(3.X) Lesser feats

[Shpadoinkle]

Let's face it, there are some feats that simply aren't worth of being feats. There are also some feats that allow you to do things that any person ought to reasonably be able to do. In general, lesser feats are simply weak feats that I think ought to be more accessable. Lesser feats also generally shouldn't have prerequisites, unless that prerequisite is another lesser feat. Lesser feat 'chains' shouldn't be more than two or three long, at most- these are more to add flavor and give a small advantage with clever uses.

There are some feats that are just bad. I'm looking most at the various "you gain +2 to checks with (random skill) and +2 to checks with (other random skill loosely related to the first)" feats here. I simply don't think that's worth sacrificing a feat for. In this system, they'd all be changed to lesser feats, but the bonus is instead +1 to both skills, and you can select the same one up to twice.

Also, I'm taking suggestions on the name of this feature. 'Talents' comes to mind, but I'll keep calling them lesser feats for now for clarity.

You'd get 1 lesser feat every level, regardless of class. Some lesser feats are very similar to normal feats, but have greater restrictions. Below are just a handful of ideas I've come up with.

Also, these are in addition to normal feats. You still get a regular feat whenever you normally would.

Wild Swing, (General)
Beneft: You can choose to subract your BAB from all attack rolls and instead gain it as a bonus to damage. A level 12 fighter, with a +12 BAB, could make a Wild Swing and gain +12 to damage with all attacks. Note that this must apply to ALL attacks you make this round, and you can not choose to subtract less than your full BAB from your total to-hit bonus. You do not gain the normal +2 to damage for every point taken from your BAB when using a weapon in two hands, as you do with Power Attack. Using this feat is a standard action.

Elemental Focus, (Reserve, Lesser)
Prerequisite: Ability to cast 1st level arcane spells
Benefit: While you have a spell of any level with the (fire), (cold), (electricity), or (acid) descriptor memorized, you can fire a ray that does damage of the same type, up to 30 feet away, once per round as a standard action. This ray only does a single point of damage, and is resolved as a ranged attack (not a ranged touch attack). The fire and electricity rays are neither hot nor large enough, nor do they last long enough, to ignite anything less flammable than napalm. They could, theoretically, ignite something highly flammable if used every round for no less than a full minute (ten rounds).

Lesser Toughness, (General, Lesser)
Benefit: Your maximum HP total is raised by 3.
Special: Unlike the Touhgness feat, Lesser Toughness can ONLY be taken once.

Nonstandard Training, (General, Lesser)
Benefit: Your teacher (this being yourself if you're self-taught) had some unusual thoughts on what it means to take up a certain profession. Choose a class, and a skill that is not on the class's skill list (for example, fighter and move silently). From then on, that skill is considered to be part of the skill list for that class for you.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times.

Sturdy, (General, Lesser)
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to checks made to resist being moved when targetted by a Bull Rush.

Low Center of Gravity, (General, Lesser)
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to all checks made to avoid being tripped. This does not apply to trip checks you make against other creatures, or countertrip checks.

Adrenaline Surge (General, Lesser)
Benefit: Once per encounter, during a move action, you can move 50% further than you normally would be able to.

Create Lesser Wondrous Item, (Item Creation, Lesser)
Prerequisite: Ability to cast 1st level spells
Benefit: You can craft wondrous items costing no more than 100 GP per two caster levels. Otherwise, this feat is identical to Craft Wondrous Item.

[Godskook]

Wild Swing, (General)
Beneft: You can choose to subract your BAB from all attack rolls and instead gain it as a bonus to damage. A level 12 fighter, with a +12 BAB, could make a Wild Swing and gain +12 to damage with all attacks. Note that this must apply to ALL attacks you make this round, and you can not choose to subtract less than your full BAB from your total to-hit bonus. You do not gain the normal +2 to damage for every point taken from your BAB when using a weapon in two hands, as you do with Power Attack.

