New Feats

[The Little Raven]

Here's some new feats from my House Rules. Let me know what you think.

This is my newest... it's still pretty rough, but I like the concept.

Aura of Power [General]
You radiate an aura of powerful energy.
Prerequisite: The ability to cast 3rd-level spells with an energy descriptor (acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic).
Benefit: As a free action, you may invoke your aura of power. So long as you have one spell with an energy descriptor prepared (or one unused spell slot for spontaneous casters of a level that the character knows an energy spell), you are surrounded with an aura of that energy type. Any melee attack that deals damage to you also deals 1 point of energy damage to the attacker.

Here are a few more, based on my "March of Progress" game, which is set in a Renaissance-era land.

Astrology [General]
Prerequisite: Able to cast 3rd-level Divination spells, Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks.
Benefit: If you have clear view of the sky, you may spend one minute studying the stars and make a Knowledge (the planes) check (DC 20). If you succeed, the caster level of all Divination spells cast in the next hour are increased by 2.

(Knowledge (the planes) was used, because in this setting, the planes are the solar system. Each planet represents a different elemental or alignment-based plane, with the Astral plane filling the void between the planets)

High Alchemy [General]
Prerequisite: Able to cast 3rd-level Transmutation spells, Craft (alchemy) 8 ranks.
Benefit: You may create an alchemical component for any Transmutation spell by spending 100 gp. When this component is used as a material component, it increases the caster level of the spell by 1.

Medical Science [General]
Prerequisite: Able to cast 3rd-level Conjuration (healing) spells, Heal 8 ranks.
Benefit: Whenever you cast a healing spell, you may opt to add your knowledge of medical science to your result. By making a successful Heal check (DC 10 + 2 per level of the spell), you may treat the spell as if it were affected by the Maximize Spell metamagic feat. Using this feat requires a full-round action, or an additional full-round action for spells with a casting time greater than 1 action.

 

[Scion]

Overall I like them

Are you allowing aura of power to be taken more than once or does it confer the ability 5 times if you have the appropriate 5 different spells memorized? The wording could be read either way.

If it can only be taken once and only does a max of damage from one energy type at a time then I think it might even be ok to make the aura do damage equal to the spell level of the spell being borrowed from. (this would max out at 9th in normal games obviously and 9 damage per melee attack from a specific attacker by practically giving up a 9th level slot, not too bad, and possibly not 'too' good)

I think that the last feat might be a little much for higher level spells but hard to tell. I'd have to see it in action for awhile, but for a character with the healing domain it'd be great flavor.

 

[the Jester]

Nice work!

I think I'd limit Aura of Power to one type of energy (although I'd let someone take it multiple times and stack the damage).

I also think Medical Science is too good for the cost- virtually anyone with access to healing spells is going to have their Heal skill maxed out, and the check is just too easy to make (for instance, to maximize a cure critical wounds you'd need to make a Heal check, DC 24; by this time you're 7th level, prolly with 10 ranks in Heal and at least a +4 for Wis. This means that the odds are you make your Heal check half the time on your best healing spell, getting a Maximized healing spell more than half the time when you cast one and paying (essentially) only one feat for the privelage (without any level increase at all!) This might be okay as a prc ability, but I think it's too much for a feat without a real cost.

High Alchemy and Astrology are cool, though the Astrology feat would need a different justification to work in my cosmology.

 

[The Little Raven]

Overall I like them

Thanks!

Are you allowing aura of power to be taken more than once or does it confer the ability 5 times if you have the appropriate 5 different spells memorized? The wording could be read either way.

Only once... I should define it a bit further.

Aura of Power [General]
You radiate an aura of powerful energy.
Prerequisite: The ability to cast 3rd-level spells with an energy descriptor (acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic).
Benefit: Select one of the following descriptors: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. As long as you have a spell prepared that has the same descriptor as this energy type, you radiate an aura of power. Any melee attack that deals damage to you also deals 1 point of energy damage to the attacker per level of the spell.
Special: For spontaneous casters, you must have one empty spell slot open and know a spell with the proper descriptor of that spell slot's level or higher. You may only take this feat once.

That better?

If it can only be taken once and only does a max of damage from one energy type at a time then I think it might even be ok to make the aura do damage equal to the spell level of the spell being borrowed from. (this would max out at 9th in normal games obviously and 9 damage per melee attack from a specific attacker by practically giving up a 9th level slot, not too bad, and possibly not 'too' good)

I had that thought while revising it. See above.

I think that the last feat might be a little much for higher level spells but hard to tell. I'd have to see it in action for awhile, but for a character with the healing domain it'd be great flavor.

Well, when you have 9th level spells (17th level or so), is 9 points of damage really all that much to a melee opponent?

And I dunno about the healing domain and this affecting positive or negative energy.

 

[The Little Raven]

Nice work!

I think I'd limit Aura of Power to one type of energy (although I'd let someone take it multiple times and stack the damage).

Thanks.

I revised it to be only taken once for one particular type of energy... however, it deals damage equal to the level of the spell.

I also think Medical Science is too good for the cost- virtually anyone with access to healing spells is going to have their Heal skill maxed out, and the check is just too easy to make (for instance, to maximize a cure critical wounds you'd need to make a Heal check, DC 24; by this time you're 7th level, prolly with 10 ranks in Heal and at least a +4 for Wis. This means that the odds are you make your Heal check half the time on your best healing spell, getting a Maximized healing spell more than half the time when you cast one and paying (essentially) only one feat for the privelage (without any level increase at all!) This might be okay as a prc ability, but I think it's too much for a feat without a real cost.

Well, do you have any suggestions? I've thought of requiring the use of a masterwork surgeon's kit, a set gp cost (similar to High Alchemy), or even the sacrifice of another spell.

High Alchemy and Astrology are cool, though the Astrology feat would need a different justification to work in my cosmology.

Thanks for the compliments... I'm working on other feats to add a little "scholarly" flavor to casting spells.

 

[Scion]

Well, when you have 9th level spells (17th level or so), is 9 points of damage really all that much to a melee opponent?

And I dunno about the healing domain and this affecting positive or negative energy.

My response there was about your 'last' feat being a bit much. It is super healing but costs nearly nothing. No worries I'm sure you'll get there eventually for something that will work all right. The other poster said it better than I did.

 

[the Jester]

Thanks.

I revised it to be only taken once for one particular type of energy... however, it deals damage equal to the level of the spell.

Excellent, this looks about right to me.

Well, do you have any suggestions? I've thought of requiring the use of a masterwork surgeon's kit, a set gp cost (similar to High Alchemy), or even the sacrifice of another spell.

Hummm, as I said it strongly resembles a prestige class ability for a homebrewed prc of mine... let's see, to balance it as a feat...

Maybe instead of maximizing your healing spells, you can add your Wis bonus to all your healing spells (no roll required)? Again, very similar to the healer's [the prc I keep mentioning] abilities, but as a feat, I think it's a lot more balanced than a free Maximize. It's still pretty good for low-level healing spells, and for high-level ones it's not too bad... though it loses utility. Or maybe +1/die? No, that's less than +wis bonus for most of them... Hm. I'd go with +1 per die.