| Nawyria |
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
The Advanced Race Guide presents a number of alternative racial traits for the Human race, among which is the following:
Focused Study: All humans are skillful, but some, rather than being generalists, tend to specialize in a handful of skills. At 1st, 8th, and 16th level, such humans gain Skill Focus in a skill of their choice as a bonus feat. This racial trait replaces the bonus feat trait.
Basically this asks the player "Intend to take the Skill Focus feat at first level? Here, have three skill focuses instead", which seems rather odd to me; one bonus feat basically becomes three bonus feats. Sure I'll take it if offered, but it seems to me this can blow out of proportion very easily.
The wording of the trait "[i]rather than being generalists, tend to specialize in a handful of skills[/u]" leads me to think that this trait should replace the skilled trait instead of the bonus feat trait. This would mean trading in 20 skill points for three skill focuses (which total a +18 bonus), which allows a character to really specialize in a handful of skills rather than take up an extra skill or two.
The bonuses granted by the three feats would put the character ahead of the curve (in the sense that the total skill bonus they receive is larger than the number of additional skill points skilled would normally grant) at level 1, 2, 10, 11, 16 and 17 since the benefits kick in immediately in the form of a +3 or +6 bonus on a skill. However, at levels 4-9, 13-15 and 19-20 a character with this trait lags behind characters without this trait and they strike even at level 3, 12 and 18.
Can anyone confirm that this alternative trait is really intended to replace the bonus feat trait? Or are my suspicions correct?