balancing a feat

[Quickleaf]

I'm trying to balance this feat...It could easily be a PrC, but I'd like to do it as a feat if I can since prestige classes are done to excess. Is this too complex for a feat? Is it balanced? Or do I need to break this down into a prestige class?

Hem Djeret [General]
You belong to an order of magic-users known as the High Hand (Hem Djeret) which opposes the druids of the Tashet. Your magic requires you distance yourself from the "tainted" earth by using stilts or flying magic.

Prerequisite: Ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells, Stilt-Walker feat

Hindrance: You function as a spellcaster 2 levels lower than your current level when your feet are in contact with the earth (e.g. a 2nd level sorcerer completely loses spellcasting ability, while a 5th level sorcerer casts as if 3rd level, losing all 3rd level spells and one 1st level spell). This restriction is circumvented when using stilts.

Benefits:
(1) When moving in stilts you may move at half your base speed no matter the terrain and ignore terrain modifiers to your Balance checks.You are unhindered by the terrain and do not spend extra movement squares passing through difficult terrain. (essentially this means gaining a druid's woodland stride in any terrain)
(2) Balance becomes a class skill for you.
(3) You do not need to make a Concentration check to cast spells when balancing.
(4) Once per day, when you are wearing stilts you may use the water walk ability as a ranger of your spellcaster level.
(5) When countering the spells of druids you may use any spell of equal level. Normally you may only counter with the exactly same spell.
(6) You may use your stilts to deliver touch attacks (10 foot reach; -2 attack penalty; 1d4 damage).
(7) Finally, you gain access to the exclusive Hem Djeret spells. (which consist of five low-level spells focused on foiling druidic magic and enhancing their stilt-walking abilities)

 

[Michael Morris]

That is so specialized and unique it probably should be a prestige class.

 

[Sammael]

I agree. A 3-level PrC sounds about right.

 

[JimAde]

Sorry, but I agree, too. That feat is trying to do too much. If you want it to not be a PrC you could break it up into several feats:

Improved Stilt walking: Items 1, 2 and 3
Greater Stilt Walking: Items 4 and 6
Hem Djeret: Items 5 and 7

 

[Charles Gray]

I agree that the feat tries to do too much. For one thing, lets look at teh pre-reqs. 1st level arcane spells, and a feat. I can't find the stilt walker feat, but if it's something you could get at first level, you could have this feat at second level. In return for this you gain a class skill, the ability to cast a new spell, and an extended touch attack.
That's a bit much.
The other sticking point is the flaw-- the fact that you ahve to be in contact with the ground or your spell casting is majorly nerfed. Now, on the one hand, this does make the feat one with flavor-- but on the other hand, it could easily be abused. I would take the idea of a feat chain and make the penalty for being in contact with the ground a little less-- maybe -1 to any damage causing spells and -1 DC to any saves against spells. combine that with needing more than one feat, and you've got the makings of a dandy little feat chain here.

 

[Arkhandus]

Charles Gray, the hindrance is that they CANNOT let their feet touch the ground; if their feet do touch the ground (Quickleaf, I assume even if wearing shoes or the like? What about when Levitating an inch or so off the ground?), they suffer the penalty. Thus, they need to either fly or use stilts, otherwise their magic is hindered. Also Charles, Stilt-Walker is a custom feat Quickleaf posted on this forum a few days ago.

Quickleaf, I think the feat should be split into 2 feats, it does too much for 1 feat but I don't think it's deserving of becoming 3 feats or something. Expert Stilt-Walker would require the Stilt-Walker feat as a prerequisite, and gives the first three benefits you had listed, as well as the ability to use stilts for up to one touch attack per round (get rid of the 1d4 damage though, it's unappropriate for a mere touch attack; maybe allow one normal melee attack per round with a stilt, dealing 1d4 bludgeoning damage). Hem Djeret would require the Expert Stilt-Walker feat and the ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells, as prerequisites, and would grant the other benefits you had listed (#4,5,7). Hem Djeret would incur the hindrance you listed, but Expert Stilt-Walker would not. Hem Djeret should also incur the restriction that the character can never become a druid. Also, it should perhaps incur a -1 or -2 penalty to the save DCs of spells the Hem Djeret casts when not flying or on stilts.

 

[Quickleaf]

Thanks for your comments! Looking at it a 2nd time, absolutely it is too much at once, so I reworked it as a 5-level PrC (See attached pdf). References in the .pdf to hekai and kheri-heb are Egyptian Adventures (Green Ronin) references to sorcerers and wizards, while kama'at are druid equivalents.

Here are the basics of the class in text:

Alignment: Cannot be neutral
Feats: Stilt-Walker
Skills: Balance 5 ranks
Spells: Able to cast 1st level arcane spells
Special: Must have defeated a kama'at in one-on-one combat and brought them to the Temple of the Hand where their spellcasting ability was stripped in the marke of incontinence ritual by a high priest of the Hem Djeret

HD: d4
Skills: 2
Saves: Reflex and Will are both good
Spells: +1 level of existing class at each level
1st-- cast in stilts, earth's curse, stilt stride, uncanny dodge
2nd-- high ground advantage, secret spells (a cantrip, 3 first level, 2 second level, 1 third)
3rd-- stilt warrior, feather walking
4th-- counterspell kama'at
5th-- improved uncanny dodge, mark of incontinence.

I'd be curious to see what you think of this.

Arkhandus, good catch on forbidding them to be druids! Seemed so obvious I forgot to write it.