Feats

From: http://www.enworld.org/article.php?a=103

General Feats

IMPROVED SLICE THROUGH [GENERAL]
By executing a blazing fast slicing attack against your opponent you can position yourself behind them with incredible speed.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5, Slice Through.
Benefit: As a full-attack action you can make a normal melee attack against your opponent. If the attack succeeds you may move directly through your opponent’s square and end your movement behind your opponent. This move must be a straight line. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You may only attempt to slice through an opponent of your size or one size smaller.

IMPROVED STABBING THRUST [GENERAL]
With one quick stab you are able to puncture multiple foes.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: If two foes are adjacent to each other and you can draw a straight line from your square to the end of the second foe’s square, you may, as a full-attack action make a normal melee attack. This one attack must hit each opponent’s AC, and the second foe gains a +2 cover bonus to AC. This attack does not draw an attack of opportunity.
Normal: Normally, most reach weapons cannot be used on adjacent foes.
Special: You may only attempt a stabbing thrust while wielding a polearm or reach weapon that can cause piercing damage.

SLICE THROUGH [GENERAL]
By executing a slicing attack against your opponent you can position yourself behind them.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +2.
Benefit: As a full-attack action you can make a normal melee attack against your opponent. If the attack succeeds you may move directly through your opponent’s square and end your movement behind your opponent. This move must be a straight line. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity from your opponent but does provoke an attack of opportunity from other opponents. If any attack of opportunity succeeds the movement is negated although the attack still succeeds. You may only attempt to slice through an opponent of your size or one size smaller.

STABBING THRUST [GENERAL]
With one stab you are able to puncture multiple foes.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: If two foes are adjacent to each other and you can draw a straight line from your square to the end of the second foe’s square, you may, as a full-attack action make a normal melee attack. This one attack must hit each opponent’s AC, and the second foe gains a +4 cover bonus to AC. This attack draws an attack of opportunity from the first foe. If that AoO succeeds, the stabbing thrust is negated.
Special: You may only attempt a stabbing thrust while wielding a polearm or reach weapon that can cause piercing damage.

Bardic Feats

Bardic music is a standard action, so activating a bardic feat is generally also a standard action, unless otherwise specified in the feat description. A bard who has used up all, or most, of their bardic music uses per day and that cannot meet the base requirements for the bardic feat cannot use it until they rest. Like some bardic music abilities, the effects of bardic feats last over a number of rounds. Multiple uses of bardic feats and bardic music may allow a bard to strategically “twist” abilities. Unlike some bardic music abilities that last for as long as the bard sings, bardic feats have a set duration. Just as for casting a spell with a verbal component, a deaf bard has a 20% chance to fail when attempting to use bardic feats. If he fails, the attempt still uses up the allotment of bardic music uses. Most bardic feats are either supernatural or spell-like abilities that do not provoke an attack of opportunity to initiate.

ACCELERANDO [BARDIC]
You can increase the speed of your allies by hastening your performance.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 10 ranks.
Benefit: By spending five bardic music uses you can haste up to one creature per bard level for five rounds.

CONSONANCE [BARDIC]
Your slow and steady music relaxes and refreshes your allies.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 5 ranks.
Benefit: By spending 3 bardic music uses you can negate the effects of exhaustion or fatigue in one ally per bard level.
Special: The allies must listen for the entire 5-round performance before the negative ability effects wear off.

CRESCENDO [BARDIC]
Your rising performance reaches painful volumes.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 8 ranks.
Benefit: By spending four bardic music uses you can cause sonic damage directed at one target over 5 rounds. In the first round your crescendo deals 1d3 points of sonic damage to the opponent. During the second round your crescendo deals 1d4 points of sonic damage. During the third round 1d6 points of sonic damage, 1d8 points of sonic damage during the fourth round, and finally 1d10 points of sonic damage in the fifth and final round.
Special: You may not change targets during the crescendo. If you are damaged you must make a Concentration check DC 10 + damage dealt to maintain the crescendo.

DISSONANCE [BARDIC]
You can create sympathetic vibrations through your music that proves especially harmful to objects and undead.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 4 ranks.
Benefit: By spending two bardic music uses you can deal 1d6 points of damage to undead, or 1d8 points of damage to a golem or construct (bypassing any damage reduction), or 1d10 points of damage (ignoring hardness) to an object.

