Skyblind's Kathryn's page

Hi - now here are the new combat feats to go with the called shot system - or without if you prefer.

Hope you find them interesting. I made most of them "Fighter level X" rather than "BAB +X" because I wanted them to be special to fighters only.

Also - a House rule I use... If a Fighter voluntarily gives up one of his iterative attacks, his attack with the best bonus gets +2d6 damage. So if you had 4 attacks per round (at level 16+) and made only one attack roll, you would inflict +6d6 bonus damage on that one attack. Only fighters have access to this option, and the bonus damage is limited as follows... You must have twice the levels in fighter class per damage die, or the extra damage is lost. This means if you have 4 levels of fighter, you are limited to +2d6 damage dice. This (I hope) prevents cherry picking classes.

Here are the feats

Crippling Blow (Power Attack, Improved Sunder, Fighter level 8)
You are skilled at hitting a foe with well-aimed strikes to vulnerable joints, limbs, and body locations that can disable your foe for long periods of time. When you successfully hit with a called shot, or score a critical hit, you inflict (in addition to the normal effects of a called shot or critical hit) 1d3 STR damage or 1d3 DEX damage to your foe, which heals back normally.

Sever (Crippling Blow, Fighter Level 12)
You are skilled at permanently crippling and disabling a foes limbs with edged weapons, cutting hamstrings, tendons, and severing limbs. When you score a critical hit or successfully hit with a called shot, you may inflict 1d3 STR or 1d3 DEX ability drain, or attempt to sever a limb. If you try to sever a limb, it must be from a successful called shot (not a random critical hit). For either effect he target gets a FORT save (DC:10 + half the damage taken). If the save is successful, the target takes normal ability damage (not drain), and/or the target retains his limb. If the target fails its save, the limb in question is severed from its body.

Crush (Crippling Blow, Fighter level 12)
You are skilled at permanently crippling and disabling an opponents limbs with blunt weapons, breaking bones and crushing joints. When you score a critical hit, or successfully hit with a called shot, you inflict 1d3 STR damage or 1d3 DEX ability drain to your foe. The target gets a FORT save (DC:10 + half the damage taken). If the save is successful, the target takes normal ability damage (not drain) as if he
had been struck a crippling blow.

Impale (Crippling Blow, Fighter Level 12)
You are skilled at permanently crippling and disabling an opponents limbs and vital organs with piercing weapons, puncturing vitals and causing internal bleeding. When you score a critical hit, or successfully hit with a called shot, you inflict 1d3 CON ability drain to your foe. The target gets a FORT save (DC:10 + half the damage taken). If the save is successful, the target takes normal ability damage (not drain) as if he had been struck a crippling blow

Crippling Shot (Precise Shot, Fighter Level 6)
You are skilled in hitting a foe with well-aimed shots to vulnerable joints, limbs, and body locations that can disable your foe for long periods of time. When you successfully hit with a called shot, or score a critical hit, you inflict 1d3 STR damage or 1d3 DEX damage to your foe. This damage heals back normally.

Deadly Shot (Crippling Shot, Fighter Level 12)
You are skilled at targeting your foe with exceptionally deadly ranged attacks, and are sometimes able to kill or disable with a single attack. When you successfully hit with a called shot to a vital organ such as the Heart or Brain (through the eyes), you force your foe to make a Fortitude save (DC is 10 + half the damage taken) or die instantly. If the target saves, it still suffers the damage from the ranged attack. Note: that creatures such as undead, constructs, and oozes, which are immune to critical hits, are also immune to this Feat. Creatures which are NOT immune to critical hits, but are immune to death magic, are NOT immune to this Feat.

Swift Strike (Quickdraw, BAB +1)
You can make a greater number of melee attacks, at the expense of a little accuracy. You may make one extra melee attack per round (at your normal bonus) with any melee weapon, as long as all attacks made suffer a -2 penalty to hit. For large weapons (Such as a Greatsword or Staff), this "to hit" penalty rises to -4. This Feat cannot grant extra missile weapon attacks, even if the weapons are thrown hand-weapons such as daggers or axes - use Rapid Shot for that.

