Social Feats for D&D: Please comment!

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

The Fading Suns: Space-Fantasy d20 RPG from Holistic Design introduces the concept of Social Feats, which are gained in addition to regular feats. These are generally not combat related but serve to support a character's background, talents, interests and relationships within the context of the game world.

While some may find such ideas restrictive, others may find it useful to have such things firmly cemented in tangible game benefits and mechanics. I spent 12 hours typing this list up and plan to introduce them to my game this week... Please comment!

I've only listed some of the many OGL social feats available in Fading Suns, plus a few from AEG's mind-bogglingly amazing new d20 game Spycraft (which introduces Style feats that make you look or act super-cool), and a few other fun sources to give you an idea of what they are about, and so as not remove the need for the original rule books (page numbers for abbreviated descriptions noted for ease of reference). All of the books these feats are adapted from are great resources to mine for d20/D&D material. Check them out!
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SOCIAL FEATS [REVISED]:
Characters begin with two social feats at 1st level. A
bonus social feat is granted to all character classes at
levels 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 15 and 19.
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Arcane Training
[Created by Kaptain Kantrip]
You have been tutored in the minor ways of magic.
Prerequisite: Intelligence 10+
Benefit: You know and can cast per day a number
of arcane cantrips equal to 2 + your Intelligence
modifier. You are considered to be a 1st-level wizard
for purposes of determining your caster level.

Assets
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You rule a fief or business, providing you with annual
income.
Prerequisites: Noble Title, Church Ordination or
Guild Commission.
Benefit: You have real wealth, as opposed to
mere savings or wages: land rulership or control of a
business. This asset provides you with regular income
and is usually tied to your rank and affiliation. You
don’t actually own the land or business--your church,
guild or house does--but through birthright, luck, or
hard work, you have gained control over it and thus
reap its benefits (and suffer its responsibilities). You
cannot sell the business or land, but may abdicate
your position or temporarily place someone else in
charge; during this time, you do not gain the income
associated with the asset.
This feat provides you with an income and
responsibilities. Each time you take this feat
(maximum of five times), it increases the amount of
your income. The money is listed in gold pieces: this
is how much the asset brings you in yearly income
after paying expenses, barring no disasters or
dramatic changes in circumstance for good or ill. It
also provides a small amount of extra starting money.
1st feat = Good Assets (3,000 gp yearly income,
plus 300 gp extra starting money)
2nd feat = Well-Off (5,000 gp yearly income, plus
500 gp extra starting money)
3rd feat = Wealthy (10,000 gp yearly income, plus
1,000 gp extra starting income)
4th feat = Rich (15,000 gp yearly income, plus
1,500 gp extra starting income)
5th feat = Filthy Rich (20,000 gp yearly income,
plus 2,000 gp extra starting money)
Business: Guild-owned assets include all
guild-related businesses in a given area. Wealth is
generated from the creation and sale of guild products
and from the import/export of same and perhaps other
products. You do not necessarily oversee the daily
demands of all these businesses; usually you will
appoint managers to handle all but the most
important deals.
Fief: You rule a substantial portion of land and
serfs who work that land, creating wealth from its
commodities (food, minerals, crafts, etc.) and by
taxation. Misuse of the land requires you to answer to
those above your station and may result in a loss of
rank. You do not necessarily oversee the daily
demands of the fief; usually you will appoint
seneschals or chamberlains to undertake this task.
Temple: Church-owned assets are always
overseen by clerics and may include convents,
monasteries, shrines and temples in a given area.
Wealth is generated from the commodities produced
by the monks and through tithing the faithful. You do
not necessarily oversee the daily demands of all these
places of worship; usually, you will appoint other
clergy to oversee all but the most important of
services.

Charmer
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
You have a way of bringing people around.
Benefit: Your threat range when establishing the
disposition of NPCs who start at neutral, friendly or
helpful is increased to 18-20. Further, you get a +1
bonus to all Charisma-based skills targeting such
NPCs.

