How high can you reasonably get your perception modifier?
I don't want a stupidly gimped character that is useless. I just want to be the guy that notices nearly everything.
Shapeshifter Ranger (APG 126-128), Form of the Eagle for blessing, cast Aspect of the Falcon.
Perception is a class skill so a 4th level ranger built for this would have:
4 ranks + 3 class skill + Wisdom modifier (needs at least +1 to do this at 4th) +10 from blessing + 3 from spell.
Then you can add all the normal magic items and such.
It wouldn't last long, but you would have it. Adding in Skill Focus (perception) would increase it more.
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An inquisitor will do it. They have solid a solid wisdom score and get perception as a class skill. With their sense motive bonus, you'll notice people acting strange etc too.
If you want to be that much better at low levels, be a race that gives the extra +2. A half-elf gets both that and skill focus as a bonus feat.
It's not something that you really need to build a character around.
Half elves get a skill focus feat for free at first level AND get a +2 to perception. That's +5 right there before you even make a class. If you choose one with Perception as a class skill, and that uses Wisdom, you could easily have a +10 at first level.
Anybody can get perception as a class skill by selecting one of the traits that provides it. Wizards get alertness from their familiar, another +2. Elves have keen senses for another +2. Some familiars give specific perception bonuses. Skill focus (perception) is a thing.
There are many ways to boost it.
Well the best in the game AFAIK is a Feather subdomain druid. Grab Eyes of the Eagle, if you want to go overboard you can take Skill Focus.
The Ranger's +10 bonus is nice, but it is rounds per day. The druid's bonus is always-on, which is definitely what you want for Perception checks since you'll be making so many of them.
Clerics can get perception as a class skill by taking the Revelation subdomain.
Half elf monk will be the easiest to pump without doing crazy stuff to the build.
+2 keen senses
+3 skill focus
+3 class skill
+4 attribute
+1 skill rank
That's +13 at first level. Go where you want from there.
Alchemist with elixir of vision and alchemical allocation (+10 to perception for 1 hour and is reusable)
add that to stuff above and BAM! you are percepting all the things.
Edit: the elixir is only 250gp btw
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Leaving out spells and magic items.
Skill Focus +3(+6 w/10 ranks), Alertness +2
Several races get Keen Senses +2, Sharp Senses (feat) increase racial keen senses to +4.
Traits that give class skills usually give a +1 to that skill as well.
So at first level a Half-elf can get a +7 before class skill bonus and wisdom mods. Of course this is spending most of your first level feats.
Well the best in the game AFAIK is a Feather subdomain druid. Grab Eyes of the Eagle, if you want to go overboard you can take Skill Focus.
The Ranger's +10 bonus is nice, but it is rounds per day. The druid's bonus is always-on, which is definitely what you want for Perception checks since you'll be making so many of them.
Depends on the situation.
If you are trying to wander through a yeti-infested snow covered mountain you really need it at all times. In that case, a character with Feather Domain may have a better perception depending on how they allocated their skill ranks. The automatic bonus per level is sweet. Cleric isn't likely to have enough skill ranks, but the other classes that get domains could.
If the enemy wizard just went invisible and you need to find them NOW, the Shapeshifter ability is a swift action to activate and likely gives enough of a boost to figure out which square the invisible pest is in. The ranger does have enough skill ranks where it isn't that difficult to keep Perception maxed.
The feather domain doesn't give +10 until 20th level.
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Half elf monk will be the easiest to pump without doing crazy stuff to the build.
+2 keen senses
+3 skill focus
+3 class skill
+4 attribute
+1 skill rankThat's +13 at first level. Go where you want from there.
Spend your first leve feat on Alertness or Sharp Senses and this could be +15.
Spend a trait to get +1 and it goes to +16 at first level.
Any Wisdom class will have a good attribute mod for perception.
Not set on it, but I guess I was kinda leaning toward a general party buff caster. That way if use many of my feats and traits for perception, it will not much effect my spell casting.
Hmm... Ok, for the rather nebulous concept I have in mind, I don't like the only 2 skill points of the cleric. The 4 points of the druid or 6 of the inquisitor better matches what I'm looking for. Either could take a domain. I'm not sure either of those would make a good party buff caster though.
I never thought of the alchemist since it is int based. But the elixir more than makes up for it when really needed. Maybe an investigator rather than an alchemist. Will that work? Neither of those is really a party buff caster, but I might be able to think of something else.
I've run a couple of half-elves recently. I need some variety. So I think I will find one of the other races that gives keen senses. I had missed Sharp Senses. That will be a good one to add.
Monks do have decent skill points and want a high wisdom. I haven't run a monk since 2nd Ed. They get a pretty bad rep, but I might be able to make one work.
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Not set on it, but I guess I was kinda leaning toward a general party buff caster. That way if use many of my feats and traits for perception, it will not much effect my spell casting.
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Monks do have decent skill points and want a high wisdom. I haven't run a monk since 2nd Ed. They get a pretty bad rep, but I might be able to make one work.
If you want to combine the two options, a Monk with the Sensei and Qinggong archetypes works really well for this. You are a wisdom primary class, you have bardic performance to buff your allies, and you can grant barkskin, true strike, and other ki powers to your entire team at once.
I haven't seen a build like that. I may have to look into that this weekend.
Or you could play a druid.
I never thought of the alchemist since it is int based. But the elixir more than makes up for it when really needed. Maybe an investigator rather than an alchemist. Will that work? Neither of those is really a party buff caster, but I might be able to think of something else.
