Feat to fix tired old race/class combinations

[Sceadeau]

I was tired of my players only taking the most mathematically correct class/race combinations, so I created these feats to open up their options. It really has opened up a world of combinations (something I'm trying to spur with it).




6 new feats that add a racial bonus to stats (ie: only works if you don't already have the bump).

This should open up a lot of different race/class combinations

Feat:

Strength Training: +2 racial bonus to STR

Agility Training: +2 racial bonus to DEX

Tough Childhood: +2 racial bonus to CON

Studious: +2 racial bonus to INT

Charmer: +2 racial bonus to CHA

Meditative: +2 racial bonus to WIS


These feats can only be taken at level 1 -- and can never be retrained out or in.

 

[Sceadeau]

My other thought was to have it swap out a racial (so lose 1 racial stat bump, add this), but I thought that wasn't getting enough for the cost of a feat.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

I let my players swap racial bonuses around at their whim, at character creation. (Humans get a second +2 and get to double-up one of their racial traits.) Racial stat boosts create a major mental block for players who consider atypical race/class combos, but where those bonuses end up just isn't very important.

 

[Irda Ranger]

(Humans ... get to double-up one of their racial traits.)

What do you mean by this? Can you give some examples?

 

[CapnZapp]

My other thought was to have it swap out a racial (so lose 1 racial stat bump, add this), but I thought that wasn't getting enough for the cost of a feat.

I think you have something here, only you followed the minor truth and not the big one...

I think you should keep the swap idea. But if this isn't good enough for a feat, then why have it as a feat?

Why not give it out for free? (Or at least have it cost less than a feat, whatever that means)

(Getting a +2 bonus to Strength is probably too good for a feat - that's effectively +1 to attacks and +1 to damage - even if it doesn't apply to those races that already give a bonus to Strength. Another reason for the swap)

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

What do you mean by this? Can you give some examples?

A human could get a +2 racial bonus to NADs or get a fourth at-will, for example.

 

[Mad Hamish]

I was tired of my players only taking the most mathematically correct class/race combinations, so I created these feats to open up their options. It really has opened up a world of combinations (something I'm trying to spur with it).

6 new feats that add a racial bonus to stats (ie: only works if you don't already have the bump).

This should open up a lot of different race/class combinations

Feat:

Strength Training: +2 racial bonus to STR

Agility Training: +2 racial bonus to DEX

Tough Childhood: +2 racial bonus to CON

Studious: +2 racial bonus to INT

Charmer: +2 racial bonus to CHA

Meditative: +2 racial bonus to WIS

These feats can only be taken at level 1 -- and can never be retrained out or in.

I can see a few problems with them off the top of my head
1) Humans can use their bonus feat to give themselves 2 fully customisable stat bonuses.
2) Dwarven fighters are already pretty darned good, giving them a +2 to str probably makes them the best in the game.
3) it's effectively +1 to hit and damage with 1 feat if it goes on the primary attack stat for a class.

So it's something I think could cause some problems.

 

[Mengu]

There is certainly some abuse potential here. Like mentioned the dwarf fighter is the primary example. A Dragonborn Rogue suddenly becomes a better option than a Halfling Rogue.

I'm not sure if you are eliminating the race/class stereotypes with this feat. It just changes around the good stuff and creates a different set of optimal choices. But if it fixes some inherent problems with the choices your group is making (playing elf warlords and eladrin paladins), then it's all good.

 

[Kcinlive]

Well in my opinion making them feats makes them too powerful. What you could do instead is change the way races work.

For each race with two +2 stats, the player picks one of the stats to get the +2 increase. Then they can pick any other stat to get a +2 increase as long as it isn't the same stat.

Just a thought.

-Kcinlive

 

[77IM]

I give this free to all PCs (I call it the "heroic bonus") and then compensate with a few less points in point-buy. The result is that characters have slightly better secondary stats than normal, and any race can be about as good at any class.

Doing it as a feat is interesting, but it's too good of a feat. Every single character would get a tremendous benefit from selecting this at first level (even single-stat classes like wizard).

-- 77IM