Omar Bennett
Diplomacy is a skill that allows players to persuade non-player characters, negotiate peace, and influence others. It is a highly sought-after skill in role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and Pathfinder, where it can be used to defuse tense situations and even end potential combat scenarios. While it is a class skill for some character classes, players often seek ways to acquire it as a skill for their character build. This can be achieved through various means, including specific feats, racial substitution levels, and other creative solutions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Traits | Ease of Faith, Memorable, Affable, Hunters Blood, Best Friend, Extremely Fashionable |
| Feats | Able Learner, Flexible Mind, Educated, Martial Study, Cosmopolitan |
| Other | Masterwork Tool, GM discretion, training outside of character progression, role-playing |
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What You'll Learn
- Racial Substitution Levels allow non-humans to gain Diplomacy as a class skill
- The Martial Study feat grants Diplomacy as a class skill
- The Able Learner feat treats all skills as class skills
- The Flexible Mind feat grants two skills as class skills
- The Education feat treats all Knowledge skills as class skills
Racial Substitution Levels allow non-humans to gain Diplomacy as a class skill
Racial Substitution Levels (RSLs) allow non-humans to gain Diplomacy as a class skill. For example, the Half-Elf Fighter RSL from Races of Destiny offers Diplomacy as a class skill if taken at 1st and/or 2nd level. The Half-Elf substitution level grants Diplomacy as a class skill for 1 level, and the maximum rank for Diplomacy is character level + 3. The Imperial Wizard substitution level also always grants Diplomacy as a class skill, and the wizard gains a competence bonus equal to half of their wizard level for this check.
Additionally, the Half-Elf Fighter RSL from Races of Destiny offers Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive as additional class skills to the fighter class. This means that even if Diplomacy is not typically a class skill for fighters, taking a racial substitution level can grant access to this skill.
It is important to note that Racial Substitution Levels may have specific requirements or limitations, such as the number of ranks needed in certain skills, that must be met in order to gain access to the desired class skill.
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The Martial Study feat grants Diplomacy as a class skill
The Martial Study feat is a great way to gain Diplomacy as a class skill. This feat is a fantastic option for players who want to enhance their character's diplomatic abilities without sacrificing their current class progression. By choosing the Martial Study feat, you can add Diplomacy as a class skill for all your classes, both current and future. This means that you can improve your character's diplomatic prowess while still advancing in your chosen class.
The Martial Study feat offers a lot of flexibility. It has no prerequisites, so it is accessible to characters of any level or background. When you take this feat, you must select a discipline of martial maneuvers, such as Desert Wind. The key skill associated with your chosen discipline becomes a class skill, and Diplomacy is one of the possible key skills depending on the discipline you pick. This feat also grants you the ability to use a combat maneuver from your chosen discipline, adding versatility to your character's abilities.
It's important to note that the Martial Study feat can be taken multiple times, further enhancing your character's skills and abilities. Each time you take the feat after the first, you have two options. You can choose a new discipline, gaining one of its maneuvers and its associated key skill as a class skill. Alternatively, you can select an additional maneuver from a discipline you already have access to through the feat. This flexibility allows you to customize your character's capabilities according to your preferences and the needs of your campaign.
The Martial Study feat is particularly useful for characters who are not traditionally considered martial fighters. For example, a rogue or a monk could benefit greatly from this feat, gaining access to diplomatic skills and combat maneuvers that complement their existing abilities. By taking this feat, they can add Diplomacy as a class skill and improve their interactions and negotiations with NPCs and other players. This feat helps create well-rounded characters who can excel in social and combat situations alike.
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The Able Learner feat treats all skills as class skills
Gaining Diplomacy as a class skill can be achieved through various feats and items. One way is through the Able Learner feat, which treats all skills as class skills. This feat makes it cheaper to buy skills by reducing the cost of all skill ranks to 1 skill point, even for cross-class skills. However, it does not increase the maximum number of ranks you can purchase in a cross-class skill, nor does it affect the cost of learning a language or gaining literacy. It is important to note that this feat is restricted to humans or doppelgangers and can only be taken at 1st level.
Another option is the Martial Study feat, which grants you the key skill of the chosen discipline as a class skill for all your classes. Diplomacy is listed as one of the skills that can be acquired through this feat. Additionally, certain items can provide circumstantial bonuses towards Diplomacy, and magical and alchemical solutions are also available for skill checks.
