Jumplomancer? Basket weaving?

[laeZ1]

Nobody in my gaming group (including myself) knows exactly what a jumplomancer is, but it seems to be pretty common knowledge on the playground. Does anybody have a link to a thread where it was already discussed? Or give me a quick rundown on what rules/books/feats/magical items are needed to break the jump skill? I remember somebody mentioning that you can use jump to add more damage to an attack, this makes sense to me but I don't remember it in the PHB. The only table I remember is the DCs for different heights.

So long as we're on how skills are broken, I've heard about basketweaving. I know I may regret asking this, but how is basketweaving a broken skill?

[Novawurmson]

They're both TO (Theoretical Optimization)/Joke builds.

Edit: Here's an explanation of Jumplomancy.

[Vauron]

Nobody in my gaming group (including myself) knows exactly what a jumplomancer is, but it seems to be pretty common knowledge on the playground. Does anybody have a link to a thread where it was already discussed? Or give me a quick rundown on what rules/books/feats/magical items are needed to break the jump skill? I remember somebody mentioning that you can use jump to add more damage to an attack, this makes sense to me but I don't remember it in the PHB. The only table I remember is the DCs for different heights.

So long as we're on how skills are broken, I've heard about basketweaving. I know I may regret asking this, but how is basketweaving a broken skill?

As far as Jump to damage is concerned, this is all that comes to mind. I believe that Jumplomancer refers in part to the Exemplar's class feature that lets them use a different skill of their choice to make diplomacy checks.

Basket-weaving is just a silly joke, however.

[CyMage]

As for the Jump being used to increase damage of an attack, there are several feats that use it, though Leap Attack is the big one.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Nobody in my gaming group (including myself) knows exactly what a jumplomancer is, but it seems to be pretty common knowledge on the playground. Does anybody have a link to a thread where it was already discussed? Or give me a quick rundown on what rules/books/feats/magical items are needed to break the jump skill? I remember somebody mentioning that you can use jump to add more damage to an attack, this makes sense to me but I don't remember it in the PHB. The only table I remember is the DCs for different heights.

So long as we're on how skills are broken, I've heard about basketweaving. I know I may regret asking this, but how is basketweaving a broken skill?

Jump increasing attack/damage comes mostly from the feat leap attack in complete adventurer, though there are a few others.

This has nothing to do with the jumplomancer. The jumplomancer is an alternative version of the diplomancer (a build that focuses on getting diplomacy obscenely high so that you make friends with everything instead of killing it) It's based on a supplemental rule that says you can adjust the attitude of NPC's as though you made a diplomacy check with some impressive display of another skill, though I don't remember exactly which source the rule is in. Jump is easier to pimp than diplomacy, though only just, and as such makes the DC's to improve NPC's attitudes to fanatical devotion that much more trivial.

[Telonius]

Nobody in my gaming group (including myself) knows exactly what a jumplomancer is, but it seems to be pretty common knowledge on the playground. Does anybody have a link to a thread where it was already discussed? Or give me a quick rundown on what rules/books/feats/magical items are needed to break the jump skill? I remember somebody mentioning that you can use jump to add more damage to an attack, this makes sense to me but I don't remember it in the PHB. The only table I remember is the DCs for different heights.

So long as we're on how skills are broken, I've heard about basketweaving. I know I may regret asking this, but how is basketweaving a broken skill?

Jumplomancer has already been explained. There are a few non-PHB places where Jump checks can help you with your attacks. Many of the Tiger Claw maneuvers from Tome of Battle involve making Jump checks vs. the opponent's AC in place of attacks, to do a bunch of extra damage.

The Leap Attack feat (from Complete Adventurer) lets you do double extra Power Attack damage, if you jump at least 10 feet horizontal to end a Charge. Combined with Shock Trooper, it's a pretty standard feat for Charge builds.

[Darius Kane]

This has nothing to do with the jumplomancer. The jumplomancer is an alternative version of the diplomancer (a build that focuses on getting diplomacy obscenely high so that you make friends with everything instead of killing it) It's based on a supplemental rule that says you can adjust the attitude of NPC's as though you made a diplomacy check with some impressive display of another skill, though I don't remember exactly which source the rule is in. Jump is easier to pimp than diplomacy, though only just, and as such makes the DC's to improve NPC's attitudes to fanatical devotion that much more trivial.

I think you mean the Exemplar prc and it's class feature that allows it to make a Diplomacy check (to influance NPCs) using a different skill. It's called Persuasive Performance.

[Kelb_Panthera]

I think you mean the Exemplar prc and it's class feature that allows it to make a Diplomacy check using a different skill.

A class feature of a PrC in a splat is a supplemental rule.

It's not what one usually means by the phrase "supplemental rule" but it's still technically accurate.

Besides, I did say I couldn't remember exactly where it was from.

[Darius Kane]

I didn't say you where wrong.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Basket-weaving is a trick to break WBL. Technically, you can do it with any Craft skill, but basket-weaving and underwater basket-weaving are popular for it.

[kitcik]

A tangent since it has not been mentioned: the big damage-producing, jump-related feat is Battle Jump (which is included in the Hood build referenced above).

[ThiagoMartell]

A tangent since it has not been mentioned: the big damage-producing, jump-related feat is Battle Jump (which is included in the Hood build referenced above).

And it comes with heavy RP/background requirements which are usually ignored.

[kitcik]

And it comes with heavy RP/background requirements which are usually ignored.

If you are not playing a Forgotten Realms campaign, that is correct.

If you ARE, then read on...

Battle Jump is a regional feat from the Taer region.