FERMATA [BARDIC]
Your musical abilities can perplex a listener.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 4 ranks.
Benefit: By spending two bardic music uses you can cause a sudden stop in your performance to make the target lower its guard. If the target fails a Concentration check DC 10 + bard level + Charisma modifier it immediately provokes and attack of opportunity from anyone threatening it. Anyone saving against this effect is unaffected by the same bard’s fermata for 24 hours.

FORTISSIMO [BARDIC]
You can perform extremely loudly, so loudly that verbal communication is nearly impossible.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 9 ranks.
Benefit: By spending four bardic music uses you can perform so loudly that verbal communication and spellcasting that requires verbal components is nearly impossible within 20ft of you. To communicate verbally, anyone within the zone of noise must make a Listen check DC 5 + bard level + Cha modifier to hear one another. Spellcasting within the zone is hampered for any spell that requires verbal components and has a 20% failure rate.
Special: This ability is a full-round action that must be maintained for three of the 5 rounds. If you are damaged you must make a Concentration check DC 10 + damage dealt to maintain the fortissimo.

MAESTOSO [BARDIC]
You can grant majesty to another through the use of your musical talents.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 12 ranks.
Benefit: By spending three bardic music uses you can increase the Charisma of an ally by +4 for 1 minute per bard level. The ally must hear all five rounds of the performance.

OSTINATO [BARDIC]
Your ability to create repetitious rhythms often enhances memory.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 9 ranks.
Benefit: By spending four bardic music uses you can create a rhythmic and repeating pattern that allows you or an ally to recall any one spell of 3rd level or lower previously prepared and used.

SFORZANDO [BARDIC]
Your musical talents allow you to create a truly explosive performance.
Prerequisites: Ability to use bardic music, Perform 13 ranks.
Benefit: By spending five bardic music uses you can create a visible and tangible zone of pure sound. This zone is translucent in nature and can only be handled by the creator. If anyone else comes in contact with the fist-sized orb of sound it immediately explodes. The creator, however, can either hurl the orb at foes, or place it gently in position. If hurled, the creator makes a ranged touch attack against the target or space and the orb explodes upon impact dealing 1d6 points of sonic damager per bard level. If placed gently the bard can detonate the orb by striking a specific note or series of notes.

... Unless I should post these separately or one for each group.

*bump*
Any comments?

I don't mean to discourage the introduction of new feats, and I applaud your interest. But personally, I find myself somewhat flummoxed by most of the new rules and rules modifications proposed for LEW. My first thought is almost always "Have these been playtested?" One would assume so, but by whom? No one I know. I'm reluctant to support rules modifications the ramifications of which I'm unaware of. I'm simply not an experienced enough player to be able to read through a set of feats like this and say "OK. That won't cause any game balance issues." As such, and because I don't mean to be a spoilsport, I rarely vote on such things.

To get my vote on a rules mod, I would appreciate a bit of background on them. How you anticipate they might be used. How much they've been playtested. Any anticipated issues you see.

Each judge is different. Personally I'm not excited to see a batch of rules and rule mods in LEW. I'm a bit of a core rules guy myself. I like to keep it simple for new DMs and players. The more LEW varies from standard DnD, the more complicated it is for a new person to step in and DM. And at the heart of it, I believe we have players; we need to keep attracting DMs.

Anyway. That's my 2 cents. I wasn't trying to ignore this thread. Glad to have you on board.

Well, I'm still a little new here, so I haven't gotten the feel for all the judges, either. I don't know if it'd help, but here's some background:

These feats were designed by Astros in a series of articles here on EN World called Improved Initiative which I'll summarize here. I linked the relevant article at the top of the original post. Anyway, he takes a situation where the PC is basically up a creek without a paddle. Completely naked in a second-story room -- thugs to one side of him, a window with thugs outside it on the other. Your character is a Bard, which is considered one of if not the weakest class. But not horribly suited for the situation. You have a low AC (naked), no material components, no armor. Options are a) talk you way out of it or 2) fight your way out of it.

So, he offers some feats available to anyone who might be in this situation. These are those feats. The general feats have to do with being able to put yourself in a better positioning as a tactic, when that sort of thing is important (as it would be in the listed situation). The Bardic feats give Bards more options when they seem to be out of them, at the expense of uses of Bardic Music. Most of them can't be taken until medium levels anyway.

I was creating my third character, a Gnome Bard, and thought these options might be nice eventhough I wouldn't take them until later on.

