Celebrim said:
Ok, brain storming up some staff related feats.
Actually, I think some of these aren't really worth a feat, such as Staff Mastery, Long Style, and Center of the Forest. On the other hand, Great Leverage is probably too much for a single feat - to a character with high Strength, it is worth a lot more than Weapon Specialization.
One idea that I've been thinking about recently is the idea of weapon knacks: little tricks that represent additional skill with a weapon that aren't exactly worth a feat. I originally planned to use them in a low-technology campaign setting where the PCs would only have access to primitive, mostly simple, weapons. To give an additional benefit to characters with proficiency in all martial weapons, I would allow them to select a weapon knack for each simple weapon they were proficient in, effectively turning a simple weapon into a martial weapon in their hands.
The basic weapon knacks I came up with were:
1. Improved damage dice: The weapon's damage dice improves by one step. This cannot exceed 1d6 for a light weapon, 1d8 for a one-handed weapon, or 1d12 for a two-handed weapon.
2. Improved threat range: The weapon's base threat range increases by 1, to a maximum of 18-20. The critical multiplier for this increased threat range is x2; a weapon that has a critical multiplier of x3 or more only deals this higher damage on its original threat range.
3. Improved critical multiplier: The weapon's critical multiplier increases by 1, to a maximum of x4. If the weapon's threat range is more than 20, it only deals this higher damage on an attack roll of 20 (or 19-20 with Improved Critical or a keen weapon).
4. Finesse knack: The wielder can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply his Dexterity modifier instead of his Strength modifier to attack rolls with this weapon.
5. Trip knack: The wielder can make trip attacks with this weapon. If tripped during his own trip attempt, he can drop the weapon to avoid being tripped.
6. Disarm knack: The wielder gains a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent, including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails.
7. Additional damage type: The wielder may deal an additional type of damage (bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing) with this weapon.
To this list of knacks, I think you can add Long Style (use a double weapon as a two-handed reach weapon), Center of the Forest (threaten normally and at reach with a reach weapon) and Great Leverage (gain full Strength bonus with off-hand end of a double weapon and treat it as a one-handed weapon for the purpose of Power Attack). Staff Mastery is effectively Trip Knack in the list above.
Since two knacks effectively turn a simple weapon into an exotic weapon, I think one feat for two knacks would be a good trade-off.
Alternatively, the base feat could grant a single knack, plus an additional knack for every weapon skill feat such as Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, etc.
If you want to increase the difficulty of obtaining certain knacks (like Center of the Forest), they could have BAB or feat prerequisites.