PDA

View Full Version : Martial Feat Design



Zeful
2007-10-26, 02:54 AM
I need some help with some concepts for feats that compete with casters. I wanted them to be Martial in form, but I don't have an idea as to the how of implementing it. My concept so far is like the Metashadow feats in ToM, there are the traditional Quicken, still, silent, widen, empower. But to get the better ones you need one, two, or three other Metashadow feats. Then there's psionic body which gets better as you increase the number [Psionic] feats. Is there anyway to do what I want (create a flexible feat tree) that will put Martial abilities on par with casting. Is there any hope for me?

I don't want to hear anything about the Tome of Battle, because:
It doesn't fit the setting I'm creating
I don't own it.
I don't want to buy new books until my setting's completed.
It doesn't fit the setting I'm creating

Arakune
2007-10-26, 06:51 AM
Magic Resistance
Either you have born in a family of mage slayers, your soul came from some different plane that can't stand magic or you trained to resist magic for many years, you are more resistant to magic effects. Either you like it or not
Prerequisites: Con 13 or Char 13. Only first level
Benefits: You receive an bonus of +4 on all saves against any magic effect, good or not. You can't suppress this ability and you will always try to make an save to try to resist any spell/magic effect on you. You can't voluntary fail your save. After your death any effect that target your body doesn't trigger this ability but any effect that target your soul will trigger this ability.

Neon Knight
2007-10-26, 04:35 PM
I don't think you'll have much luck.

Although greater magic resistance helps, one of the gaping holes in melee fighter's core capabilities is mobility, the fact that nearly all of their attack power is invested in the full attack which can be denied with stunning ease.

Thus a sort of Quicken Full attack or Maximize Single Attack so it contains the attack power of the full attack could balance things out. However, given the chances both of multiple foes and of enemies just tough enough to take several full attacks, the fighter needs to be able to use this ability multiple times per fight. Once per day isn't going to cut it.

....

The above description matches that-which-I'm-not-supposed-to-mention maneuvers uncannily.

Come to think of it, what you describe fits that-which-I'm-not-supposed-to-mention pretty nicely too.

Since that-which-I'm-not-supposed-to-mention is basically the magic system with a couple of alterations, it isn't the surprising once you think about it.

Fluff is perfectly removable, you know. I don't think I've used a piece of book fluff in the longest time...

Maldraugedhen
2007-10-26, 09:18 PM
Metamartial feats?

Zeful
2007-10-26, 09:34 PM
Kasrkin:
I've got nothing against the Tome of Battle really, except in my setting I already have Wizards, Sorcerers, and the Psionic Classes and throwing in the ToB will complicate everything more than I feel is neccisary for my campaign setting.

ryuan: Um, thanks for the feat.

Anyway I think this might work.

Hardened Mind [Martial]
You have steeled your mind shielding yourself from mental assult
Prerequisites: Int13 or greater, Concentration 4 ranks
Benefit: You have learned to sheild your mind from outside influence earning you a +2 morale bonus to your will saving throw against illusions and mind effecting spells and abilities. For every [Martial] feat you possess, you get an additional +1 morale bonus to your will save against illusions and mind effecting spells and abilities.
Special: A fighter may take this feat as one of her fighter bonus feats.

Battle Focus [Martial]
You have focused your mind only on the fight at hand. The intensity of your focus lessens blows against you.
Prerequisites: Hardened Mind, Concentration 6 Ranks, Con 13 or greater.
Benefit: In battle when you take damage you may make a Dc 20 Concentration check and prevent 1 damage for each [Martial] feat you possess.
Special: A fighter may take this feat as one of her fighter bonus feats.

would this system be any good? I guess I'd have to add a lot more feats (10-12 or so) before this would be effective, but I'm willing to do the work.

BisectedBrioche
2007-10-26, 10:14 PM
Insulated
Prerequisites: Must have survived massive damage from apropriate element
Benefit: You are resistant to either heat, cold or shock damage (pick one). You gain resistance 5/ with no penalty. You may take this feat multiple times as long as you meet the prerequisites.

Painful Blow
Prerequisites: none
Benefit: Your attacks increase the concentration check DC for casters by 5 more than it would normally.

Lingering Blow
Prerequisites: Painful Blow
Benefit: Your attacks leave a sore spot on your victim, they must make a concentration check equal to (any other factors) + 5 to a minumum of 10 to cast spells for 1d6-1 rounds on a natural 20.

Cynical Mind
Prerequisites: Int 15
Benefit: You believe in only what you see, making you much better at realising when something's real and when its just an illusion. You gain a +1 bonus to all saves made to disbelieve an illusion.

Roderick_BR
2007-10-26, 10:55 PM
Player's Handbook II have a lot of new feats, like tactical feats, combat form feats, and general feats like Melee Mastery and Weapon Supremacy.

Arakune
2007-10-27, 07:39 AM
Kasrkin:
I've got nothing against the Tome of Battle really, except in my setting I already have Wizards, Sorcerers, and the Psionic Classes and throwing in the ToB will complicate everything more than I feel is neccisary for my campaign setting.

ryuan: Um, thanks for the feat.

Anyway I think this might work.

Hardened Mind [Martial]
You have steeled your mind shielding yourself from mental assult
Prerequisites: Int13 or greater, Concentration 4 ranks
Benefit: You have learned to sheild your mind from outside influence earning you a +2 morale bonus to your will saving throw against illusions and mind effecting spells and abilities. For every [Martial] feat you possess, you get an additional +1 morale bonus to your will save against illusions and mind effecting spells and abilities.
Special: A fighter may take this feat as one of her fighter bonus feats.

Battle Focus [Martial]
You have focused your mind only on the fight at hand. The intensity of your focus lessens blows against you.
Prerequisites: Hardened Mind, Concentration 6 Ranks, Con 13 or greater.
Benefit: In battle when you take damage you may make a Dc 20 Concentration check and prevent 1 damage for each [Martial] feat you possess.
Special: A fighter may take this feat as one of her fighter bonus feats.

would this system be any good? I guess I'd have to add a lot more feats (10-12 or so) before this would be effective, but I'm willing to do the work.

This feat are a prerequisite to some mageslaying feats. I didn't make more things since it would be more fun for you to think by yourself.

Zeful
2007-10-27, 10:52 AM
Bisected8: Um thanks.

Roderick_BR: Yes but I don't really have money so things like the PHb II isn't a viable option, yet.

ryuan: I kinda gathered that but I was talking more about the concept behind the feats (you get x; as you get more [Martial] Feats x increases.)

Maldraugedhen: Sorry about not seeing you. And yes it would be something like that, but not quite.

BisectedBrioche
2007-10-27, 12:19 PM
Bisected8: Um thanks.

Is there something wrong or unusual about what I posted?

Zeful
2007-10-28, 03:51 PM
No it's that I wasn asking for feats I was asking more about a design issue that would potentially be based around a large body of feats for a campaign setting. So I really don't know how to respond to the posting of a number of feats.

I will use your feats for inspiration though.

Vadin
2007-10-28, 03:59 PM
Have you checked out the essentia feats from Magic of Incarnum? They (mostly) all give you 1 point of essentia, and you can invest essentia in the feats for effects that improve over time.

Zeful
2007-10-29, 08:34 AM
I've seen a few of those yes and I'm trying to do something similar so that even mooks can have a few tricks up there sleeves.