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Versatility is a Human Virtue

Tuesday, April 24, 2012


Illustration by Eric Braddock

When planning out Advanced Race Guide we knew that humans were going to give us some trouble. What do you give the race that has the cleanest slate and the most open-ended bonus options? We sat down and had to ask what makes humans... well, human.

We came up with a short list of human virtues. One of the strongest human virtues on the list was versatility. Humans are downright tenacious in their ability to adapt and thrive. Few human cultures are tied to the ancient traditions and stubborn cultural and martial forms of other races. Even humans in well-established cultures have a dramatic tendency to delve deep into their experience and intrinsic gumption to not only survive but also thrive when the chips are down. The following group of human racial feats was designed to emulate human’s intrinsic versatility.

Critical Versatility (Combat)
An open mind and combat training grant versatility to your critical hits.
Prerequisites: Fighter level 11th, human.
Benefit: Once per day, you can spend 1 hour practicing maneuvers to gain one single critical feat that you meet the prerequisites for. You gain the benefits of the chosen critical feat until you choose to practice a different critical feat.

Fast Learner
Your progress gains extra versatility.
Prerequisites: Int 13, human.
Benefit: When you gain a level in a favored class, you gain both +1 hit point and +1 skill rank instead of choosing either one or the other benefit or you can choose an alternate class reward.

Martial Mastery (Combat)
You broaden your study of weapons to encompass multiple similar weapons.
Prerequisites: Martial Versatility, fighter level 16th, human.
Benefit: Each combat feat you have that applies to a specific weapon (e.g., Weapon Focus) can be used with all weapons in the same weapon group (Ultimate Combat 45).

Martial Versatility (Combat)
You further broaden your study of weapons to encompass multiple similar weapons.
Prerequisites: Fighter level 4th, human.
Benefit: Choose one combat feat you know that applies to a specific weapon (e.g., Weapon Focus). You can use that feat with any weapon within the same weapon group.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time it applies to a different feat.

Next week we will start delving into the next chapter of the book with a look at an old favorite.

Stephen Radney-MacFarland
Designer

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Tags: Druids Eric Braddock Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Races
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The other unique human quality, to be able to breed with anything, be it orc, elf, dragon, demon, genie, vampire, hag, angel or, if centaurs are any indication, farm animals, got less development in this book, so don't look for new feats relating to *that.*
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Set wrote:
The other unique human quality, to be able to breed with anything, be it orc, elf, dragon, demon, genie, vampire, hag, angel or, if centaurs are any indication, farm animals, got less development in this book, so don't look for new feats relating to *that.*

"Er, that isn't the Versatility feat I had in mind. . . ."

Or,

(wait for it)

Marital Versatility.
blahpers wrote:
Set wrote:
The other unique human quality, to be able to breed with anything, be it orc, elf, dragon, demon, genie, vampire, hag, angel or, if centaurs are any indication, farm animals, got less development in this book, so don't look for new feats relating to *that.*

"Er, that isn't the Versatility feat I had in mind. . . ."

Or,

(wait for it)

Marital Versatility.

I just died laughing

Set wrote:

The other unique human quality, to be able to breed with anything, be it orc, elf, dragon, demon, genie, vampire, hag, angel or, if centaurs are any indication, farm animals, got less development in this book, so don't look for new feats relating to *that.*

Something tells me that anyone so interested has already homeruled it... Seriously, though I do wonder why it seems like humans have crossbred with every single biological and (mostly) sentient species in the setting.

Eric Hinkle wrote:
Set wrote:

The other unique human quality, to be able to breed with anything, be it orc, elf, dragon, demon, genie, vampire, hag, angel or, if centaurs are any indication, farm animals, got less development in this book, so don't look for new feats relating to *that.*

Something tells me that anyone so interested has already homeruled it... Seriously, though I do wonder why it seems like humans have crossbred with every single biological and (mostly) sentient species in the setting.

I remember one of my anthropology professors commenting that the first thing any two groups of humans exchanged, before even language, was genes :)

I think the best wording for RAI on Fast Learner would be something like "You gain one favored class bonus of your choice in addition to the one you pick at character creation."
Evil Midnight Lurker wrote:
I think the best wording for RAI on Fast Learner would be something like "You gain one favored class bonus of your choice in addition to the one you pick at character creation."

you don't pick at character creation, you pick at each level. Admitadly that includes first level, but still. Confusing

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
Zolthux wrote:
blahpers wrote:
Set wrote:
The other unique human quality, to be able to breed with anything, be it orc, elf, dragon, demon, genie, vampire, hag, angel or, if centaurs are any indication, farm animals, got less development in this book, so don't look for new feats relating to *that.*

"Er, that isn't the Versatility feat I had in mind. . . ."

Or,

(wait for it)

Marital Versatility.

I just died laughing

I laughed at your laughing!!! Hahahaha!!!! :-D

Scarab Sages
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber
blahpers wrote:

"Er, that isn't the Versatility feat I had in mind. . . ."

Or,

(wait for it)

Marital Versatility.

Oh god. That's... That's just bad. It's so bad I can't stop laughing.

I hope changelings are next in the paizo ARG preview

As someone who is planning on rolling up a Human Fighter for our next campaign, I was excited to see all these human fighter feats previewed! Then after reading them became horribly disappointed that the only decent one of the bunch is Critical Versatility. Sigh...
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Stratagemini wrote:
More important Question regarding fast learner. Toughness is Retroactive now, so is getting Skill Points from Increased Int. Are the Bonuses from Fast Learner Retroactive?

It most certainly is.

James Jacobs wrote:
Masked Participant wrote:

Are the benefits from the Fast Learner feat (Advanced Race Guide under humans) intended to be retroactive? Skill ranks for intelligence increases are retroactive, as are hit points from Toughness. I've also heard developers strongly hint that pretty much everything in Pathfinder is meant to be retroactive (so that two similar characters stay relatively balanced against each other no matter when they took certain feats and abilities).

However, this feat doesn't seem to read that way.

Yes. It should absolutely be retroactive.

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