New Concept: The half feat

[Archer]

I think the half feat needs to be introduced. They could be called lesser feats or something. There are many feats out there that are so weak that no one would take them as a feat choice but if they could pick 2 of them as a feat choice then they might consider them.

It might be worth making the netbook of half feats with a list of feats that are considered worthy of becoming twofers. A feat would have to worth 60% or less of a baseline feat to be a half feat. The strongest feats right now are perhaps worth 130% of a baseline feat so two lesser feats would not be better than the best feats.

 

[Crothian]

Interesting idea, but what about feats that are powerful for certain classes and not others? Track is a pretty weak feat for someone who does not have class skill Wilderness Lore.

What about weak feats that are prerequites to the strong ones? Dodge is pretty weak but it's needed for spring attack and WWA, both very strong feats.

 

[Archer]

double post because the board said there was an error

 

[Archer]

Feats are always considered under optimal conditions. If it is good enough for anyone to take as a full feat, then it is a full feat.

Dodge is weak but not so weak as to be a half feat. If you are only fighting one opponent then dodge works great. It reduces the to hit chance by 5% which translates into a lot more than 5% reduction in damage.

Endurance would be a half feat because although used as a prereq it has no practical value.

People who can make use of track usually get it for free as a class ability by multiclassing a level of ranger. Tracking could be a half feat to encourage people to take it as a feat instead of a class ability. I don't know of anyone who took tracking as a feat.

I don't think endurance and track together as one feat would be out of line. The average player still wouldn't take it.

 

[Crothian]

Feats are always considered under optimal conditions. If it is good enough for anyone to take as a full feat, then it is a full feat.

Well, the optimal condition for Endurance makes it very powerful. +4 to hold breathe is huge and it will keep you alive. Few people have to make these checks, but that's not the feats fault, that's the DMs fault.

Our Druid to Track as a feat. He didn't want to lose a level of spellcasting for the feat.

Track and Endurance would be great together. I can think of many Druids and Barbarians who would snatch both of those up as one feat.

So, what would be on your list of half a feat?

 

[Archer]

Rapid Reload
Dirty Fighting
Toughness
Death Blow
Dual Strike
Close quarter fighting
Most DotF feats
Skill Focus
Combat Casting
Improved Unarmed Strike
Track
Armor Proficiency
Martial Weapon Proficiency
Quick Draw
Run
Spell Mastery
Heighten Spell

Possibly:
Pin Shield
Zen Archery

 

[Crothian]

Rapid reload is a must for anyone who wants to be good with a crossbow.

Quickdraw is a must have for a knife thrower or similiar character.

Heighten spell is the best, most versatile way to increase the DC of any spell.

Of the others, I can see them all being lesser feats. Dirty Fighting should just be removed from the game. Dual Strike is good, but only if another person has it. Really limits it's usefulness. Improved Unarmed Strike I've actually seen many people take, but personally I think more classes should just get it for free.

I'd add simple weapon to the list.

 

[Negative Zero]

here's a novel thought:
pick feats based on your character's personality and experiences, instead of just what works well in combat. you may find that fewer feats would qualify as "useless." just my two cp.

 

[Crothian]

here's a novel thought:
pick feats based on your character's personality and experiences, instead of just what works well in combat. you may find that fewer feats would qualify as "useless." just my two cp.

While that's good in theory, not everyone does that. So, instead of going on the high horse and lecturing about picking things on concept, I find it better to try to help people flesh out their ideas.

In all honesty, this is something I'd never use in a game. My PC pick feats based off of character concept. I have a Barbarian who took toughness at 9th level in my party. About half of the PCs have a skill focus.

 

[Archer]

The point is to compensate people who pick underpowered feats that would go with their character concept.

A knife thrower is weaker than an archer and he needs to have quick draw feat on top of that. Making quick draw a half feat lessens that penalty. Crossbows are weaker than bows. You do need those feats to even come close to competing but shouldn't have to spend a full feat on them.

I'm not saying these feats are useless, except for dirty fighting but they are definitely weaker by about half, some by more than half.

Increasing the DC of spell without increasing its power is weak. A real spell of the higher level would have the increased DC and have a bigger effect.

Silent and still could possibly be half feats as well. Their effects are nice but the one higher spell level for each is prohibitive.

I meant the appropriate type character taking the feat when talking about optimized, not the value of the feat in very rare situations. A feat that gives +10 saves in a situation that never happens normally is great in that situation but is worthless in practical application. Not having enough save or die situations is not what I would consider a DM flaw.