Rules quote (emphasis added):

"The feats specific to characters of the
region. Regional feats are usually exclusive to characters who
choose a preferred class in a particular region. However, a
character with 2 ranks in Knowledge (local) pertaining to a
region qualifies to select regional feats from that region."

[Answerer]

And it comes with heavy RP/background requirements which are usually ignored.

Heavy? It's a regional feat. The only requirement is that you simply be from the listed region.

And since that region is in Faerun, if you're not playing Forgotten Realms, they're meaningless. A DM can, of course, ban setting-specific material (or non-setting-specific material for that matter), but the majority of DMs will allow it and simply waive prerequisites that become nonsensical.

It's not like being from that region is a mechanical hardship that turns the requirement into some major balancing factor. It's literally just "write down on your sheet that you are from here." It might affect the character's backstory and motivations and how they roleplay -- and I do not mean to downplay that -- but for the purposes of discussing optimization tricks, it's hardly a deal-breaker.

If you wanted to say Vow of Peace or Lolth-touched have heavy RP/background requirements, then I'll buy it. But Battle Jump? It doesn't even make sense that only people from Taer know how to jump on people in the first place.

[Venger]

It doesn't even make sense that only people from Taer know how to jump on people in the first place.

no, it doesn't. back then they wanted to just make sure that you were limited to 1 regional feat.

but as you said, I've never met anyone who actually enforced this for battlejump.

basketweaving/underwater basketweaving is also occasionally used (thought not as much) as a shorthand for a joke about the strange things that monsters sometimes have ranks in (elder brain's disguise check, or petal's craft (flower arranging) for example) since the points are assigned more or less at random

[laeZ1]

Basket-weaving is a trick to break WBL. Technically, you can do it with any Craft skill, but basket-weaving and underwater basket-weaving are popular for it.

What does WBL stand for?

[GreenSerpent]

And as for the Assplomancer...

[kitcik]

What does WBL stand for?

Wealth by level guidelines.

In other words you can craft stuff and sell it for money, duh. You can also break stuff and sell pieces of it for more money than the original was worth. D&D rules!

Back to Battle Jump, I am playing FR and my DM enfocred the rule (as I would expect), so I simply took the 2 knowledge ranks (even though they were cross class and I am non-human with low Int). It was well worth it...

[Stegyre]

What does WBL stand for?

Wealth By Level: the amount of wealth characters should have (in equipment, gold, consumables, etc.) at each character level.

EDIT: beaten to the punch. That should teach me.

[Venger]

Wealth by level guidelines.

In other words you can craft stuff and sell it for money, duh. You can also break stuff and sell pieces of it for more money than the original was worth. D&D rules!

Back to Battle Jump, I am playing FR and my DM enfocred the rule (as I would expect), so I simply took the 2 knowledge ranks (even though they were cross class and I am non-human with low Int). It was well worth it...

ah the infamous ladder/pole thing.

quarterstaves are also an offender since, due to the crafting formula, you can make infinite quarterstaves in absolutely no time at all. you can't profit from it, but you can instantly destroy anything made of wood.

[Eldariel]

ah the infamous ladder/pole thing.

quarterstaves are also an offender since, due to the crafting formula, you can make infinite quarterstaves in absolutely no time at all. you can't profit from it, but you can instantly destroy anything made of wood.

Components for making quarterstaff cost nothing. Ergo you can make an infinite number of quarterstaves in no time, among others enabling you to drown people in them and stuff.

[Dusk Eclipse]

And as for the Assplomancer...

Arseplomancer.... and it uses the same trick as the Jumplomancer but using the epic DC for escape artist which include squeezing through an opening 2 inches thick (for Medium characters the DC is 80). Now think about the name a bit and

[KillianHawkeye]

basketweaving/underwater basketweaving is also occasionally used (thought not as much) as a shorthand for a joke about the strange things that monsters sometimes have ranks in (elder brain's disguise check, or petal's craft (flower arranging) for example) since the points are assigned more or less at random

But Elder Brain doesn't have any ranks in Disguise....

[Dusk Eclipse]

But Elder Brain doesn't have any ranks in Disguise....

I think Thoon Elder Brains might...

Thoon is all and All is Thoon

[KillianHawkeye]

I think Thoon Elder Brains might...

Lemme check...

still NO. Not even listed.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

Basket weaving is also used as joke filler when laying out builds putting skill ranks that aren't needed for PrC qualifications or for important mechanical benefits into craft (basketweaving) and spending "open feats" on skill focus Basketweaving, Improved Basketweaving and Underwater Basketweaving. Basically, it's forum code for "whatever".

[Eldariel]

Basket weaving is also used as joke filler when laying out builds putting skill ranks that aren't needed for PrC qualifications or for important mechanical benefits into craft (basketweaving) and spending "open feats" on skill focus Basketweaving, Improved Basketweaving and Underwater Basketweaving. Basically, it's forum code for "whatever".

Also, it's chosen because it's a real skill named in official material (it's mentioned once in "Beget Bogun" Druid-spell) as opposed to the infinite random Professions, Crafts and Performs you can come up with.

[Analytica]

Battle Jump is a regional feat from the Taer region.

Taer? As in those yeti-like apes of the Unapproachable East?

And the Escape Artist one was called the Spelunker, and IIRC involved things like not only making enemies who saw your amazing orifical contortionist tricks becoming instantly fanatically loyal to you, but also hiding other party members in strange places to smuggle them into situations.

[Answerer]

Taer? As in those yeti-like apes of the Unapproachable East?

Taer is a region. There may be yeti-like apes living there, but the feat has no racial restrictions.

[Draz74]

[Regional] status aside, the Battle Jump feat is horribly written, requiring a lot of DM interpretation to determine when it does and doesn't apply.