I've been kicking around the idea of adding social feats to my campaign - feats to do with social status, and various other non-combat things. These would be in addition to regular feats, probably one at 1st level, and then one per 4-5 levels after that. These feats are specific for my campaign world (pseudo mediveal Roman empire).
Comments, other ideas? I know that these won't appeal to everyone (they add a level of power to the players, some of these things could be earned in a campaign independent of feats, etc.).
craftyrat
Social Feats
Social feats represent special abilities and social connections, especially those acquired during your upbringing.
A character gains one social feat at 1st level, and another for every four levels. Regular feats can be swapped for social feats, but social feat slots cannot be used to take regular feats. Many of these feats are organized into feat trees. Each lower feat is a prerequisite for the next feat on the tree. All benefits from the feat trees are cumulative. It is possible to take feats from different trees (soldier-nobles, priest-soldiers, priest-guild members, etc. are all possible).
Some of these feats offer very concrete benefits, while others do not. They should all be considered roughly equal. Many of the higher feats on the feat trees have substantial responsibilities as well as benefits. You can’t be the guildmaster of a thieves guild if you are never in your home community, for example. Any feat that involves leading an organization (abbott, guildmaster) or joining a senate (except junior senator) must be earned in the campaign, as well as bought with a feat.
Artisan
Benefit: +2 bonus to three different craft skills. This feat can be taken multiple times, and applied up to twice to each skill.
Contact
Benefit: There is one person who you know well and can turn to for assistance. How much assistance depends on the circumstances and the person. Choosing the Emperor as a contact might get you an audience on occasion (and it might not); choosing the commander of the neighborhood police station would get you a close personal friend. Each rank in Contact allows you to choose a new contact. If your contact is killed or loses power/position, then replacing them is up to the GM (if you were directly responsible for their downfall, then you're probably stuck; if it was incidental or unrelated to your activities, then you should get a replacement). Choice of a contact is up to the GM, with player suggestions allowed ).
Educated
Benefits: 3 ranks in any knowledge skill(s). The maximum number of ranks based on level still applies. This feat can be taken more than once.
Guild Member
A member of a professional or crafting guild.
Journeyman
Prerequisite: appropriate craft or professional skill with at least 2 ranks
Benefits: +3 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your craft/profession.
Master [xx] (i.e.: Master Carpenter, Master Stonemason, etc)
Prerequisite: at least 8 ranks in the appropriate skill, 3rd level
Benefits: A special +3 bonus in that skill, and a +1 bonus in a related profession or craft skill.
Guildmaster
Prerequisite: at least 8 ranks in the appropriate skill, Diplomacy 4, Leadership, 6th level
Benefits: You have the power to declare a guild embargo against a particular person, though you can be overturned by a vote of masters of your guild. You gain a +4 reaction roll bonus with authority figures in your own community.
Guild Member - Thieves Guild
A member of an organized thieves guild.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your guild, +1 per level of rank with members of other (non-opposed) thieves guilds. There might be reaction roll penalties with members of local law enforcement. Guild members can call upon their guild for aid; how much aid they get depends on their rank.
Apprentice Thief
Prerequisite: A total of 2 ranks in: Balance, Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Disarm Device and/or Open Locks.
Benefits: A set of masterwork lockpicks (+3 to open locks) and masterwork disarm kit (+3 to disarm device).
Journeyman Thief
Prerequisite: A total of 8 ranks in: Balance, Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Disarm Device and/or Open Locks.
Benefits: Ability to draw upon the guild for support and equipment.
Master Thief
Prerequisite: A total of 16 ranks in: Balance, Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Disarm Device and/or Open Locks; 10th level
Benefits: Ability to order around lower ranking guild members.
Guildmaster
Prerequisite: Leadership; 14th level
Benefits: A free rogue special ability
Guild Member - Wizards' Guild
A member of one of the many local wizards’ guilds.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast spells as a wilder or an initiate. Some wizards’ guilds only accept initiates.
