Feedback requested!
Notes: Every feat here is meant to support some character concept. I picked concepts that I feel are inadequately represented in the core rules (like swashbuckler/light-fighter), that were doable in 3e (like barbarian and sorcerer), and that are doable with just a few feats (so, no bards, druids, or monks).
In other words, when I think about the sort of characters I want to play in 4e, and when I look back upon the sort of characters I played in 3e: There are some that I can create in 4e very easily, there are many that I can ALMOST create in 4e, and there are a few that I really can't do justice to in 4e. This is an attempt to remedy the second group (the concepts that I can almost create, but not quite).
I decided to encapsulate all these rules into feats (rather than introduce alternative class features, for example) to fit in better with the existing rules (there's already a crapload of feats, 12 more can't hurt) and because the game balance of them is questionable -- paying a feat or two to get a normally-unavailable combo seems like a good starting point.
BARBARIAN'S RAGE
Prerequisite: Str 15, Con 13, trained in Intimidate
Benefit: Once per encounter, you can use the rage power.
Rage / Feat Power
With a blood-curdling cry, you hurl yourself recklessly into the fray.
Encounter * Martial, Stance
Minor action / Personal
Effect: You get a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls, but you suffer -2 penalty to AC. You get a +2 bonus to Athletics, Endurance, and Intimidate checks, but take a -5 penalty to all other skills. You can't use any powers that have a power source other than martial. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn, but ends earlier if you activate a different Stance power.
At 11th level, the damage bonus increases to +3, and at 21st level, it increases to +4. The other bonuses and penalties (to AC and skills) do not change with level.
Sustain Minor: Each round, you can spend a minor action to extend the duration of your rage until the end of your next round, although it still ends if you activate another Stance power.
Concept: A 3e-style barbarian. Really, give a fighter a greataxe, Skill Training (Nature), Toughness, Fleet-Footed, and this feat, and you've pretty much got everything but the damage reduction. Throw in stuff like Power Attack, Durable, Powerful Charge, Uncanny Dodge, Mettle, and maybe Armor Specialization (Hide) for the classic barbarian experience.
Notes: I scaled the damage to be in line with Power Attack. The penalty to skills isn't a true balancing factor since the raging barbarian isn't likely to need those skills very much; ditto for using non-martial powers. Also the Sustain Minor might be redundant with the Stance keyword. The basics of the power (encounter power, +4 damage for -2 AC) were suggested in the conversion article on DDI.
CANNY DEFENSE
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Int 13
Benefit: When wearing cloth armor or no armor, you get a +2 armor bonus to AC, representing your ability to dodge and roll with attacks.
Concept: A swashbuckler or other extremely agile combatant.
Notes: This lets an unarmored (or cloth-armored) character have just as good an AC as a hero in leather armor, and for the same cost (a single feat). Most classes are already proficient in leather armor, and so will only take this feat for convenience, covertness or concept. For wizards, this puts them on an equal AC footing with rogues and warlocks, without needing to dress like one.
DESTINED RELIC
Benefit: You posses one magic item of your choice. It can be any sort of item except consumable items (the most common selections are weapons, armor, and implements), but is subject to the DM's approval. The item's level is at most your level +2. When you gain a level, you can change the enchantment on your item, so long as it stays less than your level +2. You can't change the item's base type, only its enchantment. (For example, you could turn your +2 magic longsword into a +2 flaming longsword, but not into a +2 flaming shortsword.) The DM must approve such a change, and should disallow any enchantment that is unbalancing, disruptive, or would interfere with the campaign.
Your destined relic doesn't just suddenly appear in your hands. Instead, work with your DM to determine how your character acquires it. It might be a family heirloom or special boon from a patron, or you might just stumble upon it in a dank cave or win it from a monster in a game of riddles. If your destined relic is lost or destroyed, the DM should give you a reasonable chance to retrieve or repair it (usually after no more than 2-3 encounters) or allow you to find a new destined relic. You can't sell or disenchant the item, and you ever lose this feat by retraining, you also lose the item (it gets lost, stolen, reclaimed, or you give it away to an NPC). In other words, events conspire to keep the item with you so long as you have the feat, and to remove it from you once you lose the feat.
Special: When you select this feat, the item you get does count against your treasure rewards for the upcoming level; the DM should decrease the treasure rewards by the cost of the item, and should let the group know that the item counts as part of your character's share of the treasure. However, when you gain a level and upgrade the item's enchantment, doing so does not count against treasure rewards.