Church Ordination
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are a recognized member of your church clergy.
Prerequisite: Blackguard, Cleric, Paladin, level 1+
Benefit: You bear a church rank. Its title depends on
how many levels of this stackable feat you possess.
Each successive level raises you in rank one title (see
the chart below).
In addition, you receive a +1 bonus to Diplomacy
checks against the faithful of your church. This bonus
is stackable with each successive rank (i.e., a canon
gets a +2 Diplomacy bonus).
1st feat = Novitiate/Apprentice
2nd feat = Canon/Provost
3rd feat = Deacon/Acolyte/Illuminatus
4th feat = Priest/Adept
5th feat = Bishop/Master/Magister
6th feat = Archbishop/Grand Master

Etiquette
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You can use your knowledge of proper manners to
smooth over social blunders.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Benefit: You may attempt to smooth over bad
feelings from a social faux pas and/or vulgar breach
of etiquette, committed either by you, your
compatriots, or someone you feel sorry for. You
cannot undo the mistake, but you can erase the social
stigma from whoever committed the error.
Etiquette may also be used to counter the
Withering Insulkt feat directed at you by others. You
make a Will save and if it is higher than the target’s
save, he uses yours instead. If the insult is directed at
you, add +2 to the Will save result.
If someone is intentionally trying to cause a social
incident, make opposed Diplomacy checks with all
relevant modifiers. Those with Etiquette gain a +2
bonus for this check.
You can use your Etiquette a number of times per
day equal to your Charisma modifier.

Fame
[Adapted from Star Wars d20]
You are well-known for charitable acts or heroic
deeds (regardless of whether you actually performed
them).
Benefit: You get a +3 bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy,
Gather Information, and Intimidate checks whenever
the GM determines that your celebrity status would
be a benefit. However, in other circumstances your
fame gives such checks a -3 penalty.
Special: You can’t select both Fame and Infamy.

Family Ties
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have strong ties to your blood kin, such that they
would delay important tasks to come to your aid.
Benefit: You can draw upon some loyal allies of
similar status to yourself. Of course, this cuts both
ways--if someone kills your father, you will be
obligated to hunt down the killer no matter the time,
cost or risk involved.
To gain your family’s aid, you must address a
member personally or get a message to them. The
GM then makes a Family Ties check. To the roll
result, he adds 10 + your Charisma modifier + any
modifiers based on the situation. If you have recently
done a favor for your family, you may add a +2 bonus
to the check. If you recently risked your life for them,
you may add a +5 bonus on the check (GM’s
discretion).
The DC depends on the type of aid requested.
Asking to vacation at a relative’s house might be DC
10-15, depending on how much he owes your side of
the family. Requesting your brothers and sisters to
meet you in Cady’s Hollow with guns for a kidnight
raid on your rivals might be 15 if it’s an ongoing feud
involving them too, or DC 20 if not. Asking them to
help kidnap a local lord and hold him for ransom
might be DC 30-35, and could get you disowned if it
failed.
Your family may not have the high status or power
that the Ally feat provides, but they are more loyal
and persistent.
A request may be attempted from your family only
once per game month. Two successive months of such
requests cause the DC to rise for each successive
attempt. Should the DC ever rise as high as 40, the
family will no longer heed your requests--you are an
ungrateful, whining black sheep for the next game
year. However, you can perform favors to try and
return the DC to normal.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times.
The effects stack to raise the status of the family (or
involve high-level family members who could not be
bothered with you at lower levels).

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Filthy Rich
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
You don’t just live the high life--you were born to it.
You’ve usually got enough money to buy or bribe
your way through problems that others must resolve
with training.
Benefit: You have a considerable fortune in
various lucrative investments, all of it generating
interest. Once per game month, you can withdraw up
to 1,000 gp in funds to spend as you wish.
Additionally, you receive 1,000 gp in extra starting
money. You cannot gain more than 1,000 gp in any
one month period from this feat, without liquidating
your holdings at a loss (GM’s discretion).
Special: This feat must be taken at 1st-level.

Friends in High Places
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have a close relationship with someone in a
position of power, and that person will go out of his
way to help you.
Prerequisite: Cha 13+
Benefit: Your ally holds a noble title, church
ordination, guild commission, or some other rank or
position that affords him a degree of power over
others of his kind. The ally’s actual rank is equal to to
the second degree of rank for someone of his faction
(noble baronet, church canon, guild chief, etc.).
To gain the ally’s aid, you must address him
personally or get a message to him. The GM then
makes an Ally check. To the roll result, he adds 10 +
your Charisma modifier + any modifiers based on the
situation. If you have recently done the ally a favor,
you get a +2 circumstance bonus on this check. If you
have recently risked your life for him, you get a +5
circumstance bonus on the check (GM’s discretion).
The DC depends on the type of aid requested. If
it’s a simple request for information easily accessed
by him, transportation, minor supplies or financial aid
(100 gp or less), or a social event invitation he is
attending, then the DC is 10. Asking for introductions
to his friends, allies or rivals, moderate supplies or
financial aid (250 gp or less), arranging minor
charges against you to be dropped by the authorities,
the DC is 15. Asking for dismissal of major charges
against you, running a competitor out of business,
major supplies or financial aid (over 250 gp), military
aid, safe house access, or any other request that could
get the ally in trouble or be sorely inconvenienced,
the DC is 25 or more. Note that not all ally types can
provide all of these options. Requests for aid that the
ally cannot possibly fulfill will be denied.
You may make a request of the same ally once per
game month. Two successive months of requests
causes the DC to rise for each successive attempt (+5
DC minimum). Should the DC ever get as high as 40,
that ally will no longer heed your requests until at
least one game year has passed during which he
receives no further requests from you. However,
during this time, he might ask you to perform favors
for him to bring your relationship (and the DC) back
to normal.
Special: This feat is stackable and may be taken
multiple times to increase the ally’s rank, or to add a
new ally. For instance, three levels of this feat can
allow for a noble earl ally.