Fortune’s Favor
Your character is blessed with exceptional good luck. Each session of play, you may re-roll any one die roll (after seeing the results of the first roll) and choose from either of the two rolls (usually the better of the two rolls) You may also choose a special abilities below, instead of the free re-roll. This feat may be taken multiple times.

- Automatically confirm a critical hit
- Automatically stabilize yourself from bleeding to death, and
be raised to 0hp
- Instantly remove half your full hit point total in Subdual
damage (Sort of a “Second Wind”)

Hit Location (Weapon Focus, Fighter level 6)
You are exceptionally skilled at hitting a creature in its best-defended body locations, negating some of the "Called Shot" penalties to your roll to hit. Every time you take this feat, you can negate up to -2 of "To Hit" penalties related to called shots, when using a weapon for which you have the Weapon Focus Feat. This does not reduce to hit penalties related to anything OTHER than called shots, such as darkness, bad footing, weather, or whatever. To gain the benefit of this feat, you MUST be wielding a weapon for which you have the Weapon Focus feat.

Toughness (Con 13+)
You are tougher than you look - maybe a LOT tougher! When you take this feat, you gain +3 Hit points, as per the Players Handbook, as well as a new use to make the feat more attractive - a permanent +2 bonus to FORT saves versus the effects of Crippling Blows, Crippling or Deadly Shots, or Sever, Crush, and Impale attempts. This feat can be taken more than once, and each time the added hit points and the FORT save bonus stack.

Hi again - Here are those Fighter only combat feats. They kind of go hand in hand with a called shot system I use, but it is easy to port them out of it if needed. I'll post both.

Here is the called shot system...

A Called Shot is an aimed attack at a specified location on your foe in combat (either ranged or melee). There are many reasons to make called shots in a D&D game... Perhaps your PC has to smash a vial in a villains hand, or you need to slow someone down, so your PC tries to entangle their legs with a whip. The list of possibilities is endless, but the method of making a called shot is very simple. To make a called shot, simply tell the DM you are making a called shot, and take a penalty on your roll to hit with your melee or ranged weapon. If you hit, you damage that area slightly, above and beyond the normal damage you do. If you are lucky, and score a critical hit, the effects are even more severe. (Descriptions of wound effects follow the chart below).

TYPICAL LOCATIONS Penalty
Head -8
Eyes -12
Arm (L/R) -4
Hand (L/R) -6
Torso -4
Vitals -8
Leg (L/R) -4
Foot (L/R) -6

OPTIONAL LOCATIONS Penalty
Rear Legs (on Quadruped) -6
Wings (L/R) -4
Tentacles Special

If Tentacles are on the head, use the “Head” location - if on the arms,
use the “Arms” location

HIT LOCATIONS EFFECTS
In general, any penalties imposed by a called shot lasts until the character heals, either magically, or by resting. For a minor wound (such as stepping on a caltrop), a Heal check (DC:15), 1 point of magical healing, or a day of rest removes these penalties. You can also allow the character to make a Fortitude save (DC:10 + half the damage dealt) to "tough it out" and ignore the penalty. Note that although normally the special effects of Called Shots do not stack, A person wounded twice, once on the leg, and also the foot of that same leg, suffer both penalties to their movement rate.

HEAD
Normal : -2 to all attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks
Crit : As above, plus 1pt INT and 1pt WIS Damage

EYES
Normal : One eye is struck and blinded. -2 to Spot, Search, Appraise, Alchemy, Forgery, Decipher Script, Open Locks, Disable Device, Craft, Read Lips, Scry, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Wilderness Lore; -2 to Initiative checks, DEX Checks, REF saves.
Crit : Both eyes are struck and blinded. The character must make a FORT save (DC:10 + damage taken) or be permanently blinded.

ARM
Normal : -2 to Climb and Swim checks, -2 to attack rolls with that arm, -2 to STR checks.
Crit : A deep wound. The target takes 1pt STR or 1pt DEX ability damage, in addition to the normal effects.

HAND
Normal : -2 to Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Forgery, Alchemy, Heal, Open Locks, Pick Pockets, Use Rope. -2 to attack rolls made with that hand.
Crit : A deep wound. The target takes 1pt DEX ability damage, in addition to the normal effects.

