Quickleaf
Legend
Questions:
-Are these feats balanced? Would you take any of them?
-What do you think of the idea of providing multiple ways to gain feats?
-Anybody with knowledge of Persian culture/myth care to make suggestions for new feats?
Thanks!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guile in the Face of Death
Like the Persian hero Rustam you are gifted at turning the tables on your opponent and getting a second chance just when it looks like you will be killed.
Prerequisites: Subject to Honor System (an option each character can make upon entering Persian society). Implied if one is a native Persian.
Benefit: When you are helpless before an opponent, but still conscious (surrendered or bound), you can attempt to deceive them with a well-placed Bluff (or Diplomacy if the DM allows). This check automatically occurs before any opponent can make a coup de grace, and is opposed by your enemy’s Sense Motive. If successful, you are able to talk them out of killing you, though you will need to come up with a convincing explanation. Using this feat imposes a -1 penalty to your Honor. If you later break the terms of your explanation facing your enemy, you suffer an additional -2 penalty to your Honor. For example, Rustam, when unwittingly facing his son Suhrab, is knocked to the ground and comes up with a fabricated law that you must fell your opponent twice before killing him. When Rustam then manages to fell Suhrab, he doesn’t observe the “law” and slays him dishonorably.
Deev Binder
Like the heroes of Persian myth, your battles against demons have lent you knowledge of how to subjugate them. You may use “Deev Binder” as a title before or after your name, and when you do, demons are greatly afeard of you.
Prerequisite: A DM should require you to meet at least 3 of the following requirements:
1. Have defeated at least 2 evil outsiders and left them alive
2. Have learned and used the True Name of an evil outsider
3. Have successfully intimidated an evil outsider
4. Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks
5. Able to speak an evil tongue (Infernal, Abyssal, etc)
Benefit: When you identify yourself truthfully, you gain a +2 bonus to intimidate deevs, though their base attitude toward you is always lowered by one category (e.g. indifferent to unfriendly). When you defeat a deev or are otherwise in a position to make a coup de grace against a deev, you may instead choose to bind it. A bound deev can never take direct action against you or your allies, and you may automatically cause the deev to become shaken, frightened, or panicked as you desire, as long as it can hear your voice or see your face. The deev gets no saving throw against this effect, which requires a move action.
Special: If you possess a spell which could summon a creature of the deev’s HD level, when you bind it you also learn its True Name, allowing you to summon that specific deev with the spell instead.
Guardian Fravashi
The Fravashi are ancestral guardian spirits unique to your family. They look out for your soul, ensuring that upon your death you travel safely to heaven. Though they are almost never seen, in art they are depicted as warriors on horseback, fighting off soul stealing deevs.
Prerequisites: Belong to the Mazdean religion
Benefit: You are immune to effects which bind your soul, such as trap the soul, and upon your death, your spirit cannot be attacked by deevs. Likewise, hostile forces cannot animate your corpse or resurrect you, hoping to exact servitude.
Heroic Intimidation
When you intimidate an enemy, your name is burned into their minds for a long time.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+
Option: Your GM may allow you to replace the Charisma requirement with successfully having intimidated an enemy and compelling them to change their behavior. Alternately, the GM may require that you are 5th level of experience, or have achieved a certain reputation among your enemies.
Benefit: Whenever you intimidate an enemy, they will remember you. You may make one demand of the subject's future behavior, such as not revealing that they saw you, not attempting to waylay travelers on the bridge anymore, etc. Before violating your demand for the first time, the subject of your intimidation must make a successful Will save, DC15 + your Cha modifier +/- any difference in levels/HD between you. After they succeed for the first time, the force of your intimidation fades. The subject of your intimidation may attempt to violate your demand once per day. However, your attempts at Diplomacy with the subject suffer a -4 penalty.
Improved Demoralizing
You shake the resolve of even large groups of enemies.
Prerequisites: Intimidate 6+. Cha 13+.
Option: Your GM may allow you to replace the Charisma requirement with a successful battle against a vast horde of foes, Large size, the rage ability of a barbarian, or a 17 Strength score. This helps reconcile the fact that often the sorts of characters who try to intimidate their foes don’t have high Charisma scores.
Benefit: During an intimidation attempt to demoralize your foes, you affect all enemies with less HD than you within earshot. If successful, your enemies are shaken for 1 round. You may not use improved demoralizing on the same foe more than once per encounter. Improved demoralize is a standard action.
Normal: You may only intimidate one opponent at a time.
Rat Person
Disfigured at birth, Rat People grow up in a society of beggars. Unfortunately, society’s view of Rat People as little better than thieves has them in contact with many criminals, who hide among their squalid conditions. When among their kind, Rat People are very hard to tell apart.
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level
Benefit: Rat people gain +2 Profession (beggar) or +2 Sleight of Hand, depending on their upbringing. When entering a group of 10 or more Rat people, they can make a Disguise check without preparation. In addition, the Rat person gets a +10 circumstance bonus to Hide checks under these conditions. However, a Rat person amidst a crowd of normal people receives a -5 penalty to Hide (unless disguised). Finally, Rat people suffers -2 on all social interaction rolls with non-Rat people due to their hideous deformity and social taboo.
