Which 11 feats would you pick for a 1st level character if ... ?

[Jack Simth]

That was noted in that poster's original post- I just edited it out.

I just basically brought it up again to show that certain build types can show up all over the place.


There is that!
Essentially, its the same reason for going with the Draconic Breath feat, only because its a reserve feat, its slightly less powerful per use, but you don't use up spell slots to power it...

In the specific case of the first level build, the Reserve Feat Fiery Burst (which you can only qualify for due to Precocious Apprentice...) does 2d6 at-will, and uses your Primary Casting Stat for the DC. Draconic Breath (at 1st) does 2d6 a limited number of times per day (although it is a much larger area...), is more flexible on the damage type, and is fixed to Charisma. At 1st, they're generally going to be similarly useful... but there are some caveats:
1) Draconic Breath scales better later on than does Fiery Burst.
2) Draconic Breath requires you to be a Sorcerer (or take yet a third feat...)
3) The point of spending a feat on that type of offense is to have a lot of endurance - which Draconic Breath doesn't really grant you (it just grants you slightly better efficiency... and in the specific case of the sorcerer, for most intents and purposes, it's a very funny spell known).

Of course, this inspires me somewhat...

1) Draconic Heritage (Red Dragon)
2) Draconic Breath
3) Draconic Resistance (CompArc)
4) Draconic Power (+1CL and +1DC to Fire spells)
5) Draconic Flight
6) Weapon Focus: Ranged Touch attacks
7) Ability Focus: Breath Weapon (Monster Manual)
8) Wild Talent
9) Fiery Burst
10) Spellfire (Forgotten Realms, Magic of Faerun)
11) Arcane Strike (CompWar)

Mild issue:
You need Precocious Apprentice to get Fiery Burst at 1st level - Fiery Burst requires you to be able to cast 2nd level spells, and it also requires a Fire spell of at least 2nd level to power it.

You might consider checking out Races of the Dragon - it's got some nifties that would go very well with that build.

You get this PC into the Pyrokinetic PrCl quickly and you have the beginning approximation of the Human Torch.

That you do... also, you might want to check out the Spell Compendium - there's a second level spell there that causes you to be at the center of a cloud of fire...

Actually, I see very few of those feats chosen in campaigns- the obvious exceptions being the ones for ranged combat. Those are always chosen by "archer' types because the rules pretty much dictate you need them to be effective.

Yeah. Many of the ones showing up here are mostly paranoia about why you're getting that many feats. It's also a nod to the little issue that many, many feats have requirements that you can't meet at 1st level, no matter how many feats you have - so there aren't that many that are all that useful for a 1st level character, and you see simple skill boosters, Toughness, and similar ones that would normally go on the "don't bother" list.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Bruce Lee
Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.

In another thread, someone is trying to puzzle over creating a Water Elemental PC.http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3r...storming-water-elemental-pcs.html#post4711320

In still another thread, I proposed that someone have a summoned Water Elemental either be Blessed or take Sacred Vow...essentially becoming sentient Holy Water.

Combined here in this thread...

Mephit, mephling or one of the small Druidic elemental water sidekicks or some such as the basis for the PC. He is a Monk.

1) Sacred Vow
2) Vow of Poverty
3) Nimbus of Light
4) Holy Radiance
5) Extra Stunning
6) Imp. Nat. Att.
7) Weapon Focus: IUC
8) Ring the Golden Bell
9) Weapon Focus: Ranged Touch attacks
10) Spellfire (Forgotten Realms, Magic of Faerun)
11) Ability Focus: Breath Weapon (Monster Manual) (assumes Mephit or Mephling, which both have breath weapons)- otherwise, either more Extra Stunning or an additional Exalted feat..

Now, the thing is, you get bonus Exalted feats from being an Exalted PC w/VoP, but at this time, I don't have access to the book that tells me how many or when. Those would be chosen from those below:

Exalted Spell Resistance
Fist of the Heavens
Holy Ki Strike
Intuitive Attack
Nemesis
Quell the Profane
Resounding Blow
Sanctify Ki Strike
Sanctify Martial Strike
Sanctify Natural Attack
Sanctify Weapon
Stigmata BE 46 You bear the marks of wounds on your body, as sort of a living martyrdom.
Touch of Golden Ice
Vow of Abstinence
Vow of Chastity
Vow of Obedience
Words of Creation

(The feats can be found here: Feat Index)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

2) Draconic Breath requires you to be a Sorcerer (or take yet a third feat...)

