Diplomat (3.5e Optimized Character Build)

3e Summary::This build allows for a ridiculously high Diplomacy score early on.

The Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Book of Exalted Deeds, Complete Adventurer, & Races of Destiny

This section will be revised as soon as I can. I apologize for the numbers being incorrect. For now, please refer to the chart.

When you make a Diplomacy check, let's assume that you "Take 10." Let's also assume, as was stated above, that you have a Cha modifier of 4 (you probably shouldn't attempt this build unless you have a good Cha score, but you certainly don't need one that high). Add that to the +2 racial modifier that the Half-Elf has. Then simply put your 4 skill points into Diplomacy. Take take the feat "Nymph's Kiss;" This gives you a +2 in all Cha-based skill checks. Then finally, take the character trait "Polite." This gives you a Diplomacy score of 23, as is shown on the table below.

    10+4+2+4+2+1=23

Before moving past the skill points section, BE SURE to put 4 skill points into each of the following: Bluff, Knowledge (nobility & royalty), and Sense Motive. Only the Bard has all of these skills as in-class skills.

At level 2, place your next skill point in each of the above skills. Diplomacy is normal, but Bluff, Knowledge (nobility & royalty), and Sense Motive all have synergy bonuses that aid Diplomacy. Since synergy bonuses do not stack, you will get a total of +2 synergy bonus on your diplomacy. Now the Diplomacy check looks like this: (actually, synerygy bonuses DO stack)

    10+4+2+5+2+1+2=25

See. At level 2, you already can change an attitude from "Indifferent" to "Helpful". You can even change an attitude from "Friendly" to "Helpful" as a rushed Diplomacy check. Clearly, this build has potential.

You can also succeed at a "haggle" attempt (usually DC 30, since most vendors start with an attitude of "indifferent". The DC is the normal DC to change the vendor to "helpful" + the vendor's Diplomacy modifier. This is not an opposed check). Haggling takes off 10% of the price of an item.

At level 3, put your skill point in Diplomacy (and whatever else you want), then take the feat "Skill Focus (Diplomacy)." This gives you a +3 in Diplomacy skill checks. Now your Diplomacy check looks like this:

    10+4+2+6+2+1+2+2+2+3=34

Continue this until level 6, making sure that at level 4 you put a point in Cha.

At level 6, take the feat "Negotiator," thus gaining an additional +2.

By level 7, the calculations look like this:

    10+4+2+10+2+1+2+2+2+3+2=40

This allows you to change an "unfriendly" character to "helpful" or changing one from "indifferent" to "helpful" as a rushed Diplomacy check (which is very helpful).

At level 8, increase your Cha modifier to 5.

At level 9, take the feat "Complimentary Insight," which improves only your Diplomacy by +3. You now have:

    10+5+2+12+2+1+3+3+3+3+2=46

At level 12, take the feat "Sociable Personality," which allows you (or any other Half-Elf for that matter) to reroll a Diplomacy or Gather Information check.

Also at level 12, up your Cha score to 21.

NOTE: If you had taken the character trait "Honest," you could have gotten a 50 on your check at level 11, but that would hinder two of the skills that you already put ranks into (i.e. Bluff and Sense Motive), but if you want to, you can.

At level 12, you now have enough points to change a "helpful" character to a "fanatic" one.

    10+5+2+15+2+1+3+3+3+3+2+2=51

Isn't it amazing? (I will be working on the math adjustment that needs to be made here.)

At level 15, you could take the feat "Nimbus of Light" to get an "everlasting torch" effect and +2 Diplomacy on good creatures, or you could work with one of the skills that you've worked up. You could even take Vow of Poverty or Vow of Peace, but keep in mind the downsides of each.

Once you character enters into the "old age" category, you could acquire the feats "Wise Elder" and the ones that follow.

Another option is to take Dragonfire Adept (Dragon Magic) as your class. This gives you access to the Invocation "Beguiling Influence" for a +6 bonus to Diplomacy for 24 hours (thus reaching +50 even earlier).