Reaper of Dragons (Vishapakhagh)
Having conquered many dragons, you have been acknowledged with the title of “Vishapakhagh, the Reaper of Dragons.” This title strikes fear into the heart of dragon-kind.
Prerequisite: See Wyrm’s Weakness feat. Have defeated at least 2 dragons and been publicly recognized for the battles. Will save 6+.
Option: Alternately, a character may substitute one of these requirements with favored enemy (dragons) or membership in a prestige class dedicated to fighting dragons.
Benefit: You project an aura of fear that only affects dragons. When you reveal your title to a dragon, or another invokes your name, a dragon must make a Will save (DC equals 10+your character level + Cha modifier + the number of dragons you have defeated) or be frightened of you for the duration of the encounter.
See Wyrm’s Weakness
You are well versed in the art of fighting dragon-kind and through your study are able to make a well-timed and devastating blow against a dragon opponent.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (dragons) 6+
Benefit: By devoting time to studying a dragon you can make a well placed strike with a reach or ranged weapon as a full round action. Alternately, you may advise another so that they may make the attack, though only one character can benefit from this feat per encounter with a dragon. This attack receives a +10 bonus to hit and either inflicts +5 damage/character level or overcomes the dragon’s damage resistance. If you have studied the dragon prior to encountering it (through books and tales) you only need spend 3 rounds observing the dragon. However, if you have never heard of the dragon before, you require a full minute (12 rounds) of observation before attempting the well placed strike. This feat is useable only once per dragon you face.
Warrior’s Mettle
Confident in your battle experience, your enemies don’t intimidate you.
Prerequisite: To gain this feat you should meet one of these requirements:
1. Will save 4+
2. Have fought 3 battles against the same enemy
3. Have been tortured, intimidated, or frightened by your enemy
Benefit: Choose a specific enemy. Against this enemy, you gain a +4 bonus against all attempts to Intimidate you, frighten you, or use Gather Information to torture you for information. Good examples of specific enemies include the sons of Shah Ariaramnes, wyrms of Ahriman, or the villainous half-dragon Dakumna. General enemies, like demons or pirates are not appropriate. Your DM will determine whether or not your choice of enemy is acceptable.
Special: Should your chosen enemy be defeated or reformed, then you may designate another enemy for the purposes of this feat.
-Are these feats balanced? Would you take any of them?
-What do you think of the idea of providing multiple ways to gain feats?
-Anybody with knowledge of Persian culture/myth care to make suggestions for new feats?
Thanks!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guile in the Face of Death
Like the Persian hero Rustam you are gifted at turning the tables on your opponent and getting a second chance just when it looks like you will be killed.
Prerequisites: Subject to Honor System (an option each character can make upon entering Persian society). Implied if one is a native Persian.
Benefit: When you are helpless before an opponent, but still conscious (surrendered or bound), you can attempt to deceive them with a well-placed Bluff (or Diplomacy if the DM allows). This check automatically occurs before any opponent can make a coup de grace, and is opposed by your enemy’s Sense Motive. If successful, you are able to talk them out of killing you, though you will need to come up with a convincing explanation. Using this feat imposes a -1 penalty to your Honor. If you later break the terms of your explanation facing your enemy, you suffer an additional -2 penalty to your Honor. For example, Rustam, when unwittingly facing his son Suhrab, is knocked to the ground and comes up with a fabricated law that you must fell your opponent twice before killing him. When Rustam then manages to fell Suhrab, he doesn’t observe the “law” and slays him dishonorably.
Deev Binder
Like the heroes of Persian myth, your battles against demons have lent you knowledge of how to subjugate them. You may use “Deev Binder” as a title before or after your name, and when you do, demons are greatly afeard of you.
Prerequisite: A DM should require you to meet at least 3 of the following requirements:
1. Have defeated at least 2 evil outsiders and left them alive
2. Have learned and used the True Name of an evil outsider
3. Have successfully intimidated an evil outsider
4. Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks
5. Able to speak an evil tongue (Infernal, Abyssal, etc)
Benefit: When you identify yourself truthfully, you gain a +2 bonus to intimidate deevs, though their base attitude toward you is always lowered by one category (e.g. indifferent to unfriendly). When you defeat a deev or are otherwise in a position to make a coup de grace against a deev, you may instead choose to bind it. A bound deev can never take direct action against you or your allies, and you may automatically cause the deev to become shaken, frightened, or panicked as you desire, as long as it can hear your voice or see your face. The deev gets no saving throw against this effect, which requires a move action.
Special: If you possess a spell which could summon a creature of the deev’s HD level, when you bind it you also learn its True Name, allowing you to summon that specific deev with the spell instead.
Guardian Fravashi
The Fravashi are ancestral guardian spirits unique to your family. They look out for your soul, ensuring that upon your death you travel safely to heaven. Though they are almost never seen, in art they are depicted as warriors on horseback, fighting off soul stealing deevs.
