Raymond Gellner's page

In the Defense Bonus thread I suggested this new feat since I see the Compbat Expertise feat as a mechanic that is parallel to the idea of a defense bonus.
I wanted to start a new thread specifically about this to see what others think of having this kind of feat. I am sure there will be debate of the numerics, but I think the general principle is sound as it gives value to characters choosing to have higher Intelligence scores in classes that normally do not worry about such things.

This is an excellent way to reward players for building non-standard characters such as the Intelligent Fighter.

Improved Combat Expertise
Prerequisite: Intelligence 15, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or full-attack action with a melee weapon. Add an amount up to or equal to twice your Intelligence modifier (or your base attack bonus, whichever is lower, minimum 2) as a Dodge bonus to your armor class for one round. Subtract half this amount from your melee attack rolls for 1 round.

For example, if you receive a +4 Dodge bonus, you would take a -2 on your attack rolls.

Concerning the weapon training trait, I propose that the characters receive the following choice:
1) weapon proficiency in a martial weapon
2) weapon proficiency in an exotic weapon if the charater aleady has all martial weapons in his or her class proficiencies.
3) weapon focus in a class proficiency weapon

This makes the weapon training trait valid for fighter types. This also give non-fighter types the option of being a little better in one of their class weapons. I am not a big "wizards with swords" fan, so this gives wizards an option to utilize weapons training without resorting to carrying a sword or other martial weapon. If a wizard wants to use a sword, fine, but he or she also has the option to become a little better at using his or her staff instead.

Could there be more clarification on how the Arcane Bond with an object works, in particular the wizard's ability to enchant the object. Below are two examples of clarifications needed.

The paragraph states "A wizard can enchant a bonded object as if he has the required feats." Does this mean a third level wizard ca enchant a staff (with which he is bonded) with magic missile? Would this function at 3rd level and then as the wizard advanced in level at a higher level since staves use the caster level of the spellcaster? Or would the minimum level that a wizard be able to enchant an arcane bonded staff be 8th since this is the minimal CL of a staff's ability to function?

Over the course of his career, can the wizard change the object to which he is bonded (for example from staff to amulet)? If he cannot switch the type of object, can he at least switch the actual object (For example, he starts with a MW staff, but in his adventures throughout the years he finds a staff of fire, can he transfer the bond to the staff of fire)?

I believe that fighter armor training is too powerful and does not allow for the potential to individualize characters. While I like the base concept, the ability should be changed. Instead of all three effects (reducing the armor check penalty by 1, increasing the armor class by 1 and increasing the maximum dexterity bonus allowed by one) the player should choose one of the three effects, or alternately gain the armor check penalty bonus and then choose one of the two others. My main concern about the power of this ability as it is written is that it is essentially giving a fighter with a high dexterity a bonus of +2 on AC at 3rd level and then at every four levels afterwards which seems excessive.