Several feats, because Fighters need skill love too [Archive] - Wizards Community

Several feats, because Fighters need skill love too [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tim4488
03-27-07, 07:30 AM For that Fighter who wants to do something besides swing a sword, I present these, modeled primarily after Guerilla Scout and Guerilla Warrior from Heroes of Battle, and City Slicker from Races of Destiny. In general I'd suggest only allowing these feats at first level, unless someone actively seeks out such training later on (if your 4th level fighter goes to the Wizards of Ak'baran and offers 6 months of his life to learn Spellcaster Guardian, let him have it.)

Bodyguard Training [Fighter]
You were trained to guard a notable personage, perhaps a noble or wealthy merchant.
Prerequisites: Wis 13
Benefits: Ranks in Spot and Sense Motive cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, when adjacent to an ally with a lower AC than your own and wielding a shield of any type, you may give up your shield bonus to AC to grant the ally next to you an equal bonus to AC.
Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased.
Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Spellcaster Guardian [Fighter]
Your work defending spellcasters has given you some knowledge of their methods.
Prerequisites: Int 13
Benefits: Ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on any reflex save made to resist an area spell cast by one of your allies.
Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased.
Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Manifester Guardian [Fighter]
Your work defending psionicists has given you some knowledge of their methods.
Prerequisites: Int 13
Benefits: Ranks in Knowledge (Psionics) and Psicraft cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on any reflex save made to resist an area power manifested by one of your allies.
Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased.
Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Acrobatic Combatant [Fighter]
You are skilled at moving around the battlefield.
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefits: Ranks in Balance and Tumble cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 competence bonus on balance checks made while charging.
Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased.
Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Sailor [Fighter]
You are trained to work and fight on a ship.
Benefits: Profession (Sailor) and Use Rope are class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 competence bonus on climb and balance checks while on any seaborne vessel.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Know your Tools
Crafting your own equipment has given you uncanny insight into identifying mundane gear in general.
Prerequisites: Craft (Any) 4 ranks
Benefits: Appraise is a class skill for you. In addition, the synergy bonus granted to your Appraise skill by any craft skill you possess becomes +3 rather than +2.
Normal: A synergy bonus is always +2.

Military Historian [Fighter]
Your combat training included studying great battles and generals of old.
Prerequisites: Int 13, Literacy
Benefits: Knowledge (History) and Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) are class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on any skill check made to gain a tactical advantage as gained in Heroes of Battle.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Overland Scout [Fighter]
While a member of the military, your job was to move far ahead of the main army to create maps, plot routes, and other such tasks.
Prerequisites: Endurance
Benefits: Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Nature), and Survival are class skills for you.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

First Aid Training [Fighter]
Not only can you dish out wounds, you can patch them up too.
Prerequisites: Wis 13
Benefits: Heal is a class skill for you. In addition, you can get 20 uses out of a Healer's Kit rather than 10, and providing first aid is a move action for you.
Normal: Providing first aid is a standard action, and a Healer's Kit has 10 uses.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Cave Dweller
Living underground has sharpened your senses and your knowledge.
Prerequisites: Darkvision
Benefits: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Listen are class skills for you. Also, the range of your darkvision increases by 10 ft.

Knight [Fighter]
You have sworn an oath to a duke, baron, or similar noble.
Prerequisites: Oath of fealty to a land-owning noble (details to be worked out with the DM), any non-chaotic
Benefits: Diplomacy and Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) are class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate checks made in the land that your lord controls.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. If you ever break your oath of fealty, your lord loses his land, or your lord dies, you lose the secondary benefit of this feat. You may regain it if another lord takes you into his service (unlikely if you broke the oath of fealty), or if your lord regains his land (probably with your help).

Combat Ledgermain [Fighter]
You know a few tricky ways to handle a blade.
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefits: Ranks in Bluff and Sleight of Hand cost 1 skill point for you, even if they are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on a Sleight of Hand check made to hide a weapon.
Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased.
Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Improved Combat Ledgermain [Fighter]
You're even trickier with blades than you were before.
Prerequisites: Improved Feint, Combat Ledgermain
Benefits: You may add your dexterity modifier as well as your charisma modifier to Bluff checks, but only to those made to feint in combat.
Normal: Bluff checks rely on your charisma modifier.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Bounty Hunter [Fighter]
You track down criminals (or adventurers) for a living.
Prerequisites: Track
Benefits: Gather Information, Knowledge (Local), Survival and Use Rope are always class skills for you.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Devoted Bodyguard [Fighter]
You go above and beyond the call of a standard bodyguard, sacrificing yourself for your charge or allies.
Prerequisites: Bodyguard Training
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus on Spot checks. Also, when you are lending your shield AC bonus to an ally with Bodyguard Training and that ally is attacked with a melee or ranged weapon (not a spell, supernatural ability, or anything else), you may make a reflex saving throw (DC 15) as an immediate action. If you succeed, the ally takes no damage, and you take half of the damage the weapon attack would have normally caused.
Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat.