Gossip Network
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have a series of informants who keep you up to
date on certain areas of information.
Prerequisite: Gather Information 4+
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Gather
Information checks for subjects within your network’s
reach. Your informants may be cackling old nobles
who let you know which lords have committed
breaches of etiquette, merchants who let you know
who is buying what, or farmers who gladly let you
know who has gone through their area lately.
This feat may be bought multiple times to enlarge
your network’s area (successive levels do not increase
the Gather Information bonus, but do enlarge the area
your check can draw information from).
1st feat = Small City or Fief (this check takes one
day)
2nd feat = Large City or Province (this check
takes one week)
3rd feat = Country-wide, including royal holdings
(this check takes one month)
4th feat = The known world (this check takes
three months)

Great Leadership
[Adapted from The Quintessential Rogue]
You have a talent for organizing and leading others.
Prerequisite: Leadership
Benefit: You gain more followers. You gain twice
the number granted by the Leadership feat. In
addition, you gain a second cohort of a level equal to
your current cohort’s level minus two. You also gain
control of an organization that you create with this
feat. Use the guidelines outlined on page 92 of The
Quintessential Rogue to generate your group.

Guild Commission
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You belong to one of the guilds that regulate trade.
Benefit: You bear a Guild rank, its title
dependent on how many levels of this stackable feat
you possess. Each successive level raises you in rank
in one title (see the chart below).
In addition, each rank grants you a +1 bonus to
Diplomacy checks against fellow Guild members,
regardless of Guild. This bonus is stackable with each
successive rank.
1st = Apprentice/Associate
2nd = Journeyman/Chief
3rd = Manager/Boss
4th = Crafter/Director
5th = Engineer/Consul
6th = Master/Dean

Hardcore
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
There is a core of fierce professionalism in you that
makes even your worst enemies treat you with
respect.
Benefit: Your threat range when establishing the
disposition of NPCs who start at unfriendly, hostile,
or adversary is increased to 18-20. Further, you get a
+1 bonus to all Charisma-based skills targeting those
NPCs.

Holier Than Thou
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You can stave off attacks by exploiting another’s fear
of your deity.
Prerequisite: Church Ordination
Benefit: By exclaiming your holiness to others,
you can protect yourself from their ire. You must, as a
free action, first declare your holiness before them;
anyone in earshot is affected as long as they can hear
you and understand the language you speak.
Anyone who hears this declaration must then
make a Will save before initiating an attack against
you. The DC is 10 + your level. If he succeeds, he
does not need to make a save to attack you anytime
during that encounter or the next 24 hours. If he fails,
he cannot attack you that round but can make another
saving throw the next round and every round
thereafter until he succeeds, after which he may
attack you normally.

Holy Training
[Created by Kaptain Kantrip]
You have received special training in a church whose
deity you devoutly follow.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 10+
Benefit: You can cast per day a number of divine
orisons equal to 2 + your Wisdom modifier. You can
pray for and receive any of the orisons on the 0-level
cleric spell list. You are considered to be a 1st-level
cleric for purposes of determining your caster level.

Inquisitorial Seal
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are a member of the Inquisition.
Prerequisite: Church Ordination rank 4+
Benefit: You bear an Inquisitorial Seal, granted
by the Inquisitorial Synod. Unlike most such seals,
which are handed out on a per mission basis, this one
is permanent, allowing you to perform inquisitorial
duties full-time and without the need to consult
superiors as regards situations that may arise during
such duties. This does not mean, however, that you
are free to act however you desire; your actions can
still be judged by the Inquisitorial Synod.

