Is the "Fate's Favored" trait really legal for PFS?


Pathfinder Society


Just seems too powerful for a trait.

Liberty's Edge 3/5 *

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Additional Resources wrote:

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Campaign

Traits: all traits listed on pages 51-64 are legal for play except corpse cannibal, hedge magician, natural-born leader, rich parents, and unblemished barrel.

Since Fate's Favored is on page 55 and isn't in the excluded list, it sure is legal.

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

And it sure is powerful.

Silver Crusade 4/5 5/55/55/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Still not as powerful as the human favored class bonus to add a spell known to a spontaneous casting class. And that's legal, too!

Silver Crusade 4/5

Its legal for play? Yes.

Its into trait definition? No

"At its core, a character trait is approximately equal in power to half a feat, so two character traits are roughly equivalent to a bonus feat. Yet a character trait isn't just another kind of power you can add on to your character—it's a way to quantify (and encourage) building a character background that fits into your campaign world. Think of character traits as “story seeds” for your background; after you pick your two traits, you'll have a point of inspiration from which to build your character's personality and history."

Silver Crusade 5/5 5/55/5 **** Venture-Captain, Germany—Bavaria

It's certainly good, but traits are still a relatively limited resources (i really like something like unswaying love or magical knack).

Increasing only one of the following three would also have been viable, it is really one of those traits that gives a long term benefit if you get a permanent luck bonus to saves (so be a half-orc or wait).

Scarab Sages

The save bonus for half orcs isn't that bad, it's on par with Glory of Old. The reason it's overpowered is because of Divine Favor.

Shadow Lodge 4/5

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It's an extra +1. It only gets bad when the player bonus hunts, and even then, the trait isn't the problem.

3/5 **** Venture-Agent, Massachusetts—Boston Metro

Imbicatus wrote:
The save bonus for half orcs isn't that bad, it's on par with Glory of Old. The reason it's overpowered is because of Divine Favor.

It's not just half orc. Anyone can get the save bonuses later on and it technically stacks.

1/5

It is awesome for builds that have reliable luck bonuses, otherwise it is meh. Archaeologist Bards love it, sacred tattoo half-orcs love it, and regular caters of Divine favor think it is pretty nifty. Beyond that it really does not do much.

5/5 *****

thorin001 wrote:

It is awesome for builds that have reliable luck bonuses, otherwise it is meh. Archaeologist Bards love it, sacred tattoo half-orcs love it, and regular caters of Divine favor think it is pretty nifty. Beyond that it really does not do much.

The lucky horseshoe means anyone can benefit from it now.

The Exchange 3/5

What a sensationalist title for a one liner comment. Anyone can check its legality on the Additional Resources page if that was your honest intent.

If it wasn't then I hope change starts here.

5/5 5/55/55/5

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TOZ wrote:
It's an extra +1. It only gets bad when the player bonus hunts, and even then, the trait isn't the problem.

Putting together bonuses from all over the place is a standard part of building these days.


Ragoz wrote:

What a sensationalist title for a one liner comment. Anyone can check its legality on the Additional Resources page if that was your honest intent.

If it wasn't then I hope change starts here.

I did check additional resources, guess I wasn't sure AR is always up to date or FAQed or other such issue. My PC has a "Stone of good luck" (which also appears legal). So for the price of a feat(additional traits) I double the stone's bonus and gain a different trait as well.

5/5 5/55/55/5

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Nothing wrong with double checking if something that seems too good to be true is in fact too good to be true.

Silver Crusade 1/5

Stone of good luck is a 20,000gp item. It is legal, but only a higher level character is going to own one. If you also invest in a feat/trait to gain a bigger bonus, hey that's fine.

I have two characters with Fates Favoured (out of 9 plus a GM blob). One of them just hit level 10 and I considered buying a stone of good luck, but ultimately couldn't justify the opportunity cost. Instead I'll spend that gold on a lucky horseshoe and an upgrade to an amulet of mighty fists.

Silver Crusade 4/5

Despite having a couple of characters who use Divine Favor, I have yet to take this trait on any PC. I just always have other traits that are more important, usually things that give +4 or more to a skill (+1 trait bonus and make it a class skill, or else let me use a different stat than usual for that skill) that I really want for that PC.

It's one of the better traits in the game, but I wouldn't call it overpowered or "must have".

4/5

BigNorseWolf wrote:
TOZ wrote:
It's an extra +1. It only gets bad when the player bonus hunts, and even then, the trait isn't the problem.
Putting together bonuses from all over the place is a standard part of building these days.

FTFY. That's been standard since 3.0, at least.

5/5 5/55/55/5

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Serisan wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:
TOZ wrote:
It's an extra +1. It only gets bad when the player bonus hunts, and even then, the trait isn't the problem.
Putting together bonuses from all over the place is a standard part of building these days.
FTFY. That's been standard since 3.0, at least.

that is these days.

