| quest-master |
Okay dogs of war, this is a thread for posting your home-made combat feats or your comments on the combat feats already posted. Your personal re-designs of combat feats already posted or in the Pathfinder rules are also good.
Here's one of my own design to start with:
SIDESTEP CHARGE [COMBAT]
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes
Benefit: You may use this feat when an opponent uses a charge action to attack or bull rush you. Before the opponent makes its attack roll, you may roll a 20-sided die as a defense roll. The result of the defense roll takes the place of your base 10 added to your Armor Class. If the opponent's attack misses, you gain an attack of opportunity against the opponent. This attack of opportunity ignores the opponent's Dexterity bonus to Armor Class if any.
| Squirrelloid |
Honestly, the problem with combat feats is the use only one per round thing. Not only have feats traditionally not compared favorably to spells individually, now they shouldn't be able to stack as well? As far as I can tell, taking more than 2-3 combat feats is a bad idea, and those you do take should form a chain so you've only really got one combat feat option you care about. Which makes design of new combat feats somewhat problematic...
So first off, remove the one per round restriction. Then talking about additional combat feats might actually be worthwhile. Just make [Combat] be the designation that says 'yes, fighters can take this as a bonus feat'.
| quest-master |
Honestly, the problem with combat feats is the use only one per round thing. Not only have feats traditionally not compared favorably to spells individually, now they shouldn't be able to stack as well? As far as I can tell, taking more than 2-3 combat feats is a bad idea, and those you do take should form a chain so you've only really got one combat feat option you care about. Which makes design of new combat feats somewhat problematic...
So first off, remove the one per round restriction. Then talking about additional combat feats might actually be worthwhile. Just make [Combat] be the designation that says 'yes, fighters can take this as a bonus feat'.
First off, martial-based feats and spells (the comparison I'm assume you're referring to) can't be balanced against each other directly. Magic items, attack bonuses, racial and class features, and situational conditions all have to be weighed. There are certain encounters that are better for warrior-types and certain encounters that are better for mage-types. Instead of comparing feats to spells, focus should be made on how well the feats of warriors work with the spells of mages. This game is designed for teamwork-oriented play both in combat and non-combat situations, not "who can dish out more pain?".
"The wizard casts Grease. The fighter remains on his feet and uses Grounded Swing against his prone foes without having to make a Balance check."
"The wizard casts Fireball. The rogue/fighter successfully evades the full blast of the flames and immediately uses Aftermath Advantage to make an attack of opportunity against the adjacent opponent that failed the Reflex save and is momentarily reeling from the burning heat of the Fireball."
In order to prevent potential complications (some Combat feats just shouldn't be able to chain with certain others) and promote ease of game mechanics, it would probably be better to keep the one per round but allow for combat feats that chain with specific combat feats.
Here's an example:
Arcane Bursting Strike [Combat]
As you land a blow with your arcane-charged weapon, you unleash a surge of arcane energy that explodes with harmful effect at the point of impact"
Prerequisites: Arcane Strike, ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells
Benefit: When you successful hit an opponent while your Arcane Strike feat is active, you may expend a single prepared spell or spell slot to deal an extra 1d6 points of damage per spell level of the expended spell or spell slot.
There are also non-"Combat Feat" feats such as Power Attack that stack with Combat feats. As always, just choose all of your feats, both non-Combat Feat and Combat Feat, wisely and the Combat Feats you've chosen will shine quite well.
| Squirrelloid |
Squirrelloid wrote:First off, martial-based feats and spells (the comparison I'm assume you're referring to) can't be balanced against each other directly. Magic items, attack bonuses, racial and class features, and situational conditions all have to be weighed. There are certain encounters that are better for warrior-types and certain encounters that are better for mage-types. Instead of comparing feats to spells, focus should be made on how well the feats of warriors work with the spells of mages. This game is designed for teamwork-oriented play both in combat and non-combat situations, not "who can dish out more pain?".Honestly, the problem with combat feats is the use only one per round thing. Not only have feats traditionally not compared favorably to spells individually, now they shouldn't be able to stack as well? As far as I can tell, taking more than 2-3 combat feats is a bad idea, and those you do take should form a chain so you've only really got one combat feat option you care about. Which makes design of new combat feats somewhat problematic...
So first off, remove the one per round restriction. Then talking about additional combat feats might actually be worthwhile. Just make [Combat] be the designation that says 'yes, fighters can take this as a bonus feat'.
Silly me, not assuming that abilities which are possessed in limited numbers and are not (under core rules) changeable should compare unfavorably to abilities that are known in far less limited numbers (cash limit for wizards, divine casters know all their spells, even sorcs get more spells than fighters get feats - and they're the most limited) and for most classes that use them can totally switch what they've got available on a day-to-day basis (all except sorcerors). And then of course I forgot to additionally assume that the abilities which are both less exchangeable and possessed in lesser frequency should also stack less favorably. You're right, I have no idea what I'm talking about. Carry on.
| quest-master |
I almost forgot to add:
GROUNDED SWING [COMBAT]
"You take a moment to adjust your footing and then take a swing at your foe. You continue to press your attack all the while concentrating on keeping your balance"
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: You can make melee attacks without having to make an Acrobatics check while fighting on terrain that would normally force you to make an Acrobatics check to prevent falling.
AFTERMATH ADVANTAGE [COMBAT]
"You quickly survey your nearby opponents and attack while they are distracted."
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes
Benefit: You can make immediate attack(s) of opportunity on any adjacent opponent(s) that has just been successfully damaged by an attack. You can not use this feat if you were damaged by the same attack.
| quest-master |
After further thought, I believe the important question is "do feat-reliant fighting classes sych as the fighter have enough options in gameplay for players to have fun with them?"
With good HP, Full Attack Bonus, Extra Attacks, and well-chosen feats combined with actual use of combat maneuvers (Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, Overrun, Sunder, Trip, Feint), is there enough to do in battle?
If it's an issue about non-combat-related gameplay, I've seen plenty of complaints about number of skill points or ranks. It seems 4 should be the minimum number rather than 2, especially with how the skill system is handled at starting level now.
If its about option envy between classes, then consider this: Arcane and divine casters are supposed to have more options that are also changeable because they also have to take roles in utility (Light, Spider Climb, etc.) and because unlike feats and combat maneuvers, spells and spell slots get gobbled up from use.
Items are changeable too, and even fighters get their fair share of equipment.
Flaming, frost, holy, etc.
Daylight Pellets, Thunderstones, Earthquake Boots, etc.
Plus the different roles taken in encounters must also be taken into consideration. Different classes take to the same situation in different ways. It's up to the DM to make sure everybody has a chance to shine in their roles.
"The Fighter uses Overrun to break through the defending line of zombies to take a swing at the lich's phylactery. The zombies beat and claw at the Fighter as he passes by but he ducks and weaves enough to soften most of the blows, enough to keep going towards his destination. The Fighter uses Sunder to shatter the lich's precious container"
"The Wizard casts Teleport to reach the phylactery only to find that the lich had placed a protective spell that warps teleportation magic used in the chamber. The Wizard is shunted against a nearby wall and falls prone from the impact. With Teleport used up the Wizard casts Wall of Force to save himself from the approaching horde, if only for a while."
In any case, I'm going to re-start this thread over in Alpha 3 now that it's open.