How do you tell a fellow player he can't pick a particular feat for his PC?

[Ridley's Cohort]

Take a deep breath and repeat after me: It's only a game.

Worst advice evar!



Just kidding.

 

[Barak]

It doesn't change a thing. The choice of the feat is not the point at which it becomes a bad choice, but in the execution of the feat.

So, if you choose SF: Basketweaving, that signals that you want to weave baskets pretty darn often. Probably more often than you fight. If you end up taking a star role in weaving baskets, then awesome, the feat was a good choice. If you end up taking a star role in fighting, then no, it's a bad choice.

My SF: Gemcutting example above is what I'm talking about. It didn't help in combat. However, I maximized party treasure through the use of the feat. To say that the feat was a suboptimal choice is shortsighted, even though it may appear to be so on the surface.

So, if the fighter can make the basketweaving work out well for the party--perhaps the party has a contract to deliver a shipment of baskets, and some of them have rotted through, for example--then it's a good choice.

It's not the choice of the feat, but what you do with it that matters.

I.. Don't think I'm the one who missed the point.

Yes, it's what you do with the feat that matters. But there is no way that, overall, in anything coming close to being close to possibly being a typical campaign, SF (Craft(basketweaving)) will come into play in any way to make you "do something with it" that matters. Heck, even in your example,.. They had a contract to deliver the baskets, not -make- them. And if they have holes, a cleric who can cast Mending is better off. And even if it -does- work out that way, well ok, that was for that one delivery.

Oh geez, am I seriously arguing that SF Craft (basketweaving) can possibly be as useful as Weapon Specialization for a fighter? The Internet does make people crazy.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Really, do we really need to sit around and ask if Acrobatic might be a little substandard for a Wizard? Really? Instead of the wizard having your back with something Combat Casting you'd rather have the party wizard be marginally better at Tumble and Jump? Considering that later on he can learn a spell or get a wand or magic item of the spell Jump and get bonuses anywhere from 5 to 15 times as large as the feat Acrobatic why blow that feat? See, this isn't optimization, this is common bloody sense! How does a wizard become a skill monkey type character? He uses his smarts and his spells and his natural Dexterity and magical equipment to do it. Come on, this character could be able to fly in 3 levels!

Bah, Combat Casting is a lousy choice. I've played a lot of spellcasters over the years, and I've cast on the defensive once. The rest of the time, I've been able to prevent the need through, say, Invisibility or friendly tanks or 5' steps or a decent sidearm.

But this is the discussion to have. Why do you want the feat? What are you going to do with it? Do you have a better way to handle it? Are you willing to forego the benefit now, for a benefit later? It's not in choosing the feat that the mistake is made, but in not using it.

 

[Crothian]

And if they have holes, a cleric who can cast Mending is better off.
.

As the party dies because the cleric used his spells for mending

 

[Barak]

Fine.. In a campaign in which it's been made extremely clear by the DM that it will not go into Epic levels, a Fighter 12 picks up Quicken Spell (which, according to the SRD, has no pre-requisites) as his 12th level feat. How exactly is he going to "use" it to make it not a waste of a feat.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I couldn't care less what feats players took, as long as they get some use out of them. Or even planned to use them for something. Or thought it might be useful sometime. If a character is an avid basket weaver then SF: Basket Weaving may make great sense for them.

If this wizard were at the table with me then I'd ask if this choice was part of some grand long term plan? Perhaps to start a trick riding act in the local circus? If there was any kind of reason there, then great!

If not I'd wonder why they were making strange character choices. Are they not enjoying the game, intoxicated, bored, attention seeking or perhaps a bit weird? I'd try to work it out, help if it's a fixable problem.


Chances are, I'd call them a troll, set them on fire and afterwards loot the corpse for non flammable goods. See - RPGs can teach you useful things for real life.

 

[Fishbone]

I forsee much use of the re-training technique found in the mighty tome Pe-aytch-Be by this Wizard, who unfortunately used Wisdom as his dump stat.

 

[Abraxas]

Give me one occasion in which Skill Focus (craft (basket weaving)) is better than Weapon Specialization for a 6th Level Fighter that didn't previously pick up his favored weapon's specialization.

I find this hysterical. In the Eberron campaign I run - the warforged fighter has skill points in Craft (basket weaving) - its part of his background and at low levels in downtime between adventures he would actually work as a basket weaver.

 

[Felix]

Felix, please read previous moderator comments in this thread.

I did, actually, which is why I have not called you a troll, nor have I libeled you by stating that you are intentionally making fools of us. I suggested possiblities instead of accusing you of them, and asked you directly (twice) to say why you've rather energetically taken both sides of an argument in two different threads you yourself started.

You have yet to answer, though you've certainly noticed the question.

And enjoy life a little more.

If I knew what point you were trying to make, especially if I knew you weren't having a joke at my expense, I would.

So I'll ask again:

Driddle, what point are you trying to make by taking two sides of an argument in two different threads?

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Oh geez, am I seriously arguing that SF Craft (basketweaving) can possibly be as useful as Weapon Specialization for a fighter? The Internet does make people crazy.

Ha! Yeah, you're right, this is getting ridiculous.

I started by saying, "Figure out what you're trying to do" and ended up arguing, "All feats are created equal" or somesuch that I definitely don't believe (see this thread re: Combat Casting and Toughness). I'm sorry, I'll back off.

I suppose my point is really that the argument that a feat is "wasted" is not cut-and-dried.