Abrupt Jaunt change;

[Greenfield]

I guess that leads to the next question then: Would Sudden Jaunt be an acceptable ability to gain through a Feat?

If it's too powerful for a feat, and it's an alternative for something that *can* come from a feat, then...

... is it too powerful as a substitute for what is essentially a feat?

Just asking.

 

[Empirate]

I think Obtain Familiar is the real perp here, since it does provide a class feature (heck, it's the only one Sorcerers even get!) by taking just one feat. It's even better than the class feature, since it improves with arcane caster level instead of class level. As far as I'm concerned, this feat needs a phrase "you must not have levels of a class that gains a regular familiar as a class feature".

But would I allow a feat that reads as follows:

"Abrupt Jaunt
Prerequisite: Conjurer level 1
Benefit: You may take an immediate action to teleport 10' as a supernatural ability, a number of times per day equal to 3+Int bonus."

Hmm. Maaaybe? If we include "Special: You cannot take this feat if you currently have a familiar. If you gain a familiar after taking this feat, you lose its benefits until your familiar is no more.", then I'm game.

 

[Greenfield]

Well, Abrupt Jaunt would clearly be a better deal for a Wizard than a Sorcerer, Bard or Warlock. Int is their casting stat, so it will start high and get higher. The Sorcerer, Bard, et all are Charisma driven, so they won't start with Int as their top stat, nor will they concentrate on increasing it.

So if I was going to be "fair" in implementing Abrupt Jaunt as a feat, I'd have it driven by whatever the caster's casting stat was.

Though, to be honest, I don't know if "fair" is a term to apply to the power. It's a pretty hefty ability.

 

[Celebrim]

I guess that leads to the next question then: Would Sudden Jaunt be an acceptable ability to gain through a Feat?

Oddly, I find it more acceptable as a feat geared to full BAB progression classes than I do as a feat geared to spell casters. The reason is quite simple: spell casters get spells and what more do they need really? Whereas, martial classes need to gain their cool through feats so they need cool feats.

However, even as a benefit to classes that are easily underpowered if you aren't careful, Abrupt Jaunt seems a bit much for a feat. I might consider making it something that was available as a feat at a very high level as a sort of character capstone ability, and only if it had a minimum BAB qualification of +12 (and assorted other qualifications) to silo it as a martial class only ability. That would also help introduce balance by way of MAD, which is usually a fine way to insure nothing gets broken too badly.

The only thing comparable in my house rules is that Champions with the Travel Portfolio can do something similar as their 1/day portfolio power and that only as a swift rather than immediate action. This is roughly equivalent to a stock Paladin's ability to Smite Evil. I'm unlikely to make 'Smite Evil' into a feat.

 

[lordxaviar]

2. Must follow the limitations that all the teleport items in the MIC had: that is, "The new space must be unoccupied and within line of sight and line of effect

Im totally in agreement here.. 10 foot pit situation as well..also wouldnt help falling as you would still hit with the same momentum, though if you had a handy pile of goose down pillows... but thats another character

 

[lordxaviar]

Question: Since I don't have my PHB2 with me, I'll ask whetehr a character can take the ACF of Sudden Jaunt, and then spend a feat to obtain a familiar (i.e. the Obtain Familiar feat)? Or is the character forever barred from that option?

I would disallow it, for its the giving up of that special bond between creatures for a special ability that I am allowing use of this ability. So without any ruled up reason, I would just say no! lol.

x

 

[Empirate]

I think allowing it or not really depends on the campaign for me. I'm DMing a high power campaign right now, but will be switching to a very much toned down one later this year.

My current group has a Focused Conjurer (AJ ACF), an Aasimar (LA bought off) Cleric/Ordained Champion, and a Lion Totem AND Wolf Totem Barbarian/"Lion Warrior" (Bear Warrior variant)/Warshaper. The optimization level of this game is high, this also goes for feat and spell selection. We'll probably finish the campaign around 10th or 11th level.

My next group will consist of non-multiclass PCs only, namely a Ranger (archer), a Warlock, and a Shapeshift Druid. That game is E6, in a low-tech setting (no metalworking...).

In the first group, Abrupt Jaunt isn't even an issue. It's just one of the many nice tricks the players have up their sleeves. The Barbarian can instakill anything he can charge or transform into a celestial lion, the Cleric has lots of Devotion feats, spams smites, and has a Wildshape Ranger/MoMF cohort. The Conjurer? Jaunts. No biggie.

In the second group, we're starting at level 1, and fighting is going to be rare and deadly at first. Jaunting around and laughing in the face of danger would be really unfitting for that campaign. To be sure, I also restricted playable classes (no Wizards, among other things).


I guess my point is: whether a thing is overpowered or not depends on the environment you're using it in. Abrupt Jaunt would probably be tier 1, if there were tiers for class abilities, but that doesn't mean it's unmanageable. Personally, I think familiars are tier 1, as well.

 

[Ranger19k]

I think allowing it or not really depends on the campaign for me. ....... says lots of lucid, intelligent stuff..........

I guess my point is: whether a thing is overpowered or not depends on the environment you're using it in. Abrupt Jaunt would probably be tier 1, if there were tiers for class abilities, but that doesn't mean it's unmanageable. Personally, I think familiars are tier 1, as well.

Empirate, that is a well stated summary, and I agree with all. AJ can be overwhelming, depending on your campaign, or it can fit right in with other powerful abilities. And THAT goes a long way towards explaining how different posters on these boards can have very different opinions regarding the power-level of the ability.

I don't know why I didn't think of that explanation on my own, but I didn't, so thanks for spelling it out for me.