Synergy - Can Anyone Direct Me To A Previous Thread On This?

[Kaodi]

I've been looking through the rules, and from what I can find from the SRD and the WotC website, Synergy is a mechanic that gives unnamed bonuses to creatures possessing 5 or more ranks in the correct skills. However, under the description of each skill that can get a bonus from synergy, it says something to the effect of, " If you have 5 ranks in X, Y or Z you get a +2 bonus to A " , so the question is, do they or do they not stack? My main concern is when I was making up a merchant NPC, and can easily get +6 synergy to Diplomacy if it stacks, which is every crazier if they have Focus (Diplomacy) and Negotiator as well. That's a +11 bonus for a 2nd level human with the right feats and skills before Charisma bonuses and ranks.

 

[shilsen]

They stack, because it's an unnamed bonus. Where the specific Diplomacy example you use is concerned, I think getting a great bonus on a single skill at 2nd lvl is hardly overpowered, considering that the person is using up two feats for it.

 

[Kaodi]

Hmmm...

Well... half-elf expert 2, charisma 13, 5 ranks if bluff, diplomacy, knowledge (nobility) and sense motive (hardly punitive, and quite likely for a merchant), negotiator, skill focus (diplomacy)... +19 bonus... may not be a big combat winner, but that will talk you out of a hell of a lot. Very, very, very rich 2nd level character...

 

[Jdvn1]

I've heard of a +34 or something at 3rd level. Diplomacy seems to be one of the easier skills to get really high.

 

[Jack Simth]

+4 Cha 18 +2 Half-Elf; Bard 3 (all skills that follow are class skills for a bard); +2 Negotiator, +3 Skill Focus (Diplomacy), +2 Synergy Bluff, +2 Synergy Knoweledge (Nobilty And Royalty), +2 Synergy Sense Motive, +6 ranks = +23.
You can do better, though, with the XPH:

Half-Elf Psion Telepath-3:
+4 Cha 18, +2 Half-Elf, (all skills that follow are class skills for a Telepath specialist Psion); +2 Negotiator, +3 Skill Focus (Diplomacy), +2 Synergy Bluff, +2 Synergy Knoweledge (Nobilty And Royalty), +2 Synergy Sense Motive, +3 Friendly Psicrystal, +6 ranks = + 26

Of course, either way, that pretty much requires Cha 18 for that bonus (but a Cha of, say, 10 only drops the modifier by 4, so...). For a Bard that is the primary spellcasting stat (and the primary stat for a lot of class skills). For a Psion Telepath, that's quite an investment. Of course, at 4th, that bard will have his 2nd level spells, and be able to add Eagle's Splendor into the mix for another +2, while the Psion Telepath must wait until 5th to burn a feat to grab Animal Affinity for the same effect.

 

[Jdvn1]

You can also multiclass into Warlock because they have an invocation that gives them a Cha boost (and it's at will, so).

 

[Bront]

I've heard of a +34 or something at 3rd level. Diplomacy seems to be one of the easier skills to get really high.

Rystil did it with a Warlock/Psion/Enchanter and didn't even take the feats.

 

[Obscure]

I don't think those modifiers are totally unreasonable, given that the PC is pouring all of her skill and feat resources into achieving them. Don't forget that Diplomacy only works if the other party wants to talk, and shifting someone's attitude to friendly or helpful is far from domination in terms of getting him to do what you want.

And once a character picks up a rep of being a 'silver-tongued devil,' he might find that no one wants to deal with him anymore....

 

[Jack Simth]

Actually, there is no mention of whether or not the target wants to talk (you just need to be able to - it's language dependant, and you must have access to the "target"; remember that) and there are even listed rules for using diplomacy in the middle of combat (-10 to make a diplomacy check as a full round-action)

 

[IamTheTest]

Actually, there is no mention of whether or not the target wants to talk (you just need to be able to - it's language dependant, and you must have access to the "target"; remember that) and there are even listed rules for using diplomacy in the middle of combat (-10 to make a diplomacy check as a full round-action)

Funny thing about Bards is that they also get Speak Language as a Class Skill. It may not seem like a big deal until your Bard5 can completely avoid combat with anything that has an Int of 3+. Diplomacy is pretty powerful mojo if you work it right. Heck, the target doesnt even need to talk back, just understand you. Suppose you get your mod up to around +35...not hard at all really. Take -10 for using Diplo as a full round action and you neednt roll to make the hostile bad guy indifferent. With a better modifier and a decent roll there is no more enemy...just a new friend.