Feats instead of Synergy Bonuses [More added]

[CleverNickName]

I'm thinking about getting rid of synergy bonuses. My reasons are many, but the biggest one is because they are a pain in the neck. I have developed a (probably broken) system of replacing synergy bonuses with feats.

Since my original post, I've had more time to invest into this idea and I have gotten a lot of good feedback (hat tip: milo and Arkhandus). The final list is:

If a character              ...that character
has 5 or more               gets the following
ranks in...                 as a bonus feat:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Appraise                    Diligent
Balance                     Agile
Bluff                       Persuasive
Climb                       Athletic
Craft [Alchemy]             Brew Potion
Craft [Armor]               Craft Arms & Armor
Craft [Calligraphy]         Scribe Scroll
Craft [Jewelry]             Forge Ring
Craft [Sculpture]           Craft Construct
Craft [Weapons]             Craft Arms & Armor
Craft [Woodcutting]         Craft Rod, Craft Staff, or Craft Wand
Craft [any other]           Craft Wondrous Item
Decipher Script             Diligent
Diplomacy                   Negotiator
Disguise                    Deceitful
Disable Device              Nimble Fingers
Escape Artist               Agile
Forgery                     Deceitful
Gather Information          Investigator
Handle Animal               Animal Affinity
Hide                        Stealthy
Intimidate                  Persuasive
Jump                        Acrobatic
Knowledge (arcana)          Any metamagic feat
Knowledge (religion)        Any divine feat
Listen                      Alertness
Move Silently               Stealthy
Open Locks                  Nimble Fingers
Perform [dance]             Agile
Perform [magician]          Deft Hands
Perform [contortionist]     Agile
Perform [dance]             Agile
Perform [magician]          Deft Hands
Perform [music]             Extra Music
Perform [singing]           Extra Music
Perform [strongman]         Endurance
Profession [animal tamer]   Skill Focus: Handle Animal
Profession [apothecary]     Skill Focus: Heal
Profession [carpenter]      Skill Focus: Knowledge [engineering]
Profession [clergy]         Any divine feat
Profession [craftsman]      Skill Focus: Craft [any one]
Profession [gladiator]      Any fighter bonus feat
Profession [herbalist]      Skill Focus: Heal
Profession [hunter]         Skill Focus: Survival
Profession [mason]          Skill Focus: Knowledge [engineering]
Profession [miner]          Skill Focus: Knowledge [engineering]
Profession [sailor]         Skill Focus: Survival
Profession [soldier]        Any fighter bonus feat
Ride                        Animal Affinity
Search                      Investigator
Sense Motive                Negotiator
Sleight of Hand             Deft Hands
Search                      Dilligent
Spellcraft                  Spell Focus [any one]
Spot                        Alertness
Swim                        Athletic
Tumble                      Acrobatic
Use Magic Device            Magical Aptitude
Use Rope                    Deft Hands

Caveats:

The character gets to select another feat for every 20 ranks he/she puts into the skill, provided that there is more than one feat listed as a bonus feat (Profession [soldier] or Knowledge [arcana], for example).

A character may only select one bonus feat per level, regardless of the number of bonus feats that the character qualifies. For example, a 2nd level bard with 5 ranks in Hide, Bluff, and Disable Device would only get one bonus feat at 2nd level. He must wait until he gains another level to select another bonus feat.

The character must still meet the requirements for a bonus feat in order to select it. Thus, while it is possible for a 2nd level character to have 5 ranks in Craft [Jewelry], he/she wouldn't gain Forge Ring as a bonus feat until he/she met all of the requirements (in this case, caster level 12).

 

[milo]

The biggest problem with this would be a rogue. He could have 8 feats at 2nd level with an intel of 10 nonhuman. That is just from skill bonus feats. If he was a human with say intel 14 he would be up to 11 plus one from human and one from base feat at 1st. A second level character with 13 feats is overpowered imho.

 

[Fieari]

Except, the +skill feats are sucky.

 

[hong]

Why not just ban synergy bonuses? It's a bit too easy to get super-high skill bonuses IMO.

 

[AnonymousOne]

Why not just ban synergy bonuses? It's a bit too easy to get super-high skill bonuses IMO.

No love for the skill monkeys?!?

My DM doesn't count 1s on a skill check as an auto-fail, so it's nice to have a 14 skill mod in tumble...

Me: "I'll tumble past the awfully annoying evil cleric... I make the DC15 check."
DM: "...you rolled a 1."
Me: "14 ... all I have to do is get a 1"
DM: "Damnit, I'm gonna start having my villians use reach weapons..."

 

[Presto2112]

No love for the skill monkeys?!?

My DM doesn't count 1s on a skill check as an auto-fail, so it's nice to have a 14 skill mod in tumble...

Since a 1 isn't a auto fail on a skill check anyway, he's par for the course in that respect.

 

[Arkhandus]

Yep. Natural 1 is only an auto-fail on an attack roll (or threat confirmation roll) or a saving throw. Natural 20 is only an auto-success on those same kinds of roll. Anything else would be a houserule.

Clevernickname: Perhaps you could just add a limit that they only gain up to 1 bonus feat per level from these skill ranks.

 

[CleverNickName]

Clevernickname: Perhaps you could just add a limit that they only gain up to 1 bonus feat per level from these skill ranks.

Brilliant...I should have thought of that. On the other hand, I didn't put a whole lot of thought into this before posting. Good catch, milo.

I don't see the rogue being much of a problem. I mean, a rogue won't get much use out of metamagic feats or item creation feats until he/she has levels of spellcaster (and a high enough caster level, in some cases). The +skill feats, like Negotiator and Deceptive, aren't game-breakers IMO since they give the same bonuses that a synergy bonus would. The free Fighter Bonus Feat is nice, and if the player is willing to burn 20+ skill points in a nearly useless skill, I'm okay with throwing them a bone.

I posted more skills and feats, by the way.

 

[hong]

No love for the skill monkeys?!?

You can get up to (level + 3) ranks in a skill. Skill boost feats give +2 or +3, compared to Weapon Focus which only gives +1. Skill boost items are super-cheap at (bonus^2)*100 gp. Skill monkeys get plenty of love.

 

[Sigurd]

For skill deprived classes synergy is hugely important. It has the advantage of reflecting bonuses along class lines and primary skills.

The poor wizard who is losing out on knowledge skills to the rogue can at least know that if he bumps up knowledge arcana he gets an important +2 to spellcraft. A prepared wizard basically has to bump up Concentration, spellcraft, decipher script & knowledge arcana (amongst others) He needs synergies to stay relavent.


Sigurd