How cleric can boost his Intimidation or Diplomacy for a time of his speech? [With spells preferably]

Question

My Cleric would like to give a speech for a townsfolk in a small city. I prepeared a text for my speech, but my DM took a notice that my hero does not have many points in diplomacy neither intimidate skill. I would like to have a speech good in both roleplay and mechanic way.

So is there any way I could boost my Intimidation or Diplomatic skills just for speech duration?

The only spell which comes to my mind is Eagle's Splendor, but are there any other that could help? Maybe a few different spells mixed together?

The boost do not need to last long. Any spell from any of DnD book + source where I could find it, would help me a lot! Of course, I would appreciate any other way I could use to achieve my goal!

Edit: I am an 11 level caster, what is more I can spend all slots for this speech! I have resources of 7k gold coins, for this undertaking

Answer 1

• Guidance of the avatar is the best skill-pumping spell in the game, without question: it gives a +20 competence bonus on a skill check. (2nd-level spell)

• Divine insight in Spell Compendium gives an insight bonus of up to 15 (at CL 10th), so that’s another +15. (2nd-level spell)

• Surge of fortune from Complete Champion grants a +2 luck bonus. It can also be discharged to treat one roll as a natural-20. You can cast two of them on yourself, one to discharge and the other to stick around so you get the +2. (5th-level spell)

  • If for some reason you can’t use surge of fortune, insight of good fortune is in Player’s Handbook II, and lets you reroll the check when you make it. Requires a 20-gp golden die. (2nd-level spell)

• Ray of hope from Book of Exalted Deeds grants a +2 morale bonus to skill checks. (1st-level spell)

  • If you have essentia, valiant spirit from Magic of Incarnum gives a morale bonus of +2 + the essentia you put in it.

• Share talents from Player’s Handbook II can grant a +2 untyped bonus as long as either you or an ally has at least one rank in Diplomacy. The other target need not assist in any way during the speech. (2nd-level spell)

• If you can cast Evil spells, and have an Evil ally who doesn’t mind a little pain for this, you can cast willing sacrifice over an over until you get the maximum +5 untyped bonus. (3rd-level spell)

• Interfaith blessing could give you +1 untyped to skill checks, if you worship Boccob, Corellon Larethian, Vecna, or Wee Jas. A worshiper of Garl Glittergold, Olidammara, or no deity has a 25% chance of getting this bonus as well.

All told, this hits DC 61 before ranks or Charisma are even considered, and without relying on willing sacrifice or interfaith blessing. RAW, that’s sufficient to turn even a Hostile crowd Friendly, and a crowd that is already Friendly or Helpful will become Fanatic. Doing better than that means hitting DC 90; maxed ranks at your level will get you halfway there. Of course, no one should ever play Diplomacy RAW.

There are no spells that directly interact with Diplomacy in a useful way; most give penalties, and others give smaller typed bonuses than the bonuses above.

Intimidate does have divine presence which grants a +5 sacred or profane (depending on your deity) bonus, and that bonus increases to +10 and then +15 for each alignment axis on which the audience opposes yours (e.g. +15 if you were LG and the crowd was CE). But Intimidate is usually not a great choice.

Eagle’s splendor is still your best choice for improving Charisma. Lesser visage of the deity and visage of the deity have the same +4 enhancement bonus, along with other bonuses that aren’t useful to you, but that’s it.

Answer 2

Uncomplicated buffs for the skill Diplomacy

In addition to the 2nd-level Clr spell eagle's splendor [trans] (PH 225) to increase your Charisma, try a combination of the following:

• A masterwork tool (PH 129, 130-1) (50 gp; 1 lb.) for the skill Diplomacy grants the user a +2 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy skill checks.
• The 0-level Clr spell fleeting fame [trans] (Dragon #326 73), for 1 round/level, grants a +2 bonus on the caster's next Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate skill check.
• The 1st-level herald spell glib tongue [trans] (Dragon Annual #5 87) for 10 min./level grants 1 touched creature a +4 competence bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy skill checks that's +6 at caster level 3, +8 at caster level 5, +10 at caster level 7, and so on until +16 at caster 19. Note: Purchase the potion of glib tongue (1st-level spell at caster level 19) (450 gp; 0.1 lbs.), and don't press the DM on from whom it was purchased or how it was made.
• The 2nd-level Clr spell guidance of the avatar [div] (Spellbook Web column "Guidance of the Avatar") for 1 min., grants a touched creature a +20 competence bonus on a one check. This discharges the spell. Note: Also see this question. The DM might feel better about you introducing to the campaign the spell glib tongue instead of this spell.
• The 2nd-level Clr spell divine insight [div] (SpC 70) for 1 hour/level grants the caster a +5 insight bonus that's +1 per caster level on a single skill check. This discharges the spell.

This combination of spells and items gets a level 11 cleric at least a +37 bonus on one Diplomacy skill check, permitting, for example, even a Cha 10 character to roll 3 or higher and turn an unfriendly crowd helpful (PH 72).

Avoid using the skill Intimidate

Spells that improve the skill Intimidate are more common, but the skill Intimidate usually only works on a single target at a time. Also, using the Intimidate skill to change the attitude of the townsfolk means

The [change] lasts as long as the target remains in your presence, and for 1d6×10 minutes afterward. After this time, the target’s default attitude toward you shifts to unfriendly (or, if normally unfriendly, to hostile). (PH 76)

Given an already ridiculous and fairly inexpensive Diplomacy skill check bonus, it's probably unwise to use the Intimidate skill instead and risk having the townsfolk reject your overtures upon your departure.

Answer 3

The Divine Insight spell (cleric 2) gives you a bonus on a skill check of (+5 + caster level). You can use Guidance for another +1, and Prayer gives a +1 as well if you've got third-level spell slots to burn.

Also, as you said, Eagle's Splendor for the +4 CHA.