Building a Legend

[The Traveler]

Just a small feat tree to represent heroic deeds, and how they affect your reputation and adventuring career.

Fantastic Deed
Prerequisites: The character must have performed a deed of note that the public is aware of. This need not have been for the public's good, merely noteworthy. Rogues are as likely to gain notoriety from daring heists as paladins are for fighting off invaders. It is the DM's decision as to what does and does not count as a Fantastic Deed, but it should generally be something other characters are liable to hear about in casual conversation at a tavern.
Benefit: In situations in which the character's identity is known, he gains a +2 bonus to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate rolls. The feat may be taken multiple times for cumulative effects, but a new deed must be specified each time it is taken.

Epithet
Prerequisites: Fantastic Deed
Benefit: The public has given the character a nickname in honor of his Fantastic Deed. In rolls related to his Fantastic Deed, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus. Thus a rogue whose notoriety was gained gambling might claim bonuses to Bluff and Sense Motive rolls in games of chance, but otherwise would not gain the bonus. Likewise, the character's fame is growing, and he gains an additonal +2 bonus to his Fantastic Deed skill bonuses. This feat may only be taken once per Fantastic Deed the character has taken.

Saga
Prerequisites: The character must have taken Fantastic Deed at least three times, as well as Epithet at least three times.
Benefit: Tales of the character's deeds have struck the fancy of the public, and bards sing songs of him. The character gains an additional +4 to his bonuses from his Fantastic Deeds, and an additional +2 to any rolls in which his Epithets come into play. This feat may only be taken once.

 

[domino]

In order to get Saga, you need to be at least level 18. And have spent all your feats on no other feats than the ones in this chain. (except for fighter bonus and caster related.) That means that a bard, or barbarian, or rogue, or paladin, or ranger, etc can spend feats ONLY on this, to get it at less than epic levels.

That's a bit much, in my eyes.

 

[The Traveler]

Hmm. I tried to set the bar high since I wanted Saga to have a nice benefit.

What would you suggest scaling the prerequisites down to?

 

[domino]

Honestly, things like fame and renown I hate doing mechanically, because I think they're things that would be better handled with RP.

HOWEVER. The various limiting factors are usually BAB, Character Level, or ranks in a skill or attribute. None of which I think really fit.

If I were to do it, I would probably make the prereqs Epithet, Fantastic Deed, must have had a bard with X ranks in perform compose and perform a saga about your character.

That way, you can say that the bard must be good at what he does, and you can't just hire some shmoe. And most bards are unlikely to write a saga about how you picked the lice from your beard, or something other inane. Telling your story or just hiring the bard would both work. Most bards did songs for hire, anyways, after all.

 

[The Traveler]

Good point. Might want to also put in a requirement that it be performed in front of X amount of people, and that the total can be cumulative over a number of performances.

Still, that does seem to work out pretty well.

 

[domino]

Good point. Might want to also put in a requirement that it be performed in front of X amount of people, and that the total can be cumulative over a number of performances.

That is of course, your right. I sorta assumed that eventually, it would just be assumed to have gotten around.

 

[Kisanji Arael]

I think that the real problem with these feats is that the notoriety gained from them actually inhibit the doing of great deeds. The wizard who decides to bypass quicken spell in favor of this feat may sorely regret it when he's having a mage duel against his (slightly more humble/sensible) opponent.

Even if the people are talking about you, it may be the "Brave brave Sir Robin" chant.

 

[SBMC]

Just a small feat tree to represent heroic deeds, and how they affect your reputation and adventuring career.

Fantastic Deed
Prerequisites: The character must have performed a deed of note that the public is aware of. This need not have been for the public's good, merely noteworthy. Rogues are as likely to gain notoriety from daring heists as paladins are for fighting off invaders. It is the DM's decision as to what does and does not count as a Fantastic Deed, but it should generally be something other characters are liable to hear about in casual conversation at a tavern.
Benefit: In situations in which the character's identity is known, he gains a +2 bonus to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate rolls. The feat may be taken multiple times for cumulative effects, but a new deed must be specified each time it is taken.

Epithet
Prerequisites: Fantastic Deed
Benefit: The public has given the character a nickname in honor of his Fantastic Deed. In rolls related to his Fantastic Deed, he gains a +2 circumstance bonus. Thus a rogue whose notoriety was gained gambling might claim bonuses to Bluff and Sense Motive rolls in games of chance, but otherwise would not gain the bonus. Likewise, the character's fame is growing, and he gains an additonal +2 bonus to his Fantastic Deed skill bonuses. This feat may only be taken once per Fantastic Deed the character has taken.

Saga
Prerequisites: The character must have taken Fantastic Deed at least three times, as well as Epithet at least three times.
Benefit: Tales of the character's deeds have struck the fancy of the public, and bards sing songs of him. The character gains an additional +4 to his bonuses from his Fantastic Deeds, and an additional +2 to any rolls in which his Epithets come into play. This feat may only be taken once.

While not so mechanicly defined as this - the Legendary Leader PrC form teh "Hero's of Battle" WoTC book covers this.

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