Optional rule: remove class feature for a feat?

[Bloodstone Press]

The Gamin is a core class that uses a slot system similar to Talent Trees or Feat Chains to help you customize your rogue. You can easily make a rogue without sneak attack with this system. Check it out right here:
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=4429&

 

[Infiniti2000]

Well, that's my point. Using flanking is a perfectly valid tactical decision when fighting 2-on-1. There's nothing dishonorable about. If fighting 2-on-1 is not dishonorable itself, that is. So, I think it's easy to justify that, as well as to say that sneak attacks are really called precision attacks. Nothing really sneaky about it. You don't need to become invisible or whatever, and taking advantage of someone being flatfooted is merely you taking advantage of your superior combat speed. I see nothing dishonorable about. It's skill.

 

[Azrael]

As someone mentioned above there is indeed a optional variant in unearthed arcana that allows a rougue to lose sneak attacks and pick up fighter feat progression instead.

 

[CM]

Rogue

The rogue who favors martial training over stealth and cunning can profit if she chooses her fights carefully.
Gain: Bonus feats (as fighter).
Lose: Sneak attack.

HTH

 

[KerlanRayne]

Look at DMG p.174 "Modifying Character Classes." It actually mentions your concept in there. I'd go for the Dodge - Mobility tree.

KerlanRayne

 

[Darmanicus]

Okay, I guess I was hallucinating. Basically, the reason I asked is because I have a character with rogue levels who is never actually going to sneak attack (character reasons). I thought there was some rule that would allow me to basically "give up" sneak attack in exchange for a feat. I was wrong.

I don't see any particular problem with it though, beyond the fact that it adds another dimension for powergamers to abuse (much like the merit/flaw system). Maybe I'll just rename my "sneak attack" ability to "precise-ish strike" (like duelist!) and only use it when flanking.

Calypso

There is a Rogue variant in Unearthed Arcana which lets you drop sneak attack in order to gain the fighter feat progression.

Don't listne to Al though, he's a gimp and doesn't know what he's talking bout!

The charcter in question was a halfling and thus not suited for combat.

Try the variant out with any other race and I'm sure it'll rock.

 

[RisnDevil]

I once had a DM that allowed us to do just what you want (about switching class features for feats). One rule we had though, is you could NOT switch a bonus feat for a feat. The only examples for that off-hand are the Fighter bonus feats and the Wizard bonus feats. The other thing, you could not give up spellcasting for a feat. (Some one had an Assassin that had no intentions of ever using his spells, so much so that he did not even know the list or how many he had, but the DM would not allow him to exchange spellcasting for a feat.) If you do that, it pretty much does balance out. The only issue you get into is progressive abilities. We ruled that if MUCH later you decided you wanted a progressive ability, like say, at level 17 a Rogue deciding he WANTS his Sneak Attack but had given it up at every level thus far, then at level 17 he acts like he is just getting it for the first time.

 

[calypso15]

Cool, thanks for all the help guys. I showed my DM the rogue variant in UA where you can get feats instead of sneak attack, and he wasn't too keen on the idea. So, I'm falling back to plan b), which was to rename my Sneak Attack and only use it while flanking or with improved feint.

Calypso

 

[Staffan]

Transcendence, for Arcana Evolved, includes a bunch of new feats for each class, and mentions that you can trade in any class feature for one of these feats (if it's a class feature that comes in different strengths, you will always have that feature at one level lower, so if you trade in your "sneak attack +3d6" feature for one of the feats, you will get sneak attack +3d6 when the class table says "sneak attack +4d6"). But this is only for those specific feats, not as a general rule.

 

[Kazzy]

The Complete Adventurer has 3 classes that are variant rogues. Maybe one of those would work better. They all get some variant of sneak attack but some of them don't really sneak to use it.