How to get Use Magic Device as a class skill

[Joshua Randall]

Aside from being a bard or rogue, how can a character gain Use Magic Device (UMD) as a class skill?

I have an idea for an NPC villain who needs a lot of ranks in UMD to be effective(*), but I don't want him to be a bard or rogue -- ideally I'd like him to be a wizard or sorcerer, with cleric a second option. I thought there might be a core cleric domain that grants UMD as a class skill, but I was apparently wrong. Do any of the non-core domains do this?

Or is there another base class or spellcasting PrC that grants UMD?

(*) Why he needs UMD is not really relevant to this discussion.

 

[Pinotage]

Aside from being a bard or rogue, how can a character gain Use Magic Device (UMD) as a class skill?

I have an idea for an NPC villain who needs a lot of ranks in UMD to be effective(*), but I don't want him to be a bard or rogue -- ideally I'd like him to be a wizard or sorcerer, with cleric a second option. I thought there might be a core cleric domain that grants UMD as a class skill, but I was apparently wrong. Do any of the non-core domains do this?

Or is there another base class or spellcasting PrC that grants UMD?

(*) Why he needs UMD is not really relevant to this discussion.

If he's a Cleric of Magic, he can use any spell trigger or spell completion item as a wizard of half his level. Might not need UMD for that, but I'm not sure that's what you're after. Warlock get UMD as well, in case you want to try that.

Pinotage

 

[JoeBlank]

You could give him a level of the Expert NPC class. Don't they get to pick their class skills? Then pay cross-class with this other levels, but you would still be able to max out UMD.

Otherwise, there are a few feats floating around that make a skill become a class skill. Maybe in Players Guide to Faerun and/or Complete Adventurer. I'm sure someone who knows those better will chime in.

 

[IamTheTest]

One level in Human Paragon from Unearthed Arcana will net your villian Adaptive Learning which could allow him to always have UMD as a class skill.

 

[A Man In Black]

Have him take a level of rogue, and then just levels in whatever else you want. It's not like the players are going to see his character sheet.

Alternately, you could make him a Warlock, from Complete Arcane. They get UMD.

 

[Joker]

The Cosmopolitan feat from the FRCS makes one skill a class skill and gives you +2 on said skill.

This feat does not not work on exclusive skills but those don't exist anymore.

 

[brehobit]

Warlocks have UMD as a class skill. They can also take 10 with it after 2nd level (or something near there)

 

[blargney the second]

The Artificers from Eberron get UMD. (Most of their class abilities are based on it, in fact!)

 

[Steve Jung]

The Cosmopolitan feat from the FRCS makes one skill a class skill and gives you +2 on said skill.

This feat does not not work on exclusive skills but those don't exist anymore.

Unfortunately, the skill doesn't work like that in Player's Guide to Faerûn.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Thanks for all the replies so far. I had forgotten about the Warlock -- that's a good suggestion. Now, let me pose a new question:

Which PrC's grant UMD as a class skill?

I know there must be someone out there with a list of PrC's sorted by skill.