Best way to boost the hide skill

[kentma57]

So I'm currently running a half-drow rogue 5/assassin 1 in the last couple sessions I have been relying more and more on my hide skill. The thing is I need to get this skill highter at 6th level a +13 is enought when I have the right circumstance bonuses, but they don't usualy work when I shot from hiding(reroll the hide check at a -20 penalty). Though I am trying to get my DM to rule in a feat that will reduce these penalties, I would love a few suggestions on other ways I can reduce these penalties and/or increse my hide modifier.

[Demons_eye]

Find a way to shot from farther away. Every 10 feet reduces their spot check by 1, so if you are 100 feet away -10 to spot. Shadow property for +5 at 3,750 gold and Cloak of Elvenkind for +5 hide for 2,500 both stack. Skill focus Hide but I don't think you would take that. Item Familiar if you have extra skill points to throw into hide again.

Edit: There is the facing rules that impose -10 to their spot if you are behind some one

[Swordgleam]

Iron Heroes has a great skill synergy system - get a related skill to 5, get a +2 bonus. For example, if you get your Bluff to 5, you get +2 on Intimidate. You should see if you have any skills that could be related to hide, then argue that there should be synergy.

Does your DM give bonuses for roleplaying? Describe how you're hiding in a way that makes it hard to tell where the shot is coming from, etc.

[mabriss lethe]

the 1st level psionic power chameleon grants a 10min/level +10 enhancement bonus.

[Curmudgeon]

Shadow property for +5 at 3,750 gold and Cloak of Elvenkind for +5 hide for 2,500 both stack.

How do you figure that?

Shadow

This armor is jet black and blurs the wearer whenever she tries to hide, granting a +5 competence bonus on Hide checks.

Cloak of Elvenkind

This cloak of neutral gray cloth is indistinguishable from an ordinary cloak of the same color. However, when worn with the hood drawn up around the head, it gives the wearer a +5 competence bonus on Hide checks.

They're both competence bonuses, so no stacking.

[BobVosh]

I believe they stacked explicitly in 3.0

Anyway don't forget the custom magic item for skills. Most custom items are fairly broken if you want, but I never had an issue with the skill bonus ones.

Deepwood sniper from some 3.0 book makes it -10 for sniping, not 20. Well. I'm almost positive that is it. Should be the races of wild.

[Incorrect]

Bodysuit, black (A&E) 30gp - a +2 circumstance bonus to hide.
Buy it a size to small to force sanity checks

[Peregrinus]

Dark Creature Template from Tome of Magic adds a pretty big Racial Bonus to Hide (I think +10). Why? 'Cause there's an item which gives you the Dark Template, either for X minutes a day or permanently depending on the quality.

[peacenlove]

Also reducing yourself to smaller sizes via polymorph or a reduce person spell gives you a bonus to hide checks that stacks with any of the others suggested so far. So get your UMD skill working
Shadowblend and greater invisibility also help eliminating the penalty for sniping, however the first one is accesible via a +2 LA template (shadow template from manual of the planes/lords of madness) and the second is beaten by a 2nd level spell (namely see invisibility) as well as various other sources.
Btw if you can access Lords of madness get the Darkstalker feat so you can hide even by creatures with blindsight and tremorsense.

[The Gilded Duke]

Stacked Psionitrix of Chameleon (Complete Psionics) can get a bit expensive, but gives you a +10 enhancement bonus to hide.

Continuous Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (Tome of Magic) gives you hide in plain sight and +8 racial bonus to hide.

Modify one of the Crystal Masks (Expanded Psionics Handbook, SRD) to get a +10 competence bonus to hide.

Get a MW tool of hide (DMG) to get an always on +2 circumstance bonus to hide.

From those right there you get +30 to hide.

[Darrin]

Shape Soulmeld: Displacer Mantle/Kruthik Claws/Lamia Belt (Magic of Incarnum). +4 competence bonus to Hide checks. If you have essentia, you can pump in more for +2/essentia point.

Shape Soulmeld: Lucky Dice (Magic of Incarnum). +1 luck bonus on all skill checks.

Competition Domain or Planar Touchstone: Cataloges of Enlightmentment. +1 untyped bonus on opposed checks.

Hat of Anonymity (12500 GP, MIC p. 109). +5 untyped bonus to Hide checks.

Camouflage Paint (1500 GP, MIC p. 153). +5 circumstance bonus to Hide checks.

Dark armor property (8000 GP, Drow of the Underdark). +5 circumstance bonus on Hide checks vs. Darkvision.

Shadow Sibling symbiont (8000 GP, Magic of Eberron). +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks, and 50% concealment against one attack as an immediate action a number of times per day equal to your Con modifier.

[ericgrau]

5 more levels of rogue to get skill mastery (hide + w/e). Then you can always take 10's. Or in a level or so beg the wizard for greater invisibility.

[Signmaker]

Able Sniper sounds like a solid +4 to your sniping wants.

