Feat that makes a skill a class skill

[Icewalker]

Described pretty well by the title. Is there a feat or something similar that makes a skill a class skill? I can't find one, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't.

[Meat Shield]

Well there's Able Learner, even though it doesn't technically make a skill a class skill, it makes all skills cost one point - you still have the limit on cross class skill points.

[Jack_Simth]

Described pretty well by the title. Is there a feat or something similar that makes a skill a class skill? I can't find one, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't.

Martial Study, from The Tome of Battle:Book of 9 Swords does that - sort of. You get one specific skill, chosen from a list of the ones available from the disciplines (Tumble for Desert Wind, Intimidate for Devoted Spirit, Concentration for Diamond Mind, Balance for Iron Heart, Sense Motive for Setting Sun, Hide for Shadow Hand, Balance for Stone Dragon, Jump for Tiger Claw, or Diplomacy for White Raven). As a bonus, you also get a single martial maneuver (which can be handy).

There's also the Apprentice feats in ... was it the PHB II or the DMG II? Ah well, either way.

[Rei_Jin]

Depends what skill you're talking about.

There are a range of feats that do various things for skills in terms of cost. Able Learner from Races of Destiny is one of the best, but it works best when using a multi-class character, and is pretty much human specific. Whilst it doesn't make a skill a class skill, it makes them only cost 1 rank instead of two when cross-classed, but you still only have the maximum ranks according to your cross-class max ranks.

Guerilla Warrior and Guerilla Scout from Heroes of Battle will help with Spot/Listen and Hide/Move Silently respectively by making them only cost 1 rank instead of two when cross-classed, but you still only have the maximum ranks according to your cross-class max ranks.

Cosmopolitan from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting will give you a +2 bonus to a specific skill, and allow you to treat it as a class skill from there on.

[Icewalker]

What I'm specifically looking for is an easy way to give a Paladin 8 ranks in Hide and Move Silently by 5th level.

[Anxe]

You could always just make a feat up and have your DM approve it.

[Icewalker]

Well, if there isn't one I'll homebrew it. Seems like a perfectly reasonable, rather vital, and useful feat...

Sounds like Cosmopolitan does that and tacks a +2 onto it.

[Zeta Kai]

What I'm specifically looking for is an easy way to give a Paladin 8 ranks in Hide and Move Silently by 5th level.

Why, pray tell, do you wish to do this? I would guess that you want to qualify for a prestige class, but which one?

[Icewalker]

One which I'm making...

...Based on Dark Templar.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Why, pray tell, do you wish to do this? I would guess that you want to qualify for a prestige class, but which one?

Probably Grey Guard or one of the others. There's a Paladin/Rogue PrC, I just can't remember what.

[Douglas]

Sadly, Cosmopolitan got nerfed in the Player's Guide to Faerun and merely gives +2 to three specific skills.

Hide is easy, just take Martial Study for a Shadow Hand maneuver of your choice. Move Silently will, I think, require either homebrew or multiclassing. What race is your character, and would you be willing to take a single level in another class?

[Kaihaku]

There's another one but unfortunately it has an alignment requirement and is from Dragon. Personally, in a campaign of mine I'd probably take off the alignment requirement and say any skill save UMD.

Flexible Mind [Anarchic]
(DRAGON 326 p80)
Requirements: Chaotic alignment
Mechanics: Choose two skills that you have ranks in. These skills are always in-class for you from now on. Both skills also receive a +1 bonus.
You gain a Chaotic Aura equal to your Character level. It can discerned by Detect Chaos spell or ability.

[CASTLEMIKE]

DMG Apprentice feat could do the trick just make a new Mentor type with the right skills.

[Icewalker]

I'm surprised to find that there isn't a simple 'cross class skill now class skill' feat. I'll go make one.

[Anxe]

Probably Grey Guard or one of the others. There's a Paladin/Rogue PrC, I just can't remember what.

It's Shadowbane Inquisitor. I always refer to it as the Paladin Assassin class.

[Icewalker]

Done!

Easy enough. Made it so it can't be abused with UMD either.

[BobVosh]

There is a two feat combo in Races of destiny that makes all skills basically class skills. Able learner and...if I were not at work I could tell you the other one.