Concept: The hero who finds the magic trinket of specialness, or the warrior with the ancestral sword, etc. This lets them keep the same item throughout their career without having it atrophy.
Notes: It's a free magic item, although not a spectacular one -- most characters can probably buy an item they want more easily, and this feat only gets one item (not a matching set). This feat relies heavily on subjective DM hand-waving and player-DM cooperation, and works best when the player has a clear concept in mind for their destined relic.
FLICK OF THE WRIST
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Quick Draw, trained in Thievery
Benefit: Once per encounter, as a standard action, you can draw a concealed weapon and make a Thievery check opposed by the Perception of a target within the weapon's range. If you succeed, you can use the weapon to make a basic attack against the target immediately as a free action, and you have combat advantage against that target for the attack. If you fail, you don't get to make the attack.
Special: You can conceal a small one-handed weapon on your person, such as a a dagger or a shuriken. Make a Thievery check as a standard action. Your check result is compared to your foes' Perception to determine whether they spot the hidden weapon; a character who searches you (a standard action that requires them to touch you) gets a +5 bonus to their Perception check. Concealed weapons can be drawn normally, but sheathing them requires another standard action.
Concept: A concealed-weapon fighter, almost certainly a rogue.
Notes: Somehow, I love the idea of a concealed-weapon fighter. This feat is modeled on the "feint" use of Bluff, but involving different skills. Because it happens on the same turn (feint takes two turns to use), it can only be a basic attack.
MIGHTY STRIKE
Prerequisite: Str 13
Benefit: When wielding a two-handed melee weapon, you deal an extra 1 point of damage when you roll for damage.
Special: This feat applies to two-handed melee weapons, but not one-handed weapons with the versatile property, even when you are wielding them two-handed. However, small characters can apply this feat to versatile weapons that they are wielding two-handed (for example, a halfling with a longsword would get the extra point of damage).
Concept: A heavy-weapon-guy who doesn't want to be a bastard sword specialist.
Notes: This is needed to retain parity with Two-Weapon Fighting and also to make greatswords competitive with bastard swords -- spending a feat on each, they both do the same amount of damage. PROBLEM: Potential overlap with Power Attack (which already does an extra point of damage for two-handed weapons)? PROBLEM: Potential overlap with future superior weapons, such as the Fullblade. I'll deal with those issues as they occur.
MULTICLASS POWER [Multiclass]
Prerequisite: Any class-specific multiclass feat
Benefit: You can swap one power you know from your main class for one power of the same level or lower from the class you multiclassed into. The power must be from the same general category (at-will power, encounter attack power, daily attack power, or utility power). You can neither give up nor gain powers that are granted by class features, only powers you get as part of your normal power progression.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time, you can swap one additional power, subject to the same restrictions as above.
Concept: A multiclass character who wants more control over which powers they get from their other class; a multiclass character at 2nd level (or 1st, for a human).
Notes: A lot of people right now are talking about what they do and don't like with multiclassing and how they would change it. I actually like the concept; I don't mind spending feats to do the swap, and I don't mind getting half-assed class features from the secondary class, and combined with some of the other feats here (like Weapon Proficiency) I have no trouble creating useful, viable multiclass characters. But, I don't like the restrictions on the power-swap feats. If I'm spending a feat to swap a power, I want to be able to pick exactly the power I want to swap, not be stuck with just 1 encounter swap, 1 utility swap, etc. This feat seems pretty balanced to me unless somebody can point out some abusive combo this might open up. NOTE this allows people to swap their at-will powers -- again, I don't see any problem with this.
ROGUE WEAPON TRAINING[Rogue]
Prerequisite: Rogue
Benefit: The list of weapons you can use when making a sneak attack or using a rogue power increases to the following: any light blade, any projectile weapon, any light thrown weapon, any weapon with the off-hand property, any staff, or the spiked chain. A "ranged weapon" power still requires you to use a ranged weapon, and a "melee weapon" power still requires you to use a melee weapon.
Concept: A non-traditional rogue, such as a bow-rogue, unarmed-rogue, or a multiclass rogue (since most non-rogue characters will be hitting with heavier weapons).
Notes: I originally had this feat apply to any weapon, but the potential of a "heavy flail rogue" doing 2d6 damage is both overpowered and nonsensical, so I limited it to weapons for which Weapon Finesse can apply. (This also allows me to remove clumsy wording about switching Str for Dex on attack rolls.) I see this feat primarily for use with things like bows, which are a modest damage increase over the rogue's usual crossbows.