Leadership
[Adapted from PHB/DMG]
See the DMG, p. 45..

Legate
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are a church ambassador to a noble house, guild,
city or nation.
Prerequisite: Church Ordination level 3+
Benefit: As an official representative of the
church, you are accorded a degree of respect by your
hosts, although you must earn their trust on a
personal level for them to see you as anything but a
spy for the church. Nonetheless, you gain a +2 bonus
to Bluff and Diplomacy checks involving official
church business.
In addition, you may cross feudal boundaries free
from taxation or tithe. You may request to participate
in diplomatic events your host holds, such as
conferences and parties, although he does not have to
invite you (but doing so would be a faux pas in the
eyes of your superiors). You have the right to provide
character testimony for a plaintiff or defendant in a
legal case and be heard. You can also request an
investigation from the church concerning specific
matters or mysteries (but be prepared to provide
evidence or a good reason for your beliefs).

The Look
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
Whether it’s devilishly handsome good looks, a laugh
that melts hearts, all the right curves, or a smile that
makes people weak in the knees, you’ve got what it
takes to make those attracted to your gender stop and
give you the eye.
Prerequisite: Cha 13+.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to all
Charisma-based skills when dealing with NPCs
attracted to your gender.

Mark
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
You can size someone up from a distance.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 13+
Benefit: As a free action, you may target an NPC
with this feat, ‘sizing him up.’ Name three skills. The
GM must tell you which of those skills the target has
the highest bonus in (combined rank and ability score
modifier), and which of the skills the target has the
lowest bonus with. This feat does not confer
knowledge of the target’s actual skill ranks or ability
bonuses--only their relative strength to each other.
You may use this ability a number of times per game
day equal to your Wisdom modifier (though never
more than once per round) and you may use it on the
same target more than once.

Master Mimic
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
You’re a natural at impersonating others.
Prerequisite: Cha 13+, Bluff skill 4+, Disguise
skill 4+, Perform skill 4+.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Bluff,
Disguise and Perform (acting) checks. In addition,
your threat range with these skills increases to 19-20.

Master of Persuasion
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
You have tremendous powers of persuasion.
Prerequisite: Cha 13+, Bluff skill 4+, Diplomacy
skill 4+, Intimidate skill 4+.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all Bluff (not
feint), Diplomacy and Intimidate checks. In addition,
your threat range with these skills increases to 19-20.

Military Rank
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have served in the armed forces and have the
rank to prove it.
Prerequisites: Church Ordination, Guild
Commission or Noble Title (for officer ranks), or any
character level 1+ (for enlisted ranks)
Benefit: You bear a military rank in the armed or
naval forces of a noble house, merchant company,
church order, mercenary company or some other
military or paramilitary organization. Your title
depends on how many levels of this stackable feat
you possess. Each successive level raises you in rank
one title (see chart below). Titles provide different
benefits for officers and enlisted.
Officers: Each officer rank grants you a +1 bonus
to your Leadership score. This bonus is stackable
with each successive rank.
Enlisted: Each enlisted rank grants you a +1 bonus
to any Gather Information checks performed wherever
soldiers or sailors hang out (most often in the
barracks or a bar). Your rank more easily provides
you with the necessary background to mix with troops
and loosen their lips. This bonus is stackable with
each successive rank. The drawback is that you may
be called back to active duty in times of crisis if you
are retired. Refusing such a call to duty is grounds for
a court-martial and removal of rank.
Officer (Army/Navy)
1st = Lieutenant/Midshipman
2nd = Captain/2nd Lieutenant
3rd = Major/1st Lieutenant
4th = Colonel/Captain
5th = General/Admiral
Enlisted (Army/Navy)
1st = Private/Crewman
2nd = Private 1st Class/Able Crewman
3rd = Corpral/Mate
4th = Sergeant/Master
5th = Staff Sergeant/Master of the Ship

