Feat Problems With PHB II

[Styracosaurus]

agreeing with Caliban

Weapon Mastery should just grant an additional +1 to hit and grant the net +2/+2 to all weapons of the subtype.

Very nice.

John

 

[Balord]

If you have Weapon Supremacy with the short sword and use 2 short swords (one in primary hand and one in off-hand), do you get +1 AC for each weapon for a total of +2 AC? Can you take 10 on an attack with each weapon?

 

[KarinsDad]

If you have Weapon Supremacy with the short sword and use 2 short swords (one in primary hand and one in off-hand), do you get +1 AC for each weapon for a total of +2 AC? Can you take 10 on an attack with each weapon?

Typically, most bonuses from the same feat do not stack. So, I would say no on the AC boost, but yes on the Take 10 attack (per hand).

 

[Rackhir]

Has anyone seen anything from WotC clarifying the relation ship of the bonuses from Weapon Mastery to the WF & WS? It does seem to be a bit too good to me if the +2/+2 stacks with them.

 

[Wanderer20]

I agree that most of these feats (particularly Cunning Evasion and Indomitable Soul) are simply broken, for reasons explained above.

To say "It is not unbalanced to boost Crossbows because no one uses them" is to to forget Crossbows was created not to be the best ranged weapon, since they require a Simple Weapon Proficiency instead of a Martial one.

There is a reason why combat-oriented classes use the Bow and not combat-oriented ones use the Xbow: said simply, balance.

The same reason that wants Monks to fight worse than a Fighter against DR...

Btw, I think a feat like Xbow Sniper is a good example of power creep: in Core, bow > xbow; with expansion, bows might be >= xbows. Then we wait the next expansion and bows return > xbows.

Because, I repeat, if the Bow isn't better than a Xbow, it should not require a better Weapon Proficiency

 

[dagger]

If they want to waste a feat to make a lousy crossbow better, more power to them.

I agree with most folks on this thread that the feats are pretty much ok.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

I'll hop onto the train saying that the feats aren't too powerful (without seeing most of them in action at least). I was overjoyed to see a reason to stay in Fighter after 4th level. Most people have been screaming that the Fighter was too weak and it was pointless to stay in the class. These feats will help... a lot.

 

[Staffan]

To say "It is not unbalanced to boost Crossbows because no one uses them" is to to forget Crossbows was created not to be the best ranged weapon, since they require a Simple Weapon Proficiency instead of a Martial one.

There is a reason why combat-oriented classes use the Bow and not combat-oriented ones use the Xbow: said simply, balance.

Ah, but the bow is still superior, since it gets there without spending precious feat slots. The guy with a crossbow spends a feat to add half Dex damage to his attacks, while the guy with the bow gets point-blank shot and gets +1 to hit and damage within 30 ft (and he already gets +Str to his attacks - the minor monetary cost for a mighty bow is nothing compared to the investment of a feat slot. Crossbow guy moves up to point-blank shot, bow guy gets Precise shot and can shoot into a melee. Crossbow guy takes Precise shot, bow guy gets Rapid shot. Crossbow guy wants rapid shot, but can't take it because crossbows only fire once per round anyway.

In other words, moving up from Xbow to a longbow costs one feat (martial weapon proficiency). Getting the Xbow on an even footing with the longbow costs two feats (rapid reload and crossbow sniper). I don't see the problem, really.

 

[Sammael]

Ranged sneak attack is so hard to abuse that the extra 30 ft. shouldn't be overbalanced.

The halfling rogue in my long-term game abuses it every round. He has +40-something on Hide checks and so the -20 penalty from sniping doesn't phase him much. Even opponents with decent Spot checks have trouble detecting him when he snipes, and most have no chance whatsoever.

 

[Kerrick]

I have the PHB, so I can make informed commentary .

But seriously... I can agree with some of the OP's complaints. Only some, though. I have to agree, though, that WotC has immediate actions on the brain. Way too many of these feats use them, but they're easy to ignore ("As an immediate action, you can...").

Crossbow Sniper is a badass feat. Combine this with Deadeye Shot, and you've got a hideously dangerous assassin.

Cunning Evasion: I have to agree here that it's a little... wonky. You can make a 5-foot step and a Hide check as an immediate action if you completely avoid an AoE effect through evasion or improved evasion. And if you have hide in plain sight, you don't even have to move. The whole concept of this in the first place is weird, though being able to accomplish two free actions as an immediate isn't too bad for a feat (but since our group doesn't use immediate actions, we'll never use this feat).

Defensive Sweep: If an opponent starts the round in an adjacent square, doesn't move, and ends in the same square, you get a free AoO. My DM explained this to me as "he's not paying attention to you" but I don't but that. It's a cheesy feat designed to combat characters like Dwarven Defenders, and the concept of it just doesn't make sense.

