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Identify (Spellcraft)
Disguise Self (Disguise)
Jump (Acrobatics)
I know there are others, certainly outside of Core -- something like Eagle Eye and Perception, etc.
Some Spells give a bonus to a Skill check, either in specific situations or all the time.
And there are Magic Items that do this, too:
An Elixir of Hiding gives the drinker a +10 on Stealth for one hour.
Gloves of Swimming and Climbing give the wearer + 5 on Climb and Swim.
The Hat of Disguise gives the person a disguise with a +10 bonus on Disguise checks.
A Cloak of Elvenkind provides a +5 Stealth in perpetuity.
- - - -
Why is there no Metamagic Feat that, I dunno, Doubles(?) the Skill Bonus given?
What would the Metamagic "cost" be, One-Level higher like Silent Spell, Two-Levels higher like Empower Spell?
....Then, what would The Magic Item cost? If someone used the Metamagic Feat, uh, 'Skill-Bonus-Spell', (whatever) to make the Hat of Disguise be a +20 instead of a +10, and the Cloak of Elvenkind be a +10 instead of a +5?
This is a tricky one to balance. In most circumstances the spells that offer large skill bonuses are already enough to get you into automatic or near-automatic success anyways. However, on the other hand there are some effects that have very high DC's or have extremely powerful benefit for exceeding the DC's, and this metamagic could be overpowering in a handful of very narrow applications (Intimidate shenanigans immediately comes to mind). For the vast majority of spells, I think a +1 spell level adjustment is fine. The mere investment of a feat is good enough. But I worry that there are combos that are insidiously powerful... I suspect that's exactly why a metamagic like this was never created.
I would say that you should not allow metamagic rods for this. This strongly feels like something that should require feat investment.
As for magic items, most of them could just the magical item cost formula. The cost of a +5 skill item is 2,500 gp, and the cost of a +10 skill item is 10,000 gp. For any item that is just giving an unconditional competence bonus you just stick to the formula. Hat of Disguise, however, isn't an unconditional competence bonus. It's explicitly illusory and subject to a Will saving throw. I'd say handle these on a case-by-case basis.
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Thanks.
This came to me as I am playing in a game rather than DMing it. My friend and I play a one-and-one game when our regular group can't meet on a particular Friday or Sunday night -- he DMs instead of me. I'm running two PCs and I have an Invisible PseudoDragon Heal-bot that, you know, heals us and provides roleplay, but isn't a real PC.
It's an all urban campaign: Magnimar, Korvosa, Riddleport.
One of my PCs is almost certainly Leveling-Up in Vigilante because there are lots of opportunities for fun roleplay if he can switch identities. That leaves my second PC. In certain situations I can give this PC a Hat of Disguise and voila. But a Hat of Disguise is only a +10, and next to my PC Vigilante, I want something better. So I looked. .... And found nothing.
And so now here's the Thread.
. . . .
My gut tells me that a +1 Level-Up for the Spell would be appropriate for this Feat. Skilled-Spell I think I'll call it.
Looking for ways it can be broken is certainly the important requisite before allowing it. (I know in my game I'm not trying to but, still, it's GOT to be considered.)
Regarding Intimidate, You only Demoralize for 1 round extra per five points over the DC. That doesn't sound too, bad -- basically Demoralizing the NPC for the one fight -- and have to deal with the repercussions later if it isn't a fight. But I'm not thinking of any Spell that gives you a Bonus to Intimidate. Is there a Spell in, I dunno, a Rogue's Supplement book, or a Tiefling's Supplement book? Maybe in Ultimate Magic or somewhere else?
I was thinking the easier way for this to get broken is Stealth and Perception. Even before we discuss Crafting Wondrous Items with this Metamagic Feat, my stomach gets a little queasy thinking about it. However. Invisibility is a mere 2nd Level Spell and gives a +20 or +40 Bonus to Stealth. That ain't even a Feat.
In any case, this requires much more thought and examples.
