The Villain Codex has a dozen neat gems within its pages, but this one in particular caught my eye.
Cunning is a no prerequisite feat that grants 1 skill rank per HD. It functions retroactively and moving forward, much like Toughness does.
It helped allow my 9th-level fighter to have 126 skill ranks. That's 14 maxed out skills! :D
Could this help other low skill classes? What's your favorite new rule from the VC?
For high level martial play the cavalier Order of the Whip is amazing as an NPC foe or for an evil campaign.
Assert Authority (Ex): At 15th level, the cavalier demonstrates his ruthlessness against those who strike the cavalier or his slaves. Whenever an enemy makes a melee attack against the cavalier or one of his adjacent slaves or servants, that enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from the cavalier, and the cavalier gains a +2 morale bonus on this attack of opportunity. If the enemy’s attack was a confirmed critical hit, the cavalier counts the enemy as if it were the target of his challenge for this attack of opportunity.
Get a "servant" (cohort?) next to you, combat reflexes, crit fish build, and destroy anyone who attacks you and your buddy in melee with all of your extra attacks. Buddy optional.
For best evil slaver NPC results use the Huntmaster archetype and treat his dog(s) as servants for this purpose. You don't want this guy chasing you down, and if he catches you you're going to pay for fighting back.
I loved the Mirror Witch. Just seconds after seing the arcetype was thinking how to make a character around that.
Cunning is a no prerequisite feat that grants 1 skill rank per HD. It functions retroactively and moving forward, much like Toughness does.
It's about time this feat got released. It really should have been in the CRB from the very beginning. The favored class rules established that 1 skill point = 1 hit point, and there should have been a skill point equivalent to toughness from the start. Well, better late than never.
Get a "servant" (cohort?) next to you, combat reflexes, crit fish build, and destroy anyone who attacks you and your buddy in melee with all of your extra attacks. Buddy optional.
Just getting an AOO whenever someone hits you or your horse is well worth a feat, but also affecting cohorts is incredible. Too bad it's not quite as good for PC's as it is for NPC's (not surprising given it's from VC) since as written it would not apply to any allies, only those who are explicitly your servants which wouldn't be applicable to adventuring parties.
Yeah, it's basically a better (and slightly higher level) version of Come and Get Me.