Elven Spell Lore: I don't see why elves are considered ubermages all of a sudden. So you get a +2 to dispel checks? Big deal. And free Energy Substitution? So? It requires Int 17 (or Elf) and Knowledge (arcana) 12 ranks. You're combining two relatively minor feats into one higher-level feat.

Fiery Ki Defense/Fiery Fist: Two words: Street Fighter.

Hindering Opportunist: Yup, this one just made me say, "What the...?"

Indomitable Will: Considering this requires one useless feat and one minor feat (Endurance and Iron Will), I think being able to choose your roll is fine. If it required only one, then yeah, I'd say take the second roll.

Mad Foam Rager: For those of you wondering what this does...

As an immediate action (there's that immediate action again...) you can choose to delay the effects of a single attack, spell, or ability used against you until your next turn. You can use only during a rage or frenzy, and only once per rage.

It could bring up some questions, but anyone with a modicum of common sense should be able to make a good ruling on this (disintegrate? He's gone.). I think it's kinda cool, personally.

Weapon Mastery/Supremacy: Fighters getting good high-level feats? Perish the thought!

Overwhelming Assault: Hmm... this looks a lot like Defensive Sweep. Let's see... Opponent starts on adjacent square, doesn't attack or use a spell/ability against you, and ends in that square, you get +4 to attack him next round. Another weirdo feat - the only opponent who would stand next to you for a full round and do nothing is either held/paralyzed, a Dwarven Defender-type, or just plain stupid. And at that level (BAB +15), I'd have to rule out the last.

Shield Ward: This isn't bad - it benefits the tank fighters who have high AC, but low touch AC due to lack of Dex bonus (heavy armor). I like it.

Telling Blow: This is hideous. There's no prereq beyond having the skirmish or sneak attack ability, and you can add you SA damage (non-modified) on a crit? Oh hell no. I told my DM about that, and he said, "Are you kidding?" I hadn't even thought about increasing the crit range - that makes this feat even more broken.

Vexing Flanker: Eh. I don't see an additional +2 as that big a deal, since rogues have a medium BAB anyway. They need the boost at high levels, believe me.

And while we're on the subject of useless/broken feats...

Arcane Consumption: Once/day as a swift action, you can give your next spell a +4 on the save DC, but it must be cast in the same round. In return, you suffer a -4 (?!) to Con and are fatigued for 12 hours.

WTF is going to take a feat like this? I could see it as a last-ditch, "If this doesn't work we're all going to die" thing, but I wouldn't take a feat for something that might come up once every few sessions (and if it fails, the mage really IS screwed since he's lost a good number of hit points and can't cast spells). And it requires Toughness and arcane caster level 6? I've got better things to blow feat slots on at that level.

Combat Familiar: If your familiar holds the charge for a touch spell, it doesn't provoke AoOs for moving into an opponent's square.

If you really want to use your familiar in combat, more power to you. I wouldn't.

Dampen Spell: This isn't a bad feat, but it's wholly dependent on an immediate action.

Fade Into Violence: If you're wearing light or no armor and are unarmed, you can bluff your enemy into attacking your ally instead of you if he fails an opposed Bluff check.

Yeah...this'll make you everyone's friend.

Grenadier (this ranks right up there with Endurance as Most Useless Feat Ever): You get a +1 to attacks and damage with splash weapons.

Ki Blast: Sonic Boom!

Robilar's Gambit: Leave it to the folks on the Wizards boards to find the most insane combination of feats...[/url

Trophy Collector: Weird, weird, weird. It requires a skill that isn't described anywhere (Craft: taxidermy) to make a trophy from a monster of = or greater CR that you kill, which takes up an item slot and grants you minor bonuses. Please - I've got better things to sink my skill points and feats into.

Versatile Unarmed Strike: Requires Improved Unarmed Strike. Your unarmed attacks can inflict bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. You can change it once/round as a swift action. Fighters can choose this as a bonus feat.

Now, I'm not sure about this... but I think this is just a bit overpowered. I'd add a BAB req.

Wanderer's Diplomacy: You get three abilities:

You can make a Diplomacy check to find an item that's normally too expensive for the town you're in;

You can listen to a creature whose language you don't speak and make a DC 20 Sense Motive check to get the general gist of what it's saying (DC 30 if it's not the same type);

You can make a Bluff check to alter a creature's reaction toward you by one step for minute, then it goes one step more hostile than before for 10 minutes.

This is another "Why didn't they just include this under the skill description?" feat. I wouldn't take this as a feat.

Heritage feats: These are predicated on the assumption that your sorcerers have either celestial or infernal bloodlines. If they don't, then you've got a page and a half of useless feats.