Reserve Feats: Useful for PCs, The Suck for NPCs

[Sejs]

My first reaction was nothing short of jaw-dropping, particularly the polymorph reserve feat with the temporary hp.

First off, yeah that one was particularly flubbed. Somebody didn't think it through.

Why do a short range 5-foot radius 5d6 fire damage when you can do a long range 20-foot radius 10d6 fire damage? You don't need to conserve resources, you are an NPC!

Two points: First, yeah, metagaming bad. Second, the point is that you can do that short range 5' radius 5d6 fireball all you want and if you need to STILL cash in that higher level spell if you need it.

Some of the reserve feats would be absolutely brutal on an NPC. Particularly Magic Disruption and Summon Elemental. Free spell interruption chance as an immediate action? Unlimited elementals? Sign me up. Dimensional Jaunt could also be amazingly frustrating on the right NPC, particularly in an NPC's own home. Players will learn to hate grates, windows, arrow slits and peepholes.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Resrve feats were not built with the intention of being used by NPCs, but by PCs. Reread pages 36-37.

 

[Vuron]

Resrve feats were not built with the intention of being used by NPCs, but by PCs. Reread pages 36-37.

Meh, with the exception of leadership I'm not real fond of assuming that there are PC only feats, monster or NPC only feats I'm okay with but it seems kinda odd to have a feat developed that isn't occasionally tried out by NPCs.

That being said unless the NPC was a former or current adventurer many of the assumptions of reserve feats make limited sense in thier day to day life. A scholarly wizard/sage is much better served in investing in something boring (yet profitable) like skill focus Knowledge(arcane) and charging pesky PCs for answers to questions

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Metagaming is bad.

Bye
Thanee

Pushover encounters arent much better. Which is what someone wasting an action at 20th level to throw a 9d6 dart is.

Some feats and classes just blow for NPCs. The ranger is one of those, since unless your PC party is predominantly of the same race AND the NPC ranger has taken it, he's basically a warrior (npc class) with a few more skill points. Binders, Incarnates and Warlocks are also pretty gimpy as NPC's. Its just the nature of the beast. And all the NPC classes are basically free exp/loot if you use the CR system as written.

 

[frankthedm]

Pushover encounters arent much better. Which is what someone wasting an action at 20th level to throw a 9d6 dart is.

Some feats and classes just blow for NPCs. The ranger is one of those, since unless your PC party is predominantly of the same race AND the NPC ranger has taken it, he's basically a warrior (npc class) with a few more skill points.

Stealth and full BAB are nice, though to have the ranger operate properly involves said ranger sneaking past the night watch when the party camps in the wild and if sucessfull, performing as many CDGs as possible on those who were sleeping. Which is a little too hard-core for most players.

 

[Vuron]

Pushover encounters arent much better. Which is what someone wasting an action at 20th level to throw a 9d6 dart is.

Some feats and classes just blow for NPCs. The ranger is one of those, since unless your PC party is predominantly of the same race AND the NPC ranger has taken it, he's basically a warrior (npc class) with a few more skill points. Binders, Incarnates and Warlocks are also pretty gimpy as NPC's. Its just the nature of the beast. And all the NPC classes are basically free exp/loot if you use the CR system as written.

Rangers suck as NPC tanks for one shot encounters but as bounty hunters with lots of favored opponent humanoid (human) they tend to hold thier own assuming that you use ambush and hit and run tactics against the party. An smartly played archer ranger should fire off a handful of arrows (maybe with poison on them) and then fall back and prepare the next ambush.

It's rangers that do the full frontal assault that get slaughtered, unfortunately a certain drow dual scimitar wielder seems to have convinced people to play them as close in work experts.

 

[Land Outcast]

An smartly played archer ranger should fire off a handful of arrows (maybe with poison on them) and then fall back and prepare the next ambush.

Fact

 

[Tzarevitch]

Pushover encounters arent much better. Which is what someone wasting an action at 20th level to throw a 9d6 dart is.

Some feats and classes just blow for NPCs. The ranger is one of those, since unless your PC party is predominantly of the same race AND the NPC ranger has taken it, he's basically a warrior (npc class) with a few more skill points. Binders, Incarnates and Warlocks are also pretty gimpy as NPC's. Its just the nature of the beast. And all the NPC classes are basically free exp/loot if you use the CR system as written.

Amen brother.

Tzarevitch

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

It's rangers that do the full frontal assault that get slaughtered, unfortunately a certain drow dual scimitar wielder seems to have convinced people to play them as close in work experts.

Which is funny, because in 3e he isn't a full ranger- he's more fighter (10 Ftr/ 1 Brb / 5 Rgr) ...

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Stealth and full BAB are nice, though to have the ranger operate properly involves said ranger sneaking past the night watch when the party camps in the wild and if sucessfull, performing as many CDGs as possible on those who were sleeping. Which is a little too hard-core for most players.

So he's a crappy rogue then, without sneak attack? My point still stands that rangers are weak foes. A fighter/rogue will actually be a challenge.