do you allow flaws?

[Li Shenron]

I allow the Unearthed Arcana flaws but haven't decided how many is the maximum.

 

[Tonguez]

I allow flaws but they don't give a free feat

if anyone takes a flaw I say good for you now how are we going to work that into your characterisation?

maybe something like "Oh your missing yoor left eye - okay you have excellent vision in your right eye and see as well as any bifocalled individual (no penalties to spot or search). A few simple village folk might make a protective sign as you passby but otherwise it shouldn't matter"

now on a good day I might give a skill bonus on a good background story which might include a flaw (take little Matt Murdoch as a child he is blinded after being splash by chemical waste, however he learns to use his other senses and gets +4 bonus to listen checks...) He can take Scent, Blindisght and even Tremorsense as one of his normal feats (but isn't getting it as a free bonus)

 

[Fieari]

Only time I ever allowed a flaw was for someone who wanted to play a Blind Swordsman. Getting "Blind-Fight" for free is all well and good, but what it does is change an automatic 50% miss chance for EVERY SWING (assuming he can pinpoint someone's location) to a 25% miss chance. I also allowed him to have Skill Focus: Listen for free.

Darn cool character though. Yes, being blind makes him weaker, combat wise, than those that can see, but with him around, I'd always be aasked how things and people smelled, I focused on sounds a lot, there was quite a bit of drama, and all in all it was a lot of fun. Without those two benefits in exchange for the flaw though, I don't think it would have been possible to have been played.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I allowed them in my last game. And only 1 of 5 PCs took advantage of them and he took 2. I even worked with him to help create some unique flaws that weren't overpowered, which I told the rest of my players I'd be willing to do as well. He said his character was very easily distracted and was a complete klutz and I worked with him on that.

 

[smootrk]

I dont allow flaw (that grant bonus feats), but I do allow the Traits from the UA.

Way too many feats given out to characters anyway IMO.

 

[IcyCool]

In my most recent game I've allowed up to two flaws. I won't be allowing them again.

 

[Beholder Bob]

In my most recent game I've allowed up to two flaws. I won't be allowing them again.

Why?

 

[Scion]

No. I would rather see that stuff *gasp* role-played instead of making everything into a mechanic.

There are some character concepts where both the bonus and penalty are needed.

Most of the time, every time but once actually, I just dont use them, but I did make a character recently that absolutely needed to have the bonuses because of the bad things I wanted to have for the character concept.

So, for some character builds it can be neccissary.

Some mechanical flaws are just so massive that they need some other form of compensation. For the character I mentioned above he wound up having a -4 penalty to all attack rolls and had to make a save or be sickened whenever he caused anyone harm directly.

Fun guy to play, but in order to be useful he needed a little more in the feat area than he had.

 

[atom crash]

I used flaws for a mini-campaign I ran for my 12-year-old nephew and his friends. It forced limitations on characters that were otherwise munchkined out. it worked well, IMO.

 

[Beholder Bob]

I had a PC who was plagued by carrion birds, couldn't stand to be touched - reacting either with panic or homicidal rage when suprised (imagine how well my strangling a child pickpocket went with the group), and was afraid of holy men. With a warped body and overlong limbs, he was a blast to play. Mind you, I added these limits to water down an otherwise powerful character - no feats were gained.

I currently have a borderline personality hexblade (Rook) who is incapable of treating/reading peoples reactions, is coarse, vulger, has a short attention span, and has difficulty in perceiving a world without himself as the center. If he can't get something to work within 1 or 2 tries, he rages (temper tantrum, not the ability), breaks things, yells, shouts, spits, etc. He's great at spinning lies, but runs over peoples feelings and is in general always caught by suprise when he wears out his welcome or his bluff has been found out. Kindness is at a cost and he refuses help if he's afraid a price will be too high - not that a price is asked for (say, a clerical healing). (I love playing this idiot) He's currently saving up his money to buy a monkey paw of wishes. Yep, others say its cursed, but their just stupid - I know how to use it (he's selling magic armor, weapons, and a ring of storing so far, with more money needed!), and will make my money back easy using my 3 wishes. I am, after all, smarter then all of you dummies. ( Doh!)

Also his orgins have him hunted by a hag, a wizard, and a military group (from conception, not gained in game - though I have further hunteds). These result in various screw you events, magic items 'betraying me', my shadow becoming cursed, ..... w/out extra experience. It just fits him.

The hexblade fellow I gave 2 bonus feats for, but as I keep getting in trouble, losing treasure to ill-fated get rich/powerful/look so kool schemes, haggling for what would be given freely, and finding the hardest way to do things, it works out well. I can't wait for him to get the monkey paw and start using his wishes 'smarter then everyone else'.

I don't think the 2 feats overmuch - but then again, I have to admit, as the player, perhaps I'm biased.

BB