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Always Prepared
+ Benefit: You're constantly one step ahead of your enemies, and sometimes your allies too. While everyone else is trying to come up with a plan, you're already halfway done with yours. You can ready an action as a minor action rather than as a standard action.
Ambidextrous
+ Benefit: Either through a quirk of genetics or through special training, you can use either hand with equal ability. You are able to use items, write, and perform other actions with either hand without incurring the -2 penalty. This allows you to treat all one-handed weapons as if they had the off-hand property.
Animal Empathy
+ Prerequisite: Charisma 13
+ Benefit: Vicious guard dogs wag their tails when you approach, and wild horses calm before your touch. No one really knows why, but animals just seem to like you. While you are riding a creature, you gain access to any special abilities that creature possesses. In addition, the creature can make any skill checks using your base skill check bonus rather than its own if yours if higher.
Battlefield Medic
+ Benefit: You've been trained in basic first aid, and you know how to keep people alive when they really shouldn't be - at least, long enough to get them to somebody who can do a real job. Once per encounter, you can stabilize an adjacent dying character as a full-round action. That character can stop making death saving throws until they take damage again.
Cast-Iron Stomach
+ Prerequisite: Constitution 15
+ Benefit: You can eat almost anything, and you do. Bread covered in mold? Meat crawling with flies? That mysterious black thing? No problem. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against disease effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by food.
Considerate Skeptic
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 15
+ Benefit: You're pretty sharp, and you don't miss much. While others may be fooled, you remain unimpressed. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against illusion effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by illusory terrain.
Danger Sense
+ Benefit: You've learned to trust your gut, and your instincts help get you out of bad situations and into good ones. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Initiative.
Deadeye Aim
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You've got the eyes of an eagle, and anyone trying to hide from your gaze has another thing coming to them. When you use a projectile weapon, increase its range by 3 meters (10 feet). In addition, you ignore the -2 penalty for making ranged attacks at long range.
Defensive Training
+ Benefit: You got tired of waddling around the battlefield and finally learned how to buckle on that breastplate properly. You gain proficiency with a specific armor group, such as hide or shields.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different armor group.
Determined Mettle
+ Benefit: Most people run away screaming when they see a monster. You run toward it screaming, and it falters before the intensity of your steely resolve. When an area or close attack targeting your Fortitude or Will defense misses you but deals damage on a miss, you take no damage from the attack.
Durable
+ Benefit: Never say die! Never surrender! You have an inner reserve of strength you can call on in times of need. Increase the number of times you can use your Second Wind each day by 1.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Its effects stack.
Early Bird
+ Benefit: You're a morning person. While everyone else is still rubbing the grit out of their eyes and yawning, you're wide-awake and ready to go. At the end of an extended rest, you lose any unspent action points as normal, but you start fresh with 2 action points instead of 1.
Escape Artist
+ Prerequisite: Trained in Acrobatics
+ Benefit: You're a slimy little guy, and you've got a lot of practice at wriggling out of tight spots. Anyone who tries to pin you down is in for a disappointment. You can attempt to escape from a grab or from bindings as a minor action, instead of as a move action.
Evasive Maneuvers
+ Benefit: You're a master at ducking out of death's reach, and try as they might your enemies just can't touch you. When an area or close attack targeting your AC or Reflex misses you but deals damage on a miss, you take no damage from the attack.
Expert Tracker
+ Prerequisites: Trained in Nature
+ Benefit: A lifetime in the wild has made it plain as day to you when a clumsy city-goer has been bumbling around. You gain a +5 feat bonus to Perception checks to find tracks. In addition, add 5 to the Perception DC for other creatures to find your tracks. You can extend this benefit for any allies traveling with you, but not any who become separated from you.
Fast Thinking
+ Benefit: You get a rush from catching your opponent's with their guard down - the rush of staying alive. During the first round of combat, you automatically gain combat advantage over any foe whose initiative result is lower than yours.
