Skill based feats - a few ideas

[Phlebas]

After a long conversation about 'good' feats and 'useless' feats a few nights ago, the general consensus in our group was that skill based feats (especially the 2 + 2 style) weren't too popular.

The main reason was that although they were useful at low levels, they didn't scale and so became a wasted feat at mid to high levels.
now this got me thinking, because i quite like the skill bonus feats but agree they don't scale and so i have a proposal for discussion

House Rule 1

all feats that give +2 Skill points to two skills now give +2 skillpoints originally, +3 Skill points at 5th level, +4 Skill points at 10th level, +5 skill points at 15th level, +6 skill points at 20th level

House rule 2

Skill focus (normally +3 skill points) will now give +3 skillpoints originally, +4 Skill points at 5th level, +6 Skill points at 10th level, +8 skill points at 15th level, +10 skill points at 20th level

Any comments? The main thing i'm worried about is preventing it becoming too easily stackable with other bonuses available at low level (by high level it shouldn't be an issue)

Btw, i play a low magic game so there aren't a huge number of stat boosting / skill boosting items in the system - so if my players aren't interested in skill points from feats it can only be worse in RAW games

 

[Notmousse]

Just nitpicking here, but those feats don't offer extra skillpoints, but an unnamed bonus to your skill.

Personally I've condensed all the +2, +2 feats into a single one that adds +2 to any two feats, and expanded upon the original skill focus allowing a character to evenually add +10 to their chosen skill, which while still not extremely popular if perfect for the character looking to max out that one special skill (pick pocket for example).

 

[Phlebas]

Just nitpicking here, but those feats don't offer extra skillpoints, but an unnamed bonus to your skill.

its the 'unnamed' part of the bonus that would worry me at low levels.

Glad to see i'm not the only one thinking about house rules

 

[Vrecknidj]

I made a list of all the feats my players deemed "useless." Then I told them that their characters could take any one of them (for which they qualified) at 7th level and then another one at 13th level.

This has been a great way to get them to shoot for some extra flavor, and it's given some of them a chance to reconsider whether they were really useless after all.

Dave

 

[Kerrick]

Personally I've condensed all the +2, +2 feats into a single one that adds +2 to any two feats

Any two skills, you mean? I did that too. Called it Jack of All Trades - choose two related skills, and you gain a +2 bonus to both. You can take the feat multiple times, but only once for a given skill.

and expanded upon the original skill focus allowing a character to evenually add +10 to their chosen skill, which while still not extremely popular if perfect for the character looking to max out that one special skill (pick pocket for example).

That sounds interesting. How does it work?

 

[Notmousse]

They don't even have to be related skills IMC. It just represents natural aptitude placed into two skills.

Skill Focus
Benefit: Gain a +2 bonus to any two skills.

Skill Focus, Greater
Requirements: Improved Skill Focus
Benefit: Gain a +3 bonus to any skill. Additionally the selected skill is always a Devoted skill for you. This stacks with Skill Focus and Improved Skill Focus.

Skill Focus, Improved
Benefit: Gain a +3 bonus to any skill. Additionally the selected skill is always a Class skill for you. This stacks with Skill Focus.

Skill Focus, Perfect
Requirements: Greater Skill Focus
Benefit: Gain a +4 bonus to any skill. Additionally you may take 20 on a skill check in only 5 times the time a normal skill check takes. This stacks with Skill Focus, Improved Skill Focus, and Greater Skill Focus.

A bit of explaination goes here... I couldn't think of a creative name for the +2/+2 feat, so I called it skill focus. Improved Skill Focus does *not* require Skill Focus. Devoted skills are a new concept in my house rules, setting a higher cap than class skills allow, and allows you to 'take 10' on the skill check, even if you wouldn't be able to under normal rules.

 

[ElectricDragon]

At Notmousse: What is the cap for Devoted Skills?

 

[Notmousse]

5 + 1.5 per level instead of 3 + 1 per level. I guess that information was lost with the old computer. Better add that to my notes.

 

[Phlebas]

There's some nice ideas there - especially the idea of taking 20 faster or taking 10 when not normally able to.

on the other hand that makes 1+2 feats in a tree replacing a single feat that normally isn't taken.......

 

[Notmousse]

The two subsequent feats are the main incentive for taking it in the first place, but honestly these feats are intended for NPCs, so that you don't have Adam Adventurer being better at Carl Craftman's job just because Adam's a higher level and has extra skill points.