Regional Feats Standard?

[hong]

I much more prefer regional PrC's.

Axe-Fighter of Blargh is a great idea for a PC, and a great way for an axe-wielding warrior to migrate to. It can have many abilities, arranged over, say, 5 levels. This allows us to focus more in on the region, on things that people from Blargh would have (maybe they're known as potent arcanists in Blargh, and so Axe-Fighter of Blargh would require some arcane abilities). It typifies the character more.

The FR method is to give Axe-Fighter of Blargh as a feat that, I dunno, gives you the Improved Critical feat with axe-class weapons automatically.

I'd prefer a non-power-creeping location-based PrC rather than a single feat that gives a big bonus.

That would be my preferred solution as well. A lot more flexible, plus it actually builds the plot hook into the game: want to become an axe fighter of Blarg? Well, that means you have to travel to Blarg.

Of course you still have the problem of people churning out overpowered PrCs, but at least the idea is still that PrCs should be roughly balanced.

 

[JoeGKushner]

If they do become standard, do you think that Dragon will become the default place where information on settings already out gets published? For example, Ravenloft and Dragonlance? Both settings are already out the door but I don't think either has regional feats.

 

[reiella]

If they do become standard, do you think that Dragon will become the default place where information on settings already out gets published? For example, Ravenloft and Dragonlance? Both settings are already out the door but I don't think either has regional feats.

I doubt it on those two settings, for the same reason I don't think we'll see regional feats for Scarred Lands etc in Dragon. New material on those settings at least, are being handled by another publisher.

I do see it being likly for Eberron, and possibly for the 'Old Campaign Setting Revival' minigams that come up . As some folks have already said, OA and Greyhawk sorta already have some done.

[ Add ]
I also doubt many 3rd party publishers will be adding the Regional Feat mechanic to their worlds until WotC decides to put it in open content. Also, at least for worlds like Scarred Lands, with the player's guides there are already a great number of feats that fit the Flavor Consideration for regional feats .

 

[I'm A Banana]

Of course you still have the problem of people churning out overpowered PrCs, but at least the idea is still that PrCs should be roughly balanced.

Plus, at only a handful of levels (3, 5, maybe 7) they will help add deapth to the PC without *defining* them. It allows every Axe-Fighter of Blargh to be different, though they share some regional similarities in the PrC.

 

[BryonD]

I much more prefer regional PrC's.

Axe-Fighter of Blargh is a great idea for a PC, and a great way for an axe-wielding warrior to migrate to. It can have many abilities, arranged over, say, 5 levels. This allows us to focus more in on the region, on things that people from Blargh would have (maybe they're known as potent arcanists in Blargh, and so Axe-Fighter of Blargh would require some arcane abilities). It typifies the character more.

The FR method is to give Axe-Fighter of Blargh as a feat that, I dunno, gives you the Improved Critical feat with axe-class weapons automatically.

I'd prefer a non-power-creeping location-based PrC rather than a single feat that gives a big bonus.

I agree with you.

But I don't see why that is a problem for regional feats.

The two can go hand-in-hand.

And regional feats are far smaller a matter. Axe fighter of Blargh would largely define the character (which can be either very good or very bad). The Blargh regional feat simply gives a single trait.

If WotC were saying "these feats are the way to define your characters background", then that would be a bad thing. But they are not, they are simply adding one small mechanical tool to the mix.

For example:
NPC: Where are you from stranger?
PC: The hill regions of Blargh
NPC: thinking - hmm, I hear those guys are...... (regional trait stereo-type here) Yeah, so what makes you think you can handle yourself out here?
PC: I trained with the axefighters of blargh, I think I can handle it
NPC: thinking - OH!!! Leave him alone, he'll do fine, just don't make him mad.

General population traits are cool and more detailed flavor elements limited to within a population are also cool. Both things offer different aspects to the game and they neither one limits the other.

 

[Derulbaskul]

I also like the concept of regional feats although I found including Daylight Adaptation as something you can only gain at 1st level a bit strange (after all, isn't it more likely that the character adapts to daylight later on his career?). Similarly, I thought having Ethran as a feat that can only be taken at 1st level didn't make that much sense.

Personally, I agree that the feats should be balanced against existing core feats or they should provide a balancing penalty. Heck, even the 2E kits in the FR class splatbooks got this part right.

 

[I'm A Banana]

My problem with the regional feats is strictly a power one, and the FR 'template' is to be more powerful than average. I don't mind regional feats in general as a concept (they're a fine concept), but I pretty much revile the way they've been implemented. While it doesn't break the game, I was willing to believe an FR character and a Defualt D&D Character could have stood side-by-side......now the FR character has a decided benefit....it's symptomatic of a trend I don't like.....and to see it basically officially condoned irks me quite a bit.

A better approach is something like the Clans in OA, IMHO. They've got a regionally-determined favored class, region-specific PrC's (each clan has it's own Samurai), and get an extra class skill (quite trivial in terms of power creep, since all it does is maybe take a bit away from the Rogue or Bard, who are so diverse that they won't feel the pain. Still not ideal, but acceptable). You could go an extra step, and specify a feat that only beings from that region can choose (at any point).

There's a lot of ways to do it. FR just chose one of the quickest (a single feat that you must choose at 1st level), and then made it bad (by increasing the power of that feat beyond others).

 

[Felon]

There were a number of more sensible ways to implement this whole "regionality" concept. How about tapping into Unearthed Arcana to whip up some regional core-class variants? For instance, one region known for its sprawling, crime-ridden cities could have fighters that use the "thug" variant, and some other region known for tribes of primitive elves could replace the barbarian's rage with the more agility-oriented "whirling frenzy" ability.

Heck, the various animal-themed Uthgardt tribes seem perfectly-designed to use the totem barbarian variants.

 

[reiella]

A better approach is something like the Clans in OA, IMHO. They've got a regionally-determined favored class, region-specific PrC's (each clan has it's own Samurai), and get an extra class skill (quite trivial in terms of power creep, since all it does is maybe take a bit away from the Rogue or Bard, who are so diverse that they won't feel the pain. Still not ideal, but acceptable). You could go an extra step, and specify a feat that only beings from that region can choose (at any point).

Well the free class skill I believe is supposed to make up for the sacrifice in versatility a Human in a clan suffers. They no longer have a 'free multiclass' and their bonus feat must be an ancestor feat.

 

[ruemere]

[...]I guess I'm really wondering about non-official settings. After all, many campaign settings like Scarred Lands have specialty prestige classes that come from certain regions. Unique feats that can only be taken at first level don't seem that far a stretch.
[...]
"Vesh Born": A true son of Vesh whose destiny is the Vigil Watch, this character gets +2 to Initiative, Move Silenelty and Survival.

The region feats have been present in Scarred Lands setting for some time now. You can find them in Ghelspad Gazetteer, Termana Gazetteer and, revised for 3.5 edition, in Creature Collection Revised.

The feats are reserved for humans, to be taken at first level only, and their benefits are:
- 3.0 - increase of on of two abilitites by 2 (possibly exceeding 18) and decrease one ability by two.
- 3.5 - as above, one exotic (region specific) weapon becomes, through familiarity, a martial weapon.

Regards,
Ruemere