(Yeah, I know not every class feature has to be a world-shaker. But here are a few of my "favourites"...)
Top 5 Underwhelming Class Features:
#5) Greater lore (loremaster 6)
By level 13, even a lazy wizard with 22 Int and one rank in Appraise casting Identify has a +20 bonus to identify items; that's enough to automatically identify a CL 15 item by taking 10. Another +10 competence bonus is just gilding the lily.
#4) DR 1/-- (barbarian 7)
Barbarian 7: All right! I got punched in the face 10 times today, so I prevented 10 points of damage. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!!
Cleric 7: Yawn. I cure 10 points of damage every time I sneeze. Ah-CLW! See, I just healed another 1d8+5 hp.
Barbarian 7: Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'll get punched in the face 50 times tomorrow. Did you ever think of that, huh?
#3) Seeker arrow (arcane archer 4)
It's like the feat Improved Precise Shot except (a) it works against total cover and concealment, (b) it takes a standard action to use, and (c) it's only usable once a day. Would it be so wrong to allow the poor guy to use this at will?
#2) Slow fall, 90 ft (monk 18)
All right! We get it already! Monks can run down walls (or something -- I'm not quite sure how slow fall is supposed to work).
#1) Lay of the exalted dead (pathfinder chronicler 10)
Look out CR 15 enemies, because I'm about to unleash a CR 3 can of whoop-ass on you! And I might do it again NEXT WEEK!
Anyone got any other personal favourites? :-)
Trap sense.
It is soo super specialized and almost NEVER comes into play.
"Trap Sense (Ex): At 3rd level, a barbarian gains a +1 bonus on Ref lex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. These bonuses rise by +1 every three barbarian levels thereafter (6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th level). Trap sense bonuses gained from multiple classes stack."
Woooow F34R |\/|3 Kobold because at level 9 I get a +2 to saves and AC against your traps!!!
Trap sense.
It is soo super specialized and almost NEVER comes into play.
That one came to mind for me too, but I wanted to limit my top 5 to one per class. Otherwise I probably could have filled it up with monk abilities alone. :-)
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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(Yeah, I know not every class feature has to be a world-shaker. But here are a few of my "favourites"...)
Top 5 Underwhelming Class Features:
#1) Lay of the exalted dead (pathfinder chronicler 10)
Look out CR 15 enemies, because I'm about to unleash a CR 3 can of whoop-ass on you! And I might do it again NEXT WEEK!
Anyone got any other personal favourites? :-)
They were supposed to be ghosts with ghost touch weapons, plus full ghost abilities that boned your enemies and boosted you. As "construct warriors," I'm inclined to agree that they are very wimpy for the level you get them.
While statting ghosts on the fly would not be easy, it wouldn't be that hard to just make a stat block for the ghost warriors and include it with the item if it's all that. It's not like you'd ever have to change it.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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(Yeah, I know not every class feature has to be a world-shaker. But here are a few of my "favourites"...)
Top 5 Underwhelming Class Features:
#4) DR 1/-- (barbarian 7)
Barbarian 7: All right! I got punched in the face 10 times today, so I prevented 10 points of damage. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!!
Cleric 7: Yawn. I cure 10 points of damage every time I sneeze. Ah-CLW! See, I just healed another 1d8+5 hp.
Barbarian 7: Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'll get punched in the face 50 times tomorrow. Did you ever think of that, huh?
I'm not saying this is the best feature out there, but I don't think it's bas (especially as it increases with more levels.) Sure, it may only save your 10-20 hp in a day, but this a) helps the party use less healing (even if only 1-2 CLW) a day, which lets that extra healing be available to others in the party, and b) lets the barbarian keep fighting when he otherwise would be out of the fight for another round or two. I know there's lots of times I've been in single digit hp (or for that matter at negative single digits), so even a few hp makes a difference if you can get in that final blow that kills your foe or are up for one more round so you can withdraw and not get killed.
I'm not saying this is the best feature out there, but I don't think it's ba[d] (especially as it increases with more levels.)
I'm not trying to say that any of these abilities are bad, per se. Just that they aren't really very exciting for the level you get them at. If barbarians got DR 1/-- at level 1, that'd be different, IMO.
And with respect to the Lay of the Exalted Dead, I think the editor needs to give himself 50 lashes with a wet noodle for that one. :-)
Necromancy School Power: "You are twice as good at an ability you don't have."
There are plenty of dubious school powers & specialist abilities, not to mention cleric domain abilities. My favourites are the Sun domain level 1 ability (1d8+level/2 touch attack vs. undead) and the Abjuration school level 1 ability (std action to give slight AC bonus to your buddies).
Trapfinding: "You may actually use the skill points you spent, for the purpose you spent them."
3.5 - underwhelming with Search skill.
PF - works fine adding use to Perception.
Let's see. Underwhelming, hmm.
1. Detect magic at will (Cleric 2 - Magic Domain). I'd probably mind less if I hadn't just been burned by this one - with this and Identify gone, plus no more using wizard items, Magic domain is very iffy if you don't need to use Hand of the Acolyte.
2. Moment of Clarity (Barbarian Rage Power) - you no longer just lose the penalties, you also lose the benefits. (Yah.. I took it).
3. Trackless Step (Druid 3) - Yay, now on those rare occasions the party is being hunted, I can run off and let them follow the rest of the group.
4. Wholeness of Body (Monk 7) - now I can use *two* Ki points for less than a cure light's healing... I'm fairly certain this is being changed, but ouch!
5. Add'l Combat Style Feat choices (Ranger 11) - Excellent - at 11th level a Ranger can choose Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, or Improved Precise Shot... for their 14th level bonus feat.
P.S. I almost put Trap Sense on my list too, but then I remembered my almost 3rd level barbarian is about to see play in "Crown of the Kobold King"...