SORCERER'S INTUITION [Wizard]
Prerequisite: Cha 15, Wizard
Benefit: You have an instinctual grasp of magic, and don't require the formal studies that most wizards need. This has several effects:
Notes: I have no earthly idea whether Spontaneous Casting is balanced or open to abuse. It's unlike any other ability and could theoretically lead to one-trick-pony behavior if someone discovers a killer combo using lower-level encounter powers and decides to just spam out the same crap repeatedly. I'm not too worried, since characters don't get very many powers, even at high levels, and with the lack of Spellbook, the sorcerer is going to have even fewer.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You gain the Dual Strike at-will power.
Dual Strike / Feat Power
You attack swiftly with your main weapon, preparing to follow-through with your off-hand weapon.
At-Will * Weapon
Standard action / Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (main weapon)
Hit: 1[W]+Strength modifier damage (main weapon).
Increase to 2[W]+Strength modifier damage at 21st level.
Miss: Make a secondary attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: Strength -5 vs. AC (off-hand weapon)
Hit: 1[W]+Strength modifier damage (off-hand weapon).
Concept: A two-weapon fighter who is not a ranger, but wants something more interesting than "+1 damage."
Notes: More interesting, by far, than the PHB version, and accounts for the actual nature of the off-hand weapon. I decided that TWF should not increase your damage on a hit -- that's what two-handed weapons and power attack are for, and TWF should have a distinctly different feel. Instead, on a miss, the secondary attack is sort of like a "Miss: half damage" except that with the -5 penalty it is more like "Miss: quarter damage," which seems more appropriate for an at-will power. This means that TWF is once again attractive to rogues (they miss less), but still useful to fighter-types (it is theoretically balanced with two-handed Reaping Strike at most levels). It's an at-will power, so it can't be used in a charge or OA and doesn't stack with other powers. Finally, yes, this does allow you to make two attack rolls which may slow the game down -- but the second one only happens on a miss, so it's not that bad.
UNARMED STRIKE
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You are considered proficient with unarmed strike. You gain a +2 proficiency bonus with your unarmed strike, and its damage die increases to 1d6. You can strike with any part of your body, so you can make unarmed attacks even if you are holding things in both hands. If you're not holding anything in your off-hand (such as a weapon, shield, or implement), your unarmed strike is treated as having the off-hand property. If you don't have anything in either hand, you can treat unarmed strike as both your main hand weapon and your off-hand weapon.
Starting at 11th level, you gain an enhancement bonus to attack and damage with your unarmed strike, as shown on the table below. On a critical hit, your unarmed strike deals +1d6 damage per plus of enhancement bonus (also shown on the table).
Concept: A scrapper; someone who is still dangerous when unarmed; or who fights with their whole body, not just their weapon.
Notes: Better, I would say, than the 3e Improved Unarmed Strike; it's just like having a club with you at all times, which cannot be stolen, lost, or disarmed. It's also the ultimate off-hand weapon. My goal here is not to replicate the Monk class, but to give characters who want to be capable unarmed fighters -- or semi-armed (with a one-handed weapon and no shield) -- this option. I resisted having a scaling attack/damage bonus, but ultimately realized that, for this feat to be useful at all levels, it had to compete somewhat with magic weapons. I gave it a bonus 2 points less than a magic club appropriate to that level, so it's unlikely anyone will pick it as their primary weapon -- the advantage of unarmed strike remains its flexibility and permanent availability.
WEAPON FINESSE
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: When wielding a light blade, staff, spiked chain, unarmed strike, or any weapon with the off-hand property, you can use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls when making a melee basic attack or using any power that calls for an attack or damage roll modified by Strength.
Concept: Swashbucklers and nimble combatants.
Notes: It's baaaack! Everyone's favorite must-have feat. This could drastically reduce the value of Strength for many Dex-based characters, but Strength already seems overpowered (it is a primary attack stat for 5 out of 8 classes), and heavy damage-dealers will want to stick with Strength to use the more damaging weapons. I see this feat primarily as a way for people with secondary melee capability -- such as warlords and clerics -- to become swashbucklers. This feat also changes the flavor and tone of many powers, particularly fighter powers, but I think it still makes sense -- the hardest-hitting powers have a Weapon: entry that does not usually apply to the weapons listed above.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY
Prerequisite: None, or Weapon Proficiency (all simple weapons); see text
Benefit: Choose one weapon or category of weapons that you are not proficient with. You become proficient in that weapon. Whenever you select this feat, choose one of the following options:
Concept: Martial-oriented characters who aren't fighters, but who don't want to focus on a single weapon.
