Feats - Suggestions, Tweaks, and Additions


Skills and Feats

Dark Archive

Okay, having looked over the Pathfinder feats, they are a huge improvement over the 3.5/SRD versions.

However, while you have added lots of combat feats, you have added proportionally little in the way for Spellcasters. I’d recommend adding some more feat options for them. I’d suggest adding a tree feat for each school of Spell Focus, like Augment Summoning for conjuration.

As well, some feats just are suboptimal, and have been scorned in our game. The power level and versatility of feats needs to be kept relatively even. Here are my suggestions:

ACROBATIC (etc) – Nice scaling effect added.

CAREFUL TARGETING - why is this gone from the Alpha? I thought it was an excellent idea.

CLEAVE – The concept for this feat is great, but it is now weakened in power so it is being ignored in place of other feats. In our playtest, our 6th level paladin with a greatsword contemplated taking this feat, but all it gave him was the ability to move and make two attacks. When standing still, this feat is the same as full attack at 6th level, and decidedly less usefui when the character gains his third attack. I do like the utility of the feat vs the need to drop a creature in 3.5. I recommend allowing Cleave to be used as a standard action, not a full action.

DEADLY AIM - good feat! We playtested an 8th level one-shot, and an elven ranger with this feat made very good use of it, doing fair ranged damage against his foes (-5 to hit, +5 damage, specifically).

DODGE – Nicely done! This feat is now useful at higher levels.

ENDURANCE – This has always been the poor man’s feat. I’d suggest adding another benefit to it, such as stabilization checks have an additional 20% chance of succeeding, or that nonlethal damage is halved against characters with this feat.

FAR SHOT – This is very misleading in name now – shots don’t go farther. I suggest using the feat as printed, but add the ability to use a ranged weapon up to 10 or 15 range increments away.

GREATER BULL RUSH/DISARM/GRAPPLE/TRIP/etc – These increased feats are great, but they are a very weak effect for a feat. If you add a further +2 to these Maneuvers, in addition to their effects, I think they are worth taking.

IMPROVED TRIP – This should do damage from the fall if DC is exceeded, or grant the free attack if you beat the CMB by 10 more.

LEADERSHIP – This is a great concept, but has caused nothing but chaos and trouble in every game we have used. The feat should be kept, but kept under control. I suggest having Leadership get you a cohort, and not followers (perhaps a second feat would allow that). As well, the leadership score function is really a lot of verbiage for what is usually a follower two levels below the character. In addition, with the removal of XP costs, an item creation cohort is going to be very popuiar. I’ve tried writing an alternate Leadership feat, but it’s not something quality I can offer.

MARTIAL WEAPON PROFICIENCY – This feat is a hard one. I’ve tried taking it, but for the characters who need it (spellcasters, rogues, etc) it’s a weak feat. Perhaps offering all Martial Weapons, or 1 martial weapon per level as a benefit of this feat?

OVERHAND CHOP – A great idea, but why have it for only the first strike? This adds some unnecessary bookkeeping, keeping track of Overhand Chop and it’s tree feat Backswing. I recommend adding a general benefit to all attacks. (Actually, we mistakenly played that way with Overhand Chop, and our player is now very frustrated to keep track of first attack, etc).

POINT BLANK SHOT – This feat has been worded in such a way that it isn’t clear that it can be used for spells. I’d recommend adding the wording to clear this up and allow it.

SCRIBE SCROLL – The last alpha had rules for making magic items in the field. I’d love to see this added back to scribe scroll at the very least, or have another feat that allows tinkering while on watch, or what have you.

TOUGHNESS - a winner now that it scales. It’s a high choice for all my players.

TRACK - Jason said bring it up again, so I am. I recommend in the interests of backwards compatability and allowing other people to Track, bring this feat back and give it the benefit of adding +5 to Survival checks to follow tracks.

WEAPON FOCUS – I’d slightly reword this feat to allow it with any specific Combat Maneuver as well.

WEAPON FINESSE / AGILE MANEUVERS – I believe these feats would greatly benefit from being combined. Giving someone the ability to use Dex modifiers with light weapons and with Combat Maneuvers is not unbalancing for one feat.

And here are my recommendations for feats to be added:

ADAPTABLE ARTIFICER
You find time to dabble in the crafting of magical items while in the field.
Prerequisites: 1st level spellcaster, any Item Creation Feat
Benefit: You can spend your spare time each day working on magical item creation projects, spending an hour here or there towards crafting items. Each day you can accumulate 250 gp worth of construction time towards one item you have the requisite item creation feat and other prerequisites for, without setting aside any specific time for crafting.
You can only work on any one project at a time.

NIMBLE TARGET [GENERAL]
You are able to move quickly, leaving little opportunity to be hit by certain attacks.
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You add half your base Reflex save bonus to your touch Armor Class. If you are rendered flat-footed or denied your Dexterity bonus to your Armor Class, you do not gain the benefit of this feat.

PERSISTENT SPELL (METAMAGIC)
Your spells last far longer than even those bolstered by Extend Spell.
Prerequisite: Extend Spell
Benefit: A persistent spell lasts ten times as long as normal. A spell with a duration of concentration, instantaneous, or permanent is not affected by this feat. A persistent spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level.

SPELLCASTING ADEPT [GENERAL]
You continue to pursue your study of spellcasting in your spare time, although your primary interests lie elsewhere. HR
Prerequisites: Spellcaster level 1st, Spellcraft 3 ranks.
Benefit: Choose one spellcasting class that you wish to improve. That class advances one level for the purposes of caster level and spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) for every three levels you have in another class (this other class cannot already advance your spellcasting level in any way). This advancement is limited to a maximum of one level per three ranks you possess in Spellcraft.
For example, a 1st-level wizard / 9th-level fighter could be considered up to a 4th-level wizard for the purposes of spells per day and caster level, as long as they possessed 9 ranks in Spellcraft.
A character with two or more spellcasting classes (such as a bard/sorcerer or a ranger/druid) must choose which class gains the feat's effect.
Special: You may only choose this feat once, as your available spare time to study and pursue magic is limited.

TRACK [GENERAL]
You can follow the trails of creatures and characters across most types of terrain.
Benefit: You gain a +5 competence bonus to Survival checks to follow tracks.
Special: Rangers further gain an additional competence bonus equal to half their levels in that class.

Community / Forums / Archive / Pathfinder / Playtests & Prerelease Discussions / Pathfinder Roleplaying Game / Design Forums / Skills and Feats / Feats - Suggestions, Tweaks, and Additions All Messageboards
Recent threads in Skills and Feats