[Triaxx]

I went with simply house-ruling that any skill you take Skill Focus for, becomes a class-skill. Depending on how far we were going, I either left or removed the +3 bonus.

[Eldariel]

I suggest Apprentice. It gets you just the right number of class skills (two) and since Move Silently and Hide are so intertwined, it's very easy to come up with a tutor who would've taught you both (perhaps you were trained by some Rogue before you did a 180, or maybe you've trained under some Elven Rangers or some such).

[Albonor]

I also went with Skill focus. Simple yet still far from power attack or the metamagic ones...

[Talic]

Human Rogue 1/Paladin 4 could do it. Able learner if you want it a bit cheaper.

If you want to optimize a bit more, Human Rogue 3/Paladin 2 would fit too.

[Ascension]

I'm surprised to find that there isn't a simple 'cross class skill now class skill' feat. I'll go make one.

There is in KotOR, which is more or less based on the d20 Star Wars system. I actually played KotOR prior to playing 3.5 D&D, and I was shocked by the absence of such a feat. Especially when some of the class skill lists are so stupidly limiting.

[Yakk]

Described pretty well by the title. Is there a feat or something similar that makes a skill a class skill? I can't find one, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't.

In the latest Dragon, there are backgrounds that make 1 or 2 skills class skills, and give untyped bonuses to them. A single feat can give training in a skill -- a feat that made a skill a class skill would be seriously underpowered. I suppose homebrewing one that gave you 2 skills with a +1 feat bonus each both as class skills might be reasonable (Possibly with the requirement that the character take it at 1st level).

[Thurbane]

The simplest option is the one that always seems to get over looked: Skill Knowledge (UA)

http://dndsrd.net/unearthedAlternativeSkills.html

SKILL KNOWLEDGE [GENERAL]
You gain access to new knowledge and abilities.
Benefit: Choose any two skills from one of your current classes' skill lists. You now know these skills as class skills.

Special: Instead of choosing two class skills, you may choose one cross-class skill (whether you already know it or not) and learn it, treating it as a class skill from that point forward.

[nargbop]

There are a number of not-very-fun feats that give you a couple class skills : City Slicker from Races of Destiny, Ecclesiarch and Education from Ebberon, and Draconic Heritage from Complete Arcane.

Able Learner does NOT increase the max number of cross-class skills.

I would write this character as starting as Rogue or Factotum and becoming a Paladin shortly after. I like skill points.

[Person_Man]

Martial Study (Shadow Hand) will give you Hide.
Draconic Heritage (Green) from Complete Arcane will give you Move Silently. (It's also a good go to for several other Skills, including Hide, but you can only take it once).

Done.

[Douglas]

Draconic Heritage (Green) from Complete Arcane will give you Move Silently. (It's also a good go to for several other Skills, including Hide, but you can only take it once).

Sadly, Draconic Heritage requires a level in Sorcerer.

[Eldariel]

Dragontouched-feat works too. Of course, then you're burning 3 feats on two skills, which is way more than the skills are worth.

[Darrin]

Flexible Mind [Anarchic]
(DRAGON 326 p80)
Requirements: Chaotic alignment
Mechanics: Choose two skills that you have ranks in. These skills are always in-class for you from now on. Both skills also receive a +1 bonus.
You gain a Chaotic Aura equal to your Character level. It can discerned by Detect Chaos spell or ability.

This would work for a Paladin of Freedom (CG).

There's one other way to pick up Hide. Planar Touchstone feat, use the Catalogues of Enlightenment to get the Trickery domain power. This adds bluff, disguise, and hide to your cleric class skills... of which you don't have any, so it would still be cross-cass for a paladin.

I prefer Martial Study, though, particularly if you wait until ECL 6. Your IL = 3, so you can pick up Cloak of Deception (swift action to become invisible for 1 round).

[Person_Man]

Sadly, Draconic Heritage requires a level in Sorcerer.

Whoops. You're right. I played a Sorcerer who used it, and forgot that it was a pre-req.

Also, its worth mentioning that you could take a level of Ranger or Fighter variant to get both as class Skills without ruining your BAB. Paladin 5 grants you a mount, but it will soon suck unless the PrC you have in mind progresses its HD and abilities. So Paladin 4/Whatever 1 is just as good.