Fist of Steel
+ Prerequisite: Strength 13
+ Benefit: Maybe you've had special training in martial arts, or maybe you just get into a lot of bar brawls. Either way, your bare hands are deadly weapons. Your unarmed attacks deal 1d8 damage instead of 1d4 and qualify as a martial implement for the purposes of feats and powers. In addition, you can deal lethal or nonlethal damage as you choose.
Fleet of Foot
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: If they blink, they'll miss you. When you run, increase your speed by an additional 3 meters (10 feet). In addition, enemies making opportunity attacks against you while you run must roll twice and take the lower result.
Good Fortune
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 15
+ Benefit: Somebody up there seems to have taken a liking to you, because you're one lucky guy. When you're on a roll, there's no one can stop you. Whenever you have combat advantage against an enemy, you gain a +2 feat bonus to your AC against attacks made by that enemy.
Great Fortitude
+ Benefit: You can shrug off the most savage blows without blinking when others would curl up into a ball and whimper. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Fortitude defense.
Home Turf Advantage
+ Benefit: Maybe you grew up here, or maybe you just spend a lot of time out doors. Either way, you know the dangers - and opportunities - of the countryside better than most. Choose a specific land type, such as mountains or swamps. You can ignore the effects of difficult terrain in areas where the chosen environment predominates.
Immediate Response
+ Benefit: Who says patience is a virtue? You make saving throws at the beginning of your turn instead of at the end of your turn.
Iron Will
+ Benefit: You know what to do, and you do it. Anyone who tries to change your mind is in for a rude awakening, because you don't take any nonsense from anyone. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Will defense.
Jack of All Trades
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13
+ Benefit: You're a veritable font of useful (and sometimes useless) knowledge that you've picked up here and there. You gain a +2 feat bonus to all untrained skills.
Lightning Reflexes
+ Benefit: You react to danger before you even have time to think. Some people may have called you jumpy, but those people are dead now. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Reflex defense.
Master Craftsman
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13, GM's discretion
+ Benefit: You like working with your hands, and nothing gives you more pleasure than seeing the fruits of your labor put to good use. Choose a specific type of non-magical item (weapons, armor, poisons, traps, potions, etc). You can construct items of this sort equal to your level or lower, providing that have the proper tools and ingredients. Creating an item in this way takes a number of days equal to that item's level and costs the same amount of money in raw materials as if you'd purchased it directly.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, choose a different specialty.
Linguist
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13
+ Benefit: You've got an ear for languages and can learn new ones with remarkable ease. You can now speak, read, and write one language of your choice. You know at least enough to get around, although you're not fluent and native speakers can immediately pick you out.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, choose a different language.
Night Owl
+ Benefit: While everyone else is fast asleep, you're still hard at work. You can stay awake twice as long as normal without suffering the effects of fatigue. In addition, you need only four hours of sleep to gain the same benefits others gain from taking a full rest.
Pursuit of Knowledge
+ Benefit: You've pulled a few all-nighters trying to learn that trick you always wished you could do. You gain proficiency with one skill.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different skill.
Quick Draw
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You're a bit twitchy, whipping out a knife or a gun at the drop of a hat. You can draw a one-handed weapon (or an object stored in a belt pouch, pocket, or similar container) as a free action instead of a minor action.
Ready to Roll
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You're an old hand behind the wheel, able to steer almost without even thinking about it. Pick a specific type of transportation, such as boats, cars, planes, or even horses. When piloting or acting as the crew of type of vehicle, you can use a minor action each round instead of a standard action to help control the vessel.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different vehicle type.
Salt in the Blood
+ Benefit: You were born for the sea. In fact, you feel more comfortable in the water than you do on dry land. You gain a swim speed equal to your normal land speed. You must still make Athletics checks to perform dangerous or unusually difficult stunts underwater, though.