If you are playing a Sorcerer in a Jade Regent campaign, you may consider retraining your starting traits to Ease of Faith, which grants you Diplomacy as a class skill, or Memorable, which extends the duration of Diplomacy. These options require time and money but allow you to keep your class levels and feat slots.
Finally, it is worth noting that some skills may not have appropriate tools or masterwork tools to provide bonuses. In such cases, you can rely on research, aiding NPCs, or presenting skillfully acquired information to leverage bonuses to your checks.
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The Flexible Mind feat grants two skills as class skills
The Flexible Mind feat, as detailed in Dragon 326 and Eberron Unlimited, allows players to choose two skills in which they have ranks and make them class skills. This grants a +1 bonus to both of those chosen skills. The prerequisite for this feat is a chaotic alignment, meaning that the player must be of chaotic alignment to select this feat.
The Flexible Mind feat is a great way to gain Diplomacy as a class skill. Diplomacy is a highly useful skill in role-playing games, allowing players to gather information, influence local nobles, and improve their relationships with NPCs. By making Diplomacy a class skill, players can gain a +3 bonus to their Diplomacy checks.
There are other ways to gain Diplomacy as a class skill as well. For example, the Martial Study feat, found in the same book as the swordsage class, grants Diplomacy as a class skill, along with other skills such as Balance, Concentration, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Sense Motive, and Tumble. Additionally, certain racial substitution levels (RSLs) can provide Diplomacy as a class skill. For instance, the Half-elf Fighter RSL from Races of Destiny includes Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive as additional class skills for the fighter class.
Players can also get creative and find alternative solutions to gain bonuses to Diplomacy checks without making it a class skill. This can include using magical or alchemical solutions, conducting research, aiding NPCs, or simply asking the GM if they can "train" their character outside of their normal progression. Ultimately, gaining Diplomacy as a class skill or improving Diplomacy checks can be achieved through various means, and players should discuss their options with their GM to find the best solution for their character and campaign.
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The Education feat treats all Knowledge skills as class skills
Gaining diplomacy as a class skill can be achieved through various feats and skills. One way is to utilise the "Education" feat, which treats all Knowledge skills as class skills, providing a +1 bonus on checks for two specific Knowledge skills chosen by the player. This feat is found in the 3.5 edition of the Player's Guide to Faerûn.
Another option is the "Martial Study" feat, which grants players the key skill of their chosen discipline as a class skill for all classes, including current and future ones. This feat includes disciplines such as Balance, Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Sense Motive, and Tumble.
Additionally, players can consider the "Able Learner" feat from Races of Destiny, which treats all skills as class skills for buying ranks, although it does not impact the cost of learning a language or gaining literacy. Alternatively, the "Flexible Mind" feat from Dragon 326 allows players to gain two skills as class skills with a +1 bonus in each.
Beyond feats, players can explore Racial Substitution Levels (RSLs) if their character is not human. Certain RSLs offer additional skills appropriate for the core class. For example, the Half-elf Fighter RSL includes Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive as extra class skills for the fighter class.
Lastly, players can refer to the "Cross-Class Learning" feat from the Net Book of Feats, which allows players to pick two skills that become class skills for all their classes. This feat can be taken multiple times, enabling players to choose two new skills to become class skills with each selection.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several ways to gain diplomacy as a class skill. You can use the Martial Study feat, which has no prerequisites and grants you the key skill of the chosen discipline as a class skill. Alternatively, you can use the Able Learner feat, which treats all skills as class skills for buying ranks. The Flexible Mind feat also allows you to gain diplomacy as a class skill, giving you two skills and a +1 bonus in each.
Aside from feats, you can also use items that provide circumstantial bonuses towards diplomacy. Additionally, certain skills can benefit from "Masterwork Tools", which can grant temporary bonuses in certain areas. You can also gain a few extra points by doing research or aiding an NPC, which may allow your GM to give you a bonus or lower the DC.
To improve your diplomacy skill, you can focus on role-playing the skill fully and disregarding the rolls. This allows for a more immersive experience and can help prevent the skill mechanic from being abused. You can also add homebrew rules, such as considering the diplomacy rank of the person you are using diplomacy on, which may influence their attitude change.