Apprentice
Prerequisite: 1st level caster.
Benefits: +1 to any three knowledge skills
Journeyman
Prerequisite: 3rd level caster
Benefits: An extra 5 ranks in any language(s). Ability to draw upon the guild’s library.
Master
Prerequisite: 7th level caster
Benefits: A free item creation feat
Guildmaster
Prerequisite: 12th level caster; Leadership
Benefits: +3 bonus to Spellcraft and Concentration
Imperial Officer
An officer in the imperial army. The imperial army is by far the most organized military force in the empire. Provincial forces are much smaller, and generally without a formal rank structure (often it is: nobles in charge, everyone else below). A legion is usually divided into 10 cohorts, each of which are six centuries of 100 men.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of the imperial army, +1 per level of rank with all imperial officials. Imperial officers have a certain amount of immunity from provincial law. They are, however, subject to the laws of the legion, which are often considerably more harsh.
Cohort Centurinate 6th rank (Centurion)
Prerequisite: BAB +1
Benefit: Salary of 10 gp/month
Cohort Centurinate 1st rank
Prerequisite: BAB +3
Commander of a century
Benefit: Salary of 30 gp/month; +3 to save vs fear (applies to all troops under your command in a 20’ radius).
Cohort Commander
Prerequisite: BAB +6
Benefit: Salary of 50 gp/month; +1 to initiative rolls (stacks with Improved Initiative and other abilities).
Primus Pilus
Third in command of the legion, a professional soldier
Prerequisite: BAB +10
Benefit: Salary of 70 gp/month; +1 bonus to all saving throws
Tribunus
Second in command of the legion, a political position.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Military): 8 ranks
Benefit: Salary of 120 gp/month; +2 to diplomacy checks with all members of the imperial structure (excluding military; includes bureaucracy, nobles, priests from imperial chartered religions, etc.).
Legate
Commander of an imperial legion, often a senator
Prerequisite: Leadership, Diplomacy 6 ranks, Lesser Imperial Noble
Benefit: Salary of 200 gp/month; +3 bonus to Charisma for the purposes of determining their leadership score.
Leadership
Leadership
As in the PHB/DMG.
Advanced Leadership
You can add a second cohort, or double the number of lesser followers. This feat can be taken a second time to gain both of these benefits.
Multicultural
Benefits: No penalties to social skills when dealing with races or cultures other than your own.
Noble - Imperial
A member of the imperial ruling class. Strictly speaking, imperial nobility is not hereditary, and there is more movement in and out of this class than many of the provincial nobilities. However, this also means that imperial nobility caries less weight. In particular, there is little distinction between wealth and noble status in imperial circles, except for those related to the emperor (who also happen to be mostly wealthy). As with provincial nobility, the titles listed here are generally held by a close member of the player's family. To gain the rank yourself costs an extra feat.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of the imperial nobility. Imperial nobles (but not the children/family members of nobles) can claim the right to be subject to imperial law, as opposed to provincial law. Senators, through their voting rights in their own senate, are quite powerful, at least locally.
Lesser Noble
A junior noble, usually provincial. They gain the right to call themselves ‘Sir’.
Benefits:
Junior Senator
A representative to a smaller provincial senate. They are referred to as ‘Senator Soandso, from Province Somewhere’.
Benefits: Some immunity from provincial law.
Senator
A representative to one of the larger provincial senates.
Benefits:
Senior Senator
A representative to the imperial senate in the capital. They are referred to as ‘Imperial Senator Soandso’. Imperial senators are very powerful, and gain a vote on all issues before the imperial senate.
Benefits: Total immunity from provincial law; some immunity from imperial law. +6 reaction with members of the imperial structure (not other nobles, but imperial officers, bureaucrats, diplomats, etc.).