Well-traveled
You have wandered the world for a time, encountering many different cultures.
Benefits: Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Local), and Speak Language are always class skills for you.

I may have one or two more to come later. Criticisms, comments, compliments, suggestions, and requests for more welcome.
tarkin
03-27-07, 12:03 PM I like all the feats.

However, some of them I would not consider them appropriate as "fighter" feats. They are things Fighters might like, but not really something that feels like a fighter feat to me.

Sailor[Fighter]
Know your Tools[Fighter]
Cave Dweller [Fighter]
Bounty Hunter [Fighter]
Conlan
03-27-07, 01:14 PM This seems similar to the Races of Destiny feat. I think it's called "Able Learner" or "Adaptive Learner", it's available to humans and humanoids with the human subtype. It allows you to take all cross-class skills at a cost of 1 skill point per rank, but it doesn't grant you the ability to make that skill a class skill (still only allowed half the number of ranks as class skill).

I like the Idea, it seems to make Fighters a bit more adaptable to different fighting styles.

(I think Fighters, with their whole 2 skill points, are severely lacking in adaptability, but I don't want to turn this into a "fighters are underpowered" thread)
Tim4488
03-27-07, 09:28 PM ... okay, in retrospect, Cave Dweller as a Fighter feat was just stupid. Sorry.

Bounty Hunter I wanted to make a Fighter feat partially because Track already isn't, so a 1st level non-human Fighter couldn't pick up both until 3rd. Which I suppose is a nice balance, but I still think a Fighter fits as a bounty hunter pretty well. If you disagree, you can just rule it's not a Fighter feat in your game, I'd prefer to leave it as is myself.

Sailor works too, IMHO. Think about a Mariner or a member of the King's Navy. More likely to be Warriors, Fighters, and the like than much of anything else.

Know Your Tools... yeah that one could go either way, but I'll lean towards agreeing with you.

Anyone have any ideas for Military Historian? As I mentioned above, it was originally a +2 bonus on any skill check made to gain a Strategic Advantage a la Heroes of Battle, but I'd prefer something more general if anyone can think of it.
Xavon
03-27-07, 11:13 PM This gives me an idea. And rather than try to explain, I will example. Opinions please:

Acrobatic Edge
Your expertise with light blades has altered your fighting style.
Prerequisite: Level 6 fighter, Weapon Focus (short sword, dagger, or rapier)
Benefit: Select a qualifying weapon you have weapon focus with. You gain an additional +1 to hit with that weapon. You also gain +1 to Tumble checks and treat Tumble as a class skill with any character class.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you must select a different weapon; but the bonuses to Tumble stack.

Opinions?
Tim4488
03-28-07, 01:56 PM How about

Acrobatic Edge
Your expertise with light blades has altered your fighting style.
Prerequisite: Acrobatic Combatant, Level 6 Fighter, Weapon Focus (short sword, dagger, or rapier)
Benefit: Select a qualifying weapon you have weapon focus with. You gain an additional +2 to hit with that weapon on any round in which you make a Tumble check. You also gain +2 to Tumble checks while wielding your chosen weapon weapon, and treat Tumble as a class skill with any character class.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you must select a different weapon; but the bonuses to Tumble stack.

And no, requiring Acrobatic Combatant doesn't negate the bonus of having Tumble as a class skill, since counting Tumble as a class skill still increases the maximum number of ranks beyond what Acrobatic Combatant allows.

I also could see reasons to include a couple more weapons, such as perhaps a kukri or punching dagger.
FrostHammer
03-28-07, 03:15 PM The sailor one is underpowered, because the fighter won't be able to take it until like level 5, and he has to burn lots of skillpoints to bump up a cross-crass skill to fir the prerequesite. Fighters do not have profession as a class skill (sad isn't it?)
Tim4488
03-28-07, 03:46 PM Holy 'ell, you're right. I thought freakin' everyone had Profession (except the Barbarian... and if he does and the Fighter doesn't, I will cry).