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Thanks.
One of my PCs is almost certainly Leveling-Up in Vigilante because there are lots of opportunities for fun roleplay if he can switch identities. That leaves my second PC. In certain situations I can give this PC a Hat of Disguise and voila. But a Hat of Disguise is only a +10, and next to my PC Vigilante, I want something better. So I looked. .... And found nothing.
And so now here's the Thread.
. . . .
My gut tells me that a +1 Level-Up for the Spell would be appropriate for this Feat. Skilled-Spell I think I'll call it.
Looking for ways it can be broken is certainly the important requisite before allowing it. (I know in my game I'm not trying to but, still, it's GOT to be considered.)
Regarding Intimidate, You only Demoralize for 1 round extra per five points over the DC. That doesn't sound too, bad -- basically Demoralizing the NPC for the one fight -- and have to deal with the repercussions later if it isn't a fight. But I'm not thinking of any Spell that gives you a Bonus to Intimidate. Is there a Spell in, I dunno, a Rogue's Supplement book, or a Tiefling's Supplement book? Maybe in Ultimate Magic or somewhere else?
I was thinking the easier way for this to get broken is Stealth and Perception. Even before we discuss Crafting Wondrous Items with this Metamagic Feat, my stomach gets a little queasy thinking about it. However. Invisibility is a mere 2nd Level Spell and gives a +20 or +40 Bonus to Stealth. That ain't even a Feat.
In any case, this requires much more thought and examples.
Since Magic items typically cost 100 x skill bonus^2 (100x5x5=2500gp) for a typical +5 skill boosting item, i'd say go from there on creation of items.
A1
For a metamagic feat, i'd say increase by +1/2 CL, max +5 or +10, costing +1 spell slot.
Or increase by +50% for +2 spell slot, similar to how empower metamagic works.
A2
Im theory you could argue skills are less powerful than blasting 1d6/CL so each metamagic feat boosting skills specifically gets lowered by -1 Spell slot, to a minimum of its origin.
Id say it gets too powerful if you argue like this though.
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there are plenty of spells that become stupidly OP with something like this.
acute senses is the first one that pops to mind
Source Ultimate Magic pg. 205
School transmutation; Level alchemist 2, bard 2, hunter 2, inquisitor 2, investigator 2, psychic 2, ranger 2, skald 2
Casting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a glass lens)
Effect
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes
Description
The target gains a +10 enhancement bonus on Perception checks. The bonus increases to +20 at caster level 8th, and +30 (the maximum) at caster level 16th.
having +40 or +60 to perception checks (on top of your actual perception score and a d20) seems crazy
Think how effective this would make invisibility. Invisibility already gives a +40 bonus to stealth, which is reduced to +20 if you move. This feat would increase that to +80 if standing still and +40 if moving.
The other thing to keep in mind is that for the most part the DC’s for skills are fairly static. Other than the skills that used opposed rolls, most skills have a set DC. Those DC’s can also usually be achieved fairly easily. Most mid to high level characters have little difficulty in succeeding at tasks that require class skills they have any points invested in. Not only do they have more skill point to invest they usually have stat boosting items as well.
The DC for using diplomacy to convince an indifferent NPC to do you a favor that will cause them to be punished is only 30 + the targets CHA modifier. A 1st level bard with an 18 CHA and skill focus has a 10% chance of succeeding at this vs someone with a 10 or less CHA. A 1st level wizard with an 18 INT and a single point in spellcraft has a 20% chance of identifying a 9th level spell as it is cast, by 8th level (with a 20 INT and 8 points), this goes up to 60% without an INT boosting headband.
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for the most part the DC’s for skills are fairly static.
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This is something else that led me to think about a Metamagic Feat -- in our games the DCs are not static; they go up depending on Encounter Level.
Still, RAW you can research new spells at $1,000 gp x Level so a "Greater Disguise Self" is something I can propose.
Epic level feat. Not available till 20th level or greater.