Noble - Provincial
A member of one of the provincial nobility classes. These are generally recognized from province to province (although not always positively). The titles listed here are generally not held by the player, but by a close member of their family. To actually gain the rank yourself costs a extra feats (so a player could go - Son of a Knight, Son of a Baron, Knight who is Son of a Baron - for a total of 3 feats). This feat can also be used for more non-traditional upper-class structures.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your nobility, +1 per level of rank with other nobles. In your own province, you will generally have limited legal immunity.
Knight
Baron
Earl
Marquis
Duke
Peasant Hero
The character radiates care and concern for the common folk.
Benefits: +4 to Diplomacy checks with peasants, serfs, farmers, and other types (working rural poor). These people will go out of their way to help the peasant hero and his companions, so long as they don't abuse this trust or place them in positions of great danger. On the flip side, oppressive rulers react at -4 to the hero.
Priest
You are a member of a formal religious organization (which might be clerical, druidic, or something else). Many adventuring priests exist outside of the formal structure of their religion, but some also have positions within that structure.
Benefits: +1 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your religion.
Priest - Acolyte
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 2 ranks
Benefits: A special +3 bonus on all Knowledge (Religion) rolls for your deity.
Priest - Initiate
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 4 ranks, 3rd level
Priest
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 6 ranks, 5th level
Benefits: +2 to reaction rolls with all priests, except those directly opposed to your faith.
Priest - Canon
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 8 ranks,
Benefits: At this level, most priests will gain some immunity to provincial and imperial law, at least for minor offenses.
8th level
Priest - Abbott
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 10 ranks, Diplomacy 4, Leadership, 12th level
You are the head of a small temple or monastery, or hold a senior position in a larger institution.
Benefits: You can draw on the resources of your institution, but you also have many responsibilities. Many monasteries are surprisingly democratic, and Abbots who abuse their positions can be removed.
Priest - High Priest
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 12 ranks, Diplomacy 6, 16th level
You are the head of a significant temple or a large monastery.
Benefits: You can draw on the resources of your institution. You gain a +4 reaction roll bonus with all members of your community, except those opposed to your faith or what it stands for (this does not stack with the bonus for members of the same religion). How much freedom you have depends on the structure of your religion (some religions are firmly hierarchical, while in others the high priests are almost completely independent). You can attempt to call down the power of your deity (in the form of a miracle spell) once per week (you must pay the normal xp and/or money cost of this).
Reputation (up to 5 ranks)
You are widely known throughout the lands, for your great or nefarious deeds. Each rank of reputation gives you a +1 or -1 to reaction rolls. Whether or not you get the bonus depends on the person knowing who you are (Int check DC 20, +2 for every rank, additional bonuses depending on the circumstances - i.e.: the head of a local police force would get a bonus to recognize a renown crime fighter, while the head of a local carpenters guild would be at a penalty to recognize the same character; someone in your home town would get a bonus, someone in a community outside the empire might be at a penalty). Whether you get a bonus or penalty would depend on the person and how they interact with your reputation. You cannot have a general reputation - you must have a specific reputation (ie: noble crime fighter, merciless vigilante, incorruptible noble, etc.). In this pre-printing society, reputations are more likely recognized by name rather than by face.
Savoir-Faire
You have a certain flair in social situations.
Prerequisite: Cha 15+
Benefits: Your threat range for critical success with Charisma-based skills is increased to 19-20 (any roll of 19 or 20 is treated as a 30).
Silver-Tongued
Benefit: +2 to any two Charisma-based skills. This feat can be taken multiple times, but applied only once to each skill.
Wealth
Benefit: +2 to reaction rolls per level of rank with members of the imperial nobility.
Wealthy
Benefit: Triple normal starting wealth, or an amount equal to this if taken after 1st level
Very Wealthy
Benefit: 500gp per level every time you gain a level (a character going from 2nd to 3rd level would gain 1500gp).
