Feat template for new players

[Waylander]

3.0/3.5 D&D offers players a lot of variety for their characters. Customising the core classes as they choose with the appropriate skills and feats.

However, this array of choices is a bit mind boggling for new players.

What I'm proposing is not that difficult (and doesn't need pointing out for experience players) is mapping out a feat pathway for certain archetypes as a guide for new players. i.e. what feats and at what levels should players take them.

To begin with the Fighter class offers the most customisation in this way. What would people suggest for archetypes like the Knight, the archer, the swashbuckler, etc.

 

[Darklone]

At first: The Kingdom of Kalamars PG has some nice feat trees for different soldiers from different areas... it's more regionally interesting, but you could get some ideas from it.

Fighter:
- Archer dude: Obvious feat choices include Point Blank Shot, then Rapid Shot or Precise Shot next, Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialisation. Manyshot is optional. That should do for a beginner. Weapon Focus and WS are a must for every fighter, so I won't bother to mention them any longer.
- Polearm dude: Combat Reflexes. Trip rocks, so Improved Trip will help a lot, Combat Expertise is a prerequisite... The Dodge towards Spring Attack and Whirlwind chain is pretty nice as well to take advantage of the reach.
- big twohanded stick dude: Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave. Later Improved Critical and perhaps Power Critical.
- Sword & Board dude. Bad feat choices from the core books... But especially for multiclassed dudes there are nice high AC possibilities for tumbling dudes with C-Expertise and fighting defensively plus shield bash and extra AC from Shield Specialisation.
- TWF twink. Ah well. Sneak attack or some other extra damage is a must. The feats are well known, you can scarcely build a non fighter or ranger character with two weapons especially now with the improved TWD feats as well... Think about double weapons for the possibility to be a twohanded weapon twink sometimes.

 

[Nightfall]

In a similiar vein, Player's Guide to Fighters and Barbarians offers some ideas PCs can use to make their fighters seem from that region.

 

[Darklone]

Too bad that there are so few feats for PC customisation and so few for stylish backgrounds that players could choose without making a second rate fighter....

This comment was not aimed at a particular book, it's more general. Guess we would need different kind of feats.