Notes: Yup, this makes it work a lot like 3e, but frankly, I loved the way weapon proficiencies worked in 3e and consider 4e a huge step backwards. The goal of this feat is to allow, for example, a multiclass wizard/fighter to obtain just as many weapon proficiencies as a fighter, but at the cost of some feats.
Notes: Every feat here is meant to support some character concept. I picked concepts that I feel are inadequately represented in the core rules (like swashbuckler/light-fighter), that were doable in 3e (like barbarian and sorcerer), and that are doable with just a few feats (so, no bards, druids, or monks).
In other words, when I think about the sort of characters I want to play in 4e, and when I look back upon the sort of characters I played in 3e: There are some that I can create in 4e very easily, there are many that I can ALMOST create in 4e, and there are a few that I really can't do justice to in 4e. This is an attempt to remedy the second group (the concepts that I can almost create, but not quite).
I decided to encapsulate all these rules into feats (rather than introduce alternative class features, for example) to fit in better with the existing rules (there's already a crapload of feats, 12 more can't hurt) and because the game balance of them is questionable -- paying a feat or two to get a normally-unavailable combo seems like a good starting point.
Code:
[b][u]Name Prerequisites Benefit[/u][/b]
[b]Barbarian's Rage[/b] Str 15, Con 13, You can enter a rage once per encounter
trained in Intimidate
[b]Canny Defense[/b] Dex 15, Int 13 +2 AC when wearing no armor or cloth armor
[b]Destined Relic[/b] None You find a magic item that you are meant to have
[b]Flick of the Wrist[/b] Dex 15, Quick Quick-draw a concealed weapon to get combat advantage
Draw, trained in Thievery
[b]Mighty Strike[/b] Str 13 +1 damage when using a two-handed weapon
[b]Multiclass Power[/b] Any class-specific Swap one power with one of multiclass
multiclass feat
[b]Rogue Weapon Training[/b] Rogue Rogue powers and sneak attack use more varieties of weapons
[b]Sorcerer's Intuition[/b] Cha 15, wizard Use Cha instead of Int for spells, gain Spontaneous Casting
[b]Two-Weapon Fighting[/b] Dex 13 If you miss with your main hand, you might hit with your off-hand
[b]Unarmed Strike[/b] Dex 13 Bonuses to attack and damage with unarmed attacks
[b]Weapon Finesse[/b] Dex 13 Use Dex instead of Str for certain melee weapon attacks
[b]Weapon Proficiency[/b] None, or Weapon Gain proficiency in a chosen group of weapons
Proficiency (see text)BARBARIAN'S RAGE
Prerequisite: Str 15, Con 13, trained in Intimidate
Benefit: Once per encounter, you can use the rage power.
Rage / Feat Power
With a blood-curdling cry, you hurl yourself recklessly into the fray.
Encounter * Martial, Stance
Minor action / Personal
Effect: You get a +2 bonus to melee damage rolls, but you suffer -2 penalty to AC. You get a +2 bonus to Athletics, Endurance, and Intimidate checks, but take a -5 penalty to all other skills. You can't use any powers that have a power source other than martial. This effect lasts until the end of your next turn, but ends earlier if you activate a different Stance power.
At 11th level, the damage bonus increases to +3, and at 21st level, it increases to +4. The other bonuses and penalties (to AC and skills) do not change with level.
Sustain Minor: Each round, you can spend a minor action to extend the duration of your rage until the end of your next round, although it still ends if you activate another Stance power.
Concept: A 3e-style barbarian. Really, give a fighter a greataxe, Skill Training (Nature), Toughness, Fleet-Footed, and this feat, and you've pretty much got everything but the damage reduction. Throw in stuff like Power Attack, Durable, Powerful Charge, Uncanny Dodge, Mettle, and maybe Armor Specialization (Hide) for the classic barbarian experience.
Notes: I scaled the damage to be in line with Power Attack. The penalty to skills isn't a true balancing factor since the raging barbarian isn't likely to need those skills very much; ditto for using non-martial powers. Also the Sustain Minor might be redundant with the Stance keyword. The basics of the power (encounter power, +4 damage for -2 AC) were suggested in the conversion article on DDI.