Well then I'll just toss Profession (Sailor) onto the list of skills you get, but I'm not sure if I want it prereq-less. What do you think, can it get away with not having a prerequisites?
Tim4488
04-02-07, 06:47 PM Added Well-traveled.
Tim4488
04-18-07, 07:28 AM :bump: anything else anyone would like to see? I've had a few ideas in my head for other skills to do this for, but I couldn't quite get anything.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tim4488 03-27-07, 07:30 AM	For that Fighter who wants to do something besides swing a sword, I present these, modeled primarily after Guerilla Scout and Guerilla Warrior from Heroes of Battle, and City Slicker from Races of Destiny. In general I'd suggest only allowing these feats at first level, unless someone actively seeks out such training later on (if your 4th level fighter goes to the Wizards of Ak'baran and offers 6 months of his life to learn Spellcaster Guardian, let him have it.) Bodyguard Training [Fighter] You were trained to guard a notable personage, perhaps a noble or wealthy merchant. Prerequisites: Wis 13 Benefits: Ranks in Spot and Sense Motive cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, when adjacent to an ally with a lower AC than your own and wielding a shield of any type, you may give up your shield bonus to AC to grant the ally next to you an equal bonus to AC. Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased. Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Spellcaster Guardian [Fighter] Your work defending spellcasters has given you some knowledge of their methods. Prerequisites: Int 13 Benefits: Ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on any reflex save made to resist an area spell cast by one of your allies. Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased. Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Manifester Guardian [Fighter] Your work defending psionicists has given you some knowledge of their methods. Prerequisites: Int 13 Benefits: Ranks in Knowledge (Psionics) and Psicraft cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus on any reflex save made to resist an area power manifested by one of your allies. Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased. Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Acrobatic Combatant [Fighter] You are skilled at moving around the battlefield. Prerequisites: Dex 13 Benefits: Ranks in Balance and Tumble cost 1 skill point for you, even if these are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 competence bonus on balance checks made while charging. Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased. Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Sailor [Fighter] You are trained to work and fight on a ship. Benefits: Profession (Sailor) and Use Rope are class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 competence bonus on climb and balance checks while on any seaborne vessel. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Know your Tools Crafting your own equipment has given you uncanny insight into identifying mundane gear in general. Prerequisites: Craft (Any) 4 ranks Benefits: Appraise is a class skill for you. In addition, the synergy bonus granted to your Appraise skill by any craft skill you possess becomes +3 rather than +2. Normal: A synergy bonus is always +2. Military Historian [Fighter] Your combat training included studying great battles and generals of old. Prerequisites: Int 13, Literacy Benefits: Knowledge (History) and Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) are class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on any skill check made to gain a tactical advantage as gained in Heroes of Battle. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Overland Scout [Fighter] While a member of the military, your job was to move far ahead of the main army to create maps, plot routes, and other such tasks. Prerequisites: Endurance Benefits: Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Nature), and Survival are class skills for you. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. First Aid Training [Fighter] Not only can you dish out wounds, you can patch them up too. Prerequisites: Wis 13 Benefits: Heal is a class skill for you. In addition, you can get 20 uses out of a Healer's Kit rather than 10, and providing first aid is a move action for you. Normal: Providing first aid is a standard action, and a Healer's Kit has 10 uses. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Cave Dweller Living underground has sharpened your senses and your knowledge. Prerequisites: Darkvision Benefits: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Listen are class skills for you. Also, the range of your darkvision increases by 10 ft. Knight [Fighter] You have sworn an oath to a duke, baron, or similar noble. Prerequisites: Oath of fealty to a land-owning noble (details to be worked out with the DM), any non-chaotic Benefits: Diplomacy and Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) are class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate checks made in the land that your lord controls. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. If you ever break your oath of fealty, your lord loses his land, or your lord dies, you lose the secondary benefit of this feat. You may regain it if another lord takes you into his service (unlikely if you broke the oath of fealty), or if your lord regains his land (probably with your help). Combat Ledgermain [Fighter] You know a few tricky ways to handle a blade. Prerequisites: Dex 13 Benefits: Ranks in Bluff and Sleight of Hand cost 1 skill point for you, even if they are cross-class skills for you. In addition, you gain a +2 bonus on a Sleight of Hand check made to hide a weapon. Normal: Cross-class skills cost two skill points for each rank purchased. Special: This feat does not change the maximum number of ranks allowed in a cross-class skill. This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Improved Combat Ledgermain [Fighter] You're even trickier with blades than you were before. Prerequisites: Improved Feint, Combat Ledgermain Benefits: You may add your dexterity modifier as well as your charisma modifier to Bluff checks, but only to those made to feint in combat. Normal: Bluff checks rely on your charisma modifier. