Excerpts: PHB2 - Heric Tier Feats

[catsclaw227]

I thought of another thing...

What if the developers thought that the PCs were getting too many feats by Paragon level or something like that.

They realized they need to fix the math, and they wanted to drop the number of feats for each PC by one.

Solution: Introduce a feat that is a no-brainer must! It will fix the attack bonus scaling, and use up a feat slot as well! Cheese and Crackers for everyone!

Seriously, though, using up a feat for this is no big deal. What if we had one less feat when the game was released? Would we even notice that it was an issue, or would the math-monsters and balance-masters cry out for an extra feat to make the game "just right"?

They way I look at it, they errata'd the feat count you get by one less. And fixed the attack bonus math at the same time.

 

[Jack99]

It also allows a rogue to make basic attacks and have a chance to hit. Many times my rogue might find himself placed in the perfect situation for a sneak attack and then the warlord will give it to someone else because he knows I'm just going to miss with it. I know I'm picking it up ASAP!

--Steve

My 15th level rogue has as much str as dex, so it has never been a problem for him, and suffice to say, he absolutely loves the taclord in the party.

 

[catsclaw227]

Also based on the short description, Melee Training makes a swordmage feat (Intelligent Blademaster) obsolete since it allows you to switch your basic melee attack to be based on ANY of your abilities, not just Intelligence.

Yep... everyone will take Weapon Expertise or Implement Expertise. (Do swordmages need to take both?)

 

[Rechan]

I'm not seeing how you get very much from Melee Training, unless you find yourself making an inordinate amount of opportunity attacks or or charges.

Cough commander's strike cough.

Also, if you're a caster of any kind, and you suddenly get jumped, having a non-ranged attack is nice.

 

[Beckett]

Maybe it means I have to give up my aspirations for the title "powergamer", but I don't think Weapon Expertise is a must have feat. Currently, I'm playing a dragonborn fighter (with halberd). Sure, a bonus to hit is nice, but I seem to hit plenty. And already I've got more feats I want than slots (my warlord/warlock tiefling is even worse off for feats, so she'll get by with her current attack bonus).

Another fighter in one of the games I run was built to hit. High strength, using a bastard sword, he is a hitting machine. In the last adventure, he typically needed a 4 to hit. Being paragon, he's only need 2s with the feat; great, almost never miss, but to get that, he'd have to give up something, and all of his feats seem pretty handy right now.

On the other hand, the party barbarian has a very high whiff factor. And a striker than can't hit isn't doing a lot of good. So he will probably be taking the feat.

One advantage I do see to the expertise feats though, there can be less emphasis on a high primary stat. Rather than shoving all those points into an 18, you can get by with a 16 or a 14, boost up your other stats, and only spend a feat.

 

[Rechan]

I think the Expertise feats will be most important to those focusing on +2 prof weapons. And implements.

But, I'm more a fan of just giving a flat +1 bonus at the appropriate levels, and come up with a story reason for it. "You all receive a boon from the Stag King. Flat +1 to hit for ever."

 

[Mengu]

Cough commander's strike cough.

Also, if you're a caster of any kind, and you suddenly get jumped, having a non-ranged attack is nice.

Hmm, with a staff implement, you could go to town with your staff when your warlord tells you to as well. Many of their encounter/daily powers require melee attacks. Add Staff Fighting, Shield utility, a decent Con, and maybe Youghness, you could even "tank" for a couple rounds where needed.

Wizards don't have a lot of great feats at the moment, so this could be an interesting option with the right group.

 

[Shroomy]

My 10th level feat is definitely coming from the PHB2; my character is an artificer, who regularly drops burst powers on top of my allies, so its Coordinated Explosion for the win! Speed Loader and Distant Advantage would also work really well for me, since I use a crossbow and am a multi-classed rogue.

 

[The Little Raven]

Why not simply errata a +1 hit bonus to everyone at levels 5, 15, 25 instead of forcing us to take a feat to make up for the math issue found by the number crunchers?

Because that flat +1 hit would apply to all attacks (including stuff like Bull Rush, which does not factor in weapons but would factor in the flat +1 bonus), and it seems the intent is to provide more focus on a single weapon/implement type.

 

[The Little Raven]

Yep... everyone will take Weapon Expertise or Implement Expertise. (Do swordmages need to take both?)

Weapon Expertise would only apply to powers with the Weapon keyword, and Implement Expertise would only apply to powers with the Implement keyword.

So, yes, a Swordmage would need to get both if he wants the advantage of both.