Simplifying the feat system
I had an extended discussion with folks on Sean Reynolds' boards about simplifying the core feat system. What follows is my attempt at reducing the number of PHB feats.
Remove the following feats
==========================
Acrobatic, Agile, Alertness, Animal Affinity, Armor Proficiency (Medium), Athletic, Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Rod, Craft Staff, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Diligent, Endurance, Eschew Materials (see comments below), Forge Ring, Great Cleave, Improved Counterspell (see comments below), Improved Feint, Investigator, Magical Aptitude, Mounted Archery, Negotiator, Nimble Fingers, Persuasive, Power Attack (see comments below), Run (see comments below), Scribe Scroll, Self-Sufficient, Snatch Arrows, Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Finesse (see comments below)
Rule changes
============
1. Any character may use DEX modifier instead of STR modifier with light weapons (including natural weapons), rapier, whip, or spiked chain. Removed WEAPON FINESSE.
2. You retain your Dex bonus to AC when running (differs from 3.5E). Removed RUN - replace by FLEET OF FOOT.
3. A caster may use a higher level spell from the same school to counterspell. Removed IMPROVED COUNTERSPELL.
4. Do not allow BLUFF to be used in combat to feint. Removed Improved Feint. (Why is a Rogue better at feinting in combat than a Fighter?)
5. Remove ESCHEW MATERIALS. This feat is seldom useful. However, if you don't have spell components you may use a higher level spell slot or two spell slots of the same level to cast the spell (mechanic from Laden Spell in Arcana Unearthed).
New feats
=========
CRAFT ITEM:
Benefit - You can make any magic item that you meet the prerequisites for.
Reason - making magic items already has XP + GP cost, and is not unbalanced.
FLEET OF FOOT:
Benefit - As per Arcana Unearthed, gain +10' movement speed.
This stacks with magic items, and the class feature of Barbarians and Monks. You may only take this feat once.
Reason - Run was weak.
SMASHING BLOW:
Benefit - Get +2 damage when wielding a weapon two-handed.
Reason - Power Attack mechanic is difficult to optimize. This gives two-handed weapon wielders a real advantage over those using a weapon single-handed.
Feat changes
============
ARMOR PROFICIENCY (HEAVY):
Prerequisite - Armor Proficiency Light.
Benefit - gives proficiency in both medium and heavy armors.
Reason - medium armor only gives +1 armor bonus to AC vs. light armor.
CLEAVE:
Benefit - If you deal a creature enough damage to make it drop, you get an extra immediate melee attack against another creature within reach. You cannot take a 5' step before this attack. The extra attack is with the same weapon and same attack bonus. You can use this ability once per round + once per round per 5 BAB (1/round at BAB 0-5, 2/round at BAB 6-10, 3/round at BAB 11-15, and 4/round at BAB 16-20).
Reason - Great Cleave is seldom useful, so merged it with Cleave.
DEFLECT ARROWS:
Benefit - 1/round when you would normally be hit with a ranged weapon you may deflect it and you take no damage from it. You must be aware of the attack and not flatfooted.
If you have at least one hand free and holding nothing, you can choose to catch the ranged weapon that you avoided. If you catch the weapon you can use it on your next action (e.g. if it is a thrown weapon you could throw it).
Reason - Snatch Arrows and Deflect Arrows are weak, so combined, and also made more generic so could be used with hands full.
DIEHARD:
Benefit - Gain +3 HP. When reduced to -1 to -9 HP you automatically stabilize. When reduce to negative HP you may choose to act as disabled rather than dying. If you make a standard action you take 1 point of damage. If you take a move action you do not injure yourself further.
Reason - Combined Diehard and Toughness as they are weak feats.
DODGE:
Benefit - Get +1 dodge bonus to AC. (This applies to all opponents.)
Reason - Simplifies use in combat, still not as good as Weapon Focus, as defensive rather than offensive feat.
EXOTIC WEAPON PROFICIENCY:
Benefit - as per Arcana Unearthed weapon groups. Choose Agile Exotic Weapons or Heavy Exotic Weapons.
IMPROVED UNARMED STRIKE:
Benefit - You are considered armed even when unarmed. Your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage. The damage for your unarmed strike increases: from d2 to d3 for Small, d3 to d4 for Medium, d4 to d6 to Large (still worse than 1st level Monk).
Reason - Improved Unarmed Strike was somewhat weak.
MARTIAL WEAPON PROFICIENCY:
Benefit - as per Arcana Unearthed, you gain proficiency in all martial weapons.
MOBILITY:
Benefit - You get +4 dodge bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity when moving out of or within a threatened area. You also get +2 to Tumble checks to avoid attacks of opportunity.
Reason - Mobility otherwise provides no benefit to a lightly armored character with high Tumble, as Tumble can entirely negate the attacks of opportunity.
MOUNTED COMBAT:
Benefit - Halve the penalty for using a range weapon while mounted. 1/round if mount hit in combat, you may attempt Ride check to negate the hit, which succeeds if your Ride check is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
Reason - Mounted Archery and Mounted Combat are weak feats.
QUICK DRAW:
Benefit - You can draw a weapon as a free action, or a hidden weapon as a move action. You may throw weapons at your full normal rate of attacks. You may reload a hand or light crossbow as a free action, and you may reload a heavy crossbow as a move action. With a light or hand crossbow you may fire that weapon as many times in a full attack action as you could attack if you were using a bow.
Reason - Rapid Reload is weak.
SKILL FOCUS:
Benefit - Get 4 points to apply as an untyped bonus to any of your skills. You may spend at most 4 such points on a single skill, and you may take this feat multiple times. The total of your skill ranks plus this untyped bonus may exceed the maximum skill rank, but when exceeding maximum skill ranks the untyped bonus is halved (e.g. at most +2 if you have maximum rank in the skill).
SPELL FOCUS:
Benefit - Get +2 DC to spell saves vs. the chosen school.
Reason - Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus were somewhat weak. +2 DC is okay, providing it is not combined with another feat that gives an additional +2 DC, which was the problem in 3.0E.
SPELL MASTERY:
Benefit - Choose 4 spells that you already know. From that point on, you can prepare the spells without other aids (such as a spellbook or holy symbol). You cast these spells at +1 caster level.
Reason - Spell Mastery was weak.
Metamagic feat changes
======================
Remove HEIGHTEN SPELL:
Normal - If a spell uses a higher level spell slot, it is treated as being that effective level. i.e. No longer any need for Heighten Spell.Reason - Metamagic feats are weak, this helps improve them.
Otherwise unchanged metamagic feats (these are already good as more damage)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Empower Spell, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Widen Spell
Changed feats - 3 free uses/day (providing doesn't exceed spell level limit)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enlarge Spell, Extend Spell, Silent Spell, Still Spell
