Monster Racial Feats

[Winding Road]

A couple of players in my 4e game lost their characters last session, so I allowed them to pick from the monster races in the back of the MM when making new characters. The main disadvantage this offered was the lack of the strong racial feats the PHB races get, so I promised them I'd try to hammer out some racial feats for the monsters. I figured I'd share what I came up with for others to use as they will.

All of these feats are heroic tier for now. I may post some paragon and epic level ones later.

Focused Ferocity [Minotaur]
Prerequisite: Minotaur, ferocity racial trait
Benefit: When reduced to 0 hit points, you can use any power you know with a range of melee in place of a basic attack.

Goblin-born Leader [Hobgoblin]
Prerequisite: Hobgoblin
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat racial bonus to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks made against goblins, wolves, and worgs.

Master of Disguise [Doppelganger]
Prerequisite: Doppelganger, change shape racial trait
Benefit: Once per day, while using your change shape power, you may instead assume the form of a Small or Large humanoid.

Mind Reader [Doppelganger]
Prerequisite: Doppelganger
Benefit: You can use surface thoughts as an encounter power.

Surface Thoughts Doppelganger Racial Power
You peer into another’s mind, hearing their current thoughts and using the knowledge for your own gain.
Encounter * Psychic
Minor Action Ranged 5
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Effect: You hear your target’s current thoughts and feelings, granting you a +2 bonus in all opposed rolls against it for the rest of the encounter.

Native of the Mines [Kobold]
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: You are treated as a Medium creature for the usage of picks. You gain a +2 feat bonus to all damage rolls made with picks.

No Surrender [Orc]
Prerequisite: Orc
Benefit: When bloodied, you gain +1 to all defenses.

Poison Familiarity [Drow]
Prerequisite: Drow
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to saving throws to remove ongoing poison damage.

Remain Lost [Gnome]
Prerequisite: Gnome, fade away racial trait
Benefit: When you use fade away, you remain hidden until you attack or for a number of turns equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

Taming the Inner Beast [Shifter]
Prerequisite: Longtooth shifter or razorclaw shifter, shifting racial power
Benefit: Once per day, you may use your shifting racial power when not bloodied.

Veteran Ambusher [Bugbear]
Prerequisite: Bugbear
Benefit: You gain a +2 racial bonus to initiative checks. At the start of an encounter, you have combat advantage against all opponents until they have acted.

Warband Veteran [Hobgoblin]
Prerequisite: Hobgoblin
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and AC for every ally adjacent to you.

Feedback is always appreciated.

 

[lordkiwi]

These two seem a little weak.

Goblin-born Leader [Hobgoblin]
Prerequisite: Hobgoblin
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat racial bonus to all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks made against goblins, wolves, and worgs.

Poison Familiarity [Drow]
Prerequisite: Drow
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to saving throws to remove ongoing poison damage.

The Hobgoblin bonus seems incredibly situational... only useful if you play a goblin heavy campaign.
The poison bonus could do a little upgrade, say +3 or +4. If you assume a balanced racial feat could grant +1 AC, then it protects you from 5% of damage taken. This protects from 10%(ish) of ongoing poison damage taken, which is no where near as much.

These seem powerful...

Native of the Mines [Kobold]
Prerequisite: Kobold
Benefit: You are treated as a Medium creature for the usage of picks. You gain a +2 feat bonus to all damage rolls made with picks.

Warband Veteran [Hobgoblin]
Prerequisite: Hobgoblin
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and AC for every ally adjacent to you.

The kobold bonus would be the equivalent of +3 damage... weapon focus gives +1 at heroic. I can see the argument for +2, since it's a racial, so maybe medium sized and +1 damage.
+1 hit and AC for each adjacent ally is incredibly good. May I suggest +1 to hit and AC if you have at least one adjacent ally instead.

Lord Kiwi,

 

[generalhenry]

all opposed rolls

there are very few opposed rolls in 4E

 

[Winding Road]

The Hobgoblin bonus seems incredibly situational... only useful if you play a goblin heavy campaign.

It is very situational, yes. I like the flavor of it a lot, but it's definitely the weakest one on that list. I'd like to boost it up to relevance, but I'm not sure how.

The poison bonus could do a little upgrade, say +3 or +4. If you assume a balanced racial feat could grant +1 AC, then it protects you from 5% of damage taken. This protects from 10%(ish) of ongoing poison damage taken, which is no where near as much.

+3, I'd say then. I'm leary of giving drow too good of a feat; they look to be on the stronger end already based off the MM summary.

]The kobold bonus would be the equivalent of +3 damage... weapon focus gives +1 at heroic. I can see the argument for +2, since it's a racial, so maybe medium sized and +1 damage.

I looked at Dwarven Weapon Training for this one. It gives proficiency (+2 to hit) and +2 to damage, and it does this for all axes and hammer. This feat gives +3 damage for picks, which is all of one weapon at the moment. It seems reasonably balanced to me. Do you think DWT is too strong?

+1 hit and AC for each adjacent ally is incredibly good. May I suggest +1 to hit and AC if you have at least one adjacent ally instead.

Well, if everyone's bunched around one player, there's going to be problems with area attacks. Assuming a 5-player party, that's a maximum of +4 to hit and AC... yes, that does seem too high in retrospect. I think your suggestion is more sensible, certainly for a heroic-level feat.

there are very few opposed rolls in 4E

I was intending this power to be used for skills rather than combat, at least at heroic level. The bonus helps to Bluff, Intimidate, some Insight, some Stealth, and some Perception rolls. Diplomacy was the only other skill I thought it might be used for, so I may add that in as well.

 

[lordkiwi]

I looked at Dwarven Weapon Training for this one. It gives proficiency (+2 to hit) and +2 to damage, and it does this for all axes and hammer. This feat gives +3 damage for picks, which is all of one weapon at the moment. It seems reasonably balanced to me. Do you think DWT is too strong?

The thing is, Dwarves may be proficient in multiple weapons but they will only use one. And proficiency may be +2 to hit but I generally assume you'd always use a weapon you are proficient in.

Saying that, I think I'm getting my 3E / 4E weapon size rules in a twist. Using a War Pick as a medium creature just means you can use it in one hand. It's identical to a scimitar in all other respects so maybe it isn't so bad.

GWT is quite a powerful feat, from the looks of things, but maybe the Kobold Pick version isn't so powerful after all.