I'm wondering whats the highest spellcraft dc you can beat at level 6 for the purpose of crafting magical items?
With 22 Int (20 Int + 2 from Headband)
Magical Aptitude
Skill Focus (Spellcraft)
You can have a +22 Spellcraft at level 6.
Add Arcane builder to bring it to +26 for a specific type of magical item.
You could probably get it higher, but that should be a good start.
I think your math is off, Cheburn. 6 skill ranks + 6 Int mod + 3 trained + 5 from feats +4 Arcane Builder gets you +24. It's up to your GM whether this is allowed, but if you have a familiar or similarly trained, close companion, Aid Another might apply here as well. That can make it +26. It's also worth noting that there's no reason you can't take 10 on this skill, so you could easily hit a 36 Spellcraft DC without fail. That's the equivalent of fast-crafting a CL 16 item on which you're missing two prereqs.
Masterwork Spellcraft Tools would add a +2 circumstance bonus to the check for 50gp
Also, an item such as an Armillary Amulet gives you a +5 competence bonus on Spellcraft for 2,500gp
I think your math is off, Cheburn. 6 skill ranks + 6 Int mod + 3 trained + 5 from feats +4 Arcane Builder gets you +24. It's up to your GM whether this is allowed, but if you have a familiar or similarly trained, close companion, Aid Another might apply here as well. That can make it +26. It's also worth noting that there's no reason you can't take 10 on this skill, so you could easily hit a 36 Spellcraft DC without fail. That's the equivalent of fast-crafting a CL 16 item on which you're missing two prereqs.
D'oh, forgot I had included the Theoretical Magician trait from Cheliax, which gives an extra +2 Spellcraft.
Masterwork Spellcraft Tools would add a +2 circumstance bonus to the check for 50gp
Also, an item such as an Armillary Amulet gives you a +5 competence bonus on Spellcraft for 2,500gp
My understanding was that it was Craft skill checks that allowed the use of such tools. For example, a masterwork anvil and hammers for Craft(blacksmith). Do you have an example of such tools for Spellcraft, say from Ultimate Equipment or something? Because, as powerful as that skill is, the lack of ready examples of such tools seems to suggest there shouldn't be such a thing.
My understanding was that it was Craft skill checks that allowed the use of such tools. For example, a masterwork anvil and hammers for Craft(blacksmith). Do you have an example of such tools for Spellcraft, say from Ultimate Equipment or something? Because, as powerful as that skill is, the lack of ready examples of such tools seems to suggest there shouldn't be such a thing.Masterwork Spellcraft Tools would add a +2 circumstance bonus to the check for 50gp
Also, an item such as an Armillary Amulet gives you a +5 competence bonus on Spellcraft for 2,500gp
The Core Rulebook says:
Tool, Masterwork: This well-made item is the perfect tool for the job. It grants a +2 circumstance bonus on a related skill check (if any). Bonuses provided by multiple masterwork items do not stack.
It does say "on a related skill check", but does not specify a Craft check.
Several non-craft checks already have their own version of masterwork tools (Climb, Disguise, Heal, and Appraise, for example). And there is a separate listing for Masterwork Artisans Tools, which specifically calls out their use for Craft checks. So the Masterwork Tool entry must be for non-craft skills that don't have their own separate tool listing.
The Core Rulebook says:
Tool, Masterwork: This well-made item is the perfect tool for the job. It grants a +2 circumstance bonus on a related skill check (if any). Bonuses provided by multiple masterwork items do not stack.It does say "on a related skill check", but does not specify a Craft check.
Several non-craft checks already have their own version of masterwork tools (Climb, Disguise, Heal, and Appraise, for example). And there is a separate listing for Masterwork Artisans Tools, which specifically calls out their use for Craft checks. So the Masterwork Tool entry must be for non-craft skills that don't have their own separate tool listing.
Fair point. My alchemist in our Carrion Crown game did have a set of masterwork silver surgeon's tools, in case of necessary werewolf surgery. So odd-ball skill tools are possible. But so far these have all very much been cases of a physical implement (scalpel) aiding with a skill check on a corporeal object (a patient). Using the Craft(blacksmithing) example from earlier, the implement is a hammer and it's used on, among other things, unworked metal. How exactly do you have such an implement that works for Spellcraft? It seems to make about as much sense as masterwork tools for Knowledge or Sense Motive checks.
