Small annoyances that could / should be finally fixed with the Essentials

[Mengu]

I'd like to see the following feats removed:
* Expertise
Weapon Focus
Superior (Weapon/Implement)

But I suspect I'm in not in the majority. I hate people tying their characters to specific weapons - in one game we found an artifact sword and I was considering using it. It would have required retraining three or four feats (ie, three or four _levels_) to make it worthwhile. Bah!

Expertise/Focus could easily be built into the system, they're down right boring feats that add nothing to what you can do as a character anyway. Same with item slots that are sucked up by an item bonus to damage. At level 5/15/25 you get +1 feat bonus to attack/damage, and at levels 3/8/13/18/23/28 you get a +1 item bonus to damage would provide a decent damage progression for leveling. But I guess that might require too much in the way of adjustments.

 

[Otterscrubber]

I'd also like to see implement focus, and I'd like Astral Fire and company (damage type specific feats) to increase from +1/2/3 to +2/3/4. Probably pipe dreams.

Why? It's handy enough as it is at +1/+2/+3, I've seen a feat or two that are +2/+3/+4 and I don't understand why that is. I don't understand why in newer books they have feats exactly like old feats, but better for a certain class or race.

 

[eamon]

I'd like to see the following feats removed:
* Expertise
Weapon Focus
Superior (Weapon/Implement)

But I suspect I'm in not in the majority. I hate people tying their characters to specific weapons - in one game we found an artifact sword and I was considering using it. It would have required retraining three or four feats (ie, three or four _levels_) to make it worthwhile. Bah!

And while they're at it, they could fix NAD divergence and NAD progression in general. It'd be great to see the math-fix-feats go...

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Like a linguist background, that let you get a new language every 3 levels or so?

I´d like that...

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Linguist feat?

I want to learn a single language, not 3 at once

 

[DracoSuave]

Expertise/Focus could easily be built into the system, they're down right boring feats that add nothing to what you can do as a character anyway. Same with item slots that are sucked up by an item bonus to damage. At level 5/15/25 you get +1 feat bonus to attack/damage, and at levels 3/8/13/18/23/28 you get a +1 item bonus to damage would provide a decent damage progression for leveling. But I guess that might require too much in the way of adjustments.

You know, some players actually -like- being able to take a feat and get a boring bonus. 'Boring' is subjective.

 

[Psikus]

I'd like to see the following feats removed:
* Expertise
Weapon Focus
Superior (Weapon/Implement)

But I suspect I'm in not in the majority. I hate people tying their characters to specific weapons - in one game we found an artifact sword and I was considering using it. It would have required retraining three or four feats (ie, three or four _levels_) to make it worthwhile. Bah!

I agree that Expertise needs to get the axe... the others, I'm not so sure. Weapon Focus may be a must for damage-focused characters, but doesn't cause any balance problem, and I think it's nice to have a straightforward option for boosting damage. What I'd like to see is more alternatives to weapon focus, that is, more conditional (and interesting) feats that grant a feat bonus to damage which is larger, but doesn't work 100% of the time.

As for superior weapons and implements, I don't mind that the feats themselves are sort of mandatory, as long as selecting the item is a meaningful choice. I think superior implements do this pretty well - though accurate implements are awesome, there is a nice variety of alternatives to choose from that can be comparable in power level. Superior weapons, not so much, as there is not as much variety in properties. It would be great if they could come up with a couple extra weapon properties, and let you choose between two superior swords, two superior 2H axes, etc.

 

[webrunner]

I agree that Expertise needs to get the axe... the others, I'm not so sure. Weapon Focus may be a must for damage-focused characters, but doesn't cause any balance problem, and I think it's nice to have a straightforward option for boosting damage. What I'd like to see is more alternatives to weapon focus, that is, more conditional (and interesting) feats that grant a feat bonus to damage which is larger, but doesn't work 100% of the time.

As for superior weapons and implements, I don't mind that the feats themselves are sort of mandatory, as long as selecting the item is a meaningful choice. I think superior implements do this pretty well - though accurate implements are awesome, there is a nice variety of alternatives to choose from that can be comparable in power level. Superior weapons, not so much, as there is not as much variety in properties. It would be great if they could come up with a couple extra weapon properties, and let you choose between two superior swords, two superior 2H axes, etc.

My problem is that Weapon Focus/Expertise/what have you are based on weapon groups. If you're a ranger who wants to dual wield two weapon types for flavor reasons (say, hammer+sword), you have to take each feat twice.

 

[Kelvor Ravenstar]

Treetop sniper requires you to be an elf.

Moonbow Stalker requires you to worship Sehanine.

My apologies Klaus, I only mentioned Treetop Sniper because the content from Dragon 386 isn't in the Compendium yet.

 

[Mengu]

You know, some players actually -like- being able to take a feat and get a boring bonus. 'Boring' is subjective.

Well, I didn't think those players would complain if they got their candy for free.

They can still use their feats for other static stuff, there is plenty to go around. I think the expertise/focus attack/damage bonuses being free would just form a nice baseline, without forcing shenanigans to get it (like weapliment users).