Extremely Wealthy
Benefit: Wealth for gaining a level is increased to 1000gp per level.
edit: updated Savoir-Faire
Comments, other ideas? I know that these won't appeal to everyone (they add a level of power to the players, some of these things could be earned in a campaign independent of feats, etc.).
craftyrat
Social Feats
Social feats represent special abilities and social connections, especially those acquired during your upbringing.
A character gains one social feat at 1st level, and another for every four levels. Regular feats can be swapped for social feats, but social feat slots cannot be used to take regular feats. Many of these feats are organized into feat trees. Each lower feat is a prerequisite for the next feat on the tree. All benefits from the feat trees are cumulative. It is possible to take feats from different trees (soldier-nobles, priest-soldiers, priest-guild members, etc. are all possible).
Some of these feats offer very concrete benefits, while others do not. They should all be considered roughly equal. Many of the higher feats on the feat trees have substantial responsibilities as well as benefits. You can’t be the guildmaster of a thieves guild if you are never in your home community, for example. Any feat that involves leading an organization (abbott, guildmaster) or joining a senate (except junior senator) must be earned in the campaign, as well as bought with a feat.
Artisan
Benefit: +2 bonus to three different craft skills. This feat can be taken multiple times, and applied up to twice to each skill.
Contact
Benefit: There is one person who you know well and can turn to for assistance. How much assistance depends on the circumstances and the person. Choosing the Emperor as a contact might get you an audience on occasion (and it might not); choosing the commander of the neighborhood police station would get you a close personal friend. Each rank in Contact allows you to choose a new contact. If your contact is killed or loses power/position, then replacing them is up to the GM (if you were directly responsible for their downfall, then you're probably stuck; if it was incidental or unrelated to your activities, then you should get a replacement). Choice of a contact is up to the GM, with player suggestions allowed ).
Educated
Benefits: 3 ranks in any knowledge skill(s). The maximum number of ranks based on level still applies. This feat can be taken more than once.
Guild Member
A member of a professional or crafting guild.
Journeyman
Prerequisite: appropriate craft or professional skill with at least 2 ranks
Benefits: +3 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your craft/profession.
Master [xx] (i.e.: Master Carpenter, Master Stonemason, etc)
Prerequisite: at least 8 ranks in the appropriate skill, 3rd level
Benefits: A special +3 bonus in that skill, and a +1 bonus in a related profession or craft skill.
Guildmaster
Prerequisite: at least 8 ranks in the appropriate skill, Diplomacy 4, Leadership, 6th level
Benefits: You have the power to declare a guild embargo against a particular person, though you can be overturned by a vote of masters of your guild. You gain a +4 reaction roll bonus with authority figures in your own community.
Guild Member - Thieves Guild
A member of an organized thieves guild.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your guild, +1 per level of rank with members of other (non-opposed) thieves guilds. There might be reaction roll penalties with members of local law enforcement. Guild members can call upon their guild for aid; how much aid they get depends on their rank.
Apprentice Thief
Prerequisite: A total of 2 ranks in: Balance, Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Disarm Device and/or Open Locks.
Benefits: A set of masterwork lockpicks (+3 to open locks) and masterwork disarm kit (+3 to disarm device).
Journeyman Thief
Prerequisite: A total of 8 ranks in: Balance, Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Disarm Device and/or Open Locks.
Benefits: Ability to draw upon the guild for support and equipment.
Master Thief
Prerequisite: A total of 16 ranks in: Balance, Climb, Hide, Move Silently, Disarm Device and/or Open Locks; 10th level
Benefits: Ability to order around lower ranking guild members.
Guildmaster
Prerequisite: Leadership; 14th level
Benefits: A free rogue special ability
Guild Member - Wizards' Guild
A member of one of the many local wizards’ guilds.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast spells as a wilder or an initiate. Some wizards’ guilds only accept initiates.
Apprentice
Prerequisite: 1st level caster.