Shadow Stalker
+ Prerequisite: Trained in Stealth
+ Benefit: You are a ghostly apparition, striking fear into the hearts of your enemies - who can't even tell if you're real or not. You do not incur penalties to your Stealth checks if you move up to your speed while hiding. You still take the full penalty if you run or charge.
Solid Build
+ Benefit: Though others might think you're kind of a wimp, you're actually surprisingly sturdy. Double your carrying capacity. This affects your light load, heavy load, and maximum dragging load.
Sparring Practice
+ Benefit: You've been brushing up on your combat skills, trying to hone your swordsmanship or improve your aim. You gain proficiency with a specific weapon group, such as spears or heavy blades.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different weapon group.
Spiritual Safeguard
+ Benefit: It's purity of soul that matters most, not strength of body - something your allies would do well to learn. You can use your Wisdom score to determine the amount of HP you gain at each level instead of your Constitution score. This does not apply retroactively to previous levels you have gained.
Steady Calm
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 15
+ Benefit: A lifetime of jumping from one crisis to the next has jaded you. You know how to keep a cool head on your shoulders when everyone else is losing theirs. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against fear effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by stress.
Stoic Demeanor
+ Benefit: You've seen your fair share of lean times, and you've learned to go hungry without whining about it. You can go without food for twice as long as normal without suffering the effects of fatigue. In addition, you need only half as much food as normal to gain the same benefits others gain from eating a full meal. You still need to drink the same amount of water per day, though.
Swift Pace
+ Benefit: It seems like you’re always in a hurry, rushing from one place to another. Remember to slow down and let your friends catch up every once in a while, if you want them to stay your friends. Increase your speed by 3 meters (10 feet).
Talented
+ Prerequisite: Proficiency with the chosen skill
+ Benefit: Whatever it is, you're good at it. You've got a knack for some particular skill and are able to perform better than others with equal training. Choose a skill in which you have proficiency. You gain a +2 feat bonus to checks with that skill.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, choose a different skill with which you have proficiency.
Thick Skin
+ Benefit: The life of an adventurer is not a glamorous one. You've learned to ignore the little aches and pains (and burns and fractures) with a sigh, knowing they'll all scar up eventually. Pick an energy type. You gain resistance 2 to damage of that type. This resistance increases to 4 at level 11 and 6 at level 21.
+ Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take it, choose a different energy type.
Tireless Drive
+ Prerequisite: Constitution 15
+ Benefit: You're as stubborn as a mule. When you get knocked over you just get right back up again, and when you fail you just try even harder next time. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against fatigue effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by forced marches.
Tough as Nails
+ Benefit: You're a lot tougher than you look, able to take a beating and walk away from it. When you take this feat, you gain additional 5 hit points. At level 11, you gain 10 more. At level 21, you gain 15 more.
Toxic Intent
+ Benefit: History is written by the winners. It doesn't matter how you do it - after all, you can always skip this part when you tell the story. What's important is that you'll be the one telling it. You can apply poison to a weapon as a minor action, rather than a standard action. In addition, you can ignore the chance of poisoning yourself when you roll a natural 1 with a poisoned weapon.
Treetop Walk
+ Benefit: Maybe you used to climb a lot of trees as a kid, but you're like a monkey swinging from branch to branch. You gain a climb speed equal to your normal land speed. You must still make Athletics checks to perform dangerous or unusually difficult stunts in the trees, though.
Undeniable Clout
+ Benefit: Whether through your famous (or infamous) deeds or through a position of authority, you have a reputation that usually works in your favor. You gain a +2 feat bonus on any appropriate skill when attempting to influence someone who respects your position or good name.
Vigilance
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 13
+ Benefit: Even when you've got an enemy in your sights, you never lose track of what's going on around you. You don't provoke opportunity attacks from adjacent enemies by making ranged attacks.
Well-Rounded
+ Benefit: Either because your parents each had different jobs, or because you picked up a new vocation later in life, you know how to make a living in more than one way. You gain an additional background. If you can convince the GM that both of your backgrounds could plausibly affect the outcome of a situation, you can add both bonuses to your skill check.