For Knowledge skills the masterwork tool might take the form of a reference manual or encyclopedia.
For spellcraft, something that lists known methods of spellcasting and common spell components (for identifying spells), common indicators to use when determining magical item properties (Shock weapons tingle when held, healing potions taste of peppermint), and known recipes for special materials (use trolls blood when making healing items, salamander hearts for flame enchantments, etc).
Just because its called a "tool" doesn't mean it has to be something like a hammer. Reference books are tools too. Ultimate equipment has some of those, such as the Footprint Book.
This 50-page tome contains accurate drawings of common animal, humanoid, and monster tracks, as well as notes on stride length, tread depth, and similarly useful information. The book gives you a +2 circumstance bonus to identify a creature by its tracks, though the use of shoes makes identifying many humanoids difficult or impossible. Though the book can't help you identify unique individuals, it can help you tell an ogre's footprint from a troll's footprint, or an elf's track from an orc's. Books sold in different areas may have different footprints, depending on what creatures are common to that location.
For Knowledge skills the masterwork tool might take the form of a reference manual or encyclopedia.
For spellcraft, something that lists known methods of spellcasting and common spell components (for identifying spells), common indicators to use when determining magical item properties, known recipes for special materials (use trolls blood when making healing items, salamander hearts for flame enchantments, etc).
Just because its called a "tool" doesn't mean it has to be something like a hammer. Reference books are tools too.
So, in my search through the pfsrd to see if a spyglass counted as a masterwork tool for Perception checks, I stumbled across this, the full description for masterwork tools (bolded for emphasis):
This tool is perfect for its intended job. It grants a +2 circumstance bonus on a related skill check (if any). The bonuses provided by multiple masterwork items do not stack.
Several common items already count as masterwork tools for particular skills. These are the alchemist's lab, climber's kit, disguise kit, healer's kit, masterwork musical instrument, and masterwork thieves' tools. Therefore, there is no masterwork climber's kit, masterwork healer's kit, and so on—those items are already the best available for general checks with the relevant skill.
Some skills have no appropriate tool or masterwork tool—no non-magical item exists that grants a bonus for all uses of that skill. For example, just because a certain perfume is favored by local nobles (granting a +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks to influence them) doesn't mean that perfume has the same effect on a member of the thieves' guild, a foreign berserker, or a medusa. Likewise, just because a fake beard woven by dwarves out of the beards of famous dwarves may grant a +2 circumstance bonus on Use Magic Device checks to emulate the dwarven race doesn't mean the beard has any effect on using that skill to activate elven items or paladin items, or to decipher a written spell.
Individual GMs may want to allow masterwork tools for other skills at the listed cost. The circumstance bonus for such a tool should never be more than +2. The tool should either have a limited number of uses (such as the disguise and healer's kits) or only apply to certain aspects of the skill (such as the balancing pole's bonus on Acrobatics checks to traverse a narrow surface or the magnifying glass's bonus on Appraise checks for detailed items).
While it doesn't precisely spell it all out for us, it seems that some of the more exotic skill uses, such as UMD, are not supposed to have general-purpose tools. So, pretty much anything for UMD, Spellcraft, and other skills not listed in the CRB and UE appears to be homebrew content. Which is all well and good, I was just wondering if there was something in Ultimate Equipment I missed my first couple times through.
Spam Aid Another for an arbitrarily high bonus, limited by SC being trained-only. Realistically, if you have another 4 PCs in the party, the casters (cleric, bard?) should be trained and can expect to make DC10. The others will be untrained or unlucky. So let's say +4 more.
Also, Sage Sorcerers get +2 Spellcraft and Knowledge: Arcana.
So, 22 Int, 6 ranks, Theoretical Magician trait, Skill Focus, Magical Aptitude, Armillary Amulet, Bloodline Arcana = 6 + 6 ( + 3 ) + 2 + 3 + 2 + 5 + 2 = +29.
If we want to get the biggest boost from classes, it looks like going Sage Sorcerer 1, Magician Bard 4, Pathfinder Savant 1 will grant +2, +2, +1 to Spellcraft, respectively. That will change the total to a +32.
And of course Aid Another bonuses could get ridiculously high fast, especially with Helpful Halflings and the like.