Consolidating +2/+2 feats into one customizable feat?

[haiiro]

Sagan Darkside mentioned this in a Spycraft vs. d20 Modern thread (here: http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35524), and it seems like a great idea: instead of having dozens of feats that add +2 to two specific skills, just have one feat that lets you choose the two skills.

Particularly alongside a revised Skill Focus feat (+3 instead of +2), this seems like it would work out well. Can anyone think of any obvious balance issues that I might be missing?

Here's my take on it:

Talented [General]

Choose two skills, such as Diplomacy and Gather Information. Your inborn talent and training gives you an extra edge in these areas.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus to two skill checks of your choice.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to two different skills.

 

[Crothian]

There's one in Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves (or 1/2 orcs, not sure which).

 

[haiiro]

There's one in Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves (or 1/2 orcs, not sure which).

I don't have either book, but that is good to know.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

The only bad thing is that you could pick two totally unrelated skills. For example:

Gather Information and Swim

Tumble and Knowledge (the planes)

Open Lock and Ride

I wouldn't let players IMC choose a feat that let you pick any two skills. Now 1 feat that had a list of skill combinations might work.

--Negative Spikey

 

[Hashmalum]

Well, in the Forgotten Realms, a lot of those +2/+2 feats are regional feats, used to distinguish characters from one region from characters from another region. You lose a certain amount of flavor. And it just seems wrong that a character from, say, a desert nomad culture could have the exact same level of proficiency at a given level in, say, swimming as someone from another culture. Of course, this isn't an issue in a campaign setting without regional regquirements for feats.

Being able to choose the skills also makes it easier to min-max, resulting in a loss of variety as players choose the most optimal combination of skill bonuses (you'll see a lot of casters taking Talented: Concentration and Spellcraft, for instance). Personally, I wouldn't use such a feat.

 

[haiiro]

The only bad thing is that you could pick two totally unrelated skills.

I don't see any serious game balance problems arising from allowing a player to choose two unrelated skills. If focusing on Tumble and Knowledge (the planes) fits the character, so be it. It's an excellent point, but I think it's probably just a matter of taste, IMO.

Being able to choose the skills also makes it easier to min-max, resulting in a loss of variety as players choose the most optimal combination of skill bonuses (you'll see a lot of casters taking Talented: Concentration and Spellcraft, for instance). Personally, I wouldn't use such a feat.

Hrm. From a min-maxing standpoint, that does become more of a balance issue. I'll have to think about that one.

Edit: Added response to Hashmalum.

 

[haiiro]

Thank you all for the feedback.

 

[Nifft]

Adding the constraint that both skills must use the same ability modifier might make sense.

This would also disallow "Spellcraft + Concentration" (in fact, Concentration is the only Con-based skill I can find in the SRD).

-- Nifft

 

[nharwell]

I've been using this version of skill focus for some time and it has worked quite well in my games:

Skill Focus: Gain +2 bonus with two related skills, or a +3 bonus with one skill, or a +4 bonus with a specific use of one skill (e.g. Combat Casting). This feat may be taken multiple times but only with different skills.

I personally can't stand the +2/+2 feats. I consider them a waste of space and I generally refuse to buy a book that has more than a couple of them...

 

[Destil]

I've been allowing this ever since the begining of 3E.

MAD SKILLZ [GENERAL]
You are better at certain skills.
Benefit: Select a combination of two related skills [DMs discretion]. You gain a +2 bonus to each skill.
Special: This replaces Alertness and other +2 to skill feats. If you take a +2 bonus to spot and listen you now fulfil an Alertness requirement for a prestige class, for instance.
Special: The name of this feat should reflect the skills you took. For instance if you get +2 spot +2 listen call it Alertness. Be creative.