upgrading feats: improved light armor

[showzilla]

Improved light armor proficiency

prereq: light armor proficiency, dex 13

benefits:You gain the benefits of this feat when wearing light or no armor at all and carrying no more than a light load.when using combat expertise, you gain a +2 to AC instead of a +1 for every -1.

at BAB+8, once per day, you may take 20 on a reflex save. you gain an additional use of this ability per day for every +4 BAB beyond that.

at BAb +12, as a swift action, you may gain an insight bonus equal to your HD to one dexterity based skill for a number of rounds equal to your dexterity bonus. you may apply this bonus to an additional skill at BAB+16 and BAB+20.

at BAB +16, when using acrobatics to move through a threatened area, you may move at full speed with no penalty.This acrobatic's check also allows you to rise from prone as part of a movement. You add any dodge bonuses you may have to this check.

Special: Ninjas,Rogues, and Bards use their level instead of BAB for determing when they get these benefits.

same goes for light armor specialization.

[christos gurd]

It kind bugs me that this makes people with light armor more "nimble" than those not wearing armor at all.

[Keydan]

christos gurd wrote:

It kind bugs me that this makes people with light armor more "nimble" than those not wearing armor at all.

Well said.

IMHO, I see potential in the idea but the execution is poor, when all things are considered. Why not just allow this feat to lower ACP by a fixed or dynamic number, maybe lower arcane spell failure chance if certain conditions are met.

Light armor is nothing special. It's a thick coat, jacket, maybe a cut down chainmail. It relay has little "mastery" behind it, asides from knowing how to put it on and take it off correctly.

Now medium and heavy armor - those can be tricky. Making a feat chain that would largely duplicate fighter armor training or something like that would be beneficial for many classes.

[showzilla]

christos gurd wrote:

It kind bugs me that this makes people with light armor more "nimble" than those not wearing armor at all.

oops!!!! I meant to put in the description that you gain these benefits while wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load.

[Orich Starkhart]

Continuing along the theme of my comments to your Light Armor specialization feat, the abilities here seem to address agility in combat rather than proficiency with armor.

I think Improved proficiency should take further what the base proficiency provides, and maybe make the armor more effective - the way the shield proficiencies work. So that might be eliminate ACP for STR and DEX skill checks, increase AC by 1, and maybe increase AC further by 1 for each 3, 4, or 5 Bab - or leave the scaling to Light Armor Specialization, make Improved a prereq for Specialization, and have the AC increases for Improved and Specialization stack. Perhaps include an increase to Fortitude saves as well.

I don't see how improving proficiency with armor provides an "Insight bonus" on a DEX skill check, or a take 20 on a reflex save, or all those improvements to acrobatics at Bab/level 16, wearing the armor or not. I think those improvements could be another feat tree and apply when unarmored and unencumbered, then the armor proficiency or specialization feat grants the character those abilities while wearing the armor.

[showzilla]

Orich Starkhart wrote:

Continuing along the theme of my comments to your Light Armor specialization feat, the abilities here seem to address agility in combat rather than proficiency with armor.

I think Improved proficiency should take further what the base proficiency provides, and maybe make the armor more effective - the way the shield proficiencies work. So that might be eliminate ACP for STR and DEX skill checks, increase AC by 1, and maybe increase AC further by 1 for each 3, 4, or 5 Bab - or leave the scaling to Light Armor Specialization, make Improved a prereq for Specialization, and have the AC increases for Improved and Specialization stack. Perhaps include an increase to Fortitude saves as well.

I don't see how improving proficiency with armor provides an "Insight bonus" on a DEX skill check, or a take 20 on a reflex save, or all those improvements to acrobatics at Bab/level 16, wearing the armor or not. I think those improvements could be another feat tree and apply when unarmored and unencumbered, then the armor proficiency or specialization feat grants the character those abilities while wearing the armor.

all these benefits are used so long as they are wearing nothing heavier than light armor and is not carrying more than a light load. The insight bonus is due to the mentality that has come with such training, so an insight bonus seemed most plausible.