New 1st Level Feats (Comments?)

[Ralasha]

I only have one feat worked out for starting this thread, I have others in mind. Please feel free to post your own in this thread, or comment on those in this thread.


Feats:
Heart of a Lion:

Spoiler

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Type: Exalted
Requirements: 1st Level, Good Aligned
Description: Some people are born with more than their full measure of courage. These people often stand tallest when the odds are most strongly stacked against them.
Benefits: The character gains a +1 to saves, attack, and damage versus monsters, with a CR above the character's ECL. Thus a character with this feat, at level 1, fighting a CR 1&1/4 monster would gain a +1 to saves attacks, and damage versus that monster. In addition, any fear effects from creatures above the characters Level in challenge rating are lowered by one category. Thus Afraid becomes Shaken, and Shaken is negated. (This feat will only lower fear effects by one category. It cannot negate the fear effect afraid, only decrease it to Shaken.)

Born in Battle:

Spoiler

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Type: General
Requirements: 1st Level
Description: To be born on the field of battle is said to be the beginning of a great warrior. Not all who are born amidst bloodshed come to bear this truth in full, though some few do.
Benefits: The character gains a +1 to all attacks and damage with melee weapons. In addition, the character suffers only a -2 penalty instead of the standard -4 when using weapons with which it is not proficient.

[Amnestic]

For Heart of the Lion-

So, just to be clear, that's a permanently active +1 to saves, attack rolls and damage per CR of the enemy?

So if fighting say...a Horned Devil (MM pg. 55) which has a CR of 16, you'd get a +16 to all your saves, all attack rolls and all your damage when dealing with him?

I'll be the first to admit I'm no expert on balance, but that seems a bit powerful for one feat investment at level 1, with the only requirement being Good. I could be wrong though.

[Ralasha]

And when fighting a CR 16 monster, that isn't really all that much. It'll generally have about... a 40 AC, 300 average HP, and saves versus any of it's abilities will be rather high as well. Though I suppose I can remove the save bonus. Save bonus removed.

[Cespenar]

Instead of "per point of CR", make it "equal to the difference of HD", which would make more sense with the whole courage theme. If, for example, a 15th level fighter with this feat would fight a Horned Devil, this would give no bonuses, but if the said fighter was 10th level, then he'd get +5 to his attacks, saves, etc.

Makes more sense, and balances it, I think. The original version is too overpowered in higher levels.

[Ralasha]

Instead of "per point of CR", make it "equal to the difference of HD", which would make more sense with the whole courage theme. If, for example, a 15th level fighter with this feat would fight a Horned Devil, this would give no bonuses, but if the said fighter was 10th level, then he'd get +5 to his attacks, saves, etc.

Makes more sense, and balances it, I think. The original version is too overpowered in higher levels.

Many monster types have multiple HD per level of CR. In example, you are level 20, fighting a CR 20 dragon. The CR 20 dragon will have 60 HD. You'll gain +40. How is this more balanced?

Edited, the difference between ECL and CR. rather than HD.

[nihil8r]

Heart of a Lion:

1 this is far, far (far) too meta-gamey. do you really want players sitting there constantly trying to figure out the level of monsters to determine their bonuses against them?

2 this is as powerful as five or ten normal feats. as the others have pointed out, a first level character with this feat would get +19 bonuses against a level 20 foe! throw in a few high level magical protections and with this feat a level 1 could kill a level 20.

i'd recommend changing it to a static +1 to one or two categories when the character is being threatened by higher level creatures. for example, +1 to saves against fear and +1 to armor class ... not +19 to everything.

and also what defines "monster" in the feat's description? a dragon? a halfling? a dire half-daffodil half-goldfish?


Born in Battle:

this is much more balanced, but still offers too much for one feat. perhaps it should be either +1 to hit or +1 to damage and not both, considering the other benefits.

however, the real question is how is someone born in battle? does this feat affect spells as well as weapon attacks? what about healing? if not healing, why not? isn't that part of battle? does the character's mother actually have to give birth on a battlefield during combat in order for the character to receive the feat? if no, why not?

[Ralasha]

Heart of a Lion:

1 this is far, far (far) too meta-gamey. do you really want players sitting there constantly trying to figure out the level of monsters to determine their bonuses against them?

