[ITW] New feats!

[CRGreathouse]

Some of the feats from Libris Mortis were previewed on the "In the Worls" column:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20040912b&page=5

Any thoghts? I was mostly nonplussed, though Positive Energy Resistance (below) seemed really powerful to me.

Positive Energy Resistance [Monstrous]
You are resistant to the damage dealt by positive energy effects.
Prerequisite: Undead type.
Benefit: You gain resistance 10 to positive energy effects, such as cure wounds spells.

 

[Droid101]

Enduring Life [General]

You can ignore the effect of negative levels for a short time.

Benefit: Whenever you would take a negative level, you can ignore the penalties and other ill effects associated with that negative level for a number of minutes equal to your Con bonus (if any). For example, if Tordek (Con 15) is struck by a wight, he gains one negative level. However, he can ignore the -1 penalty to attacks, saves, ability checks, and skill checks associated with that negative level for 2 minutes, since his Con bonus is +2. (If Tordek were a spellcaster, he'd also avoid losing a spell slot for 2 minutes.)

You also gain a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves to remove negative levels.

Lasting Life [General]

You can shed negative levels with an act of will.

Prerequisites: Endurance, Enduring Life.

Benefit: Once per round as a standard action, you can attempt to purge a negative level by attempting a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 attacker's HD + attacker's Cha modifier). If the saving throw succeeds, the negative level goes away. You make a separate saving throw for each negative level you have gained. If the save fails, you retain the negative level, but you can try again later to purge it.

Y'uggh! As a PC, I would NOT want to give my DM any more reasons to throw negative level baddies at me!

DM: "Oh, you have that cool negative level ignoring feat. I'll throw a bunch of Vampires at you!"

PC: "Okay!"

Rest of party: "NO!"

 

[rkanodia]

Interesting feats all-in-all. I think Profane Lifeleech wins points for awesomeness of thematics, but it could be too good at low level and not all that great at high level. Ooh, it doesn't deal damage to constructs or undead; I'm seeing a great opportunity for a 'flashback to the Last War' session of Eberron, with a 2nd-level priest or two backing up either a Warforged platoon or a division of Karnathi skeletons and zombies. Lasting life is pretty much going to be a fighter-only feat; who else has two spare feats to blow on protection from negative levels (potentially three, depending on whether you have a use for Endurance)?

 

[Saeviomagy]

I thought the feats which give you better undead (+4 turn resistance and +4 strength/+2 hp per die) are basically "punish the players" feats. Players tend to meet skeletons and zombies and the like as stand-alone threats. Giving them those bonuses makes them significantly stronger, yet the feats are possessed by their creature, who the players may or may not ever meet. The mods should probably have some sort of CR listing...

Beyond that, players are unlikely to ever use the mods, given most DM's propensity to rule that animate dead is evil, no matter what it's used for, on, by or against, and also to run good-only campaigns.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I thought the feats which give you better undead (+4 turn resistance and +4 strength/+2 hp per die) are basically "punish the players" feats. Players tend to meet skeletons and zombies and the like as stand-alone threats. Giving them those bonuses makes them significantly stronger, yet the feats are possessed by their creature, who the players may or may not ever meet. The mods should probably have some sort of CR listing...

Beyond that, players are unlikely to ever use the mods, given most DM's propensity to rule that animate dead is evil, no matter what it's used for, on, by or against, and also to run good-only campaigns.

I've had undead in my group in the past, so I was worried about them a little more... especially the positive resistance feat.

 

[daTim]

So based on those feats, would it be ok to make a feat as the following...?

Negative Energy Resistance
Prerequisite: Living
Benefit: You gain resistance to negative energy 10 etc etc.

Seems too good too me. Also, what does the Monsterous feat subtype mean? Not for PC's? Seems arbitrary if so.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Also, what does the Monsterous feat subtype mean? Not for PC's? Seems arbitrary if so.

It's originally from Savage Species, as I recall. It just means the requirements are hard for typical characters: "Only creatures with a monstrous form or one or more monstrous abilities may select these feats. Monstrous forms and abilities are those that are unavailable to normal humanoid or animal creatures, including but not limited to extra appendages, nonstandard appendages (such as tentacles or a tail), supernatural abilities, abd spell-like abilities."