Weapon focus and spell damage feats

[Paul Strack]

Speaking from the perspective of a fighter, I can say that currently we have quite a few feats that require us to put attribute points into stats that don't help us all that much. It doesn't seem so unreasonable that a spellcaster would as well.

All that goes to show is that excessive feat prerequisites are not limited to the spell caster classes. What fighter in his right mind would take a Wisdom of 15 just to get the Distracting Shield feat? Polearm gamble *might* be worth it, but other than that, the Wisdom bonus is only helping your Will save and a couple of skills. Wouldn't you be pretty much always better off boosting your Strength, Dex or Con instead?

It really feels to me like a lot of the ability score pre-reqs for feats are too high, not just in the spell-casting feats. In most cases, the *only* reason to have a sub-optimal attribute build is to get certain feats, and it doesn't seem worth it to me.

 

[pemerton]

What fighter in his right mind would take a Wisdom of 15 just to get the Distracting Shield feat? Polearm gamble *might* be worth it, but other than that, the Wisdom bonus is only helping your Will save and a couple of skills.

And your OAs.

 

[Victim]

All that goes to show is that excessive feat prerequisites are not limited to the spell caster classes. What fighter in his right mind would take a Wisdom of 15 just to get the Distracting Shield feat? Polearm gamble *might* be worth it, but other than that, the Wisdom bonus is only helping your Will save and a couple of skills. Wouldn't you be pretty much always better off boosting your Strength, Dex or Con instead?

Dex adds to a defense, some skills, and initiative. Con is a few HP and surges, plus feats. I don't see how Wisdom is so clearly inferior.

 

[Plane Sailing]

personally, I think it seems odd and a little Unfair to limit casters in this way. The weapon users can just pick one weapon which they use with pretty much everything. Casters can't use one feat with all their powers and find it more difficult to get the feat!

I would like to have seen the feat prereqs go; although a better option might have been to have distinct weapon focus feats for different weapon groups -highlighting con for hammers, sex for others etc.

Cheers

 

[FireLance]

I would like to have seen the feat prereqs go; although a better option might have been to have distinct weapon focus feats for different weapon groups -highlighting con for hammers, sex for others etc.

I assume you meant "dex"?

 

[Nifft]

What fighter in his right mind would take a Wisdom of 15 just to get the Distracting Shield feat? Polearm gamble *might* be worth it, but other than that, the Wisdom bonus is only helping your Will save and a couple of skills. Wouldn't you be pretty much always better off boosting your Strength, Dex or Con instead?

Anyone planning to go into Pit Fighter will enjoy a high Wisdom.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Plane Sailing]

I assume you meant "dex"?

darn that iPod autocorrection feature!

At least I'm not using a newton!

 

[Khanedur]

IMHO the energy damage feats are trying to balance giving a bonus to two damage types. The easy fix would be: make a feat Descriptor Focus, have it apply to exactly one damage type (and never Force), and call it a wash.

Is this balanced wrt/ Weapon Focus? Probably.

Cheers, -- N

Its not so much that you are balancing across two damage types as you are making up for the fact that casters have many damage types but weapon users have one (descriptor "weapon")

An analogy would be if you had to purchase a fighter damage feat that only applied to stances instead of all of the attacks from a weapon type.

I did giggle at the song of ice and fire pun