Feats

[Cheiromancer]

I think a few cherries for the eldritch knight would be a good thing, but this seems kind of powerful - it's 3.5 x as much damage as the extra damage from a regular Power Attack to opponents without resistance. Especially problematic if we continue nonepic BAB.

My feeling is that something like this should have a prerequisite [epic] feat. I'm also concerned with creating too much duplication with specific weapon abilities.

I'd be fine with a prerequisite feat; to make a weapon flaming, say. I'm pretty sure that I saw an Improved Power Attack around somewhere that improved the damage per accuracy rate by 50% (e.g. 3 for 1 if you are using it two-handed). This would be similar, but subject to elemental resistance/immunity.

Duplicating weapon or shield abilities is a little boring, but I'd like to know if it would be balanced as a straight feat. Not that I necessarily want to do it... although it is a way of implementing something some of those intrinsic goods/virtual gear ideas that have been floating around. But just like you know that a +2/+2 skill bonus feat is probably going to be balanced (except maybe for tumble/UMD or something) without having to go out and compose a hundred of them, I was wondering if the equation of one feat = +1 bonus is broadly valid.

Penetrate Damage Reduction, although not a plus, is an immensely useful feat, I think. Although not as useful as Fast Healing.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

I was wondering if the equation of one feat = +1 bonus is broadly valid

Maybe. Or +2.

I was wondering whether higher enhancements should be available at approximately 10-level increments: e.g. a speed ability would be available to a 30-something level fighter, a dancing ability for a 40th-level bard etc. Maybe epic special abilities should only be available as brief 'burst' type effects (like Chaotic Fury, or whatever).

The speed thing got me thinking dangerous thoughts. How do you feel about this:

Extra Finesse Attack [Epic]
Prerequisites: BAB +30, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (selected weapon)
Benefit: Choose a finessable weapon with regard to which you possess the Weapon Focus feat. When you make a full attack with that weapon, you may make an extra attack at your highest BAB.
Special: This feat does not stack with the benefit offered by a speed weapon, a haste spell or similar effect, but it does stack with itself. You can take this feat multiple times: each time, you gain an extra attack at your highest BAB.

 

[Cheiromancer]

It kinda beats the heck out of Two-Weapon fighting, doesn't it? No attack penalty, you can still use your shield (if not animated at a cost of +2), and you can use your best weapon (as opposed to having to invest in two weapons).

I was wondering whether higher enhancements should be available at approximately 10-level increments: e.g. a speed ability would be available to a 30-something level fighter, a dancing ability for a 40th-level bard etc. Maybe epic special abilities should only be available as brief 'burst' type effects (like Chaotic Fury, or whatever).

Although in general I like the idea of higher level feats being worth more, when you are talking about stacking enhancements they are already worth more. A +1 enhancement is worth a lot more applied to a +10 sword than it does applied to a +1 sword. I'd say keep it to +1 or maybe +2.

Burst type effects might be OK, though. Maybe bards can burn a bardic music for each extra attack? That'd be a lot of attacks, but bards aren't exactly combat machines - even if it works out to be the equivalent of giving them +1 attack/round for every combat it would probably be fine. Or 2/round if they take the feat twice; but even a pure bard should risk running out of songs/day if he burns them at that rate.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

It kinda beats the heck out of Two-Weapon fighting, doesn't it? No attack penalty, you can still use your shield (if not animated at a cost of +2), and you can use your best weapon (as opposed to having to invest in two weapons).

Mmm. Maybe it's a bit too much. I guess it should be non-stackable, anyway. And maybe it should have Blinding Speed as a prereq.

How do you feel about this:

Swift Opportunist [Epic]
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Improved Combat Reflexes.
Benefit: You may make one additional attack of opportunity against each opponent who provokes from you in a given round.
Special: This feat stacks. Each time you take it, you may make one additional attack of opportunity against each opponent.


Improved Combat Reflexes is actually a kind of heavy prereq - it's a functionally useless feat past Dex 20 or so: how often do more than 5 targets provoke AoOs from you in the course of a round?

How about limiting it to light weapons and rapiers? Not that I'm on a finesse kick, or anything

 

[Cheiromancer]

Swift Opportunist looks abusable. It would surprise me if designers worry much about Improved Combat Reflexes when they design feats and class abilities, and so I suspect there are combos that virtually guarantee your opponents provoke AoOs. I don't know, though; epic feats are supposed to be powerful.

***

What would you think of a feat (or +1 enhancement) that makes a weapon count as being wielded 2-handed?

I was thinking of how an animated shield (+2 equivalent) lets you enjoy a shield bonus while wielding a weapon 2-handed. It seems to me that a +1 weapon enhancement should yield the same mechanical benefit. But visually it would be less weird.

***

I was looking at Rapid Spell in the Complete Divine. It is not OGL but, given how are system relates factors and metamagic feats, it is an obvious extrapolation to generate a feat to reduce the casting time of a spell to the next lower base casting time. I wonder if we should write it up with a different name (Speedy Spell?). The mechanics of Rapid Spell is wonky anyway- it is not at all clear what happens to a spell whose casting time is, say, 1 minute.

You could have a lot of fun with AMC and Speedy Spell. Identify won't be such a time sink, and a simulacrum could be cast in combat. A pity it has such a substantial xp component. Are there any other spells that take a long time to cast that would be much more useful if cast quickly? There's legend lore, I suppose, but a vision is much more efficient. Although I suppose the xp could add up.

 

[sithramir]

Mmm. Maybe it's a bit too much. I guess it should be non-stackable, anyway. And maybe it should have Blinding Speed as a prereq.

How do you feel about this:

Swift Opportunist [Epic]
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Improved Combat Reflexes.
Benefit: You may make one additional attack of opportunity against each opponent who provokes from you in a given round.
Special: This feat stacks. Each time you take it, you may make one additional attack of opportunity against each opponent.


Improved Combat Reflexes is actually a kind of heavy prereq - it's a functionally useless feat past Dex 20 or so: how often do more than 5 targets provoke AoOs from you in the course of a round?

How about limiting it to light weapons and rapiers? Not that I'm on a finesse kick, or anything

There's a whole line of these feats in a recent Dragon. One feat allows you to make an additional attack and there's another that allows you to make a third attack as well. They weren't epic. Maybe this doesn't need to be Epic?

 

[Cheiromancer]

You wouldn't happen to have the issue handy, would you? Or know which month it was in?

 

[sithramir]

You wouldn't happen to have the issue handy, would you? Or know which month it was in?

I am on vacation at home but will get this to you in a day or two once I get back. It had a bunch of feats like that. I'll let you know once I get it.

 

[sithramir]

The issue you need is #340 Feb 2006

Here are the feats, word for word.

Improved Combat Reflexes (General)
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Combat Reflexes, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: For any given oppurtunity in melee combat, you can make two attacks of oppurtunity. The second attack is at a - 5 penalty, just like your second normal attack in any given round. You still cannot exceed your normal maximun number of attacks of oppurtunity in a round.

Greater Combat Reflexes (General)
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Combat Reflexes, Improved Combat Reflexes, base attack bonus +11
Benefit: For any given oppurtunity in melee combat, you can make three attacks of oppurtunity. The second attack is at a - 5 penalty, just like your second normal attack in any given round. The third attack is at a - 10 penalty, just like your third normal attack in any given round. You still cannot exceed your normal maximun number of attacks of oppurtunity in a round.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Thanks! I looked for it a little bit, but didn't go far enough back.

I wonder how much an extra attack without a penalty would be? I.e. if you are trying to find out how to translate the Speed weapon enhancement to a feat.