Jdvn1 said:

SLICE THROUGH [GENERAL]
By executing a slicing attack against your opponent you can position yourself behind them.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +2.
Benefit: As a full-attack action you can make a normal melee attack against your opponent. If the attack succeeds you may move directly through your opponent’s square and end your movement behind your opponent. This move must be a straight line. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity from your opponent but does provoke an attack of opportunity from other opponents. If any attack of opportunity succeeds the movement is negated although the attack still succeeds. You may only attempt to slice through an opponent of your size or one size smaller.

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I'd personally remove the underlined sentence. It adds a layer of complexity to a feat that is in my opinion not needed, and detracts from the feat.
Also, I'd consider making the prerequisite into another feat, instead of BAB. And here, I have to admit, comes the problem I have with the feat - I have trouble envisioning what happens here. Obviously, you're not cutting a door into that enemy of yours. Are you stabbing, and using the momentum for a swift position swap? Using your weapon as a lever to vault over your enemy? Either way, it seems to be a very mobile feat, so I'd make the prerequisites Dex 13 and Dodge. Maybe even Mobility.
And, somewhat obvious, this should be a Fighter bonus feat.

IMPROVED SLICE THROUGH [GENERAL]
By executing a blazing fast slicing attack against your opponent you can position yourself behind them with incredible speed.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5, Slice Through.
Benefit: As a full-attack action you can make a normal melee attack against your opponent. If the attack succeeds you may move directly through your opponent’s square and end your movement behind your opponent. This move must be a straight line. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. You may only attempt to slice through an opponent of your size or one size smaller.

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See my points on Slice Through.

STABBING THRUST [GENERAL]
With one stab you are able to puncture multiple foes.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: If two foes are adjacent to each other and you can draw a straight line from your square to the end of the second foe’s square, you may, as a full-attack action make a normal melee attack. This one attack must hit each opponent’s AC, and the second foe gains a +4 cover bonus to AC. This attack draws an attack of opportunity from the first foe. If that AoO succeeds, the stabbing thrust is negated.
Special: You may only attempt a stabbing thrust while wielding a polearm or reach weapon that can cause piercing damage.

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I feel this should be somewhat rewritten, if used at all. There are a number of problems with the feat:

1. Most reach weapons cannot be used against adjacent enemies. This feat would either allow the wielder to ignore that restriction, or allow the wielder to exceed the reach of the weapon.
2. Wielders of polearms that do not provide reach would be allowed to exceed the reach of the weapon.
3. The feat allows hitting multiple enemies with one attack roll, similar to whirlwind attack - without the multitude of prerequisites, and without the language to prevent extra attacks (such as cleave). And it is not quite as narrow as whirlwind attack.

These points combined lead me against this feat, and its improved version.

IMPROVED STABBING THRUST [GENERAL]

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See above.

For the bardic feats in general, most are lacking a range where one is needed. Also, the general description notes that activating the feats is usually a standard action, while many of the feats refer to a five round long performance as though it was a general rule.

Fermata should propably use a Will save.

The costs in bardic music uses should seriously be examined. They seem off in a few cases.

I agree with Knight Otu on most of the above points.

However, I don't see a need for the bardic music feats. For one, they are very shaky balance-wise, and they aren't detailed very well.

Also, I disagree with KO's point on Slice Through - negating the movement with the AoO is the primary point of the AoO, IMO, and though it increases the complexity of the feat, it's too powerful without the movement negation. However, I completely agree with his points on the prereqs and agree that Dex 13+, Dodge, and Mobility should be prereqs for the feat.

Stabbing Thrust is just a problem feat. It's only advantage is allowing a creature to, essentially, extend its reach, which is a serious issue and shouldn't be allowed with one simple feat.

My suggestion with Slice Through and Improved slice through
Get rid of Improved Slice Through, and Slice through to:

SLICE THROUGH [GENERAL]
You may strike your opponent when tumbling through them.
Prerequisites: Spring Attack, 5 Ranks Tumble, BAB +6
Benefit: As a move action you can make a normal melee attack against your opponent while tumbling through his square if you succeed your tumble check. The attack happens while in the opponent's square(s), so does not gain any benifits from flanking. You must tumble in a straight line, and be able to make it through to the other side of the opponent as if tumbling normaly (one-half speed). All other rules for tumbling through an opponent's square apply.
Normal: Tumble at one-half speed through an area occupied by an enemy (over, under, or around the opponent) as part of normal movement, provoking no attacks of opportunity while doing so. Failure means you stop before entering the enemy-occupied area and provoke an attack of opportunity from that enemy.

