[3.5] Concentration

[Thurbane]

Concentration – what’s it good for, besides casting spells? I know some ToB moves involve a Concentration check, but what other listed uses are there for Concentration, outside of spellcasting? Is there a list compiled anywhere?

Cheers - T

[dextercorvia]

Gaining a psionic focus.

[Gabe the Bard]

You can use concentration to make a skill check defensively and avoid an attack of opportunity, but we've never really used it that way in our group. I think it has come up on rare occasions when someone needed to make a skill check in a very stressful situation.

[jpreem]

If your skill check gets ruined by taking damage or other distractions you must make a concentration check or fail the check. ( Picking a chest lock in a boat that is on a stormy sea perhaps)

[Totally Guy]

I once played a Monk on a dungeon crawl who encountered a floor of hot coals. I said that I would walk across it using concentration to mentally shield myself.

That was awesome. The GM said it was very creative to use the skill that way.

Another time I was a wizard in a weird Inception like situation inside a mage's head. We were standing on water and we couldn't break the surface, which was totally solid, with magic or antimagic. But a monster had come out of the water and dragged one of our party down.

After trying everything I said that the world we were in was based on belief. I would concentrate on becoming my own reflection in the surface of the water. The GM let me try and it worked! So it was me, upside down fighting against the fish monster to rescue my buddy. That was good too! But I guess it only works if you're inside the brain of a crazy mage.

[Ernir]

The Kensai (Complete Warrior) gets a few uses for the skill.

EDIT: But yeah, aside from maneuvers and "doing difficult things under distracting circumstances", there's not much in the rules...

[Zanticor]

I use it as my fortitude save once a day! This works trough the use of my headband of conscious effort (p. 109 MIC). Nice for every wizard.

[Moginheden]

if you want you can make skill checks do all sorts of things, you just need to explain them.

trying to listen to a conversation across the room but your listen skill sucks? use concentration to block out the other noises and reduce the listen check's DC.

trying to avoid damage from a swinging blade trap you already know about? concentrate on the motion of the blades to reduce the reflex DC.

this kind of thing depends heavily on your DM as they arn't in the rules anywhere I'm aware of.

If you want official extended uses look in complete scoundrel for the skill tricks section. They are basically a feat you buy for 2 skill points whenever you level up.

[Thurbane]

Cool - nice pick up on Kensai and Headband of Conscious Effort.

What exactly are the maneuvres in ToB that use Concentration?

[Greenish]

What exactly are the maneuvres in ToB that use Concentration?

Diamond Mind stuff, namely the saves replacements, Nightmare Blade series and Insightful Strikes.

[Heliomance]

Most of Diamond Mind.

[Greenish]

Most of Diamond Mind.

8/22, to be exact.

[stabbitty death]

8/22, to be exact.

4/11 you forgot to simplify

[Greenish]

4/11 you forgot to simplify

I have been out-nitpicked.

[true_shinken]

I have been out-nitpicked.

I'm surprised.

[Greenish]

I'm surprised.

It's the Christmas carols, they're getting me.

It's beginning to look a lot like fish-men…