CANNY DEFENSE
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Int 13
Benefit: When wearing cloth armor or no armor, you get a +2 armor bonus to AC, representing your ability to dodge and roll with attacks.
Concept: A swashbuckler or other extremely agile combatant.
Notes: This lets an unarmored (or cloth-armored) character have just as good an AC as a hero in leather armor, and for the same cost (a single feat). Most classes are already proficient in leather armor, and so will only take this feat for convenience, covertness or concept. For wizards, this puts them on an equal AC footing with rogues and warlocks, without needing to dress like one.
DESTINED RELIC
Benefit: You posses one magic item of your choice. It can be any sort of item except consumable items (the most common selections are weapons, armor, and implements), but is subject to the DM's approval. The item's level is at most your level +2. When you gain a level, you can change the enchantment on your item, so long as it stays less than your level +2. You can't change the item's base type, only its enchantment. (For example, you could turn your +2 magic longsword into a +2 flaming longsword, but not into a +2 flaming shortsword.) The DM must approve such a change, and should disallow any enchantment that is unbalancing, disruptive, or would interfere with the campaign.
Your destined relic doesn't just suddenly appear in your hands. Instead, work with your DM to determine how your character acquires it. It might be a family heirloom or special boon from a patron, or you might just stumble upon it in a dank cave or win it from a monster in a game of riddles. If your destined relic is lost or destroyed, the DM should give you a reasonable chance to retrieve or repair it (usually after no more than 2-3 encounters) or allow you to find a new destined relic. You can't sell or disenchant the item, and you ever lose this feat by retraining, you also lose the item (it gets lost, stolen, reclaimed, or you give it away to an NPC). In other words, events conspire to keep the item with you so long as you have the feat, and to remove it from you once you lose the feat.
Special: When you select this feat, the item you get does count against your treasure rewards for the upcoming level; the DM should decrease the treasure rewards by the cost of the item, and should let the group know that the item counts as part of your character's share of the treasure. However, when you gain a level and upgrade the item's enchantment, doing so does not count against treasure rewards.
Concept: The hero who finds the magic trinket of specialness, or the warrior with the ancestral sword, etc. This lets them keep the same item throughout their career without having it atrophy.
Notes: It's a free magic item, although not a spectacular one -- most characters can probably buy an item they want more easily, and this feat only gets one item (not a matching set). This feat relies heavily on subjective DM hand-waving and player-DM cooperation, and works best when the player has a clear concept in mind for their destined relic.
FLICK OF THE WRIST
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Quick Draw, trained in Thievery
Benefit: Once per encounter, as a standard action, you can draw a concealed weapon and make a Thievery check opposed by the Perception of a target within the weapon's range. If you succeed, you can use the weapon to make a basic attack against the target immediately as a free action, and you have combat advantage against that target for the attack. If you fail, you don't get to make the attack.
Special: You can conceal a small one-handed weapon on your person, such as a a dagger or a shuriken. Make a Thievery check as a standard action. Your check result is compared to your foes' Perception to determine whether they spot the hidden weapon; a character who searches you (a standard action that requires them to touch you) gets a +5 bonus to their Perception check. Concealed weapons can be drawn normally, but sheathing them requires another standard action.
Concept: A concealed-weapon fighter, almost certainly a rogue.
Notes: Somehow, I love the idea of a concealed-weapon fighter. This feat is modeled on the "feint" use of Bluff, but involving different skills. Because it happens on the same turn (feint takes two turns to use), it can only be a basic attack.
MIGHTY STRIKE
Prerequisite: Str 13
Benefit: When wielding a two-handed melee weapon, you deal an extra 1 point of damage when you roll for damage.
Special: This feat applies to two-handed melee weapons, but not one-handed weapons with the versatile property, even when you are wielding them two-handed. However, small characters can apply this feat to versatile weapons that they are wielding two-handed (for example, a halfling with a longsword would get the extra point of damage).
Concept: A heavy-weapon-guy who doesn't want to be a bastard sword specialist.
Notes: This is needed to retain parity with Two-Weapon Fighting and also to make greatswords competitive with bastard swords -- spending a feat on each, they both do the same amount of damage. PROBLEM: Potential overlap with Power Attack (which already does an extra point of damage for two-handed weapons)? PROBLEM: Potential overlap with future superior weapons, such as the Fullblade. I'll deal with those issues as they occur.
