How balanced is this feat from AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures?

[hong]

I also think the AC bonus should be limited to melee weapons, why would it effect the archer who is 200 ft away?

Pah! Bulletproof nudity has no range limits.

 

[CCamfield]

Add natural armor and bracers of armor and stat enhancing items for dex and Int and you will easily reach 40+.
Now imagine Charisma adding to that as well...

I don't really know how AEG has adapted 7th Sea to d20, but there simply aren't any bracers of armor or stat-enhancing items in Theah, in the original system.

 

[Fenes 2]

Since it was posted in D&D rules I was looking at it from a D&D perspective. As a matter of fact, even in my game, in which, at level 13, the party has exactly 1 armor-enhancing magic item (Natural armor +1), the mentioned feat would be overpowered.

 

[Deset Gled]

I don't think it's right for it to be a feat. As part of a prestige class? Yeah, sure, go for it.

I agree. This feat definetally sounds like a class ability to me. To use it in campaign, I think it might be allowable as a rogue Special Ability, or maybe allow it as a bonus that a Sorcerer could get for having some type of familiar. I don't think it's suitable for a feat, though.

 

[0-hr]

As a sorceror familiar?! Whatever beasty that was would soon outnumber even toads for familiar choices!

 

[Galfridus]

I don't like it for a couple reasons:

1) It seems like it might fail the silliness test (could I as DM plausibly describe the effects of the feat); as mentioned above, it seems a bit odd against ranged attacks, not to mention undead, constructs, etc.

2) The +2 to Charisma checks seems like an unnecessary addition to what is already a pretty nice ability.

3) Too easy to get -- as mentioned above, sorcerors would be all over this feat.

If I had to alter it (rather than Just Say No), I would increase the pre-reqs a bit (Dex 15+ maybe, Dodge or Mobility) and say that it only applied to foes against whom Charisma checks would be appropriate: no undead, constructs, etc. Affecting ranged attackers might happen if they could be influenced by the character's derring-do.

As for alternatives: if psionics are an option, a level of Psychic Warrior to get Inertial Armor can come in handy. I had a swashbuckler (Fighter/Rogue/Ranger/Psychic Warrior/Duellist/Spymaster) in my game (AC 26 before Dodge/Expertise) and he had no problem at all staying in the front line with the heavily armored dwarf.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Just for reference sake there is a similar ability as part of the Mystic Wanderer PrC from Magic of faerun. The ability is called Divine Glory and grants the Cha mod to AC. They get this at 1st level and it only works with no armor.

This has allowed my character to have a decent AC without armor. but it does cost considerably in the PrC requirements.

The +2 bonus to some skills is relatively minor and I would probably not waste a seperate feat for it.

Should such a feat be freely availible? I personally would not allow it as it would be a must have for any sorcerer or bard. Especially a sorcerer with a high dex and shield and Mage armor that would give an AC of near 30. By 8th level when you could take this with a couple of other items you could have an AC in the mid 30s and be practicaly untouchable.

 

[Elric]

Personally, I would give this feat to a Great Wyrm Gold Dragon (a dextrous dragon, or one with a Ring of Dex +4) to give it +11 (or more) AC. This is a class level feature, not a feat. That said, this would be a good addition to an AC smackdown

 

[Stalker0]

I'd add an extra prereq for it, maybe mobility or something. I think its a good feat for the smashbucker type. I can see it as being abusive, its simply a question of does your party usually munckinise the rules or do they just play to play?