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Bounty Hunter [Fighter] You track down criminals (or adventurers) for a living. Prerequisites: Track Benefits: Gather Information, Knowledge (Local), Survival and Use Rope are always class skills for you. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Devoted Bodyguard [Fighter] You go above and beyond the call of a standard bodyguard, sacrificing yourself for your charge or allies. Prerequisites: Bodyguard Training Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus on Spot checks. Also, when you are lending your shield AC bonus to an ally with Bodyguard Training and that ally is attacked with a melee or ranged weapon (not a spell, supernatural ability, or anything else), you may make a reflex saving throw (DC 15) as an immediate action. If you succeed, the ally takes no damage, and you take half of the damage the weapon attack would have normally caused. Special: This feat may be chosen as a Fighter bonus feat. Well-traveled You have wandered the world for a time, encountering many different cultures. Benefits: Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Local), and Speak Language are always class skills for you. I may have one or two more to come later. Criticisms, comments, compliments, suggestions, and requests for more welcome.
tarkin 03-27-07, 12:03 PM	I like all the feats. However, some of them I would not consider them appropriate as "fighter" feats. They are things Fighters might like, but not really something that feels like a fighter feat to me. Sailor[Fighter] Know your Tools[Fighter] Cave Dweller [Fighter] Bounty Hunter [Fighter]
Conlan 03-27-07, 01:14 PM	This seems similar to the Races of Destiny feat. I think it's called "Able Learner" or "Adaptive Learner", it's available to humans and humanoids with the human subtype. It allows you to take all cross-class skills at a cost of 1 skill point per rank, but it doesn't grant you the ability to make that skill a class skill (still only allowed half the number of ranks as class skill). I like the Idea, it seems to make Fighters a bit more adaptable to different fighting styles. (I think Fighters, with their whole 2 skill points, are severely lacking in adaptability, but I don't want to turn this into a "fighters are underpowered" thread)
Tim4488 03-27-07, 09:28 PM	... okay, in retrospect, Cave Dweller as a Fighter feat was just stupid. Sorry. Bounty Hunter I wanted to make a Fighter feat partially because Track already isn't, so a 1st level non-human Fighter couldn't pick up both until 3rd. Which I suppose is a nice balance, but I still think a Fighter fits as a bounty hunter pretty well. If you disagree, you can just rule it's not a Fighter feat in your game, I'd prefer to leave it as is myself. Sailor works too, IMHO. Think about a Mariner or a member of the King's Navy. More likely to be Warriors, Fighters, and the like than much of anything else. Know Your Tools... yeah that one could go either way, but I'll lean towards agreeing with you. Anyone have any ideas for Military Historian? As I mentioned above, it was originally a +2 bonus on any skill check made to gain a Strategic Advantage a la Heroes of Battle, but I'd prefer something more general if anyone can think of it.
Xavon 03-27-07, 11:13 PM	This gives me an idea. And rather than try to explain, I will example. Opinions please: Acrobatic Edge Your expertise with light blades has altered your fighting style. Prerequisite: Level 6 fighter, Weapon Focus (short sword, dagger, or rapier) Benefit: Select a qualifying weapon you have weapon focus with. You gain an additional +1 to hit with that weapon. You also gain +1 to Tumble checks and treat Tumble as a class skill with any character class. Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you must select a different weapon; but the bonuses to Tumble stack. Opinions?
Tim4488 03-28-07, 01:56 PM	How about Acrobatic Edge Your expertise with light blades has altered your fighting style. Prerequisite: Acrobatic Combatant, Level 6 Fighter, Weapon Focus (short sword, dagger, or rapier) Benefit: Select a qualifying weapon you have weapon focus with. You gain an additional +2 to hit with that weapon on any round in which you make a Tumble check. You also gain +2 to Tumble checks while wielding your chosen weapon weapon, and treat Tumble as a class skill with any character class. Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you take this feat, you must select a different weapon; but the bonuses to Tumble stack. And no, requiring Acrobatic Combatant doesn't negate the bonus of having Tumble as a class skill, since counting Tumble as a class skill still increases the maximum number of ranks beyond what Acrobatic Combatant allows. I also could see reasons to include a couple more weapons, such as perhaps a kukri or punching dagger.
FrostHammer 03-28-07, 03:15 PM	The sailor one is underpowered, because the fighter won't be able to take it until like level 5, and he has to burn lots of skillpoints to bump up a cross-crass skill to fir the prerequesite. Fighters do not have profession as a class skill (sad isn't it?)
Tim4488 03-28-07, 03:46 PM	Holy 'ell, you're right. I thought freakin' everyone had Profession (except the Barbarian... and if he does and the Fighter doesn't, I will cry). Well then I'll just toss Profession (Sailor) onto the list of skills you get, but I'm not sure if I want it prereq-less. What do you think, can it get away with not having a prerequisites?
Tim4488 04-02-07, 06:47 PM	Added Well-traveled.
Tim4488 04-18-07, 07:28 AM	:bump: anything else anyone would like to see? I've had a few ideas in my head for other skills to do this for, but I couldn't quite get anything.