Non-combat, non-magic feats: Why are there no good ones?

[GuardianLurker]

RW, how about these feats :

Friendly
Prereq: Leadership
People just want to be friendly with you. In any social interaction, your "opponent's" reaction is calculated one column better. I.e. Hostile becomes Indifferent.

Friends Everywhere
Prereq: Gather Information 8 ranks
No matter where you go, there's always at least one person in the area who is an old friend/extended family member and is willing to help you. This friend will render maximum aid equal to 1/4 the starting gold of a PC your level, or a number of favors equal to 1/2 your level. Caution: When applied to the Evil Archfiend's lair, the friend is likely to be in the dungeon (assuming the PC's are good/neutral).

Greater Friends Everywhere
Prereq: Friends Everywhere
As above, but the gold limit increases to 1/2 and the number of favors is equal to your level.

Stunning Looks
Prereq: Cha 13+
In interactions with members of the opposite sex, all social interactions are calculated one column better, with a +4 bonus. When interacting with members of the same sex, all social interactions receive a -4 penalty. If a character receives the best possible result for interaction, the "opponent" must make a Will save, at a DC of the character's Charisma, or be besotted. A besotted character will be besotted for a number of days equal to the "object's" charisma bonus.

[Edit : Forgot Prereqs]

 

[Velenne]

Physics Shmysics
You can defy the laws of reality
Prereq's: Perform 5 ranks, Less than 10 Wis
By simply being unaware of, or apathetic to the laws of physics, you can defy them temporarily. For instance, if you are unaware that you're standing over the edge of a cliff, you may simply walk around freely. But the moment you look down and realize you're far above the ground, teetering on nothingness, you will fall. Or, if someone were paint a door on a wall, you may proceed to open said door as if it were real, passing into the adjacent room (if any). But if you knew the door was painted, you merely succeed in bumping your nose on the decorated wall and looking foolish.

 

[Tonguez]

Originaly from Rangerwickett


I have to agree with Rangerwickett here. I'm of the opinion that social status issues are better resolved with templates.

If your party compeletes the king's quest and he deeds you a small keep on the edge of his kingdom you could be granted the Land Holders template.

This template would give you certain rights (taxation, law enforcement, lordship) and responsibilities (defense, geld, military service) and some benfits (income, prestige, benefits to certain skills like gather info or intimidate).

But it should be a template and not a feat because it can be taken away (and if it is your DM can grant you the former land lord template ).

IMO feats should only be permanent addition sto the character that they cannot loose (ordinarily-I understand ambidexterity can become difficult after a fight with a vorpal weilding opponent).

However, there are some social or status oriented feats that could be permanent. Royal Born is an example. Think Aragorn. No matter what he did he could not forsake his royal lineage.

This looks more like a Prestige Class to me than a Template with the Rights and Responsibilites class abilities being lossed if their "Noble Priviledges" are ever revoked by the King.
Thing is once a person has been a landowning gentry they wont loose the skills and influence they have acquire when they lose that land.


Influence

I use an Influence Feat imc which (although linked to a whole series of houserules) I will present here.

INFLUENCE
Influence is the degree to which a person can rely on others to support her actions or decisions. It is not the same a Status since a very popular commoner can have as much influence as a king but within a smaller scope.
Determine Base Influence points at Character Level x Cha mod. The PCs influence is initally limited to a small 'scope' (eg a group of friends, members of the Skullcrusher Clan Choir, or Fagans Pickpockets - determined by PC and DM approval) the scope increases each time the feat is taken (family/friends- small group- organisation (Guild, Church etc) -village...country etc)
Influence points can be added to any skill and ability checks which involves interacting with people within the PCs current scope eg all Cha based skills (Diplomacy, Bluff), Gather Information, Perform etc

 

[Reynard]

This looks more like a Prestige Class to me than a Template with the Rights and Responsibilites class abilities being lossed if their "Noble Priviledges" are ever revoked by the King.
Thing is once a person has been a landowning gentry they wont loose the skills and influence they have acquire when they lose that land.

However, being a landowner or a noble takes absolutely no special training whatsoever. Therefore, it seems silly to make people "level" in it.

On the idea that D&D is combat oriented: well, yeah, of course it is. That's okay. My campaigns ahve a lot of roleplaying with lots of actions and reactions that have nothing to do with combat. I don't need rules for that, just good players. Besides, if there were rules for social interactiosn and what not, they could be minmaxed just like any combat rules. So, this way, your players actually have to role play well.

 

[mmadsen]

I'd hate to see too many class abilities become feats - it waters down the classes and makes it a whole lot less cool to be a Druid or a Bard or a Rogue.

If you're allowed to multiclass freely, doesn't that "water down" the classes just as much? Or is a Fighter/Bard less watered down than a Fighter with Inspire Courage?

Anyway, with appropriate prereqs, the Feats still end up only where they belong -- and I don't see anything wrong with a Ranger having Woodland Stride or Trackless Step, or a warrior Cleric having Aura of Courage or Divine Health.

 

[drnuncheon]

If you're allowed to multiclass freely, doesn't that "water down" the classes just as much?

I don't think it does. Putting levels into a class is a lot bigger investment than buying a feat, so you're (hopefully) only going to do it if it really makes sense for your character. A fighter is going to think long and hard before taking a level of bard (for example), because it's going to detract from his fighting ability. But he's got plenty of feats to spend, so using one of his character-level feats to pick up Inspire Courage (or whatever) isn't going to be a big cost for him.

J

 

[redwing]

In my game the character with diplomacy has saved the group a number of times.

I think more feats like this would be great.

Would you consider rogue feats combat feats? Like pick-pocket, climb?

 

[Luddite]

The feats in DnD are geared towards "typical" DnD Action. By this I mean the Dungeon Crawl and its dirivities and for the most part this means Combat.

In order for a feat to be useful, there needs to be rules that the feat can modify. And the rules for more "Socail" actions in DnD are nearly non-existant. So the reason why there isn't any good non-combat, non-magic feats, is because there isn't any good non-combat, non-magic rules in the Core DnD.

Others have mentioned Spycraft, which has rules for other types of actions, including Chases and Investigation proceedures. Fading Suns has a strong tie to Social Class and thus has a number of Social Feats, (and classes get extra "Social" feats as well as general feats). And recent (within the past 12 months) Dragon created a system of Reputation and feats to go along with it.

But in each case, rules have been created to handle these different actions. Then you can create feats to change these rules.

-The Luddite

 

[Sir Hawkeye]

An idea that popped into my head. Kind of a hybrid:

Spectacular Entrance
You may enter a room in such a way as to impress friends and stun your enemies with your presence.
Prereq.: Cha 13+, Bluff 4 ranks OR Intimidate 4 ranks
Benefits: If you appear suddenly, you may make a charisma check. Anyone who sees your entrance and is within 60' may be affected. Against those who fail a will save (DC 10+your Cha mod), you gain a +2 morale bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks for the next hour. In combat, any enemies who fail their saves receive a -2 morale penalty to initiative.

 

[RangerWickett]

To reply to Luddite, I don't really mean social feats, though. Your point about different types of games having different types of action is quite valid, but just because the bulk of D&D's action is combat-based doesn't mean that all feats have to be action-based.

Feats that let you do nifty stuff . . . like the ability to shapeshift into a small animal at will, or to enter the dreams of others (without having to use spells). These could all be cool abilities, and as long as they can't harm others, they could be represented by feats instead of spells and such. I'm saying that I want feats that let you do things that are interesting. A lot of low-key magic effects could be better modeled as feats, in my opinion.