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It has been awhile since I have been on these messageboards, being without internet access for my PC; thankfully, my tablet has such a luxury. At any rate...
I am back again to discuss rules, and after skimming through the Ultimate Campaign book, this trait caught my eye (and many others, I'm sure).
For those who don't have the book or are unfamiliar with the trait, it reads something like this:
When you are affected by a luck bonus of any kind, that bonus increases by 1.
Keep in mind that this is a trait, not a feat, meaning it is optional, but for the sake of arguments and groups that run with traits, here are some questions I have:
1. If I have 2 different effects that provide a luck bonus to different statistics, does the trait's benefits apply to both effects, or do I have to choose one of the two effects for the trait (or statistics affected)?
2. If I receive a luck bonus to a statistic from an item or similarly permanent effect, does it last indefinitely or does this trait have to affect a bonus with a set duration?
3. For the power this provides, why is this a trait and not a feat?
4. If you were a GM for your group running with character traits, would you leave it as is, nerf/change it, or ban it? With any choice, why (or how would you nerf/change it)?
Thanks for any official clarification!
certainly broken for an archaeologist, but, as anyone who has fought pugwampis will attest.... Luck bonuses aren't as common as you'd like them to be.
to answer your questions.. I'd say
1. Applies to both
2. indefinite
3. (shrugs)
4. I would make certain no one starts with or sells a stone of good luck. If a character with this trait ends up crafting one.... lucky him
It's very good, but won't break anything. Much better than most feats; hardly the first trait you could say that about.
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I didn't mean for Divine Favor and Divine Power to stack, just that those are two common buff spells for those classes. Use one until you can cast 4th level spells, then use the other. The trait will apply to both, so it won't lose effectiveness at higher levels. That's all I meant. My Inquisitor/Gunslinger routinely moves into position and casts one of those two spells on the first round of combat. I'd gladly take an extra +1 hit +1 dmg on top of what they already grant.
I think that whomever wrote the trait didn't realize or simply forgot that there are archetypes and alternate race (racial? whichever) traits that grant broad luck bonuses.
With the possible exception of "people affected by a save or die spell" +1 to anything isn't going to break anything.
I'm building around this one actually. inexplicable luck as part of the defiant/inexplicable/bestow luck tree is a once per day +8 luck bonus to quite a few types of rolls as long as you apply the bonus ahead of the roll. Make that a +9 sir!
Once per day +9. When you absolutely positively have to make the roll.
So there really isn't a way for this feat to grant multiple bonuses - unless you had two different sources of a Luck bonus that applied to different rolls.
Dunno what you mean by multiple bonuses exactly, but it's easy enough to get Luck bonuses to saves, attacks, damage, and skill checks. (Luck bonus to AC is slightly harder to get) The trait would increase all of those bonuses by one each. For an Orc with Shaman's Apprentice, the increased saves are always active and are worth a feat and a half. And an archaeologist bard or buff-inclined divine caster will frequently be getting an extra point bonus to a wide variety of stats.
Until you can get a luck bonus to caster level or save DC, this trait is not going to break anything, just will be very good for certain builds. An extra +1 to attack or damage or saves is pretty meh; it may make the corresponding feats look like garbage in comparison, but here's a secret:
If you have two bonuses of the same type generally speaking they do not stack - Luck in not an exception (about the only main exception is Dodge bonuses and just a few others)
So there really isn't a way for this feat to grant multiple bonuses - unless you had two different sources of a Luck bonus that applied to different rolls.
That's an issue with the trait; it applies to all forms of Luck Bonuses. For example, the Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier provides a +1 Luck Bonus to AC, the Robe of Stars grants a +1 Luck Bonus to Saves, and some other items do provide other sorts of Luck Bonuses. Next thing you know, you got a trait that gives +1 to every statistic possible, and there is no feat with that much power.
It's funny how as a player I am complaining about getting newer and more useful capabilities, though never something this enhancing. Perhaps because I am a humbly fair player? (It definitely makes for a challenging NPC fight.)