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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Some new melee-oriented feats for review



Calimehter
2014-02-28, 02:23 PM
I'm thinking of adding the following feats as options in my next campaign. Most of them are designed to add some fun options for melee and/or help out some underpowered but iconic fighting styles. There's a bit of overlap with ToB with some of the feats, but I like having the option there even if I allow ToB for those who don't take initiator classes.

The Called Shot feat tree is inspired by the Pathfinder critical feats, but I didn't like that it was tied to critical hits, since they pretty much already mess up whatever it is you are fighting. I instead restricted it to single non-charge attacks, hoping to make them a *different* option to take in melee rather than just an add-on to something like ubercharging or crit-fishing.

What do you folks think?

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All of the following feats may be taken as Fighter bonus feats as well as normal feat slots.

Improved Shield Specialization:
Prerequisite: Shield Specialization
Benefit: When using a shield, you may apply 1/3 of your Base Attack Bonus as a further bonus to the AC bonus given by the shield.

Improved Dodge:
Prerequisite: Dodge
Benefit: When using your Dodge feat, you may apply 1/3 of your Base Attack Bonus as a further bonus to the dodge AC granted by the feat.

Improved Two-Weapon Defense:
Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Defense.
Benefit: When using two-weapon fighting, you may apply 1/3 of your Base Attac Bonus as a further bonus to the AC granted by the Two Weapon Defense feat.

Surge of Spirit:
Prerequisite: BAB +12, STR 19, CON 19
Benefit: As a standard action, you may attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save to immediately end one spell, spell-like effect, or condition (per page 300 of the DMG) currently affecting you with a duration of 1 or more rounds. Whether or not the save succeeds, you are considered fatigued after attempting the save. You may only use this feat once per day. Note that many conditions or effects prevent you from taking the standard action required to make use of this feat, and that permanent effects with no built-in end to their duration cannot be affected by this feat.
Special: This feat may be taken more than once. Each time it is taken, it gives you one more use of Surge of Spirit for that day.

Snap Leap:
Prerequisite: Jump 5 ranks
Benefit: As a swift action, you may make a Jump check and move the distance determined by the check. You provoke attacks of opportunity with this movement and must move in a straight line. Tumble checks may be taken at a -4 penalty to move through opponents and avoid attacks of opportunity as part of this swift action.

Snap Reaction:
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, DEX 15
Benefit: Whenever anyone in a square threatened by you uses a free or immediate action to move 10 feet or less, you may make either an attack of opportunity against the that foe or you may make a free 5 foot step towards that foe.

Called Shot Focus:
Prerequisite: BAB +6, Weapon Focus or Improved Unarmed Strike or Improved Natural Attack (see below)
Benefit: When making an attack with any weapon or natural attack that benefits from one or more of the above prerequisite feats, you gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls. Ranged attacks must be taken from a range of 30 feet or less to benefit from this feat.

The “Called Shot” family tree of feats follows from the above Called Shot Focus feat. All Called Shot feats deliver a status effect of some sort and have the following rules unless stated otherwise in each feat’s entry:
- Called Shot Focus is a prerequisite feat. Any Called Shot feat still requires the use of a weapon that benefits from Called Shot Focus
- Called shots can only be taken when making a single attack as a standard action. These attacks must be either melee attacks or ranged attacks taken at 30 feet or less of range.
- The status effect is delivered unless a REF save is passed with a DC of 20 or the damage dealt, whichever is higher. If the save is passed, the status effect is ignored.
- The status effect lasts for 24 hours or magical healing of at least 1HP of damage or a DC 15 Heal check is applied (as per caltrops).
- Immunity to critical hits renders one immune to Called shot effects. Some creatures may also be immune to the effects of certain called shots by their nature, such as creatures without sight being immune to blinding attacks.

Called Sickening Shot:
Benefit: The target is Sickened.

Called Deafening Shot:
Benefit: The target is Deafened.
Special: The target recieves a +4 benefit to its save against any non-bludgeoning damage.

Called Slowing Shot:
Benefit: The target moves at 1/2 speed for one of its movement modes (attacker’s choice).
Special: Additional successful attacks beyond the first may target a different movement mode if the attacker desires.

Called Blinding Shot:
Prerequisite: BAB +9
Benefit: The target is blinded.

Called Nauseating Shot:
Prerequisite: BAB +12
Benefit: The target is Nauseated.

Called Stunning Shot:
Prerequiste: BAB +16
Benefit: Target is Stunned. This Stunning effect lasts for 1d6 rounds, after which the target is Staggered for 1 hour. These durations replace the normal 24 hour duration for a called shot feat.

hourlykeyboard2
2014-04-01, 01:59 PM
I normally am all for writing up house rules and such, but I will admit that quickly skimming over these they seem pretty overpowered even for me (which is pretty surprising for me to say since people always accuse my ideas of being overpowered).

For the improved shield, dodge, and two-weapon (is that two-handed weapon or two weapons?) I would suggest the AC is your Dexterity modifier instead of 1/3 BAB; effectively doubling your Dexterity bonus to AC but also still limited by the armor you are wearing. But possibly it needs a penalty to your Attack roll; similar to Combat Expertise, but the penalty is not a 1:1 ratio.

I am honestly less sure about why the Surge of Spirit is Strength based, otherwise I really like the idea meaning it probably is also overpowered. In my opinion on it, Wisdom makes a bit more sense then Strength.

Snap Leap sounds great, but a swift action is a swift action and the distance you are passing still takes the same time as if you are moving it; besides, with a Jump of 5 ranks and rolling a 20 you move 25 feet? In some ways the jump skill already makes use of the ability to do this anyway, you are just applying it to use in combat specifics which would be more advanced use of the skill instead of a whole new feat.

Snap Reaction sounds pretty good, there are lots of other feats all over the place involving getting attacks of opportunity even if you would not be granted one and such, so it is all about adding variety to how you want to be able to react in those situations.

And then you have all the Called Shot Feats (which is actually why I found this page to respond to it, I was looking for feats the benefited the called shot rules). The Called Shot Focus really just looks like a glorified Weapon Specialization with more prerequisite options and usage options, but otherwise is also a placeholder prerequisite of itself. I think it is pretty cool (meaning, probably overpowered). As far as all of the other Called Shot feats, they should probably be more about benefiting the Called Shot rules that already exist instead of just applying abilities to it. For instance, the Blinding Shot, called shots to the eyes have double critical threat or automatically confirm criticals or something like that. Unfortunately, I was actually looking for what kinds of feats would benefit called shots, so I don't know what balance is required on these feats. BUT, I was thinking along the lines of a feat and a greater feat for each called shot category, first feat negates or reduces penalties to called shots to that location, greater feat then increases critical threat or critical confirmation.
If you are still on here and checking for replies on this to get this, then I would would more then happy to work with you on fleshing out some Called Shot feats that work with the current system and are really improvements on using called shots in combat.