Benefits: +1 to any three knowledge skills
Journeyman
Prerequisite: 3rd level caster
Benefits: An extra 5 ranks in any language(s). Ability to draw upon the guild’s library.
Master
Prerequisite: 7th level caster
Benefits: A free item creation feat
Guildmaster
Prerequisite: 12th level caster; Leadership
Benefits: +3 bonus to Spellcraft and Concentration
Imperial Officer
An officer in the imperial army. The imperial army is by far the most organized military force in the empire. Provincial forces are much smaller, and generally without a formal rank structure (often it is: nobles in charge, everyone else below). A legion is usually divided into 10 cohorts, each of which are six centuries of 100 men.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of the imperial army, +1 per level of rank with all imperial officials. Imperial officers have a certain amount of immunity from provincial law. They are, however, subject to the laws of the legion, which are often considerably more harsh.
Cohort Centurinate 6th rank (Centurion)
Prerequisite: BAB +1
Benefit: Salary of 10 gp/month
Cohort Centurinate 1st rank
Prerequisite: BAB +3
Commander of a century
Benefit: Salary of 30 gp/month; +3 to save vs fear (applies to all troops under your command in a 20’ radius).
Cohort Commander
Prerequisite: BAB +6
Benefit: Salary of 50 gp/month; +1 to initiative rolls (stacks with Improved Initiative and other abilities).
Primus Pilus
Third in command of the legion, a professional soldier
Prerequisite: BAB +10
Benefit: Salary of 70 gp/month; +1 bonus to all saving throws
Tribunus
Second in command of the legion, a political position.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Military): 8 ranks
Benefit: Salary of 120 gp/month; +2 to diplomacy checks with all members of the imperial structure (excluding military; includes bureaucracy, nobles, priests from imperial chartered religions, etc.).
Legate
Commander of an imperial legion, often a senator
Prerequisite: Leadership, Diplomacy 6 ranks, Lesser Imperial Noble
Benefit: Salary of 200 gp/month; +3 bonus to Charisma for the purposes of determining their leadership score.
Leadership
Leadership
As in the PHB/DMG.
Advanced Leadership
You can add a second cohort, or double the number of lesser followers. This feat can be taken a second time to gain both of these benefits.
Multicultural
Benefits: No penalties to social skills when dealing with races or cultures other than your own.
Noble - Imperial
A member of the imperial ruling class. Strictly speaking, imperial nobility is not hereditary, and there is more movement in and out of this class than many of the provincial nobilities. However, this also means that imperial nobility caries less weight. In particular, there is little distinction between wealth and noble status in imperial circles, except for those related to the emperor (who also happen to be mostly wealthy). As with provincial nobility, the titles listed here are generally held by a close member of the player's family. To gain the rank yourself costs an extra feat.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of the imperial nobility. Imperial nobles (but not the children/family members of nobles) can claim the right to be subject to imperial law, as opposed to provincial law. Senators, through their voting rights in their own senate, are quite powerful, at least locally.
Lesser Noble
A junior noble, usually provincial. They gain the right to call themselves ‘Sir’.
Benefits:
Junior Senator
A representative to a smaller provincial senate. They are referred to as ‘Senator Soandso, from Province Somewhere’.
Benefits: Some immunity from provincial law.
Senator
A representative to one of the larger provincial senates.
Benefits:
Senior Senator
A representative to the imperial senate in the capital. They are referred to as ‘Imperial Senator Soandso’. Imperial senators are very powerful, and gain a vote on all issues before the imperial senate.
Benefits: Total immunity from provincial law; some immunity from imperial law. +6 reaction with members of the imperial structure (not other nobles, but imperial officers, bureaucrats, diplomats, etc.).
Noble - Provincial
A member of one of the provincial nobility classes. These are generally recognized from province to province (although not always positively). The titles listed here are generally not held by the player, but by a close member of their family. To actually gain the rank yourself costs a extra feats (so a player could go - Son of a Knight, Son of a Baron, Knight who is Son of a Baron - for a total of 3 feats). This feat can also be used for more non-traditional upper-class structures.
