My group has decided to change the armor and weapon proficiency feats to traits instead, ignoring the feat's prereqs and allowing a little more flexibility for characters in the feat and style department.
Armor Proficiency, Light: You are skilled at wearing light armor. When you wear light armor, the armor check penalty for that armor applies only to Dexterity and Strength-based skill checks.
Armor Proficiency, Medium: You are skilled at wearing medium armor. When you wear medium armor, the armor check penalty for that armor applies only to Dexterity and Strength-based skill checks.
Armor Proficiency, Heavy: You are skilled at wearing heavy armor. When you wear heavy armor, the armor check penalty for that armor applies only to Dexterity and Strength-based skill checks.
Exotic Weapon Proficiency: You understand how to use a specific exotic weapon in combat, and can utilize any special tricks or qualities that exotic weapon might allow. Choose one type of exotic weapon, such as a spiked chain or whip. You make attack rolls with the weapon normally (without the non-proficient penalty). You may take this trait multiple times. Each time you take this trait, it applies to a new type of exotic weapon.
Martial Weapon Proficiency: You understand how to use a specific martial weapon in combat, and can utilize any special tricks or qualities that martial weapon might allow. Choose one type of martial weapon, such as a longsword or trident. You make attack rolls with the weapon normally (without the non-proficient penalty). You may take this trait multiple times. Each time you take this trait, it applies to a new type of martial weapon.
Shield Proficiency: You are trained in how to properly use a shield. When you use a shield (except a tower shield), the shield’s armor check penalty only applies to Strength and Dexterity-based skills.
Simple Weapon Proficiency: You are trained in the use of simple weapons. You make attack rolls with simple weapons normally (without the non-proficient penalty).
Tower Shield Proficiency: You are trained in how to properly use a tower shield. When you use a tower shield, the shield’s armor check penalty only applies to Strength and Dexterity-based skills.
Thoughts?
The 'specific weapon' and shield stuff I'd be ok with. Not so much the Armor though. I'd suggest, instead, a Family Heirloom trait for Armor. They are proficient with that particular piece of armor, if it gets too damaged/destroyed though, they can't replace it. Obviously won't be picking up magical armor. Celestial Armor is one of the main reasons I'd limit it if not a Feat.
I really don't see the issue with these being traits, though it's kind of strange for me to think that you're able to use Heavy Armor but would be completely lost if it was a little bit lighter.
As for Sphynx's suggestion, I'm not a fan of having chosen features that you can lose forever. An heirloom trait would sit better with me if it worked like other bond class features: if you lose it it's only for X days and then you pay Y gold for a replacement.
I was working towards just that in my group - weapon proficiency as traits. Armor I honestly do not know; I feel it's a pretty high boost for the cost of a trait - specially for clerics/oracles or any fighter archetypes that lose heavy proficiency (such as Tactician).
At the very least, I concur with chaoseffect - medium armor proficiency should require light, and heavy should require medium.
Even if you did put requirements on the armor traits, the tactician fighter is still proficient with light and medium and that is enough to make him meet the prereqs for the heavy armor trait. If you're used to using a tower shield, it doesn't mean you're used to deflecting blows with a lighter shield, since with a tower shield you absorb blows. Just as with heavy armor, when you put on light armor you're supposed to use more of your speed and movement to dodge attacks and that may be difficult for those only proficient in heavy armors since they aren't used to dodging attacks but absorbing them. But it could work exactly the opposite. So what are our options at this point, other than prereqs which I don't think belong on traits with the exception of race and religion traits?
I get where you're coming from (almost no traits have requisites) but if I were to implement it I'd still keep some sort of requisite to avoid weird situations like the dude who's using full plate for a while, gets a mithral one and suddenly does not know how to use it.
The more I analyze the cooler it gets, though. You don't get a flat bonus to AC, just the potential of increasing it taking larger armor penalties and spending some cash. Maybe you'll see a lotta more clerics and inquisitors and lore wardens in heavy armor, though.
EWP for something like Bastard Sword or Dwarven Waraxe is worth about half a feat (compare it to longsword and wpn spec), so that's fine, provided you have full martial weapon proficiency to begin with. A single martial weapon is likewise worth half a feat = one trait. Ditto Tower shields and a few others. Armour is rather harder to judge. I can see a trait allowing Padded (it's cold; you wear thick clothes) or Leather only (you're a biker; you're used to it) but others look more featy.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I don't have a problem with it. Personally I never seen anyone take the proficiency feats because they're just so awful. Bothers me pathfinder doesn't have EWP as a trait to begin with, especially after stating that the feat had nothing to do with mechanical balance. Its pretty easy to get into medium armor at least, and not many classes off the top of my head really benefit from diving into full plate that don't already get it.