Feat points for getting feats instead of fixed feat slots at levels?

Trance-Zg · Apr 3, 2012

As we all know feats in 3.x and even in 4E don't have the same value or don't pay up for the feat slot spend.

So what about a system that gives us feat currency in feat points to spend for feats.

Lets say that a default "good feat" costs 6pts: I.E. Power attack, then weapon focus is a little bit worse and would be 5pts, skill feats would be 4 or 3 while the dreaded conjurers abrupt jaunt would be 9 or even 10. FR regional feats would be between 5 and 8.

All characters would get 8 pts at lvl 1 and 3 pts for every other level + any bonus feat points that they would get from class levels(fighter would get another 6pts at 1st lvl and 4 on all other levels but would not get heavy armor and shield proficiency). Other classes would get either some mandatory fixed bonus feat and/or bonus feat point.

To prevent too much "banking" for higher level feats there could be placed a limit to keep left over points at 8 or lover.

That way you need only 4 core classes and with feat buying would direct your character in desired way.

Knight Templar · Apr 3, 2012

At that point you might as well just have character points that could be spent on either skills on a 1-for-1 basis or feats for multiple points.

RangerWickett · Apr 3, 2012

You're at a Chinese restaurant. What's faster? "Choose any three items from the menu" or "Pick any amount of any of these possible entrees, and pay by weight; each dish has its own price per pound"?

Just make the crappy feats better. It's simpler that way.

Trance-Zg · Apr 3, 2012

Knight Templar said:
At that point you might as well just have character points that could be spent on either skills on a 1-for-1 basis or feats for multiple points.

Yes, you already have 3.5 feat called open minded(it gives you 5 skill points) and I would valued it at 5 feat points

Trance-Zg · Apr 3, 2012

RangerWickett said:
You're at a Chinese restaurant. What's faster? "Choose any three items from the menu" or "Pick any amount of any of these possible entrees, and pay by weight; each dish has its own price per pound"?

Just make the crappy feats better. It's simpler that way.

not so simple.

How would you buff up weapon focus? +2 attack? maybe little too much for 1 feat... +1 att, +1 dmg? then point blank shot blows.

skill focus is easy, give it +5 bonus and more people will take it. but it gives you 5 level edge, I would rather give you 3 level edge for half a feat.

Abrupt jaunt is ridiculous. I axed it as a player first time I saw it. Change it to move action but buffed range a little.

Szatany · Apr 3, 2012

RangerWickett said:
You're at a Chinese restaurant. What's faster? "Choose any three items from the menu" or "Pick any amount of any of these possible entrees, and pay by weight; each dish has its own price per pound"?

Just make the crappy feats better. It's simpler that way.

Or divide feats into 2 or 3 quality categories and give them to characters in alternating order.

BobTheNob · Apr 3, 2012

It is my sincerest hope for simplification in character design. For me personally this idea just goes in the wrong direction.

Sunseeker · Apr 4, 2012

It'd be better to just trim the fat and leave out the false-choice choices. Make all feats "good feats".

FireLance · Apr 4, 2012

I agree that feat points might be too fiddly, but I do see the advantage of having minor character customization options that aren't quite up to the power of a feat (maybe call them "knacks"), such as learning a language, or a small bonus to a skill.

Then every time you choose a feat, you could pick a certain number of knacks instead, say three or four. You can then add the complexity indirectly for those who want to use this system by having certain more powerful knacks cost double.

You could even give a character one knack per point of Intelligence bonus, as the advantage for having a high Intelligence score.

Sunseeker · Apr 4, 2012

As a system I've presented previously, if we're going to have players get "minor customization things", it should be completely separate from their actual build-related abilities. Players shouldn't be forced to choose between "cool" and "good". And yes, if you're spending 2 points on a "cool thingy" and a "good thingy" costs 6 points, you are being forced to choose between "cool" and "good".

And there's no reason for this dichotomy, it's a false one, established by power-gamers to make people think that "fun" and "good" cannot coexist.

We have three primary elements to characters: Class, Race, Theme. Is there any logical reason we cannot have the best of both worlds? No? Of course there isn't.

Why not simply give players the ability to choose racial, themeatic, and class options at the same time? Lets say Class options are the big stuff, thing that make you better at whatever you do in the game. Theme, next most important, utility options, maybe they make you a little more persuasive, a little better at CBMs, and then racial options, which provide mostly fluff and minor enhancements to what you like to do on the side.

There's no reason we need to choose between these elements, if structured appropriately we can have all of them. Making us not just fighter, not just an elf, not just a noble. But a fully realized Elven Noble Fighter.