Noble Title
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You were born a member of a noble family or have
been knighted as a lord of a noble house.
Prerequisite: Aristocrat or Noble level 1+ or any
character class level 4+
Benefit: You bear a noble rank, its title dependent
on how many levels of this stackable feat you possess.
Each successive level raises you in rank one title (see
the chart below).
In addition, each rank grants you a +1 bonus to
Diplomacy checks among other nobles, even those of
rival houses. This bonus is stackable with each
successive rank.
Nobles have the right to impress any serf beholden
to them into temporary combat service. Most serfs are
poor combatants, however, and will usually run from
a fight the first chance they get.Nonetheless, they may
provide an adequate vigilante posse for hunting down
escaped criminals. If the impressed serf is killed in
such service, the noble must pay a weregild to his
family, although this rarely costs more than three
years of that serrf’s wages (average of 10 gp).
Gaining this feat without first taking levels in the
Aristocrat or Noble class requires GM permission and
a good roleplaying reason (usually representing
battlefield knighting, which is extremely rare).
1st feat = Knight/Dame
2nd feat = Baronet
3rd feat = Baron/Baroness
4th feat = Earl or Marquis/Marquessa
5th feat = Count/Countess
6th feat = Duke/Duchess
There is one higher title for each house: the
Prince/Princess, the head of the entire household.
Such a rank must be gained through arduous
gameplay--the Machiavellian schemes necessary to
supplant a current Prince/Princess are practically
unimaginable.

Peasant Hero
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are known to stand against tyrants in defense of
the common man.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and
Gather Information checks when dealing with
peasants. Additionally, you may more easily be able
to convince them to hide you (and your cronies) from
the authorities.

Political Favors
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
You have put critical information in front of powerful
individuals in the past. Now they owe you.
Benefit: You receive a +1 bonus to all
Charisma-based skill checks targeting bureaucrats
and politicans and on all attempts to gain government
intervention. Once per game session, if you can
contact someone who owes you, you can have all
criminal charges against you dropped (GM’s
discretion), or gain access to a secure (but not secret)
government facility.

Purgation
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You can harangue the faithful into confessing their
sins.
Prerequisite: Wis 13+, Sect Affiliation.
Benefit: Even the most libertine noble or guild
member has doubts about the state of his immortal
soul. You can exploit these doubts and verbally
harangue a person into confessing his sins.
Once per day, you can extract a confession from
someone. The subject of condemnation must be a
member of your religion and you must spend at least
a full round condemning him for his sins. He can
make a Will save against a DC equal to your
Charisma modifier + your level; he gets a +2 bonus if
he is not of your sect.
If he fails, he confesses to a petty sin (“I lusted
after the Duchess!”). If he fails by more than 5 points,
he confesses to a greater sin (“I wanted to kill the
rector!”). If he fails by more than ten points, he
confesses to a horrible sin (“I killed the knight and
buried his body in the coal mines! Sob!”). Of course,
if he has committed no horrible sin, he will not
confess to one, but instead beg for an act of penance
from you for his sin. Appropriate penance varies with
religion, but might consist of seeking forgiveness
from the person he wronged, go on a pilgrimage to a
holy site and there reflect upon his sins, or perform
some charitable deed for the church.

Rabble Rouser
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You can rouse peasants and crowds into riotous
action.
Prerequisite: Cha 15+, Enthrall.
Benefit: You can exploit existing discontent
among the lower classes and fan it into a blaze of
anger. You must first go to a place where peasants
gather, such as at the local inn. You then orate to
them, playing on their hopes and fears to arouse them
into action against a particular type of evil: a tyrant
lord, a scheming merchant, a lying priest, etc. You
must make a Perform check, as described in the
Enthrall feat. Any who fail their Will saves follow
your lead onto the streets, wielding whatever
weapons are handy. They can be directed at an
example of whatever evil you orated against. If you
point to a merchant and decry him as a usurer (for
example), they’ll descend on him with sticks and beat
him senseless, perhaps to death.
This feat does not grant you legal or moral
absolution for your actions. The local guard may
attempt to arrest you as a rabble-rouser. The angry
mob is certainly not exempt from punishment--some
of them may even be hanged as rioters, to provide an
example to others. Their families may blame you and
take action themselves to gain revenge. What’s more,
the victim of your aroused mob--assuming he
survived--may make it his life’s goal to avenge
himself upon you.

Racial Ally
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are a known friend and ally to a particular race
other than your own.
Prerequisite: Xeno-Empathy, Cha 13+
Benefit: When dealing with members of the race
to which this feat applies, you gain a +2 bonus
Diplomacy and Gather Information bonus.
The race chosen must be intelligent and
free-willed (e.g., no golems, oozes or zombies). You
must specify how you came to be held in such high
esteem by the race chosen.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times.
The effects do not stack; each time this feat is taken,
a different race must be chosen.
Common choices for this feat are: drow, duergar,
dwarf, elemental (one element), elf, gnome,
goblinoid, halfling, giant, gnoll, human (choose
nation), lizardfolk, merfolk, ogre, orc, outsider
(choose one type, such as celestial, devil or slaad) or
undead (choose one type, such as ghouls). The DM
has the right to veto any choice he feels is
inappropriate.

