Flair for Combat:
You have a natural flair for combat, regardless of whatever formal training you have or have not had.
Benefit: Your BAB counts as 1 higher for purposes of qualifying for feats or other pre-requisites. This trait will not raise your effective BAB higher than your character level.
What do you think?
I think you could raise the value higher than one and it wouldn't be overpowered. I don't have a problem with it.
I like it. It's similar to the ability I gave my fighter rework, where he gets +1 to BAB for feat prerequisites only at levels 3 and every 3rd after. Something like that can really set a character apart in the speed at which they gain new feats.
I like it. It's similar to the ability I gave my fighter rework, where he gets +1 to BAB for feat prerequisites only at levels 3 and every 3rd after. Something like that can really set a character apart in the speed at which they gain new feats.
To be honest, its primary intent is to allow those characters who start at +0 BAB at first level to qualify for those feats that require a +1 or better (Power Attack, Weapon Focus, etc.). For many of those 3/4 classes, you're feat-starved already and not being able to start whatever pre-requisite chain right away pushes the eventual pay-off back too far to be worth pursuing. It also helps out when you would otherwise qualify for a key feat at an even level and when you're chasing certain Prestige Classes...
I'm not looking to make something broken, just something useful, and I've had many characters who could have benefitted from this trait.
I think, as a trait, it'd be fine as a +1, but I would recommend against making it able to stack with other, similar effects.
Just my opinion, which has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience - to misquote Mary Schmich.
I think, as a trait, it'd be fine as a +1, but I would recommend against making it able to stack with other, similar effects.
Just my opinion, which has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience - to misquote Mary Schmich.
Are there any other sources out there that increase your effective BAB for pruposes of pre-requisites but not in actuality?
Are there any other sources out there that increase your effective BAB for pruposes of pre-requisites but not in actuality?
None that I am aware of, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist now or won't in the future. I always try to be very precise with wording a final version of things on the off-chance something out there works with a home-creation in a manner I didn't intend.
Are there any other sources out there that increase your effective BAB for pruposes of pre-requisites but not in actuality?None that I am aware of, but that doesn't necessarily mean they don't exist now or won't in the future. I always try to be very precise with wording a final version of things on the off-chance something out there works with a home-creation in a manner I didn't intend.
I'm less concerned in this particular case with detailing all of the possible future permutations, primarily because bonuses granted by traits are pretty much always either 'trait' bonuses or untyped, meaning they stack with everything but themselves as it is. This is an extremely minor but in my opinion potentially very useful benefit, particularly because it helps out most at the lowest levels when the impact of Traits are meant to be most keenly felt.
Following is a question based on curiosity, not a criticism:
Is it your intent to allow earlier access to feats, prestige classes, etc. for those classes with full base attack bonus, as well? I ask as I'm not sure how even a +1 bab will affect balance (perceived or otherwise) for those martial classes with a full bab.
It makes a brief difference at 5th level where you get to take Vital Strike and do a bit more damage on every hit (for one level!), but as VS is pretty poor anyway, that's not exactly gamebreaking. There are a couple of similar situations where the BAB requirement assumes the existence of multiple attacks. Imp TWF, for example: at 5th level you'd get one main attack and two offhand. Odd but OK. And likewise at 10th.
So it's fine in reality.
How would you get vital strike or improved two weapon fighting at 5th? Your still limited by character level with this trait.
How would you get vital strike or improved two weapon fighting at 5th? Your still limited by character level with this trait.
That's right - full BAB characters would get essentially no benefit from this trait, though 3/4's classes, multi-classes and so on would. Its essentially the combat version of Magical Knack.
As I said, the chief benefit is allowing non-full BAB characters to take feats like Power Attack or Combat Expertise or Weapon Focus at 1st rather than having to wait til 3rd, allowing all of the feats that build on those pre-requisites to come two levels earlier as well.
While by no means game-breaking, I could see it as a very popular 'must-have' for a number of builds.
Following is a question based on curiosity, not a criticism:
Is it your intent to allow earlier access to feats, prestige classes, etc. for those classes with full base attack bonus, as well? I ask as I'm not sure how even a +1 bab will affect balance (perceived or otherwise) for those martial classes with a full bab.
No - it says very explicitly that this trait can not raise your BAB higher than your character level.
No - it says very explicitly that this trait can not raise your BAB higher than your character level.Following is a question based on curiosity, not a criticism:
Is it your intent to allow earlier access to feats, prestige classes, etc. for those classes with full base attack bonus, as well? I ask as I'm not sure how even a +1 bab will affect balance (perceived or otherwise) for those martial classes with a full bab.
Oh, duh. I missed that entirely.
I don't think that clause is really needed.