So i'm bad at title's for that i apologize, now on to the Rant! because seriously this bothers me.
I also think that the trait below is the current heirloom weapon though i may be wrong.
FOr the purposes of this rant i will be using Longsword as an example weapon.
For reference here's the actual Trait info
You carry a non-masterwork simple or martial weapon that has been passed down from generation to generation in your family.
Benefit: When you select this trait, choose one of the following benefits:
proficiency with that specific weapon
a +1 trait bonus on attacks of opportunity with that specific weapon
a +2 trait bonus on one kind of combat maneuver when using that specific weapon.
What bother me is Proficiency with that specific weapon. Why? IT MAKES NO SENSE when you take into account simple description based things like non masterwork simple or martial weapon which implies that other than being a family weapon it is in no way anymore special than any other weapon of that type.
No matter how you spin it a Long-sword picked for this trait is still a Longs-sword and because the weapon isn't really supposed to be exotic or unique what makes the training any different from what you would get training with any other Long-sword.
Paying for it i'm fine with that, i've always seen the starting gold as the same concept as wealth by level.
but seriously i get balancing for mechanics but i'm a strict believer that Role playing and fluff should be just as important and taken just as seriously as mechanics.
You got you family weapon and you use it just fine, pick up another and just nope, no proficiency for you, it's a completely different type of weapon...But they are both long swords....nope yours is a different color than the other ones so it doesn't count.
now i'd be okay with it if you could actually like reforge the weapon, make it masterwork and able to be enchanted eventually. because then that would be cool and your weapon would actually have meaning other than jut being the stick you beat people with.
Now i don't really know why this bothers me as much as it does...like it's on par with my invisible stalker problem...maybe worse because of how minor a thing this is. honestly i just felt the need to rant about how much this bothers me.
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Because they didn't want to hand players Martial Weapon Proficiency as a trait.
It's not the first suspension of disbelief they've forced in favor of balance, and it won't be the last.
Wordcount can be an issue. We don't have unlimited words to add to each option to make it perfect, sadly. ^_^
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If proficiency with one exotic weapon is worthy of a feat, then why the heck wouldn't proficiency with a single martial weapon be a valid trait?Because they didn't want to hand players Martial Weapon Proficiency as a trait.
It's not the first suspension of disbelief they've forced in favor of balance, and it won't be the last.
Because proficiency with a single martial weapon is already worthy of a feat, not a trait.
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A big portion of its power comes from choice. I think we all know that not all martial weapons are created equal. A trait that gives scimitar proficiency is not on the same level as one that gives light pick proficiency.
For an example of how proficiency is weighted, let's take a look at some examples from the far end of the spectrum: Varisian Tattoo and Shoanti Tattoo. These grant far more proficiencies - some exotic - and other benefits besides. However, the weapons they grant access to are frequently less powerful (with the odd exception of the earth breaker). These traits also have the benefit of a flavor connection. Finally, all books go through development under different developers, who may have different ideas about balance. (Whoever wrote the errata had a very different idea of balance than whoever wrote the trait, way back in the dawn of Pathfinder.)
Hopefully this sheds some light on the factors behind the trait. ^_^
Because they didn't want to hand players Martial Weapon Proficiency as a trait.
It's not the first suspension of disbelief they've forced in favor of balance, and it won't be the last.
That's a valid point, but it also means that they are weighing martial proficiency and simple weapon proficiency equally. The Simple Weapon Proficiency feat gives proficiency with all simple weapons so proficiency with a single simple weapon is worthy of a trait. But it's kind of non-sensical that proficiency with a single martial weapon that happens to be a family heirloom doesn't translate to other weapons of the same type. A better option would be to change up the trait in a way that depends on 1) whether you pick a simple or martial weapon, and 2) whether or not the character has proficiency with that kind of weapon.
Proposed change to Heirloom Weapon:
You carry a non-masterwork simple or martial weapon that has been passed down from generation to generation in your family.Benefit: When you select this trait, either a simple or martial weapon. You begin play with the weapon of your choice at no cost and gain the following benefits.
If you pick a simple weapon, you are considered proficient with that type of weapon. If you pick a martial weapon, your character is proficient with that specific weapon and also reduces non-proficiency penalty for that type of weapon from -4 to -2.
Additionally, choose one of the following:
a +1 trait bonus on attacks of opportunity with that specific weapon
a +2 trait bonus on one kind of combat maneuver when using that specific weapon.If your character is already proficient without the trait, or later gains proficiency by other means, you gain both additional benefits.
This would simply be too good for a trait. The original trait is aimed at characters who normally would not be proficient with a lot of weapons.. i.e. a cleric, or a sorcerer/wizard type.
There is absolutely nothing from someone playing a fighter designating the sword bought with character creation funds as a family heirloom. That person could enhance the weapon first with the masterwork spell, than with enchantment.
There is nothing "nonsensical" about the trait. It is your family bond that's making you proficient with that speicific weapon. That weapon IS different from every other longsword in the realm, even if it's a story difference, not something expressed in mechanics.
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I could not possibly disagree more.Because proficiency with a single martial weapon is already worthy of a feat, not a trait.
Unfortunately, at that point, you're going to have to take it up with the 3rd Edition framework. :/
The average trait is worth half the average feat. There are outliers (like Power Attack or Magical Lineage), but writers are expected to cleave to the rough guidelines, and not make something that is strictly better at its job than a core feat.
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The caster level one, at least, has some precedent as "half a feat". We're you playing during 3.5? If not, look up Practiced Spellcaster. ^_^
There's no excuse for the other two, though, in the same way that sometimes something like Sacred Geometry slips through. Fate's Favored is likely to see errata with the next printing of Ultimate Campaign; I can't be sure whether Magical Lineage will receive errata, but I wouldn't say never.
If they nerf Fates Favored then they will need to go back and rebalance the warpriest and archaeologist.
I fail to see how one broken trait being "necessary" for two classes (or a class and an archetype) requires a rebalancing of the class itself.
There are games where traits aren't allowed, or characters of those two specific classes (and/or archetype) that want a different faith trait.
The warpriest and archeologist were not designed with the idea that every one would somehow be favored by fate, or the bonuses themselves would be increased. But they aren't.
The archaeologist was FAQed around that trait. Its rounds of perform don't scale with level like a normal bard.
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The archaeologist was FAQed around that trait. Its rounds of perform don't scale with level like a normal bard.
Whete is this FAQ, exactly? Wasn't it just James Jacobs saying it in his thread or something?
I also don't remember it being mentioned alongside Fate's Favored.
The ability is not only more powerful than Inspire Courage (instead of just attack, damage, and saves on fear, it's on attack, damage, all saves, and skill checks), it's activated quicker (as a swift action from first level, which the bard only gets at 13th level) and stacks with things like heroism (which the bard gets as a 2nd level spell).
There's no way Fate's Favored existing factored at all into one ability from a specific archetype.
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The average trait is worth half the average feat. There are outliers (like Power Attack or Magical Lineage), but writers are expected to cleave to the rough guidelines, and not make something that is strictly better at its job than a core feat.
Fun story: my failure to follow these guidelines is why Haunted Heroes Handbook has feats for various regions, rather than traits. ^_^