Sensory Feats

[Belbarid]

I'm playing a character in a Midnight campaign, and I'm trying to come up with sense-enhancing feats. I took Scent in his heroic path, and for feats took Improved Scent and Uncanny Scent from Savage Species. He's got really good Spot/Listen scores, but I'd like to flesh out the unnatural senses bit with some feats.

Alertness, Skill Focuses, and Blind Fight all sprang to mind immediately. I may take Blind Fight, but the rest seem so... obvious.

I looked at Hear The Unseen out of Complete Adventurer, and it made no sense to me- seemed like an easy way of giving your opponents a +15 bonus to Move Silently checks.

Druids can get some interesting sense-type feats in the Wild Feats section of CA, but I don't have Wildshape, so that's out.

There's Quick Reconnoiter out of CA, but I'm a little unsure of why that one should be a feat. Spot check as a free action? What am I missing?

I could *probably* convince the DM to include Skill Tricks from Complete Scoundrel, and there are a few cool Spot-based tricks there.

Can anyone think of something I'm missing? No magic items, and probably no PrC's either, although if it's a good Ranger-type PrC, maybe.

 

[Vorput]

Some of the traits from Unearthed Arcana would probably work...

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterTraits.htm

 

[Zurai]

There's Quick Reconnoiter out of CA, but I'm a little unsure of why that one should be a feat. Spot check as a free action? What am I missing?

Normally Spot and Listen checks are move actions.

 

[avigor]

Plus in theory, your DM might just give you the full active spot/listen rather than using the passive bonuses if you have Quick Reconnoiter; that'll make detection easier.

Improved Initiative or Danger Sense come to mind if you like the idea of having super-fast reactions.

 

[avr]

Have you considered a Horizon Walker? I know you said PrCs are iffy, but Horizon Walkers are Rangers with a twist (terrain mastery vs. favoured enemy). Also, they can get darkvision 60' (or 120' if you already have it) if they get underground terrain mastery.

 

[Belbarid]

Have you considered a Horizon Walker? I know you said PrCs are iffy, but Horizon Walkers are Rangers with a twist (terrain mastery vs. favoured enemy). Also, they can get darkvision 60' (or 120' if you already have it) if they get underground terrain mastery.

I had considered Horizon Walker for the Darkvision and the Blindsense at a higher level. Plus, it's appropriate, as this character has already been through most of the non-Planar terrains listed in the PrC.

The only thing I don't like (and this is stupid) is that Endurance is such a *pointless* feat. You get a bonus to saves that most DMs don't make you roll, IME. And a Wildlander (the Midnight equivalent of a Ranger) doesn't get it for free.

That being said, I like it. Hills, Plains, and Underground would be a +4 Spot, +4 Listen, and Darkvision.

 

[Belbarid]

Normally Spot and Listen checks are move actions.

Normally Spot and Listen checks are the DM saying "Everyone roll me a Spot/Listen check". IME, of course.

 

[Belbarid]

Plus in theory, your DM might just give you the full active spot/listen rather than using the passive bonuses if you have Quick Reconnoiter; that'll make detection easier.

Improved Initiative or Danger Sense come to mind if you like the idea of having super-fast reactions.

I do, and Improved Initiative is a freebie option when I level next.

Seriously thinking about it, too.

 

[Vorput]

I had considered Horizon Walker for the Darkvision and the Blindsense at a higher level. Plus, it's appropriate, as this character has already been through most of the non-Planar terrains listed in the PrC.

The only thing I don't like (and this is stupid) is that Endurance is such a *pointless* feat. You get a bonus to saves that most DMs don't make you roll, IME. And a Wildlander (the Midnight equivalent of a Ranger) doesn't get it for free.

That being said, I like it. Hills, Plains, and Underground would be a +4 Spot, +4 Listen, and Darkvision.

I agree, but remember- Rangers pick up endurance for free at third level anyway... so... it sort of evens out (and diehard- which has endurance as a pre-req is a VERY nice feat).

 

[avigor]

Yeah, but he's in a Midnight campaign, where the ranger-equivalent doesn't get Endurance.

So Endurance is basically worthless to him except as a prereq.