Sense Motive as a Dwarven Cleric?

[nittanytbone]

Hello,

I'd like to dip two levels into War Priest at as low a level possible, without sacrificing any caster ranks. You need Combat Casting, Diplomacy 8 ranks, and Sense Motive 5 ranks.

The first two are no problem, but the latter is awful. Sense Motive isn't a cleric class skill. It IS on the Thaumaturgist list, but you need to be at least 9th level to get into Thaumaturgist, so that's not so good. It is also on the Inquisitor list, but you need 4 ranks in Knowledge Arcana to get into that PrC, which is just as bad if you don't have the knowledge domain.

Any suggestions on how to pick up 5 measly ranks in Sense Motive without losing a spell-casting level?

Thanks!

 

[Thanee]

Well, cross-class allows you to get into Warpriest at 8th level still. That's not so bad, just a two-level delay. Since you want to take two levels of the class only, that's hardly a big deal.

Bye
Thanee

 

[nittanytbone]

The only problem with cross-class is that clerics get so few skill points as it is, and I'm so loathe to blow them all on a skill which I won't even use that often... Ugh

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Radiant Servant of Pelor will get you Sense Motive as a class skill - but the prereqs are kinda steep (god, alignment, feat, etc) unless you can convince your DM to allow you to use the class for any god.

The Contemplative does the same, but you have to be 10th level before you can go there ... so that doesn't help.

Church Inquisitor seems to be an easy route. Almost any cleric can qualify for it early. The only problem is if the cleric serves an LG church. If so - you'll note that the skillpoints are 4+INT so you might be able to solve that Sense Motive 5 ranks in one level of Church Inquisitor.

Looking through the rest of the Complete books I think you are out of luck ... unless you are willing to drop a level of spellcasting. If so, then I'd sugest picking up a level of rogue and going Shadowbane Stalker in a heartbeat. That one level of rogue and one level of Shadowbane Stalker will solve your problems real fast. But then again, you have to be LG - and at that rate the Church Inquisitor from above would do it better.

You could take Open Minded (feat from Complete Adventurer and the Expanded Psionics Handbook, I believe) once or twice. You immediately gain 5 skill points. They would be cross-class ... but they could supplement what you can normally do - and it you feel like doing it twice, that's 10 ranks which equals the 5 you need.

Edit: Depending on your race and if you wanted to use the feat twice ... and counting that you have to have the feat Combat Casting for the PrC ... You could get this PrC after only 7 levels of Cleric, and the only thing you'd be waiting on is that BAB to get high enough.

Edit2: Considering that the Warpriest doesn't get advancement every level anyway, why are you so wary of dropping a level of casting? Something like a level of Swashbuckler would get you the skillpoints you need in one level (unless you have an INT of 11 or lower) and it would get you a precious +1 to the BAB. Granted, the Weapons Finesse special wouldn't help you out all that much...

 

[nittanytbone]

I think Church Inquisitor is the way to go. With the knowledge domain I'm good to go on meeting the pre-reqs and can hop into Inquisitor at 4th level, then into War Priest by 6th.

I plan on a 2-4 level dip into warpriest; This is going to cost me 1 or 2 caster levels already, which is why I'm so leery of losing any more.

I looked through the back parts of Complete Divine, and found that I could use the Pact domain (adds Sense Motive to class skill list), but this is kind of uninspiring. The spells aren't terribly impressive and Inquisitor seems stronger than another level or two of cleric.

I was planning on going LG anyways, so that's not a big sacrifice

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Warpriest by 6th level? How are you figuring out the BAB requirement?

If you go cleric 4/Church Inquisitor 1 you only get a BAB of +3 - two short. In fact, I'm pretty sure any combination of 5 levels between these two classes only gives a BAB of +3. To reach that BAB +5 prereq for Warpriest you'll need to go at least 7 levels anyway, I think. And the only way you can get to +5 in 7 levels is to either go cleric straight or do a 4/3 split between Cleric and Church Inquisitor.

Am I missing something?

 

[nittanytbone]

Yup, you're right... I was thinking of the 4/3 split and just got ahead of myself by a level

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I dunno - Pact Domain could be fun ... so long as you charge for your services. Your party members might appreciate being the subject of a Stalwart, Renewal, or Zealot's Pact. And, if they are will ing to pay the experience, maybe you and your DM could work something out so it doesn't cost you...


But - other than that, yeah ... The church Inquisitor is the way to go. Have fun with the character!

 

[blargney the second]

Paladin gets Sense Motive.
-blarg

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Paladin gets Sense Motive.
-blarg

True, but at the expense of a level of cleric spells