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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ValhallaGH" data-source="post: 5544180" data-attributes="member: 41187">So why not have the Bodyguard grant the ward Evasion on his save?  Much cooler, and it might actually save the 32 hp wizard, unlike taking 74 (37 if he makes his save) damage from the cone of cold.    I always hated that.  I much prefer Mutants & Mastermind's Interpose - as a reaction you make yourself the target of the attack; you declare this as soon as the attack is declared and before anything is rolled.  You can Interpose an unlimited number of times, but you have to be adjacent to the target or at least in the line of fire (for ranged attacks).Your Fourth point is negated by your Second point.  Every feat you cited is equally situational (Dodge? not when you're flat-footed; Weapon Focus? not with the wrong kind of weapon; Outflank?  only when flanking, we aren't discussing Pathfinder, and that feat suffers from your First point).Feats are a very limited resource, and each feat needs to be worth the price of admission.  This is why Whirlwind Attack, a great ability, is total crap: it requires 4 other feats to take, making even that awesome benefit insufficient to the cost.  From that perspective, I can see the claim that a +1 to Aid Another is a bad feat; it's just not enough benefit for the investment.Third point is irrelevant.  As soon as my party Rogue got the Harrier Talent (add combat tactics to aid another), the entire party altered how they used combat reactions to ensure that he could always aid the most important attacks (either attack bonus or AC).  When someone can aid for a lot more than everyone else, the party will ensure that he gets to use it.... Though the entire party had Combat Reflexes by level 12.  Which is a first, as far as I know.Second point confuses me.  Aren't all feats situational?  Toughness doesn't help versus Save-or-Die.  Dodge is useless when flat-footed.  Power Attack can't be used with ranged attacks, and doesn't help when I need a 17+ to hit.   Et cetera.Or are you trying to imply that the situation will rarely come up?  If you are then you need to play more Trailblazer, because that's inaccurate.  I can't recall an attack since level 4 when at least one of my player's didn't try to Aid Defense (even when none of them were actually in a position to do so <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/worried.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":-S" title="Uhm    :-S" data-shortname=":-S" /> ).First point is accurate as far as the direct benefits go.  But the indirect benefits (allies take less damage, allies hit more often, allies can power attack for more with the same chances of hitting, etc.) are enough to make it a worthwhile feat.Are any of those three feats broken?  No.  Would they all work fine as is?  Probably, yes.  Could they use a bit of refinement?  Every new game mechanic can.</blockquote>

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