Featstress

[Wik]

So, I've been making up PCs, NPCs, replacement PCs, and villains to use as aides for when I run the Savage Time game fairly soon. I've been optimizing a lot of these characters, as I plan on introducing them as necessary to toughen up the PCs once I get an idea of their power level. And, I kind of figure (given the lethality of adventure paths) a player will wind up playing some of these characters after their own character buys the cheap agricultural property somewhere.

What's been bothering me is the thought of choosing feats, and looking at a book and trying to plan out a character's feat selection. It used to be, your character grew fairly organically; in D&D, every feat you take contributes to your character's final stats.

What I mean is, there are so many feats out there, and you're only going to be getting six or seven of the damned things (maybe a bit more if you take a class that offers bonus feats). Do you spread your feats out? Or do you focus on one goal?

An example happened when I was making up Mestoph, a half-elven sorcerer with a love for creeping people out and talking about how superior he is to everyone else. Mestoph, a first level character, gets one feat. I want to keep the character alive, so I pick toughness. But wait... if I take toughness, then at 20th level (when those 3 hp are pretty much useless) I'll be one metamagic feat short. Or I won't meet the prerequisites for some awesome feat or another.

Everytime I play a character, I get hit with this "Featstress" big time. I look over all the feats I want, and then I have to make hard decisions. When I made my spellthief some time last year, I made a big mistake by having him burn two feats on two weapon fighting, and then, afterwards, I kept looking at feats and trying to run numbers. I ran scenarios in my head where improved initiative saved the day. And then, I compared that to Rapid Reload. Or the Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff) feat.

And those were just the PHB feats I was considering.

I dunno. I'm just complaining. I mean, "GOD, I **HATE** WOTC FOR GIVING ME SO MANY CHOICES! AND NOW, MY FIGHTER IS DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE'S FIGHTER! WHY MUST LIFE BE SO UNFAIR!?"

 

[Victim]

Generally, I try to construct a frame of mutually supporting - but not necessarily related - feats. For example, if you take TWF - perhaps to generate more high damage sneak attack hits - then some kind of attack booster is adviseable since the effect of the feat increases with each attack you have, and since the penalties from using TWF need to be offset. What I mean by unrelated feats is that the high damage fighter or rogue might want Iron Will to make sure that damage is aimed at his enemies, and not the foes of some enchanter. Or an antigrapple feat can be handy given the power of size mods and Imp Grab.

One thing that can be difficult is picking like the one or two leftover feats once your frame is completed - that one feat can make a difference, but usually the character doesn't suggest one option or another.

It's also difficult when playing with a new set of feats, either from a new supplement or another d20 game with a different feat structure, since I don't have the experience to evaluate possible combinations without testing them.

PS. If there's any question about whether or not to take Rapid Reload, don't do it.

 

[pawsplay]

People are always dissing on Toughness, but you never know when you're going to be down to those last 3 hp even at 20th level.

 

[QuaziquestGM]

when in doubt, roll %s, and then flip a coin to determine which end of the feat list you count from. You will luck upon the ultra combo that you would have never thought of every time.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Hmph. I thought by the the title that it might have been about some really strange female-only PrC. Or hey, a wacky base class perhaps.

Ah well.

 

[Gold Roger]

Don't understand me wrong, I'm no "only suboptimal choices are role playing choices", actually, I'm quite a powergamer, but I'd say when in doubt, choose customisation over optimisation.

I mean, the original intent of feats was to reinforce the character theme and though it's sometimes lost from sight, all those new feats to are there to make a character unique first and powerfull second.

So in the case of your character example neither toughness nor "that extra metamagic feat" strike me as exactly defining to your character concept. If the main hook of your character is that he likes to display superiority and creeping people out (that requisite should narrow down your choices quite a bit), take a feat that helps him impress or creep out. That way you have a more organic character to.

 

[Razz]

Everytime I play a character, I get hit with this "Featstress" big time. I look over all the feats I want, and then I have to make hard decisions. When I made my spellthief some time last year, I made a big mistake by having him burn two feats on two weapon fighting, and then, afterwards, I kept looking at feats and trying to run numbers. I ran scenarios in my head where improved initiative saved the day. And then, I compared that to Rapid Reload. Or the Weapon Focus (Quarterstaff) feat.

And those were just the PHB feats I was considering.

I dunno. I'm just complaining. I mean, "GOD, I **HATE** WOTC FOR GIVING ME SO MANY CHOICES! AND NOW, MY FIGHTER IS DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE'S FIGHTER! WHY MUST LIFE BE SO UNFAIR!?"

Dude, that's why you need Player's Handbook 2. Use the rules in there called "Retraining and Rebuilding". The Retraining rules are awesome, you basically trade out one class feature, feat, spell, some skill points, etc. for something different at each level you gain. You can get to level 2, and switch out one of your feats for something different, or maybe some of your skill points. At level 3, you might switch out a class ability for an alternate class ability.

That will solve your problem there. With your Spellthief, he can switch out those unwanted feats

 

[Twin Rose]

When in doubt, improved initiative I find works just fine... except for characters that are noted to be slow.

 

[Wik]

ha, thanks guys. I think last night, I was just getting really PO'd. I mean, I was making all these PCs, and I have so many D&D books that the sheer number of feats to select from was getting ridiculous. And I'd look at some of these feat trees that would take ALL of my feat selections for the next eight fighter levels... I mean, DAMN.

But I'm better now. Mostly.

 

[Ilium]

Razz makes a good point about rebuilds. I've always let my players do this to some extent (long before I got PHB II) so I assume mid-level NPCs have done it as well. Maybe the 10th-level sorcerer I'm making did have toughness at 1st level, but at some point he swapped it out for Empower Spell. I just make the character reasonably efficient at the level they currently hold.