Wealth to Burn
+ Benefit: You're filthy rich. Whether through a windfall inheritance or hard work, you have more cash than you know what to do with. When you take this feat, double the amount of money you have. Any non-liquid wealth you have (such as land, jewels, or magical items) is not doubled in this way.
Always Prepared
+ Benefit: You're constantly one step ahead of your enemies, and sometimes your allies too. While everyone else is trying to come up with a plan, you're already halfway done with yours. You can ready an action as a minor action rather than as a standard action.
Ambidextrous
+ Benefit: Either through a quirk of genetics or through special training, you can use either hand with equal ability. You are able to use items, write, and perform other actions with either hand without incurring the -2 penalty. This allows you to treat all one-handed weapons as if they had the off-hand property.
Animal Empathy
+ Prerequisite: Charisma 13
+ Benefit: Vicious guard dogs wag their tails when you approach, and wild horses calm before your touch. No one really knows why, but animals just seem to like you. While you are riding a creature, you gain access to any special abilities that creature possesses. In addition, the creature can make any skill checks using your base skill check bonus rather than its own if yours if higher.
Battlefield Medic
+ Benefit: You've been trained in basic first aid, and you know how to keep people alive when they really shouldn't be - at least, long enough to get them to somebody who can do a real job. Once per encounter, you can stabilize an adjacent dying character as a full-round action. That character can stop making death saving throws until they take damage again.
Cast-Iron Stomach
+ Prerequisite: Constitution 15
+ Benefit: You can eat almost anything, and you do. Bread covered in mold? Meat crawling with flies? That mysterious black thing? No problem. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against disease effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by food.
Considerate Skeptic
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 15
+ Benefit: You're pretty sharp, and you don't miss much. While others may be fooled, you remain unimpressed. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against illusion effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by illusory terrain.
Danger Sense
+ Benefit: You've learned to trust your gut, and your instincts help get you out of bad situations and into good ones. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Initiative.
Deadeye Aim
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You've got the eyes of an eagle, and anyone trying to hide from your gaze has another thing coming to them. When you use a projectile weapon, increase its range by 3 meters (10 feet). In addition, you ignore the -2 penalty for making ranged attacks at long range.
Defensive Training
+ Benefit: You got tired of waddling around the battlefield and finally learned how to buckle on that breastplate properly. You gain proficiency with a specific armor group, such as hide or shields.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different armor group.
Determined Mettle
+ Benefit: Most people run away screaming when they see a monster. You run toward it screaming, and it falters before the intensity of your steely resolve. When an area or close attack targeting your Fortitude or Will defense misses you but deals damage on a miss, you take no damage from the attack.
Durable
+ Benefit: Never say die! Never surrender! You have an inner reserve of strength you can call on in times of need. Increase the number of times you can use your Second Wind each day by 1.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Its effects stack.
Early Bird
+ Benefit: You're a morning person. While everyone else is still rubbing the grit out of their eyes and yawning, you're wide-awake and ready to go. At the end of an extended rest, you lose any unspent action points as normal, but you start fresh with 2 action points instead of 1.
Escape Artist
+ Prerequisite: Trained in Acrobatics
+ Benefit: You're a slimy little guy, and you've got a lot of practice at wriggling out of tight spots. Anyone who tries to pin you down is in for a disappointment. You can attempt to escape from a grab or from bindings as a minor action, instead of as a move action.
Evasive Maneuvers
+ Benefit: You're a master at ducking out of death's reach, and try as they might your enemies just can't touch you. When an area or close attack targeting your AC or Reflex misses you but deals damage on a miss, you take no damage from the attack.
