Can you do this with a wish?

[Superman]

Can you wish for a feat? I just got a wish and wanted to get opinions?

I'd say no.
Feats are much more difficult to have then ability scores aka that means they are more important.
A first level character 'could' have 108 points in his abilities, but will never have even 4 feats at first level.
This is why many players consider the human's abilty to have an extra feat at first level to be very powerful.

*Added*
He "COULD" still get a feat with a wish -wink- -wink-
But, I would word it very carefully.
If you do this he could get anyfeat, regardless of requirements.
The problem is you may say, "I wish for blindsight 5' raduis" and end up gaining the feat, but looseing your eyes.
Bad stuff.
So it's not a "sure thing" the way gaining a point of say 'strength' would be.

 

[green slime]

How many players have access to unlimited wish spells?

None.

How can I say that? Because it costs 5,000 XP a pop!!!

That is one quarter of what a 20th level wizard needs to gain 21st level!!

And if your NPCs have had nothing better to do with their time and XP than wish for every feat in the book, then... :rolleyes You don't NEED every feat in the book to dominate the planet as a 32nd level lich. And if you dominate the planet, you have other things to do with your time (like choke on a pretzel )

If the character starts throwing wish spells to gain every feat in the book, he'll soon find he could've taken the fighter levels instead, or opted for feats via the Epic Rules...

A wish allows an arcane spell user to bring back the dead!! or cast heal!!

Of course he could obtain a single feat. Limiting it to those which the character qualifies for is a good idea. How many feats you want to let your players gain through the spell is up to you, but somewhere around three to five feats sounds about right.

 

[dcollins]

I'd say that Feats are not usually class-based abilities.

Feats can only be gained via class-level advancements. The idea that Feats should be gained via wishes is in exactly the same category as Skill Points, Hit Dice, BAB, Saving Throws, spell slots, Rage, Evasion, etc. None of which are listed as valid uses for a wish, all of which would be unbalancing.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

I would allow it.

Players are never going to have access to unlimited wished that don't drain XP.

The player who is doing this isn't in a vacuum. He has other characters around him, which are going to end up much higher level if the character spends 5000XP on feats very often. So they will prolly be about the same power level.

It's the DM's job to make sure the conflicts are a challenge to the characters. If he can't figure out to increase the CR of the creatures, then he needs some help. Being more powerful than a normal 15th level character (or whatever level) shouldn't be game breaking.

As for feats being less important than abilities, I beg to differ. If that were true, you would gain feats less often, not more often. And think about fighters. They gain 18 feats over the course of thier career. Would you allow a class that gained 18 ability points?

--Generous Spikey

 

[The Iron Mark]

I wonder if you could ask to lower the number extra attacks*dreams of having +20/+16/+12/+8/+4 attacks with a Barbarian in Rage.Drools*

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

The player who is doing this isn't in a vacuum. He has other characters around him, which are going to end up much higher level if the character spends 5000XP on feats very often. So they will prolly be about the same power level.

I think 3 or 4 Feats extra is more powerful than a single level.

Certainly players minmaxing when they build a middling level character often pick up a level or two of Fighter, Barbarian, or Ranger just to get Feats or Feat-like abilities, even if the class does entirely fit with the long-term theme of the PC. That is essentially the same as throwing away a level to gain Feats.

Feats define the character more so than level. That why you get Feats less often than you gain levels. Gaining (or losing) levels is certainly easier than gaining Feats.

 

[Artoomis]

I suggest treating them the same way as raising a single stat.

One wish can give one feat.

Two wishes used together can give two feats.

etc.

Max of five feats.

This seems as reasonable as giving stat increases with wishes.

 

[BlindKobold]

Re: Re: Can you do this with a wish?

I'd say no.
Feats are much more difficult to have then ability scores aka that means they are more important.
A first level character 'could' have 108 points in his abilities, but will never have even 4 feats at first level.
This is why many players consider the human's abilty to have an extra feat at first level to be very powerful.

Feats are more difficult to have? Let's look at it...

1st level human wizard - 3 feats, 0 ability increases
1st level human fighter - 3 feats, 0 ability increases
1st level human ranger - 3 virtual feats, 2 other feats, 0 ability increase

I find it difficult for you to justify your statement that feats are much more difficult to have than ability scores.

 

[StealthyMark]

Feats are important!

Consider a Sor20/Epic1 (+1 Bonus Spell Level). If he has accumulated 5,000 XP, he could Wish for a feat. Guess which one? Right, he wished for Extra Spell! He may freely choose one spell from level 1 to 9. At a bargain price of 1/4 XP needed to level up. Power unlimited!

On the other hand, there is Fighter Bob. His friendly Wizard cohort spends every XP to scribe/cast Wishes. After a while, Bob has +5 inherent bonus to Strength and Constitution. So he wishes for Feats. Does he really gain as much as the Sorcerer?

In general, allowing to gain Feats/Skills/Spells/Special Abilities... favors Wizards and Sorcerers. Because they have potentially unlimited access to Wish. Remember, the DM can refuse Money or Treasure, but can't refuse XP.

 

[dcollins]

Re: Re: Re: Can you do this with a wish?

I find it difficult for you to justify your statement that feats are much more difficult to have than ability scores.

His point is not about "ability increases", it is the following:

Allowed under Core Rules: Human Com1, Str 18, Dex 18, Con 18.
Not allowed under Core Rules: Human Com1 with 3 Feats.

Anyone may have arbitrarily high abilities. No one is allowed more than a limited number of Feats. Allowing wishes to alter the regulated number feats allows players to take a PC to a new compaign and say, "Oh, why do I have 25 Feats? I wished for them all. It just took me a long time to make up the XP I spent."