Any Opinions on the concept of Feat Chain Bonuses?

[Creamsteak]

I was thinking of providing a bonus to characters that have 6 feats from the same chain. For instance, a character with Power Attack+Cleave+Improved Bull Rush+Sunder+Improved Sunder+Great Cleave gains some kind of bonus.

I was going to group metamagics into three groups of six (some overlapping) using all the WotC splats I have access to. Then I would do two variations on Point Blank Shot's chain, two variations for Power Attack's chain, one chain that uses Divine Might and such, and two variations on mountain combat chains.

I'm going to attempt to 'balance it' for PC classes by making sure that all classes can aim for at least one chain, just for fun. I'm thinking that at least one of the meta-magic chains will reduce the level increase of metamagic feats by one, and I'm thinking that being able to cleave after a successful sunder makes sense, but that's about all I can think of.

It's not really that strong of an element, but it seems like something I could throw into my campaign to give it a little more uniqueness from that of other ones I've ran. So, does anyone have any ideas about this, or any reasons why I really shouldn't do it?

 

[Crothian]

Sounds like the Martial Art styles in OA

 

[Khorod]

Since so many of the feat chains already start with weaker feats, I have been leery of the feat chain bonuses.

For reasons of flavor and coolness, I like the martial arts styles in the right campaign situation. But as it is the balance is weighted against a generalist fighter. If you want to play a character who is blends quick defense with strong attacks, and a little missile weapons, the entry level feats are pretty weak.

What you get to balance that is flexibility. Granting further bonuses to those who follow a specific chain ruins that balance. A strange way to fix that might be to to give people who scatter their feats across multiple chains a bonus feat, allowing them to gain even more broadness.

Rather than set up the rules to grant a free bonus to those who dedicate themselves to the powerful feat chains, maybe just add another feat to some of those chains, a finishing-move ultimate-technique feat.

Another possiblity that I was kicking around once was a prestige class that would have lots of bonus feats and would modify the rules for stacking feats in various ways. Like reducing the slot modifier of specific metamagics, stacking weapon focus bonuses, etc. That would be just a little crazy to implement though.

If I play a first level fighter, and decide I want a master archer, I am going to take all relevant feats. Having an extra bonus is just icing on the cake which will encourage me to not take that emergency-melee Weapon Focus or Cleave.

 

[Kip the Bold]

I think fighting style/feat chain bonuses are a pretty cool concept. I've been toying with the idea myself. I would recommend that you put at least one not-so-great feat in the feat chain, like endurance or one of the save feats, to compensate for whatever bonus you give. Or maybe require a certain number of ranks in a not-so-usefull skill, like concentration for a fighting feat chain. That way its not exactly like you are getting something for nothing. The bonuses you give should probably be not quite as powerful as a feat. If I actually come up with anything, I'll post it