these dips are really pretty much required for an optimized Diplomat.

If you don't do the Binder trick, a Changeling Rogue is arguably a better diplomat than a Half-Elf Bard, due to racial substitution levels.

[Mongoose87]

Don't forget your synergies!

[Keld Denar]

Yup, Synergies give you a net total of +6 to your diplomacy score. Bluff, Knowledge(Nobility), and Sense Motive all give +2 each for 5 ranks, and are all class skills for a Bard.

And yea, 1 Binder, 1 Marshall, and 1 Warlock or DFA are almost required for any really serious diplomancer.

[Nate the Snake]

A one-level dip in Warlock or Dragonfire Adept gets you an all-day buff that boosts Diplomacy (and other social skills) by +6. I recommend Dragonfire Adept, of the two; it will get you one more HP and two more skill points, and a boost to your Fortitude save; and IMHO 1d6 Fire Breath area damage is more useeful than 1d6 Eldritch Blast.

A one-level dip in Marshal will let you get Skill Focus (Diplomacy) as a bonus feat, as well as the Motivate Charisma aura to double your Charisma bonus to Diplomacy checks (and other social skills).

A one-level dip in Binder will let you bind Naberius, who will let you Take 10 on Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and will also let you make Diplomacy checks as a standard action with no rushing penalty.

A one-level dip in Psion will let you gain Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat. A Friendly psicrystal gives you a +3 bonus to Diplomacy checks. Specializing in Telepathy also gives Diplomacy as a class skill.

A one-level dip in Incarnate will let you shape the Silvertongue Mask soulmeld, which grants up to a +10 insight bonus to Diplomacy checks (and Bluff checks). Two more levels increases the maximum bonus to +12.

[Draz74]

A one-level dip in Psion will let you gain Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat. A Friendly psicrystal gives you a +3 bonus to Diplomacy checks. Specializing in Telepathy also gives Diplomacy as a class skill.

True. Not to mention the Attraction power, which gives another sizeable bonus to Diplomacy checks vs. subjects who fail a save.

A one-level dip in Incarnate will let you shape the Silvertongue Mask soulmeld, which grants up to a +10 insight bonus to Diplomacy checks (and Bluff checks). Two more levels increases the maximum bonus to +12.

Yeah, but now you're talking about benefits that scale with further class levels, rather than features that are fully contained within a dip. So at this point you have to start considering whether putting most of your levels in Bard, in Psion, or in Incarnate will be most beneficial.

It might be more efficient to take Shape Soulmeld (Silvertongue Mask) and Psycarnum Infusion feats, rather than dipping any actual levels in Incarnum classes. Hopefully, in between every Diplomacy check you'll ever make, there will be enough time to regain your Psionic focus, so that you can once again fill your Soulmeld up with temporary essentia.

[Thurbane]

As has already been mentioned, a dip into Marshal to get your CHA added twice to checks; a dip into Binder to bind Naberius; Factotum to add your level to a skill check; item familiars etc.

What I haven't seen mentioned is the Half-elf only feats Complentary Insight (+3 from synergy bonuses instead of +2) and, more importantly, Sociable Personality (reroll Diplomacy and Gather Information checks).

[Foryn Gilnith]

Fah. If you benefit from rerolls it means your chance of failure is too high. Just use Naberius to auto-win.

[Thurbane]

Fah. If you benefit from rerolls it means your chance of failure is too high. Just use Naberius to auto-win.

True - Sociable Personality is quite handy at lower levels though.

[Person_Man]

You might also want to consider using Wild Empathy. It will let you influence animals and magical beasts. With Beast Heart Adept, you can effect intelligent magical beasts. And there are several different methods of getting it to effect Vermin. Although it's not nearly as easy to abuse as Diplomacy, it can be improved with Marshal, several magic items, the Beast Tamer Circlet soulmeld, and maybe a few other miscellaneous things I've forgotten about.

Also, Undead Empathy (Eberron) lets you effect mindless undead with Diplomacy.

[Draxar]

If you can take it, a level in Changeling Rogue works quite well – take 10 on bluff, diplomacy, gather information, sense motive, assess a social situation in a round, gather information in 1/6th of the normal time.

Beyond that, bardic music can be done as oratory, combine that with Subsonics for it to not be noticiably a magical effect.

[Berserk Monk]

Max out the skill rank
Max out your Charisma
Half elf: +2
Skill focus: +3
Negotiator: +2
There's a +2 synergy from having 5 ranks in something. Forget what.
There's a trait I'm sure in Unearthed Arcana
There's another trait called Illiterate that gives you +1 to any skill
Nymph's Kiss: +1 to all cha skills

[DragoonWraith]

Touchstone: The City of the Dead (Sandstorm) gives +1 to all Cha ability and skill checks (probably not worth it for a focused Diplomancer, but it is another option I haven't seen mentioned).

[Radar]

Whatever you'll do, don't abuse your power:
http://www.dorktower.com/2005/04/15/comics-archive-674/

[Tyndmyr]

Um...exactly what MW tool kit would you use for diplomacy?

Bling. A gold grill, for example.

[CheshireCatAW]

Bling. A gold grill, for example.

Other masterwork items.

Various expensive jewelries, exotic scents and perfumes, large thugs to follow you around (or attractive yes-men/women to go the less hostile route), camels laden with expensive gifts, forged documents (Which you can do yourself! YAY Forgery skill! No one ever takes it, which works in your favor), indecent photographs of said person (or fantasy equivalent), a straight-up bribe, a dapper suit which is permanently enchanted with prestidigitation to always be eerily clean and pressed, a rubber chicken for a child, a portion of delicious food with which to tantalize a hungry guard and so on.

Diplomacy is pretty neat because you can have SO MANY masterwork items. You can have something like the suit, which covers almost all situations, or the food items which work once and that's it.

[Yukitsu]

Um...exactly what MW tool kit would you use for diplomacy?

Half-Elf Rogue or Bard...lots of bluff, sense motive, and diplomacy...a cloak of charisma (I forget the in-game name)...skill focus: diplomacy, skill focus: sense motive, skill focus: bluff...spend some ranks in speak languages to be a true diplomat...etc, etc.

Edit: See also the Expanded Psionics Handbook...specifically Thrallherd.

If Eberron is allowed, a 150 GP suit. Glamourweave is a mundane clothes enhancement that increases diplomacy.