MULTICLASS POWER [Multiclass]
Prerequisite: Any class-specific multiclass feat
Benefit: You can swap one power you know from your main class for one power of the same level or lower from the class you multiclassed into. The power must be from the same general category (at-will power, encounter attack power, daily attack power, or utility power). You can neither give up nor gain powers that are granted by class features, only powers you get as part of your normal power progression.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time, you can swap one additional power, subject to the same restrictions as above.
Concept: A multiclass character who wants more control over which powers they get from their other class; a multiclass character at 2nd level (or 1st, for a human).
Notes: A lot of people right now are talking about what they do and don't like with multiclassing and how they would change it. I actually like the concept; I don't mind spending feats to do the swap, and I don't mind getting half-assed class features from the secondary class, and combined with some of the other feats here (like Weapon Proficiency) I have no trouble creating useful, viable multiclass characters. But, I don't like the restrictions on the power-swap feats. If I'm spending a feat to swap a power, I want to be able to pick exactly the power I want to swap, not be stuck with just 1 encounter swap, 1 utility swap, etc. This feat seems pretty balanced to me unless somebody can point out some abusive combo this might open up. NOTE this allows people to swap their at-will powers -- again, I don't see any problem with this.
ROGUE WEAPON TRAINING[Rogue]
Prerequisite: Rogue
Benefit: The list of weapons you can use when making a sneak attack or using a rogue power increases to the following: any light blade, any projectile weapon, any light thrown weapon, any weapon with the off-hand property, any staff, or the spiked chain. A "ranged weapon" power still requires you to use a ranged weapon, and a "melee weapon" power still requires you to use a melee weapon.
Concept: A non-traditional rogue, such as a bow-rogue, unarmed-rogue, or a multiclass rogue (since most non-rogue characters will be hitting with heavier weapons).
Notes: I originally had this feat apply to any weapon, but the potential of a "heavy flail rogue" doing 2d6 damage is both overpowered and nonsensical, so I limited it to weapons for which Weapon Finesse can apply. (This also allows me to remove clumsy wording about switching Str for Dex on attack rolls.) I see this feat primarily for use with things like bows, which are a modest damage increase over the rogue's usual crossbows.
SORCERER'S INTUITION [Wizard]
Prerequisite: Cha 15, Wizard
Benefit: You have an instinctual grasp of magic, and don't require the formal studies that most wizards need. This has several effects:
- You give up your Arcane Implement Mastery, Ritual Casting, and Spellbook class features. (You can keep your actual physical spellbook and any rituals therein, but you can't use them unless you get the Ritual Caster feat).
- You add Charisma in place of Intelligence to the attack rolls and damage rolls of your wizard spells. Spells that rely on other ability scores than Intelligence continue to use their normal ability scores, and a spell that uses your Intelligence for some other aspect than attack rolls and damage rolls continue to use Intelligence for that purpose.
- You gain the Spontaneous Casting class feature. As a free action, you can regain the use of a spent encounter spell by spending a use of an encounter or daily spell of a higher level. Essentially, you exchange an unused higher-level encounter or daily spell for a used up lower-level encounter spell. You regain the lower-level spell as though you had taken a short rest (although you regain it instantly) and you lose the use of the higher-level spell just as though you had used it (although you aren't actually using it; it has no effect other than letting you regain the use of the lower-level spell). You can do this as often as you like, until you run out of higher-level spells. You regain the use of the spent higher-level spells normally (by resting, or by using Spontaneous Casting to exchange them for higher-higher-level spells). Spontaneous Casting only applies to wizard attack powers (not wizard utility powers, or powers you might have from paragon paths, epic destinies, other classes, feats, or racial abilities).
Notes: I have no earthly idea whether Spontaneous Casting is balanced or open to abuse. It's unlike any other ability and could theoretically lead to one-trick-pony behavior if someone discovers a killer combo using lower-level encounter powers and decides to just spam out the same crap repeatedly. I'm not too worried, since characters don't get very many powers, even at high levels, and with the lack of Spellbook, the sorcerer is going to have even fewer.
TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You gain the Dual Strike at-will power.
Dual Strike / Feat Power
You attack swiftly with your main weapon, preparing to follow-through with your off-hand weapon.
At-Will * Weapon
Standard action / Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC (main weapon)
Hit: 1[W]+Strength modifier damage (main weapon).
Increase to 2[W]+Strength modifier damage at 21st level.
