Getting an Archivist into Landforged Walker

[Urpriest]

Landforged Walker requires Survival 8. Archivists don't have Survival as a class skill, but they're the only divine casting class that doesn't base spells per day on a stat that Warforged have a penalty to, plus they have other advantages. Is there any way for an Archivist to get in to Landforged Walker without delaying entry or losing caster levels? A prestige class that can be entered before sixth level and that gives Survival as a class skill would be ideal. A feat is less helpful, but workable.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Ruathar (Races of the Wild) gives 4 base skill points, Survival, and +1 caster level.
Sentinel of Bharrai (Book of Exalted Deeds) gives 4 base skill points, Survival, Track, and +1 caster level.
Stormlord (Complete Divine) gives 2 base skill points, Survival, +1 caster level, and electricity resistance 5. The prerequisites are painful.

[Urpriest]

Ruathar (Races of the Wild) gives 4 base skill points, Survival, and +1 caster level.
Sentinel of Bharrai (Book of Exalted Deeds) gives 4 base skill points, Survival, Track, and +1 caster level.

Can't enter without five levels of casting, so delays entry. A good choice if I have to settle, but not what I'm looking for.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Can't enter without five levels of casting, so delays entry. A good choice if I have to settle, but not what I'm looking for.

Oh, that's what "before sixth level" referred to? Well, that simplifies things quite a bit...
http://community.wizards.com/go/thre...Lists_of_Stuff
"Early Entry Prestige Classes"

Signs are pointing to no, but I'm still checking.

EDIT: The closest I could find is the Jaunter (Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, with Adaptation), but the Spring Attack requirement can't be met early enough with a caster.

[Forged Fury]

You'd have to be, what, minimum 5th level Archivist to enter at CL6 for Ruathar? If you invest max skill points into Survival at all Archivist levels and plug all four base skill points at 6th level into Survival, you'd be eligible for Landforged Walker. Reflavor for Xen'drik Drow and it could work well.

I can't think of many PRCs that are early entry that you would be eligible for that would grant Survival and not lose CL. Stoneblessed gets you Survival early but loses CL.

[vampire2948]

Taking the Able Learner feat would turn survival into a class skill for you.

But you asked for a non-feat... so.. I've no idea. Apologies.

Vampy,

I lie.

Ignore me.

Vampy,

[Foryn Gilnith]

Since there are pretty much no prestige classes that fit your criteria, and the few that you might be able to finagle require feats, we might as well give you helpful feats. The only one that immediately comes to mind is Apprentice: Woodsman (DMG2).
EDIT: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boa...p?topic=6832.0
Skill Knowledge from Unearthed Arcana would grant you Survival, no-frills. If you could grab Draconic Heritage (RotD) somehow, that would work.

[Antonok]

Could always talk to your DM and see if he'd let you trade 2 of your class skills for Survival. My group has done that before as a last resort option.

[Forged Fury]

The only one that immediately comes to mind is Apprentice: Woodsman (DMG2).

That would make for an interesting background considering a race of warforged (hello, Tin Man!).

[Urpriest]

Since there are pretty much no prestige classes that fit your criteria, and the few that you might be able to finagle require feats, we might as well give you helpful feats. The only one that immediately comes to mind is Apprentice: Woodsman (DMG2).
EDIT: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boa...p?topic=6832.0
Skill Knowledge from Unearthed Arcana would grant you Survival, no-frills. If you could grab Draconic Heritage (RotD) somehow, that would work.

Apprentice: Woodsman has the difficulty that it could not be taken along with Ironwood Body without flaws, requiring the less effective/interesting Skill Focus(Knowledge:Nature). It's an ok way to make the character, I suppose I was just looking for a better option.

[Endarire]

Unearthed Arcana 81 has the Skill Knowledge feat to make one skill always a class skill for you.

[nedz]

If you can get the Travel or Weather Domain, possibly by taking 1 level of cleric, then you can have survival as a class skill.

Bronze Draconic Heritage (CArc p77) Grants Survival as a class skill.

There are a couple of Dragon Magazine Feats - if these are canon for you

Flexible Mind (DR326 p80) Requires Chaotic alignment
Two skills which you have ranks in are always in-class for you from now on and receive a +1 bonus.
Chaotic Aura equal to Character level.

Seafarer (DR337 p96)
— Profession (sailor) and Survival are always class skills for you.
+2 bonus to Profession (sailor) checks.
+2 bonus to Survival checks while on a ship or boat.

[dgnslyr]

A feat is less helpful, but workable.

A feat would seem the simplest solution, but less desirable for your build. I'm curious, just how feat-starved is this build?

[Urpriest]

A feat would seem the simplest solution, but less desirable for your build. I'm curious, just how feat-starved is this build?

In this case, since the character is going into PrCs anyway, the class features from archivist aren't too high priority, so using a PrC to get the skill is less of an investment than using a feat.

Using a feat is otherwise fine, but most of the feats that do the job require first level, and it would be nice to be able to use Ironwood Body to qualify for Landforged Walker rather than using Skill Focus, which for a feat like Apprentice(woodsman) would require flaws, which I can't count on. So feats are fine, but the more obvious examples have some drawbacks.