VelvetViolet
Adventurer
As I (and many others) have discussed before, certain skills are... iffy and would be more appropriate as class features or condensed into other skills. Below I present two feats/class features to take the place of the Spellcraft and Use Magic Device skills as a quick and dirty fix.
Spellcraft [General]
Prerequisites: Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can identify spells as they are cast or spells already in place. This ability functions just like a Spellcraft check to identify magical effects. Make a Knowledge (arcana) check to identify arcane spells or a Knowledge (religion) check to identify divine spells.
Special: Bards, clerics, druids, sorcerers and wizards gain Spellcraft as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Use Magic Device [General]
Prerequisites: Disable Device 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can use your knowledge of magic to utilize the devices usually only used by practiced mages. This ability functions just like a Use Magic Device check made for the purposes of using magical items. You roll 1d20 and add your character level and your Charisma modifier to determine the Use Magic Device check result.
Special: Bards, rogues and sorcerers gain Use Magic Device as a bonus feat at 1st level. However, only bard, rogue and/or sorcerer class levels are counted, unless this feat is taken, in which case the entire character level is counted.
Below I present, as examples, Trap-Find and Wild Empathy turned into feats that are available to any character who meets the prerequisites.
Trap-Finding [General]
Prerequisites: Disable Device 4 ranks, Search 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a non-magical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
You can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. If you beat a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.
Special: Rogues gain Trap-Finding as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Wild Empathy [General]
Prerequisites: Handle Animal 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. You roll 1d20 and add your character level and your Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.
The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, you and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that you must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes one minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
You can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but you take a -4 penalty on the check.
Special: Druids and rangers gain Wild Empathy as a bonus feat at 1st level. However, only druid and/or ranger class levels are counted, unless this feat is taken, in which case the entire character level is counted.
Spellcraft [General]
Prerequisites: Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can identify spells as they are cast or spells already in place. This ability functions just like a Spellcraft check to identify magical effects. Make a Knowledge (arcana) check to identify arcane spells or a Knowledge (religion) check to identify divine spells.
Special: Bards, clerics, druids, sorcerers and wizards gain Spellcraft as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Use Magic Device [General]
Prerequisites: Disable Device 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can use your knowledge of magic to utilize the devices usually only used by practiced mages. This ability functions just like a Use Magic Device check made for the purposes of using magical items. You roll 1d20 and add your character level and your Charisma modifier to determine the Use Magic Device check result.
Special: Bards, rogues and sorcerers gain Use Magic Device as a bonus feat at 1st level. However, only bard, rogue and/or sorcerer class levels are counted, unless this feat is taken, in which case the entire character level is counted.
Below I present, as examples, Trap-Find and Wild Empathy turned into feats that are available to any character who meets the prerequisites.
Trap-Finding [General]
Prerequisites: Disable Device 4 ranks, Search 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can use the Search skill to locate traps when the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a non-magical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magic trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it.
You can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. If you beat a trap's DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it.
Special: Rogues gain Trap-Finding as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Wild Empathy [General]
Prerequisites: Handle Animal 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. You roll 1d20 and add your character level and your Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.
The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, you and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that you must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes one minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
You can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but you take a -4 penalty on the check.
Special: Druids and rangers gain Wild Empathy as a bonus feat at 1st level. However, only druid and/or ranger class levels are counted, unless this feat is taken, in which case the entire character level is counted.