FYI, as someone else pointed out to me, there is a feat from Dragon Magic (which I don't have) that lets you get access to the Draconic Heritage feats as if you were a Sorcerer with Draconic Heritage- simultaneously doing away with the Sorc prereq and taking the place of DH.

Mild issue:
You need Precocious Apprentice to get Fiery Burst at 1st level - Fiery Burst requires you to be able to cast 2nd level spells, and it also requires a Fire spell of at least 2nd level to power it.

Ahhhh- well, that's one of the hazards of doing this all without your books handy. Normally, I wouldn't make that mistake.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Getting back to this thread ...

If one started with 11 feats, one could take feat chains.
I'm looking at 111 pages of feats from this place called Crystalkeep, feats for 3.0 Dungeons and Dragons (and, many of these feats are jaw droppers.)

Dexterity 18: +4
Dexterity 26: +8

Possible Feat Chains:

Improved Initiative: +4
Improved Initiative + Level Headed: +4 and special
II + LH + Surge: +9 and special
Il + LH + S + Lightning Initiative: +13 and special
Il + LH + S + LI + Way of the Scorpion (if allowed to everyone) : +17 and special
Il + LH + S + LI + WOTS + Quick Reconnoiter (not shown on list, but it's around) : +19 and special
II + LH + S + LI + WOTS + QR + Jaguar's Pounce: +21 and special
Il + LH + S + LI + WOTS + QR + JP + Superior Initiative: +25 and special

If Blooded, Duelist, or Thug: +27 and special
If Blooded and/or Duelist and/or Thug: +29 and special

Il + LH + S + LI + WOTS + QR + JP + SP + B and/or D/T + 26 Dexterity: +37 and special (ROFL ... you cannot roll under a 47, and could roll a 57.)

Other Feat Chains

Improved Alertness/Expert Timing/Hair Trigger Reflexes (in any order)

Roleplaying notes:

One has to make a judgement call on how fast someone with a +4 initiative *is.* Is she merely a bit faster than normal? Moderately faster? Much faster? Really fast? Incredibly fast?
Only then can the full impact of greater bonuses be known.

Which again begs the question: If an 18 dexterity grants +4 initiative, how common is 18 dexterity within a population? The dice (3d6) say 3.5% of the populace is that fast. Is this so? If yes, can an ordinary person be faster than this? If yes, then how fast? 19? 26? Higher?
In short, what does an 18 *mean* ? If it is the pinnacle of human speed, it means one thing. If it is not, then it means something else.

+4 cannot exist in a vacuum. It must mean something. So, what does it *mean* ?

 

[Jack Simth]

Which again begs the question: If an 18 dexterity grants +4 initiative, how common is 18 dexterity within a population? The dice (3d6) say 3.5% of the populace is that fast. Is this so? If yes, can an ordinary person be faster than this? If yes, then how fast? 19? 26? Higher?
In short, what does an 18 *mean* ? If it is the pinnacle of human speed, it means one thing. If it is not, then it means something else.

+4 cannot exist in a vacuum. It must mean something. So, what does it *mean* ?

On 3d6 (which is the NPC class roll, generally), you'll get an 18 once out of every 216 rolls, a little under half a percent for any given roll (it's much higher on the PC's 4d6 drop lowest, but still not very high). With six 3d6 rolls, the chance that there's at least one 18 in there is just a hair under 3%.

The guy with 18 Dex? He's likely to go into some profession where reaction time matters - Race Car driving, baseball, whatever. But yes, more often than not, when someone takes a swing at him, he'll dodge, block, and/or counterpunch the guy.

The annoying bit, though, is that most things are skills, when it comes down to it - from lifting weights (strength) to hitting things, to picking locks, to tricking people into doing what you want.

However, the d20 puts more of a spin on things than you get at 1st level, regardless (unless you really, really focus). That +4 from the stat? It means that all else being equal, he's 20% more likely to succeed on a tricky task.