The maths behind knowledge devotion (with link to spreadsheet).

[Clefable]

Ok, below is a link to a spreadsheet calculating knowledge devotion stuff.

Knowledge devotion is a feat from complete champion. Basically by taking an appropriate knowledge check on a creature (knowledge nature for animals for example), you get a bonus to hit and to damage. You must have at least one rank in the appropriate knowledge domain.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Agyp18cKx2LZdGNaM3F2anJnMmZvb01fTmlwRE9nOWc&hl=en&authkey=CJi35O0F

Screenshot:

Blue cells are good for editing.

Meaning of cells:

Int: intelligence score.
Int with item: Intelligence with int boosting item.
Int bonus: total bonus from Intelligence
Knowledge rank: total rank in knowledge skills.
Scrolls: Knowledge check bonus from magic item, scrolls uncertain provenance (from MIC).
Collector of stories: knowledge check bonus of +5 from skill trick Collector of stories.
Lore of Gods: In complete champion there is a spell, lore of gods, that grants +5 or +10 knowledge check bonus.
Others: knowledge check bonus from other sources.
Total bonus: total bonus to knowledge checks.
Avg bonus: average bonus to hit and damge rolls from knowledge devotion.

Unfortunately you will need to download the file or upload it to your own google docs account.

Why make a spreadsheet? I was debating between starting as a swordsage and a rogue (long story). Basically, a rogue gets 8 extra skill points that I would invest in knowledge (etc). Very roughly, these 8 skill points translate into one extra to hit and damage bonus, to creatures of one specific knowledge type.

For my case, starting as a swordsage would have preserved one point of bab in my final build and to me that is worth more than a one point bonus to hit and to damage a specific group of creatures.

Aside from this, the higher your knowledge check bonus and rank, the less benefit you gain from additional investment in knowledge skills. With stuff like, epic headband of intellect, lore of gods and scrolls of uncertain provenance, 1 point in any knowledge skill will get you a 4.35 bonus on average.

[raith0]

Interesting food for thought.  to be honest I have never found the need to get that into the optimization end of a character braking down all of the math like that.  I always enjoy looking at it and find it interesting just never felt the need

Ron

[Aliment]

Cool, so the main advantage to Knowledge domain is that it gives you an easy bonus to an identified type right?  So you get Knowledge (Planes) and Knowledge(Arcana) and get a bonus to all Outsiders, Aberations, and whatnot.

+3 Damage early on does look pretty nice, although the +5 cap is pretty lame.

[ninjarabbit]

The cap keeps knowledge devotion from becoming a broken feat. As it stands right now knowledge devotion is better than the weapon focus/greater weapon focus and weapon specialization/greater weapon specialization feats put together.

[Sunic_Flames]

The cap keeps knowledge devotion from becoming a broken feat. As it stands right now knowledge devotion is better than the weapon focus/greater weapon focus and weapon specialization/greater weapon specialization feats put together.

At the cost of 6 skill points a level. And even if you fuse all of those feats into a single feat, the Weapon Focus line isn't that good.

[NiteCyper]

This is now one of the top hits (second) for "Scrolls of Uncertain Provenance" on Google.