Level Up (A5E) Questions Regarding Martial Arts Die & Nightstaker tree

[JerichoPenumbra]

Greetings Internet!

So while doing a little theorycraft with some of the given synergy combos and I've come across an odd little interaction with the Tranquil Master Adept and the Subtly Skilled feat. TMA can gain their martial arts die on any INT, WIS, of CHA check and Subtly Skilled grants their martial arts die on a slew of specific skills. Logically, I would assume that the different instances of a similar ability wouldn't stack but I can't shake the mental niggle that there's nothing saying you can't apply a martial arts die more than once, is there?

Also for that matter, is there any intention for a martial arts die to affect passives similarly to expertise dice? I'm strongly leaning towards no, but it has come up in discussion with my group and I'm curious about other's thoughts regarding that.

Edit: The ability name of the Tranquil Master that grants martial arts die to the aforementioned checks is called Serene Mind, obtained at 3rd level

 

[xiphumor]

That’s all licit! It’s only bonuses from the same source that don’t stack.

As for the second point, RAW, the answer is no, but at my table, I would rule that they do. For the same reason, I also bump up the bonus from expertise dice if someone is rolling a larger die than a d4.

 

[xiphumor]

Now I’m wondering about if you can get proficiency in all traditionally INT/CHA/WIS skills plus Stealth, Sleight of Hand, and Acrobatics while working as quickly as possible toward subtly skilled.

Acrobatics - Extra Skill Training (Skill Trick)
Animal Handling - Noble (Background)
Arcana - Collegiate: Sciences (Culture)
Culture - Noble (Background)
Deception - Courtier (Archetype)
Engineering - Initial Rogue Skill
History - Noble (Background)
Insight - Courtier (Archetype)
Intimidation - Initial Rogue Skill
Investigation - Extra Skill Training (Skill Trick)
Medicine - Collegiate: Sciences (Culture)
Nature - Human (Resident Expert)
Perception - Human (Fast Learner)
Performance - Battle Dance (Focus Feature)
Persuasion - Courtier (Archetype)
Religion - Religious Training (Practiced Technique)
Sleight of Hand - Initial Rogue Skill
Stealth - Initial Rogue Skill
Survival - Wilderness Training (Practiced Technique)

You have proficiency in all skills except Athletics by Level 7! You could also get at least 5 levels in Rogue to grab Athletics as an additional skill. (I’ve previously demonstrated that you can get them all by Level 6 as a 5 Rogue / Cleric 1.)

What I like best about this is that a Human Noble Collegiate Courtier is not exactly a difficult build to justify from a story perspective.

 

[JerichoPenumbra]

Neat!

I do find it a little amusing we both thought of using Courtier for the rogue archetype for Night Stalker. Though for me it was more of a toss up between that the Investigator Archetype. I do love the potential level of customization, since you can swap things around and get similar results. One that I was eyeballing would be Criminal and Lone Wanderer with the Investigator Archetype, which I think would actually be about to get proficiency in all skills using your build by level 7.

One thing I've noticed about the Synergy trees is that they tend to favor one class over the other with how they tie in resource exposure and progression. The final feat in the Night Stalker tree, Night Master, practically requires you to be predominantly Adept to get the most mileage out of it. If rushing to get it at level 12, it'd be best if you were Rogue 4/Adept 8 and you'd have a mighty pool of... 5 levels of spells at the cost of 10 exertion. Nothing terrible, but it does ramp up so by 20th level you'd be able to drop a 9th level spell every short rest. Granted that be at the cost of all your exertion, but being socially skilled, a decent fighter, and occasional wizard in a can seems like it'd be fun.

 

[Nephilim00]

What's a Tranquil Master Adept?

 

[JerichoPenumbra]

The Tranquil Master is an Adept archetype from the Gate Pass Gazette #3 in the Paths of Courtly Intrigue article. Essentially an Adept focused on tea ceremonies and interacting with others that also eventually gets some divination abilities.

 

[JerichoPenumbra]

Hrm, something that has come up in the musings of this build is a semantics question. Nightstalker grants the character a bonus equal to their Wisdom modifier to Acrobatics, Deception, and Stealth. Would this qualify Acrobatics and Stealth for the second martial arts die coming from the Tranquil Master's Serene Mind?

While the Serene Mind ability denotes that you get a martial arts die on INT, WIS, or CHA checks, Nightstalker isn't "[adding] your Wisdom bonus to" those skills but "a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier". I think it may be enough of a distinction that it disqualifies those two skills from the double up of martial arts dice, but as I mentioned I think it becomes more of a semantics question. Would you think a bonus that is technically untyped but equal to your Wisdom bonus count as applying your Wisdom bonus, and would that make a skill that's receiving bonus from two different abilities count as either for the definitions of ability checks? Curious about other's thoughts on it.