Retainer
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have a devoted servant or friend who will follow
you to the ends of the earth.
Benefit: Whether it is the loyal seneschal who has
always served your family or the childhood friend
who keeps his blood-brother oath through thick and
thin, your retainer is devoted to you.
Your retainer is a 1st-level Expert trained in
whatever line of work he needs to best serve you. He
goes up in level one level for every two levels you
rise. He is considered to have whatever outfit is
needed for his work, but you must pay to equip him
with weapons and armor.
Additional hired help can be gained with money
during game play, but they don’t exhibit the fierce
loyalty your retainer does. In other words, when the
money runs out, they’re gone, but the retainer always
stays.

Righteous Sermon
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You can inspire others with passages from your
gospels.
Prerequisite: Perform 6+.
Benefit: By reading from your church gospels
(either from memory or from the book itself), you can
inspire courage in allies who share your religion.
Each person to be affected must hear at least one full
round of sermons. The effect lasts as long as the
sermons are read, and for five rounds thereafter.
During the oration, you may make melee or ranged
attacks but cannot cast spells.
Allies receive a +1 morale bonus to saving throws,
attack rolls and weapon damage rolls. Only allies
who believe in your religion gain the bonus.
Righteous Sermon is an extraordinary ability.

Saint
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have achieved sainthood in the eyes of many
people, who treat you like messiah.
Prerequisite: Any character class level 18+
Benefit: You are considered holy by a certain
segment of the population. Whether it is their
collective belief that makes it true or some personal
virtue recently awakened, you do indeed exhibit holy
powers.
Once per day, you may perform a miracle. You
make a Wisdom check and compare the result against
the DC. The effect and extent of this is ultimately
determined by the GM. See Fading Suns d20, p. 104
for more information on this feat.

Savior-Faire
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have a certain flair, dashing style or bravura that
marks you as someone special.
Prerequisite: Cha 15+.
Benefit: Everything you do is done with style,
whether it be entering a room and turning heads,
carving your initials into a tapestry with your rapier,
or even savoring a meal at a banquet to impress the
host.
You can intentionally attempt to impress others
with your style in any task. You make any required
checks normally, but if your result is 5 or more points
higher than the required DC to succeed, you have
performed the deed with stunning flair. The GM is
free to dictate any rules effects from this, but possible
outcomes are: You gain an initiative bonus on
successive actions or a bonus to Charisma-based
skills to further impress those who witnessed your
deed.
It is very hard to embarrass you, for you can turn
even a pratfall into an elegant dance. Anytime you
fail very badly at something, you can make a Bluff
check as a free action to mitigate the failure and make
it look intentional. The DC depends on the nature of
what you’ve done wrong, but it is usually DC 15 or
20. The higher your result, the better your reaction to
your familiar appears.
As a free action, you may make a Diplomacy
check to oppose anyone trying to embarass you, even
if you are unaware of what’s going on (the GM can
make the roll for you).

Secret Agent
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are a spy working for an intelligence agency,
gathering information or sabotaging rival’s works.
Prerequisite: Rogue level 1+, or any character
class level 4+.
Benefit: You bear a commission as an intelligence
agent, its rank dependent on how many levels of this
stackable feat you possess. Each successive level
raises you one in rank by one title (see the chart
below).
In addition, each rank grants you a +1 Innuendo
bonus when communicating with fellow agents or
trying to read the secret signs of rival agents. This
bonus is stackable with each successive rank.
1st feat = Recruit
2nd feat = Agent
3rd feat = Field Agent
4th feat = Supervisor
5th feat = Spymaster
In addition, the secret agent chooses his affiliation.
Each agency specializes in some role that allows
agents to gain bonuses to certain skills. The GM is
free to create other affiliations using the three below
as a model.
Covert Intel: Experts in covert information
gathering: +2 bonus to Open Lock skill.
Rat Squad: Experts in rooting out treason: +2
bonus to Gather Information.
Undercover Ops: Experts in sensing other’s
weaknesses: +2 bonus to Sense Motive.

Secret Society Membership
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have allies in a secret society, and thus have
access to training and potential aid from persecution.
Benefit: Secret societies may be commercial,
political or religious criminal or terrorist groups,
witch’s covens or other cults, but the one thing they
all have in common is the condemnation of the ruling
authorities, church and/or society. Its members use
code words or signs to signal meetings. You can
recognize the signs and codes for the particular group
to which you belong, and thus answer the call to a
meeting or convene one yourself.
The details of your secret society should be
worked out with the GM.