Get off my lawn!

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

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When my Rogue hit 15th level and wanted a feat, I also bought a Stone of Good Luck and took Additional Traits for Fate's Favored (and I bought a Jingasa, but that lasted a whole three months). +2 Skills, +2 Saves and +2 AC on a Rogue was simply the best option available.

IMO, if a 15th level PC chooses a Trait over high-level feats, it's too good of a Trait. I fully expect it to be nerfed one of these days.

5/5 *****

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Nefreet wrote:

When my Rogue hit 15th level and wanted a feat, I also bought a Stone of Good Luck and took Additional Traits for Fate's Favored (and I bought a Jingasa, but that lasted a whole three months). +2 Skills, +2 Saves and +2 AC on a Rogue was simply the best option available.

IMO, if a 15th level PC chooses a Trait over high-level feats, it's too good of a Trait. I fully expect it to be nerfed one of these days.

My wizard did that at 13. Note, it also applies to initiative as init is a dexterity based ability check.

Silver Crusade 4/5 5/55/55/5

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andreww wrote:
Nefreet wrote:

When my Rogue hit 15th level and wanted a feat, I also bought a Stone of Good Luck and took Additional Traits for Fate's Favored (and I bought a Jingasa, but that lasted a whole three months). +2 Skills, +2 Saves and +2 AC on a Rogue was simply the best option available.

IMO, if a 15th level PC chooses a Trait over high-level feats, it's too good of a Trait. I fully expect it to be nerfed one of these days.

My wizard did that at 13. Note, it also applies to initiative as init is a dexterity based ability check.

My archaeologist bard finally picked up the trait at 13 as well, after running out of useful archery feats he qualified for. (Sans the stone of good luck.) If the skill-improving feats were a little more nuanced those would have been interesting, but Othniel didn't really need yet another flat bonus to a skill. Instead, if you want to do something interesting and strange, it's often in a trait, not a feat. And you get two traits at once, so you can pick up something mechanically useful like Fate's Favored to go along with the flavorful trait.

3/5 **** Venture-Agent, Massachusetts—Boston Metro

Nefreet wrote:


IMO, if a 15th level PC chooses a Trait over high-level feats, it's too good of a Trait. I fully expect it to be nerfed one of these days.

Or it just means that the Rogue has access to options worst than most traits.

EDIT:
Also, what Terminalmancer said. In fact in regards to general impact on how my one character plays Fate's Favored is really low on that list compared to the ability to cast Breath of Life at level 5 that Pragmatic Activator gives.

Silver Crusade 1/5

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What the last few posts demonstrate is that by level 13 a character has all its working parts already - which ought to be a given in a campaign that is focused mainly on levels 1-11.

With few exceptions, characters at level 13 and up are choosing feats that are non-essential, nice to haves. That Additional Traits + Fates Favoured looks attractive at this stage of character development is not evidence that it is an overpowered combination.

Silver Crusade 4/5

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supervillan wrote:

What the last few posts demonstrate is that by level 13 a character has all its working parts already - which ought to be a given in a campaign that is focused mainly on levels 1-11.

With few exceptions, characters at level 13 and up are choosing feats that are non-essential, nice to haves. That Additional Traits + Fates Favoured looks attractive at this stage of character development is not evidence that it is an overpowered combination.

Agreed. By that level, you've already got all your necessary stuff, now you're just adding minor stuff. The fact that those PCs didn't take it sooner is all the proof I need that it's NOT overpowered.

Grand Lodge 3/5

It's a good trait. It will not break a game. The problem is not the trait it's players. Good traits, or feats are very useful for making under-powered builds viable. Being able to get an extra boost to saves may enable someone to rearrange a stat array to play something the might be too weak otherwise.

Baning good things often does not stop a min/maxers from coming to your game with a powerful exploiter wizard, a super potent archer or gunslinger. But it does remove tools to make weak characters playable.

Broken classes or archtypes on the other hand attract this type of player so balancing them seems reasonable.

I have never heard someone say that an archaeologist bard ruined their game, a Cleric was too powerful because they had an extra +1 to attack and damage on the second turn of combat or the problem with the natural attack barbarian/bloodrager at level 1 was an extra +1 to saves.

5/5 *****

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supervillan wrote:
What the last few posts demonstrate is that by level 13 a character has all its working parts already - which ought to be a given in a campaign that is focused mainly on levels 1-11.

Not really, jus that those particular characters had different trait and feat priorities. I also have multiple characters that ended up as half orcs to combine with sacred tattoo and several who took it to use with the lucky horseshoe. It is an extremely powerful trait and certainly comparable to stuff like Lessons of Chaldira and Defensive Strategist without the annoying deity requirements.

Grand Lodge 2/5

Lucky horseshoe? Never mind. Found it. I guess I know what my warpriest is going to buy next if I ever get around to playing Eyes of the Ten.

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