I originally wrote the following a few months ago as part of a house rule set, but I'd like to work on it as a stand alone system:
The following feat chains scale with level, meaning that if you have the first feat in the chain, you get the subsequent ones at no cost when you meet the prerequisites.
*Two Weapon Fighting/Improved Two Weapon Fighting/Greater Two Weapon Fighting
*Vital Strike/Improved Vital Strike/Greater Vital Strike
*Improved Dirty Trick/Greater Dirty Trick
*Improved Disarm/ Greater Disarm
*Improved Feint/Greater Feint
*Improved Reposition/Greater Reposition
*Improved Steal/Greater Steal
*Improved Trip/Greater Trip
*Improved Bull Rush/Greater Bull Rush
*Improved Drag/Greater Drag
*Improved Overrun/Greater Overrun
*Improved Sunder/Greater Sunder
*Iron Will/Improved Iron Will
*Great Fortitude/Improved Great Fortitude
*Lighting Reflexes/Improved Lightning Reflexes
*Weapon Focus/Greater Weapon Focus (the only prereq of Greater Weapon Focus is BAB 6)
*Weapon Specialization/Greater Weapon Specialization
All those +2/+2 to skill feats improve to +4/+4 at 10th level. These feats and Skill Focus both allow rerolling one failed skill check related to the feat once per day at 10th level.
If something had Mounted Combat as a prerequisite, it no longer does. (Mounted Combat isn't a bad feat, it just doesn't really need to be a prerequisite for mounted builds.)
Slashing Grace does not have Weapon Focus as a prerequisite.
Vital Strike can be used in conjunction with Spring Attack or Shot on the Run. This does not make Vital Strike an attack action, and does not allow any other non-attack action to be used with Spring Attack or Shot on the Run.
The bonus from Point Blank Shot increases to +2 at 6 BAB, +3 at 11 BAB, and +4 at 16 BAB. If something had Point Blank Shot as a prerequisite, it no longer does.
Power Attack and Deadly Aim are no longer feats, it is something people of Str 13 (PA) or Dex 13 (DA) and BAB 1 can do. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does so long as the character has the requisite ability score and BAB.
Improved Shield bash is not a feat. If you are proficient with a shield, you do not lose your shield bonus when bashing. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does.
Combat Expertise is no longer a feat, it is the way fighting defensively works. If something had it as a prerequisite, it no longer does.
That's it for the obvious fixes. What is a poor option (or, conversely, overpowered) that I need to address? Any non-combat feats aside from the skill ones that I should be looking into?
Another issue is that I do allow Path of War, but I'm not sure how those mechanics will mix with this feat system.
Improved Iron Will and such don't have any prerequisites other than the base feat. Are you just rolling those into the base feat, or are you adding some requirement that must be met before they scale up?
Some bonus feat lists may need to be reconsidered with these changes. The Two Weapon Fighting combat style for Rangers comes to mind.
Also, some things can grant Deadly Aim or Power Attack as a bonus feat without meeting the prerequisites. Can those characters no longer use those options if they don't meet the new prerequisites?
If the second feat lack prerequisites, it does just roll the feats together. Iron Will is weak as is, anyway.
The issue of Rangers and builds that have eliminated feats as bonus feats can be solved by finding those options and changing the bonus feat to something else.
Most of these changes are consolidated into the already-extensive house-rule set called Kirthfinder.
I would invite you to participate in our current discussions to improve the quality of the set of rules over at the official thread.
If you are not familiar with the Kirthfinder rule set, I may send you a copy to provide a backdrop.
I'm somewhat familiar. May double check to see if I can borrow some feat or caster rules, but Kirth and I prefer different types of games.
Since archery has been given its own version of power attack, shouldn't melee have its own version of rapid shot or manyshot? :)
All those +2/+2 to skill feats improve to +4/+4 at 10th level. These feats and Skill Focus both allow rerolling one failed skill check related to the feat once per day at 10th level.
I would keep rerolling for skill focus only, as this makes the +2/+2 feats clearly superior.
Other than this one these look ok.
All those +2/+2 to skill feats improve to +4/+4 at 10th level. These feats and Skill Focus both allow rerolling one failed skill check related to the feat once per day at 10th level.I would keep rerolling for skill focus only, as this makes the +2/+2 feats clearly superior.
Other than this one these look ok.
Thanks. I probably should.
I'm somewhat familiar. May double check to see if I can borrow some feat or caster rules, but Kirth and I prefer different types of games.Be that as it may, there are mechanics for scaling abilities and feats; Base Attack Bonus, hit dice, and spell level in reserve being a major mechanic.
For every Iterative attack, several combat-centric feats improve, most of which were compiled from two/three other feats from scattered rulebooks.
I'll take a look, but I don't want to drift so far from vanilla that applying Path of War and other 3PP becomes problematic.