Sect Affiliation
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
The character is a member of a church sect or order.
Each sect/order member undergoes special training
that provides a bonus to a skill in a particular
situation. Not all churches will have all of the
following sects/orders available, and the GM is free
to invent others to suit his campaign. Most deities
will have one sect/order for each domain in its
portfolio of powers.
Evil domain: +2 bonus to Intimidate checks when
extracting confessions. Class skill: Knowledge
(torture).
Healing domain: +2 bonus to Heal checks to treat
those who swear a favor to the order in return for
healing.
Law domain: +2 bonus to Sense Motive checks
when extracting confessions. Class skill: Innuendo.

Silver Tongue
[Adapted from Spycraft d20]
You have a knack for making even the unthinkable
sound not only possible, but very appealing.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus to all Bluff (not
feint) and Diplomacy rolls to convert, seduce or sway
an NPC to do something they know they shouldn’t.
Further, your threat range for such attempts is
increased by 2 (e.g., 19-20 becomes 17-20).

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Smear Campaign
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You can attempt to ruin another’s reputation or instill
hostility toward him in certain people.
Prerequisite: Cha 13.
Benefit: You can change other’s attitudes toward
someone by spending time bad-mouthing him. It
usually takes at least one evening of carousing with
the targeted audience, similar to making a Gather
Information check. Characters normally make
Charisma checks to alter someone’s attitude for the
better. You can alter it for the worse with your own
Charisma check. Whenever the object of your smear
campaign arrives, people’s attitudes toward him are
whatever you influenced them toward. The audience
does not need to personally know the person;
reputation and name are enough.
See Fading Suns d20, p. 105 for more information
on setting the smear campaign DC.
Note: Add +5 to the DC if the people in the crowd
know the victim of your smear campaign personally.
Special: You can attempt this on a larger scale by
gaining this feat multiple times. Each successie feat
increases the area in which you can cast your net.
1st feat = Small town (checks take one evening)
2nd feat = Large town or province (checks take
one week)
3rd feat = Entire country (checks take one month)
4th feat = Entire World (checks take three
months)

Sorcerous Bloodline
[Created by Kaptain Kantrip]
You were born with the power to work magic.
Prerequisite: Charisma 10+
Benefit: You know and can cast per day a number
of arcane cantrips equal to 2 + your Charisma
modifier. You are considered to be a 1st-level
sorcerer for purposes of determining your caster level.

Theologian
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are recognized by your church as a worthy
theologian, and your views influence church policy.
Prerequisite: Church Ordination, Knowledge
(religion) skill 10+.
Benefit: You can introduce new interpretations
into Church discourse, influencing the opinions of
those who make policy. In such a way, you can
attempt to transform heresies into mere differences of
doctrine, and hence save their believers from
inquisitorial persecution.
First, you must formulate your doctrine. Make a
Knowledge (religion) check. The DC is 20 or 25 for
beliefs that fit well with current Church opinion, but
30 or 35 for beliefs wildly divergent from current
thought. Beliefs that clash with core church values
may face DC 40+.
Once formulated, your doctrine must be
promulgated through oratory. Make a Diplomacy
check, opposed by those listening. Those who fail
against you are converted to your doctrine and may
begin to spread it (using their own Diplomacy skills).
You may eventually be invited to argue your
doctrine before distinguished (high skill ranked)
theologians, who will attempt to reveal the flaws in
your beliefs. This initiates a new Knowledge
(religion) contest, but you can add +1 to your check
for every 100 people you have converted. If your
views hold out, your work will enter the canon of
currently debated theology.
You may then be invited to argue your doctrine
before the College of Ethicalds, who determine
church doctrine. If you win here, your belief becomes
a standard teaching of the church--unless the supreme
head of the church dislikes it. He may challenge you
to a new debate, one in which he gains a +6 bonus for
his status. If you win this one, your doctrine is set for
at least the next two or three generations.

Twin
[Adapted from Forgotten Realms]
You have a twin brother or sister.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on all
Charisma-based checks. You have a twin brother or
sister (fraternal or identical). You may detect the
direction of your twin if he or she is alive, on the
same plane and you succeed in an Intuit Direction
check against DC 15 (or a Wisdom check if you do
not have that skill). A failure on this check gives no
information. You may retry once per round as a
standard action.
Special: You may only take this feat as a 1st-level
character.