2 this is as powerful as five or ten normal feats. as the others have pointed out, a first level character with this feat would get +19 bonuses against a level 20 foe! throw in a few high level magical protections and with this feat a level 1 could kill a level 20.

Whatever kind of deusch DM is going to pit a Level 1 against a level 20 monster deserves such an outcome.

i'd recommend changing it to a static +1 to one or two categories when the character is being threatened by higher level creatures. for example, +1 to saves against fear and +1 to armor class ... not +19 to everything.

and also what defines "monster" in the feat's description? a dragon? a halfling? a dire half-daffodil half-goldfish?

Well now, I guess that would be up to the DM, wouldn't it?

Born in Battle:

this is much more balanced, but still offers too much for one feat. perhaps it should be either +1 to hit or +1 to damage and not both, considering the other benefits.

however, the real question is how is someone born in battle? does this feat affect spells as well as weapon attacks? what about healing? if not healing, why not? isn't that part of battle? does the character's mother actually have to give birth on a battlefield during combat in order for the character to receive the feat? if no, why not?

It says a +1 to attack and damage with all weapons. It is specific, how are you confused with whether or not magic will work? Magic is not a weapon, magic is a tool. How Exactly is one Born in battle? Alright here's an example, your people live in tribal villages, they raid each other rather frequently, your mother is pregnant, she is shocked by the battle, and gives birth to you, you are born in battle. Good job. (Reserves other comments for the sake of avoiding being a troll.)

((Nihil8r is now ignored))

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Heart of a Lion:
Type: Exalted
Requirements: 1st Level, Good Aligned
Description: Some people are born with more than their full measure of courage. These people often stand tallest when the odds are most strongly stacked against them.
Benefits: The character gains a +1 to saves, attack, and damage versus monsters, per point of CR above the character's ECL.. Thus a character with this feat, at level 1, fighting a CR 3 monster would gain a +2 to saves attacks, and damage versus that monster. In addition, any fear effects from creatures above the characters Level in challenge rating are lowered by one category. Thus Afraid becomes Shaken, and Shaken is negated. (This feat will only lower fear effects by one category. It cannot negate the fear effect afraid, only decrease it to Shaken.)

It's actually fairly powerful, and it encourages suicidal tendancies... I'd make it a flat +1 morale bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and damage rolls against monsters with a CR higher than your level, and remove the fear part.

Born in Battle:
Type: General
Requirements: 1st Level
Description: To be born on the field of battle is said to be the beginning of a great warrior. Not all who are born amidst bloodshed come to bear this truth in full, though some few do.
Benefits: The character gains a +1 to all attacks and damage. In addition, the character suffers only a -2 penalty when using any weapon the character is not proficient with, rather than the standard -4. Additionally, the character does not provoke Attacks of Opportunity when attacking unarmed.

Too powerful, compare to Weapon Focus and Improved Unarmed Strike. I'd only make it give you the damage bonus to negate the nonproficiency penalty, but then it's not very impressive. Maybe make it reduce nonproficiency penalties to -1, and explicitly note that improvised weapons still have normal penalties.

[Ralasha]

It's actually fairly powerful, and it encourages suicidal tendancies... I'd make it a flat +1 morale bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, and damage rolls against monsters with a CR higher than your level, and remove the fear part.

Will do.

Too powerful, compare to Weapon Focus and Improved Unarmed Strike. I'd only make it give you the damage bonus to negate the nonproficiency penalty, but then it's not very impressive. Maybe make it reduce nonproficiency penalties to -1, and explicitly note that improvised weapons still have normal penalties.

The main difference being these you can only take with your precious 1st level feats, and if you aren't human, you only get 1 of those. It really does make a difference. Most of the fighter feats in D&D are underpowered to say the least. It is ridiculous.

Fixed both. -.-

[Amnestic]

Will do.

The main difference being these you can only take with your precious 1st level feats, and if you aren't human, you only get 1 of those.

You can get two more if you're being allowed flaws in your game, which gives you a little more to play with.

[Ralasha]

Difference of running style, and again. I will mention if a DM does not like the feat, it can just disallow it. I do not personally find these to be unbalanced, or overpowered, because if you don't take them at first level, you don't get to later.