Prerequisites: Belong to the Mazdean religion
Benefit: You are immune to effects which bind your soul, such as trap the soul, and upon your death, your spirit cannot be attacked by deevs. Likewise, hostile forces cannot animate your corpse or resurrect you, hoping to exact servitude.
Heroic Intimidation
When you intimidate an enemy, your name is burned into their minds for a long time.
Prerequisites: Cha 13+
Option: Your GM may allow you to replace the Charisma requirement with successfully having intimidated an enemy and compelling them to change their behavior. Alternately, the GM may require that you are 5th level of experience, or have achieved a certain reputation among your enemies.
Benefit: Whenever you intimidate an enemy, they will remember you. You may make one demand of the subject's future behavior, such as not revealing that they saw you, not attempting to waylay travelers on the bridge anymore, etc. Before violating your demand for the first time, the subject of your intimidation must make a successful Will save, DC15 + your Cha modifier +/- any difference in levels/HD between you. After they succeed for the first time, the force of your intimidation fades. The subject of your intimidation may attempt to violate your demand once per day. However, your attempts at Diplomacy with the subject suffer a -4 penalty.
Improved Demoralizing
You shake the resolve of even large groups of enemies.
Prerequisites: Intimidate 6+. Cha 13+.
Option: Your GM may allow you to replace the Charisma requirement with a successful battle against a vast horde of foes, Large size, the rage ability of a barbarian, or a 17 Strength score. This helps reconcile the fact that often the sorts of characters who try to intimidate their foes don’t have high Charisma scores.
Benefit: During an intimidation attempt to demoralize your foes, you affect all enemies with less HD than you within earshot. If successful, your enemies are shaken for 1 round. You may not use improved demoralizing on the same foe more than once per encounter. Improved demoralize is a standard action.
Normal: You may only intimidate one opponent at a time.
Rat Person
Disfigured at birth, Rat People grow up in a society of beggars. Unfortunately, society’s view of Rat People as little better than thieves has them in contact with many criminals, who hide among their squalid conditions. When among their kind, Rat People are very hard to tell apart.
Prerequisite: Must be taken at 1st level
Benefit: Rat people gain +2 Profession (beggar) or +2 Sleight of Hand, depending on their upbringing. When entering a group of 10 or more Rat people, they can make a Disguise check without preparation. In addition, the Rat person gets a +10 circumstance bonus to Hide checks under these conditions. However, a Rat person amidst a crowd of normal people receives a -5 penalty to Hide (unless disguised). Finally, Rat people suffers -2 on all social interaction rolls with non-Rat people due to their hideous deformity and social taboo.
Reaper of Dragons (Vishapakhagh)
Having conquered many dragons, you have been acknowledged with the title of “Vishapakhagh, the Reaper of Dragons.” This title strikes fear into the heart of dragon-kind.
Prerequisite: See Wyrm’s Weakness feat. Have defeated at least 2 dragons and been publicly recognized for the battles. Will save 6+.
Option: Alternately, a character may substitute one of these requirements with favored enemy (dragons) or membership in a prestige class dedicated to fighting dragons.
Benefit: You project an aura of fear that only affects dragons. When you reveal your title to a dragon, or another invokes your name, a dragon must make a Will save (DC equals 10+your character level + Cha modifier + the number of dragons you have defeated) or be frightened of you for the duration of the encounter.
See Wyrm’s Weakness
You are well versed in the art of fighting dragon-kind and through your study are able to make a well-timed and devastating blow against a dragon opponent.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (dragons) 6+
Benefit: By devoting time to studying a dragon you can make a well placed strike with a reach or ranged weapon as a full round action. Alternately, you may advise another so that they may make the attack, though only one character can benefit from this feat per encounter with a dragon. This attack receives a +10 bonus to hit and either inflicts +5 damage/character level or overcomes the dragon’s damage resistance. If you have studied the dragon prior to encountering it (through books and tales) you only need spend 3 rounds observing the dragon. However, if you have never heard of the dragon before, you require a full minute (12 rounds) of observation before attempting the well placed strike. This feat is useable only once per dragon you face.
Warrior’s Mettle
Confident in your battle experience, your enemies don’t intimidate you.
Prerequisite: To gain this feat you should meet one of these requirements:
1. Will save 4+
2. Have fought 3 battles against the same enemy
3. Have been tortured, intimidated, or frightened by your enemy
Benefit: Choose a specific enemy. Against this enemy, you gain a +4 bonus against all attempts to Intimidate you, frighten you, or use Gather Information to torture you for information. Good examples of specific enemies include the sons of Shah Ariaramnes, wyrms of Ahriman, or the villainous half-dragon Dakumna. General enemies, like demons or pirates are not appropriate. Your DM will determine whether or not your choice of enemy is acceptable.
Special: Should your chosen enemy be defeated or reformed, then you may designate another enemy for the purposes of this feat.