Veteran
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You are known for your prowress at a significant
battle, and may even bear a medal proving it.
Benefit: You may invoke your past to change
others’ opinions about you and solicit their aid. This
may be used against the same person only once. It
allows you to gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy or Gather
Information checks against that person. In addition,
you are considered (for just this one-time request) to
be one rank higher than normal, including gaining
any skill bonuses the higher rank imparts.
Special: This feat may be bought multiple times.
The effects stack, representing a greater deed
performed in battle or a more important medal. Two
levels of this feat provides a +4 bonus to Diplomacy
or Gather Information checks, and so on with each
additional level.

Withering Insult
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You may deliver an insult practically guaranteed to
get a rise out of your rival.
Prerequisite: Int 13+.
Benefit: Social rank and the respect it provides
are vital to survival in the chaotic world. People are
rather protective of their reputations and don’t take
kindly to people disparaging them. However, most
people can readily choose which insults to challenge
or ignore. Nonetheless, some villains are particularly
good at baiting their rivals; their foul words rarely fail
to provoke a heated response.
Once per day, you may deliver a withering insult
to someone. That person must fight to control his
temper or lose all self-control, discarding all norms of
social propriety and common sense until he has
extracted an apology from you.
The insulted person must make a Will save. The
DC is equal to your Charisma modifier + your level.
Success means he can choose to deal with your
insult however he likes, although he cannot pretend it
wasn’t vile. Failure means he loses control and
immediately seeks satisfaction from you: either by
challenging you to a duel, attacking you then and
there, whistling for his gang of street toughs to
descend on you, etc.
He will stop whatever he is doing, as long as
doing so doesn’t put him in obvious danger. In other
words, he won’t turn his attention from a rampaging
monster just to deal with an insult. However, the
insult still hurts, and he will deal with it as soon as
the danger has passed.

Xeno-Empathy
[Adapted from Fading Suns d20]
You have studied a race and know how to interact
with and read that race.
Benefit: This feat negates the -2 penalty for Bluff,
Diplomacy, Gather Information and Sense Motive
checks against the type of race selected when this feat
is taken.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times.
The effects do not stack; another race must be
selected each time this feat is taken.

 

[kaboom]

I didn't read them all, but these are a great idea!

 

[Al]

I think that these are exceptional. Hearty congratulations!

The only minor problem may be class balance: it seems perhaps that the classes getting more of these may become stronger than those without (that damned cleric would get stronger!). This may need to be redressed.

 

[Steven McRownt]

First of all i wish to thannk you very much for your efforts, you're not new to this, but your ideas and work are greatly appreciated. And kaptain, they're simply very cool. I like them all, and i will force my group to use them. They're truly "social", and they add just some flavor to PCs and NPCs... Nice Job!!!!

ps is possible to buy spycraft by internet? I tried to find an italian RPG shop who had it, but without success...

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Thanks for the praise, guys! The actual list of social feats in Fading Suns and Style Feats in Spycraft are longer. I am also going to incorporate some feats like Cosmopolitan, Mercantile Background, and Street Smarts from Forgotten Realms, as well as a few from the AEG books (Dungeons, Evil) such as Bootlicker, Bribery, and Golden Tongue.

As to class balance, yes, that is an issue... I am the one who (hastily) put together the D&D class conversion chart (based on Fading Suns classes), so any error there is mine. I'm sure there are several boo-boo's in it, as I did it first, before typing up and truly reading the feats involved. Any ideas on how to fix this? I thought about having one set progression for ALL character classes (every level you don't get a regular feat, perhaps, or every level you do get a regular feat). Social feats may be taken in place of regular feats if the players wishes.

I don't know where to order Spycraft online, but I'm sure somebody else does... You might try contacting AEG at http://www.shadowforcearcher.com (Spycraft site, where you can download a free pdf of the Spycraft "Lite" rules, a preview of the game) as well as a free adventure. http://www.alderac.com is AEG's main site.

 

[Draxus the Tainted]

The only problem I see with giving characters a social feat when they should be getting a normal feat, would be slowing down progression towards a PrC. Other than that, I like the idea. More often than not, my characters don't have much social background.

 

[Kevin Wilson]

For online purchases, try over at:

http://spycraftrpg.com

I'm pretty sure they have an online ordering thing there.

-Kevin Wilson

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

The only problem I see with giving characters a social feat when they should be getting a normal feat, would be slowing down progression towards a PrC. Other than that, I like the idea. More often than not, my characters don't have much social background.

I meant that you would get a social feat in addition to a regular feat and that you could instead get two social feats, but you couldn't swap the social feat for a regular feat.