[lesser_minion]

I believe they stacked explicitly in 3.0

Anyway don't forget the custom magic item for skills. Most custom items are fairly broken if you want, but I never had an issue with the skill bonus ones.

Deepwood sniper from some 3.0 book makes it -10 for sniping, not 20. Well. I'm almost positive that is it. Should be the races of wild.

No, they didn't. They were circumstance bonuses in 3.0.

Why did they change them? These are bonuses for having helpful equipment, not bonuses for magically being better.

I still haven't seen any evidence of the 3.5 designers being in any way competent...


I can't remember the number, but Dragon magazine has a feat which reduces the sniping penalty to -10.

[kentma57]

These are great, some won't work on this particular build but they are good none the less. Now it's just a matter of seeing what I can fit into the build...

[Os1ris09]

How do you figure that? They're both competence bonuses, so no stacking.

I think they are enchantment bonuses but I do agree they both don't stack.

Shape Soulmeld: Displacer Mantle/Kruthik Claws/Lamia Belt (Magic of Incarnum). +4 competence bonus to Hide checks. If you have essentia, you can pump in more for +2/essentia point. Shape Soulmeld: Lucky Dice (Magic of Incarnum). +1 luck bonus on all skill checks. Competition Domain or Planar Touchstone: Cataloges of Enlightmentment. +1 untyped bonus on opposed checks. Hat of Anonymity (12500 GP, MIC p. 109). +5 untyped bonus to Hide checks. Camouflage Paint (1500 GP, MIC p. 153). +5 circumstance bonus to Hide checks. Dark armor property (8000 GP, Drow of the Underdark). +5 circumstance bonus on Hide checks vs. Darkvision. Shadow Sibling symbiont (8000 GP, Magic of Eberron). +4 circumstance bonus to Hide checks, and 50% concealment against one attack as an immediate action a number of times per day equal to your Con modifier.

I agree with the Hat of Anonymity, Camouflage Paint (hopefully your being paid for your assassinations and this is a cheap +5 bonus on each kill).

QUOTE=The Gilded Duke;7574132]Stacked Psionitrix of Chameleon (Complete Psionics) can get a bit expensive, but gives you a +10 enhancement bonus to hide. Continuous Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (Tome of Magic) gives you hide in plain sight and +8 racial bonus to hide. Modify one of the Crystal Masks (Expanded Psionics Handbook, SRD) to get a +10 competence bonus to hide. Get a MW tool of hide (DMG) to get an always on +2 circumstance bonus to hide. From those right there you get +30 to hide.[/QUOTE]

I dont think the DM will allow a MW item for a +2 to hide because I can't think of anything other than a gillie suit idea that would allow that bonus.

Dark Creature Template from Tome of Magic adds a pretty big Racial Bonus to Hide (I think +10). Why? 'Cause there's an item which gives you the Dark Template, either for X minutes a day or permanently depending on the quality.

The bonus is either +6 or +8 because I am running a character with that template unfortunately its a +1 LA due to it being a PC and not an NPC or random monster. So that may rule out this idea but if you can do it and pay off the LA with the rules from U.A.

[Curmudgeon]

I think they are enchantment bonuses but I do agree they both don't stack.

"Enchantment bonuses" don't exist in the D&D game, so I'd have to agree that this is purely an issue of what you think.

Oh, and I did quote the descriptions of each item, and made sure to bold the competence bonus text in each case. Just saying.

[Os1ris09]

"Enchantment bonuses" don't exist in the D&D game, so I'd have to agree that this is purely an issue of what you think.

Oh, and I did quote the descriptions of each item, and made sure to bold the competence bonus text in each case. Just saying.

Sorry meant enhancement. LOL

[Aravir]

Distance is often over looked. I believe every ten feet provides a hide bonus of +1 or 2.

So sniping at 100 feet (bow range) would give you a hide bonus of at least +10.

[Last Laugh]

Distance is often over looked. I believe every ten feet provides a hide bonus of +1 or 2.

So sniping at 100 feet (bow range) would give you a hide bonus of at least +10.

Coulda sworn it just nerfed the enemies spot check.
:D

[HunterOfJello]

Half-Ogre + Primodial Giant = Large Size and Invisibility At-Will

[nedz]

Get Druid or Ranger spellcasting (UMD-Wandage perhaps?)

Camoflage [Spc Druid/Ranger 1] +10 Circumstance - so doesn't stack with Elven Cloak etc.
Camoflage, mass [Spc Druid/Ranger 2] +10 Circumstance

In principle you could just have a custom Elf Cloak of +10 Circumstance for 10,000gp

ForestFold [Spc Druid/Ranger 3] +10 Competance in one natural terrain only.

The durations on these are quite long.

Other tip: Buff your Dex.
This is generally useful for lots of things.

Get someone to cast Improved Invisibility on you. Doesn't always work but the +20 is useful when it does.

[SilverClawShift]

Obfuscate.

Wait, wrong game.

[averagejoe]

The Mod They Call Me: Thread necromancy.