Miss: Make a secondary attack against the same target.
Secondary Attack: Strength -5 vs. AC (off-hand weapon)
Hit: 1[W]+Strength modifier damage (off-hand weapon).
Concept: A two-weapon fighter who is not a ranger, but wants something more interesting than "+1 damage."
Notes: More interesting, by far, than the PHB version, and accounts for the actual nature of the off-hand weapon. I decided that TWF should not increase your damage on a hit -- that's what two-handed weapons and power attack are for, and TWF should have a distinctly different feel. Instead, on a miss, the secondary attack is sort of like a "Miss: half damage" except that with the -5 penalty it is more like "Miss: quarter damage," which seems more appropriate for an at-will power. This means that TWF is once again attractive to rogues (they miss less), but still useful to fighter-types (it is theoretically balanced with two-handed Reaping Strike at most levels). It's an at-will power, so it can't be used in a charge or OA and doesn't stack with other powers. Finally, yes, this does allow you to make two attack rolls which may slow the game down -- but the second one only happens on a miss, so it's not that bad.
UNARMED STRIKE
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You are considered proficient with unarmed strike. You gain a +2 proficiency bonus with your unarmed strike, and its damage die increases to 1d6. You can strike with any part of your body, so you can make unarmed attacks even if you are holding things in both hands. If you're not holding anything in your off-hand (such as a weapon, shield, or implement), your unarmed strike is treated as having the off-hand property. If you don't have anything in either hand, you can treat unarmed strike as both your main hand weapon and your off-hand weapon.
Starting at 11th level, you gain an enhancement bonus to attack and damage with your unarmed strike, as shown on the table below. On a critical hit, your unarmed strike deals +1d6 damage per plus of enhancement bonus (also shown on the table).
Code:
[U]Level Bonus Critical[/U]
1-10 +0 +0
11-15 +1 +1d6
16-20 +2 +2d6
21-25 +3 +3d6
26-30 +4 +4d6Notes: Better, I would say, than the 3e Improved Unarmed Strike; it's just like having a club with you at all times, which cannot be stolen, lost, or disarmed. It's also the ultimate off-hand weapon. My goal here is not to replicate the Monk class, but to give characters who want to be capable unarmed fighters -- or semi-armed (with a one-handed weapon and no shield) -- this option. I resisted having a scaling attack/damage bonus, but ultimately realized that, for this feat to be useful at all levels, it had to compete somewhat with magic weapons. I gave it a bonus 2 points less than a magic club appropriate to that level, so it's unlikely anyone will pick it as their primary weapon -- the advantage of unarmed strike remains its flexibility and permanent availability.
WEAPON FINESSE
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: When wielding a light blade, staff, spiked chain, unarmed strike, or any weapon with the off-hand property, you can use your Dexterity modifier in place of your Strength modifier for attack and damage rolls when making a melee basic attack or using any power that calls for an attack or damage roll modified by Strength.
Concept: Swashbucklers and nimble combatants.
Notes: It's baaaack! Everyone's favorite must-have feat. This could drastically reduce the value of Strength for many Dex-based characters, but Strength already seems overpowered (it is a primary attack stat for 5 out of 8 classes), and heavy damage-dealers will want to stick with Strength to use the more damaging weapons. I see this feat primarily as a way for people with secondary melee capability -- such as warlords and clerics -- to become swashbucklers. This feat also changes the flavor and tone of many powers, particularly fighter powers, but I think it still makes sense -- the hardest-hitting powers have a Weapon: entry that does not usually apply to the weapons listed above.
WEAPON PROFICIENCY
Prerequisite: None, or Weapon Proficiency (all simple weapons); see text
Benefit: Choose one weapon or category of weapons that you are not proficient with. You become proficient in that weapon. Whenever you select this feat, choose one of the following options:
- You become proficient with any one military or superior weapon.
- You become proficient with all simple weapons.
- You become proficient with all simple and military weapons of a particular weapon group (such as all simple and military light blades).
- You become proficient with all military weapons. You must already be proficient with all simple weapons to choose this option.
Concept: Martial-oriented characters who aren't fighters, but who don't want to focus on a single weapon.
Notes: Yup, this makes it work a lot like 3e, but frankly, I loved the way weapon proficiencies worked in 3e and consider 4e a huge step backwards. The goal of this feat is to allow, for example, a multiclass wizard/fighter to obtain just as many weapon proficiencies as a fighter, but at the cost of some feats.
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