Benefits: +2 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your nobility, +1 per level of rank with other nobles. In your own province, you will generally have limited legal immunity.
Knight
Baron
Earl
Marquis
Duke
Peasant Hero
The character radiates care and concern for the common folk.
Benefits: +4 to Diplomacy checks with peasants, serfs, farmers, and other types (working rural poor). These people will go out of their way to help the peasant hero and his companions, so long as they don't abuse this trust or place them in positions of great danger. On the flip side, oppressive rulers react at -4 to the hero.
Priest
You are a member of a formal religious organization (which might be clerical, druidic, or something else). Many adventuring priests exist outside of the formal structure of their religion, but some also have positions within that structure.
Benefits: +1 per level of rank to all reaction rolls with members of your religion.
Priest - Acolyte
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 2 ranks
Benefits: A special +3 bonus on all Knowledge (Religion) rolls for your deity.
Priest - Initiate
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 4 ranks, 3rd level
Priest
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 6 ranks, 5th level
Benefits: +2 to reaction rolls with all priests, except those directly opposed to your faith.
Priest - Canon
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 8 ranks,
Benefits: At this level, most priests will gain some immunity to provincial and imperial law, at least for minor offenses.
8th level
Priest - Abbott
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 10 ranks, Diplomacy 4, Leadership, 12th level
You are the head of a small temple or monastery, or hold a senior position in a larger institution.
Benefits: You can draw on the resources of your institution, but you also have many responsibilities. Many monasteries are surprisingly democratic, and Abbots who abuse their positions can be removed.
Priest - High Priest
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion of the appropriate deity) 12 ranks, Diplomacy 6, 16th level
You are the head of a significant temple or a large monastery.
Benefits: You can draw on the resources of your institution. You gain a +4 reaction roll bonus with all members of your community, except those opposed to your faith or what it stands for (this does not stack with the bonus for members of the same religion). How much freedom you have depends on the structure of your religion (some religions are firmly hierarchical, while in others the high priests are almost completely independent). You can attempt to call down the power of your deity (in the form of a miracle spell) once per week (you must pay the normal xp and/or money cost of this).
Reputation (up to 5 ranks)
You are widely known throughout the lands, for your great or nefarious deeds. Each rank of reputation gives you a +1 or -1 to reaction rolls. Whether or not you get the bonus depends on the person knowing who you are (Int check DC 20, +2 for every rank, additional bonuses depending on the circumstances - i.e.: the head of a local police force would get a bonus to recognize a renown crime fighter, while the head of a local carpenters guild would be at a penalty to recognize the same character; someone in your home town would get a bonus, someone in a community outside the empire might be at a penalty). Whether you get a bonus or penalty would depend on the person and how they interact with your reputation. You cannot have a general reputation - you must have a specific reputation (ie: noble crime fighter, merciless vigilante, incorruptible noble, etc.). In this pre-printing society, reputations are more likely recognized by name rather than by face.
Savoir-Faire
You have a certain flair in social situations.
Prerequisite: Cha 15+
Benefits: Your threat range for critical success with Charisma-based skills is increased to 19-20 (any roll of 19 or 20 is treated as a 30).
Silver-Tongued
Benefit: +2 to any two Charisma-based skills. This feat can be taken multiple times, but applied only once to each skill.
Wealth
Benefit: +2 to reaction rolls per level of rank with members of the imperial nobility.
Wealthy
Benefit: Triple normal starting wealth, or an amount equal to this if taken after 1st level
Very Wealthy
Benefit: 500gp per level every time you gain a level (a character going from 2nd to 3rd level would gain 1500gp).
Extremely Wealthy
Benefit: Wealth for gaining a level is increased to 1000gp per level.
edit: updated Savoir-Faire
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