This gives the feat a better mechanical feal, and makes it fairly clear what is happening. Not sure how balanced it is, so figured I'd throw it out there. Otherwise, as the feat is currently written, I'd rather simply tumble through my opponent as a move action (which does not provoke an AoO), and attack him afterwards, even if it fails.

I think Stabing Through honestly sounds like Grand Cleave (Great Cleave with a 5' step between cleaves), though you don't need to move. I think you're best off not using the feat. I can't think of how to fix it, and I think Cleave works just find for sort of simulating this.

I have not closely examined the bardic feats.

Re: Slice Through

Mind you, I'm certainly not married to these feats, but I did think that they offered a good sort of swashbuckling feel (for those that like that sort of character). I do think that these feats offer interesting and fun actions in combat, and that's why I'm proposing these. Also, the Bardic feats offer flexbility to a normally weak class. Bards don't get a lot of spells known and they don't get a lot of uses of Bardic Music, nor do they have a lot of choice in what they can do with their Bardic Musics (I'd consider trying the Eberron route where you can choose alternate Bardic Music abilities, but maybe for another proposal?), but the Bardic Music feats kind of relieve that.

Knight Otu said:

I'd personally remove the underlined sentence. It adds a layer of complexity to a feat that is in my opinion not needed, and detracts from the feat.

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I can agree with that.

GnomeWorks said:

Also, I disagree with KO's point on Slice Through - negating the movement with the AoO is the primary point of the AoO, IMO, and though it increases the complexity of the feat, it's too powerful without the movement negation.

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I don't quite see how a full attack in order to have movement is too powerful, but I'd consider compromising by making it a standard action and still having the AoO.

Knight Otu said:

Also, I'd consider making the prerequisite into another feat, instead of BAB.

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GnomeWorks said:

However, I completely agree with his points on the prereqs and agree that Dex 13+, Dodge, and Mobility should be prereqs for the feat.

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Yeah, good idea. I'd consider dropping the Mobility, though, in order to give the defender a better chance of defending. If the player wants to take Mobility for the extra +4 AC, I think he should do that on his own.

Knight Otu said:

And here, I have to admit, comes the problem I have with the feat - I have trouble envisioning what happens here. Obviously, you're not cutting a door into that enemy of yours. Are you stabbing, and using the momentum for a swift position swap? Using your weapon as a lever to vault over your enemy? Either way, it seems to be a very mobile feat, so I'd make the prerequisites Dex 13 and Dodge. Maybe even Mobility.

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... I probably should've put your last sentence here in the above, but I'll give GW the credit for the prereq ideas anyway. I see this feat as the 'using momentum' idea... a strong attack to put your defender in such a position that you can either jump by or follow-through on your attack... now that I think of it, I think the AoO just makes sense with that interpretation (moving through an enemy's space).

Knight Otu said:

And, somewhat obvious, this should be a Fighter bonus feat.

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Um, yeah, that too. I'll adjust that.

Knight Otu said:

See my points on Slice Through.

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Do I have to? Oh, did that. Moving onwards... Actually, I'll go into the other feats in another post, for simplicity's sake.

Bront said:

My suggestion with Slice Through and Improved slice through
Get rid of Improved Slice Through, and Slice through to:

SLICE THROUGH [GENERAL]
You may strike your opponent when tumbling through them.
Prerequisites: Spring Attack, 5 Ranks Tumble, BAB +6
Benefit: As a move action you can make a normal melee attack against your opponent while tumbling through his square if you succeed your tumble check. The attack happens while in the opponent's square(s), so does not gain any benifits from flanking. You must tumble in a straight line, and be able to make it through to the other side of the opponent as if tumbling normaly (one-half speed). All other rules for tumbling through an opponent's square apply.
Normal: Tumble at one-half speed through an area occupied by an enemy (over, under, or around the opponent) as part of normal movement, provoking no attacks of opportunity while doing so. Failure means you stop before entering the enemy-occupied area and provoke an attack of opportunity from that enemy.

This gives the feat a better mechanical feal, and makes it fairly clear what is happening. Not sure how balanced it is, so figured I'd throw it out there. Otherwise, as the feat is currently written, I'd rather simply tumble through my opponent as a move action (which does not provoke an AoO), and attack him afterwards, even if it fails.

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A move action for an attack is probably too powerful, IMO. I dont' mind the option to make a Tumble check, but the AoO is the balancing factor, here, and makes sense mechanically.