There's a lot of feats. How to get more of them to see play?

[VirgilCaine]

Well? There's lots of feats available. What is a balanced way to get more of them into play?

I'm thinking of an increased number of feats awarded, say every even level you don't get a feat now, you get a feat (levels 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18). And restricting these to non-Core feats.

But I'm sure I'll hear other options.

Also, possible consequences: PCs will be better at their specialty or be better in the stuff the other feats cover. Some feats would increase general capability. Most non-Core feats, IIRC, add something new, but somewhat specialized...they're not as universal as the Core feats (Dodge, Imp. Init, etc.

Ideas?

 

[Crothian]

I give out a feat a level. It helps but you have to understand many of the feats are just crap that no one will ever take.

 

[Psion]

There's a thread that discusses this at length in the house rules forum:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=162508

The variant I settled on:

1. Gives out feats at every level you don't get an ability score bonus (i.e., 1-3, 5-7, 9-11, 13-15, 17-19)
2. Requires half of your feats to come from a "background" feat list, to emphasize the character's flavor and keep you from shooting up feat trees too quickly.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I think that giving out more feats would be a fair way to do it, with a couple of things to watch out for. Giving out more feats might makes feats balanced by being at the end of a feat chain come into play too early. Also, it would make prestige classes on a whole easier to get into, so if free reign is allowed on them, that might be an issue as well.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I think that giving out more feats would be a fair way to do it, with a couple of things to watch out for. Giving out more feats might makes feats balanced by being at the end of a feat chain come into play too early. Also, it would make prestige classes on a whole easier to get into, so if free reign is allowed on them, that might be an issue as well.

Most, if not all, of the feats that are at the end of chains (or are tactical feats) already have prereqs of BAB or skill ranks or level or something. It's not completing feat chains too early, it's completing multiple feat chains one might need to worry about. Or taking feats from one chain that have passive effects and feats that require actions. You can only do so much at one time--use a tactical feat's maneuvers and you aren't using something else that takes an action. Like maybe the Combat Focus feats, those are passive.

With substantially more feats, a Barbarian could have Whirlwind Attack at 5th or 6th instead of 12th level.
The Fighter previously had the advantage in feats, and he still does. Now the Fighter has say, a weapon style feat AND a tactical feat or Great Cleave, Shock Trooper and Combat Brute plus one or two others maybe, if you're giving out 2 feats at a time or feats every level you don't increase a stat or whatever.

 

[Treebore]

You could adapt my C&C rules for how I adapted feats.

Everyone gets them, if they are for your class. No other pre-reqs (too complicated for C&C).

Then, whenever you want to perform a feat roll a check. DC 15 modified by the HD of the creature/NPC you are attempting to use the feat against.

Thats a the general way to do it. Then you may also want to say classes get certain feats "granted" to them, like a class ability.

Examples would be weapon specialization for fighters, two weapon fighting feats for rangers, Item creation feats for wizard/cleric types.

Is it balanced? I think so, because for the most part you can only use one feat per round, with cleave and other similiar feats being likely exceptions, plus everyone can attempt them that is of the right class. In C&C everyone can attempt them, but if they aren't meant for your class (this is mostly for wizard/cleric types to attempt fighter feats. Obviously fighter types won't be able to use item creation and meta-magic feats since they can't cast spells. But Rangers and Paladins could try, obviously.) the Target number/TN (DC for you 3E guys) is base 18, which is 6 higher than the other base in C&C, which is 12.

So in 3E if you want to try it that way you may want to raise the DC by 5 or more.

Obviously a lot of the "Garbage feats" and skill enhancing feats would have to be thrown out. Unless you want to still have feats like that able to be earned.

Anyhow, just saw it as being possible, so I thought I would put it on the suggestion table.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

I am experimenting with a feat a level in my Face to face game, and it has not been a problem. If anyone was really going whole hog down one path it might be a problem.

ActuallyI have restricted one player from taking any mroe draconic feats for a while. He has six of them, and +6 to listen.search, spot, and all knowledge checks is a lot for 8th level, especailly as he has bought ranks in some of those also.

 

[VirgilCaine]

I am experimenting with a feat a level in my Face to face game, and it has not been a problem. If anyone was really going whole hog down one path it might be a problem.

ActuallyI have restricted one player from taking any mroe draconic feats for a while. He has six of them, and +6 to listen.search, spot, and all knowledge checks is a lot for 8th level, especailly as he has bought ranks in some of those also.

Okay, yeah, interlocking feats like that also would be pretty bad. Maybe. What all other feats has he taken?

 

[Crothian]

I have a shifter with 7 shifter feats so far and those interlocking feats seem okay. It just means he can shift more times a day for more rounds, though when he does shift with all those feats he does well when he is shiftingl!!

 

[VirgilCaine]

I have a shifter with 7 shifter feats so far and those interlocking feats seem okay. It just means he can shift more times a day for more rounds, though when he does shift with all those feats he does well when he is shiftingl!!

I just looked at the ones in Complete Arcane again and sure enough, about half of 'em still suck. Gotta take the suck to get the flash, so I guess it's balanced, at least with those.