Either of those can be party buff if you get Infusions. This allows you to give away things like cure spells, Shield, Cat's Grace, Shield, Bull's Strength, Shield, See Invisibility and did I mention Shield?
Take a mix as you go attitude. Only mix up the ones you need for the next combat, then leave the others open so that after each combat you can mix up based on new data.
The pre-gen Quinn was quite strong when I saw it run.
I had a cleric with the feather sub-domain. You get half of your level as a bonus to perception. You also get fly and mass fly as domain spells.
In addition I also had eyes of the eagle. At level 10 I had somewhere close to a +30. Take a trait for perception also helps.
I made an Aasimar Paladin that had a wisdom of 16 (+2), a racial of +2 (Aasimar racial bonus), 1 skill rank, a trait (eyes and ears of the city (abadar)) that gave a bonus of +1 and make the skill a class skill for a whopping +9 at level 1. This basically made me extremely perceptive without investing unhealthy amounts of recources. Basically just a trait and a skill rank.
It's not impossible to surprise me, but it sure is difficult.
Don't forget that skill-boosting items in PF are stoooooopid cheap.
1,250 gp for a +5 competence bonus? Once you're past very low levels, that's a better deal than burning a feat on it.
Humans can trade out the bonus feat for skill focus at level 1,8 and I think 15. put the first one in perception. If you get the infusion discovery the Alchemist can be a decent buffer. I was in a group with one and they can fill many roles. I would recommend the Grenadier archetype. The have a bad will save progression so that stat needs to be high anyways. Or the Wizard for all the reasons mentioned above. Just pick the buff spells.
Best of luck
Thanks for the ideas folks. Not 100% sure this is something I want to do, but I've got ideas to consider.
1) Max out skill ranks.
2) Make Perception a class skill
3) Take a race with Keen Senses
4) Sharp Senses feat (improves Keen Senses bonus to +4)
5) Eagle-Eyes feat (reduces distance penalties)
6) Alertness feat (+2 bonus to Perception skill, +4 once you have 10 ranks)
7) Skill Focus (Perception) feat (+3 bonus to Perception, +6 once you have 10 ranks)
8) Eyes of the Eagle magic item (+5 Perception)
9) Max out Wisdom ability
Good list easiest way to get almost all of it and still have a decent character?
Druid half elf with eagle domain.
Perception is a class skill+3
Gets keen senses +2
Gets free skill focus feat +3
Must have high Wisdom (lets assume 18 for +4)
Gets Hawk familiar (another +3)
Its a familiar so free alertness +2
1st level domain spell gives a bonus to perception and ranged attacks
Level 1 perception with 1 rank +18/ +20 if you're really trying also you're the most powerful class in the game and still have your feat.
I had a half-elf druid in my group, so simply high wisdom, skill focus, the racial +2 beat everything almost always.
It was a little bit frustrating for the GM and other players alike, so he shifted the skill focus to something else...
I think its more annoying when no one has the perception to catch something plus that level of perception is needed to take on the stealth levels of even the lowliest goblin rogue...
Racial bonus +2
Size bonus +4
+4 to dex meaning possible 22 to dex more likely a 20 for +5
class skill +3
That's a +15 stealth to start with, more with moderate equipment and a little trait bonus or condition bonus...
I think its more annoying when no one has the perception to catch something ...
I have been seeing this recently and it is what made me start to think about this character.
The same character should prolly own Sense motive, Survival, and Heal as they are all wisdom based skills and debatable as absolutely necessary.
Basically the party Wisdom is just as needed as the party Face
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Basically the party Wisdom is just as needed as the party Face
I play PFS a fair amount. Lately I've seen quite a few PC's that have nothing in perception specifically because "Everyone maxes perception so I don't need it."
A couple of times my magus' +6 was by far the highest. But not high enough to find a lot of things we really needed.
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I made an Aasimar Paladin that had a wisdom of 16 (+2), a racial of +2 (Aasimar racial bonus), 1 skill rank, a trait (eyes and ears of the city (abadar)) that gave a bonus of +1 and make the skill a class skill for a whopping +9 at level 1. This basically made me extremely perceptive without investing unhealthy amounts of recources. Basically just a trait and a skill rank.
It's not impossible to surprise me, but it sure is difficult.
Snowleopard --
Was this for a high point buy game? Because a 16 before racials in wisdom is huge investment for paladins. Of course that wisdom bonus does allow you to cast spiritual weapon and other divine spells that specifically mention wisdom, but all your other abilities key off of charisma and your combat stats (STR, DEX, CON.) What stats did you have on your Paladin overall? I'm all kinds of curious.
Hmm
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A couple of times my magus' +6 was by far the highest. But not high enough to find a lot of things we really needed.
Magus is a class I have always found to do well with perception, as long as a trait is taken to make it a class skill.
You're not short skill points and have access to a familiar/black blade.
This spell puts your perception into orbit:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/a/acute-senses
Yes, I use this spell often (my PFS ranger always takes it).
I played a scenario in which the BBEG was incorporeal, invisible, stationary, and hiding inside (improved cover) the top of a 100+ foot tall tree: essentially +58 to stealth.
My ranger, with acute senses cast, rolled a 71 perception check (+52 perception, rolled a 19), spotted the BBEG, and then - courtesy of improved precise shot, favored enemy undead, a seeking, holy bow, and arrows treated with ghost salt - proceeded to annihilate said BBEG with a full round of attacks.
Very, very nice spell!