That's wonky, so a L12 fighter, who has BAB 12/7/2 can trade that for 0/-5/-10 and +12 to all attacks? In some ways, that's better than power attack(Since PA can only exchange 2 BAB on the last attack).

[Magnor Criol]

I like this idea a lot, but Wild Swing should be nixed. Power Attack is definitely not one of those weaker feats that's not worth a feat slot - quite the contrary, it's a pretty easily broken feat.

I'd recommend having Elemental Focus scale a bit. Maybe 1 point per CL? 1 point of damage feels worthless even at level 1 (or healing - I'm looking at you, Cure Minor Wounds...) Also, "Elemental Focus" doesn't seem to fit well as a name for this.

I like the rest, especially Nonstandard Training. That's a perfect example of something that I'd love to take, but will never spend a whole real feat on.

You should throw in the Great Fortitude/Lightning Reflexes/Iron Will trio into this lot. +2 to one save isn't something I feel like blowing a feat on, even if that does bar me from some prestige classes...

Good start, I like the idea a lot.

[Ashtagon]

I dunno. The "skill feats" are certainly un-exciting, no doubt about it. But they are surprisingly powerful, especially when combined with the "take 10 on these skills in any situation" class features. Take 10 plus skill bonus feats can easily mean you automatically succeed on tasks that would otherwise be really really hard, and succeed on them in situations where normally you might not even be allowed the attempt.

Their basic problem is that they are a static bonus (commonly seen as boring) on top of a feature (skills) which are already seen as boring. That's a double-yawn, despite their hidden potential power.

On the constructive side...

d20 Modern values the class features at half a feat, and routinely calls them "talents". There is even a series of feats which basically say "pick two talents".

I'd also note that the system you outlined for granting these "lesser feats" will make all classes more powerful. This leads to arms race issues, and is certainly something I'd want to avoid adding, more so for any such feature which is a static bonus of any kind (since they are boring).

[Temotei]

Maybe there should be a few more options for characters, or maybe just get these whenever you would receive a feat for levels (1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18...or if you wanted fighters to have a bit of an advantage, because some people believe they are underpowered, give them a few more). I also agree with the others on the Wild Swing feat and the name for Elemental Focus. It doesn't seem to fit.

[Merk]

If anyone applies this, I think Nonlethal/Subdual Substitution and Energy Substitution should probably be made as lesser feats for mages.

[Shpadoinkle]

Sorry for not posting to this thread in so long, I kind of forgot about it until Merk bumped it.

I changed making a Wild Swing to a standard action, so it's impossible to full attack with. The idea behind it was to make "I smash the hell out of the lever/door/lich's phylactery with all my strength" possible and plausible for characters to do without having to burn something as valuable as a feat on Power Attack. I can try to deliberately hit something really hard, even though I know I'll be less likely to strike exactly where I want, I don't see why my D&D character can't without having to spend a significant portion of his training learning how.

Also, instead of just being granted them at set levels, I've come up with the idea of them costing one or two skill points each (depending on how useful they are), but you can only take one per level (you don't HAVE to take one, but you can if you want.)

[Godskook]

Also, instead of just being granted them at set levels, I've come up with the idea of them costing one or two skill points each (depending on how useful they are), but you can only take one per level (you don't HAVE to take one, but you can if you want.)

These should not be tied to Int. Martial classes are MAD enough already. There's the point that between skill tricks and skills, skill points are overtaxed as it is.

[Eleven]

You'd get 1 lesser feat every level, regardless of class. Some lesser feats are very similar to normal feats, but have greater restrictions. Below are just a handful of ideas I've come up with.

Also, these are in addition to normal feats. You still get a regular feat whenever you normally would.

Perhaps you should receive a lesser feat every level in which you don't receive a regular feat. That preserves the wonder of being able to choose a "feat" at every level but decreases the power creep of this system. Frankly, I can't imagine putting a lot of thought into a lesser feat selection when I have an actual feat to pick.

[Latronis]

I tend to give out such 'lesser' feats as rewards occassionally(where appropiate) to mix things up instead of just another +1 sword or a handful of gold.