Some Skill Based Feats

I've always foudn it sort of odd that there are dozens of feats used to improve combat but very few for skills, particularly Crafts and Professions. Although not too many PCs are going to be willing to put higher level feats into skills that could otherwise be aided with minor magic, I also want a way for NPCs to be better than most PCs of equal or even higher levle in their chosen profession. Since I run NPCs under the same rules as PCs, it means creating up some new feats and here they are:


Improved Skill Focus
You have improved your special knack with a skill.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus
Benefit: You get a +2 on checks involving the same skill as you have a skill focus in. The effects stack with those of the skill focus for a +5 total.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times but it’s effect do not stack as it must be taken for a different skill each time.

Greater Skill Focus
You have refined your special knack with a skill to an even greater level.
Prerequisite: Improved Skill Focus
Benefit: You get a +2 on checks involving the same skill as you have Improved Skill Focus in. The effects stack with those of the Skill focus and Improved Skill Focus for a +7 total.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times but it’s effect do not stack as it must be taken for a different skill each time.

Item Specialization
You have specialized in making a single type of item with your craft. Chose a type of item that is made with a skill you have. Example would be Longsword with Craft(Weaponsmith). Suitable items are line items in the equipment lists with their own price.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus with a craft
Benefit: When making the chosen type of item that is made with a craft you have, you get a +3 synergy bonus to any skill checks in making, repairing, or appraising such an item. This bonus stacks with any synergy bonus for similar checks that one may get for having a certain amount of ranks in the Craft that the item was made with.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple time but its effects do not stack as it must be taken for a different item each time.

Quick Manufacture
Allows for faster completion of items made with a Craft skill that you have a Skill Focus in.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus with a craft
Benefit: When figuring how much has been finished on an item that is being made with the Craft skill this feat is for, double the skill check result.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times but it’s effect do not stack as it must be taken for a different skill each time.

Thrifty Craftsman
You can complete items made with a Craft skill for less than the usual amount of money.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus with a craft
Benefit: When making an item with the skill that this feat is chosen for, the material costs are half what they would normally be. However, when determining the progress that is made each skill check, the value of the item is considered to be double normal.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times but it’s effect do not stack as it must be taken for a different skill each time.

Good Manager
You are unusually good at instructing other on how to help you.
Prerequisite: Cha 13, Wis 13
Benefit: When using a skill and being aided by another, the base DC for them to aid you is 6 instead of 10.

They all seem fine. Item Specialization I'd actually bump up to +4 since it is more restrictive.,

An alternative in place of more skill bonuses would be to allow extra dice to be rolled during skill checks, for example for Greater Skill Focus you can roll two d20 and keep the highest.

Your ideas are fine balance-wise, I just figured I'd throw out an alternative.

whydirt said:

An alternative in place of more skill bonuses would be to allow extra dice to be rolled during skill checks, for example for Greater Skill Focus you can roll two d20 and keep the highest.

Your ideas are fine balance-wise, I just figured I'd throw out an alternative.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm open to other suggestions on mechanics or even other feats. I really feel that there needs to be a wide amount of Profession feats but can't quite think of any. I don't think I'd go for the roll X# of dice and take best because that seems to add a new mechanic into the game. Sure, we've all done that during character creation but I can't think of ever doing it anywhere else in the system. Perhaps something that allowed Take 10 in a heated situation:

Skilled Repose
You are so confident at a particular skill that you find working under the most extreme conditions routine. Choose a skill you have a skill focus in that is not Concentration for this feat.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus, 3 ranks in Concentration
Benefit: You may always Take 10 when using this skill even under distracting and threatening conditions in the amount of time as a normal check.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times but it must be taken for a different skill each time.

Personally I believe you could increase the power of most of those feats. Have Improved and Greater Skill Focus give +3 each.

Good Manager could increase the bonus from aid another by 2 or even 4.

However thanks for making these. There is a need for feats like these.

Balance wise, I see these as still quite weak, especially in the face of epic skill focus. They might be "useable" in the range of levels 10-20 however.