TORSO
Normal : The target is dazed for 1 round, and takes +2pts of damage.
Crit : As above, except the target is dazed for 1d4+1 rounds.

VITALS
Normal : The target is stunned for 1 round, and takes +3pts of damage.
Crit : As above, except the target is also dazed 1d4 rounds and takes 1pt of CON ability damage.

LEG
Normal : -2 to Climb, Swim, Jump, Ride, Tumble, Balance, Move Silently. -2 to REF saving throws, -2 to DEX checks. Move reduced by 5ft.*
Crit : A deep wound. The target takes 1pt DEX ability damage, in addition to the normal effects.

FOOT
Normal : -2 to Climb, Swim, Jump, Ride, Tumble, Balance, Move Silently. -2 to REF saving throws, -2 to DEX checks. Move reduced by 5ft.*
Crit : A deep wound. The target takes 1pt DEX ability damage, in addition to the normal effects.

WINGS
Normal : -10ft to movement rate, -2 to all DEX checks and REF saves while flying.. Note: If Movement rate or DEX ever drop to 0, the creature can no longer fly and immediately begins to plummet to the ground, taking falling damage as appropriate.
Crit : The wing is badly hurt and the target takes 1pt DEX ability damage in addition to the effects above.

Yes please post them!!!

Hi JohnnyKage

I'll post them Thursday after I get back from work - they should be up by thursday evening...

Kathryn

As to fighters needing special abilities at high levels, I fully agree.

In my game, I've added some fighter only feats that helped balance Fighters with casters - I'll be happy to post them if and the details if anyone would like.

Point Blank Shot
- Precise Shot
- Impaling Shot*

Power Attack
- Improved Sunder
- Crush*
- Sever*
- Impale*

I'm sure you can infer some of the effects from the names, but I also found these feats useful because it gave fighters and fights in general some serious coolness factor... You step up and Crush the giants skull or snap his arm. Your fighter hews off the head of a foe with Sever...

There are limits on use, and saves to reduce deadly effects - but like I said, I'd be happy to post full stats if anyone wants.

Right now fighters are too bland. I LOVED the Book of 9 Swords - but it was almost too good... I think advanced feats that only fighters can get is the right way to go - and gives incentives to play solo fighters.

I like the idea of having magical items identified with a skill check - I just agree that it shouldn't be appraise. How come Johnny McTheif can now tell that the magic robe your group just found is a Robe of the Archmagi?

It doesn't make sense.

I too think the skill related to the identification of items should be changed. Spellcraft would be a good choice for magical items, and Psicraft for Psionic items. Other options would be Knowledge (Arcane) and / or Knowledge (Religion) - for arcane and divine items - or even Knowledge (Nature) for druid type items.

Also, in one of the arguments someone said Identify isn't useful. I respectfully disagree. It doesn't take 8 hours to cast. It doesn't cost 100gp per use. You can get multiple uses out of the same spell (if I recall it lasts 1rd per level?) -- If I'm wrong on that last point, forgive me.

Still, having a "make the skill fit the item you're identifying" would not be a bad idea. And very simple to make or houserule too.

I really like the Disenchant Item and Enchant Item Rituals from 4e - although I dislike almost everything else about it. Here's why...

In D&D, whoever has the best magic items usually wins the encounter - period. Unfortunately this means that GMs have to hand out tons and tons of gear - or worse - allow players to sell and buy said gear like a customer at a "Wal-Mart"

I think if the Enchant Item and Disenchant Item rituals were made into general feats that anyone can use it would drastically change some of the worst things I think began with 3.0 D&D and continued into 4e.

If the players had an option to reduce unwanted magic items into magical residuum powder with the disenchant item feat. Likewise if you want to pump up an item you have to gain a new ability, use the enchant item feat and a pile of residuum powder to "pay" for the upgrade.

In one fell swoop, a large chunk of the buying and selling of magical items can be removed from the game - which for some old-school GMs is a Good thing. Sometimes it doesn't make sense that people will buy and sell magic items - and in this way its replaced (somewhat) by a trade in Residuum Powder. Since any item can be enchanted with it, and any enchantment can be added (unless the GM limits it in some way), it is in some ways more valuable than other objects. Now this could be a problem, but for some, its less of a problem than buying and selling any item you want as long as you have the gold