Expert Tracker
+ Prerequisites: Trained in Nature
+ Benefit: A lifetime in the wild has made it plain as day to you when a clumsy city-goer has been bumbling around. You gain a +5 feat bonus to Perception checks to find tracks. In addition, add 5 to the Perception DC for other creatures to find your tracks. You can extend this benefit for any allies traveling with you, but not any who become separated from you.
Fast Thinking
+ Benefit: You get a rush from catching your opponent's with their guard down - the rush of staying alive. During the first round of combat, you automatically gain combat advantage over any foe whose initiative result is lower than yours.
Fist of Steel
+ Prerequisite: Strength 13
+ Benefit: Maybe you've had special training in martial arts, or maybe you just get into a lot of bar brawls. Either way, your bare hands are deadly weapons. Your unarmed attacks deal 1d8 damage instead of 1d4 and qualify as a martial implement for the purposes of feats and powers. In addition, you can deal lethal or nonlethal damage as you choose.
Fleet of Foot
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: If they blink, they'll miss you. When you run, increase your speed by an additional 3 meters (10 feet). In addition, enemies making opportunity attacks against you while you run must roll twice and take the lower result.
Good Fortune
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 15
+ Benefit: Somebody up there seems to have taken a liking to you, because you're one lucky guy. When you're on a roll, there's no one can stop you. Whenever you have combat advantage against an enemy, you gain a +2 feat bonus to your AC against attacks made by that enemy.
Great Fortitude
+ Benefit: You can shrug off the most savage blows without blinking when others would curl up into a ball and whimper. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Fortitude defense.
Home Turf Advantage
+ Benefit: Maybe you grew up here, or maybe you just spend a lot of time out doors. Either way, you know the dangers - and opportunities - of the countryside better than most. Choose a specific land type, such as mountains or swamps. You can ignore the effects of difficult terrain in areas where the chosen environment predominates.
Immediate Response
+ Benefit: Who says patience is a virtue? You make saving throws at the beginning of your turn instead of at the end of your turn.
Iron Will
+ Benefit: You know what to do, and you do it. Anyone who tries to change your mind is in for a rude awakening, because you don't take any nonsense from anyone. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Will defense.
Jack of All Trades
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13
+ Benefit: You're a veritable font of useful (and sometimes useless) knowledge that you've picked up here and there. You gain a +2 feat bonus to all untrained skills.
Lightning Reflexes
+ Benefit: You react to danger before you even have time to think. Some people may have called you jumpy, but those people are dead now. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Reflex defense.
Master Craftsman
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13, GM's discretion
+ Benefit: You like working with your hands, and nothing gives you more pleasure than seeing the fruits of your labor put to good use. Choose a specific type of non-magical item (weapons, armor, poisons, traps, potions, etc). You can construct items of this sort equal to your level or lower, providing that have the proper tools and ingredients. Creating an item in this way takes a number of days equal to that item's level and costs the same amount of money in raw materials as if you'd purchased it directly.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, choose a different specialty.
Linguist
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13
+ Benefit: You've got an ear for languages and can learn new ones with remarkable ease. You can now speak, read, and write one language of your choice. You know at least enough to get around, although you're not fluent and native speakers can immediately pick you out.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, choose a different language.
Night Owl
+ Benefit: While everyone else is fast asleep, you're still hard at work. You can stay awake twice as long as normal without suffering the effects of fatigue. In addition, you need only four hours of sleep to gain the same benefits others gain from taking a full rest.
Pursuit of Knowledge
+ Benefit: You've pulled a few all-nighters trying to learn that trick you always wished you could do. You gain proficiency with one skill.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different skill.
Quick Draw
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You're a bit twitchy, whipping out a knife or a gun at the drop of a hat. You can draw a one-handed weapon (or an object stored in a belt pouch, pocket, or similar container) as a free action instead of a minor action.
Ready to Roll
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You're an old hand behind the wheel, able to steer almost without even thinking about it. Pick a specific type of transportation, such as boats, cars, planes, or even horses. When piloting or acting as the crew of type of vehicle, you can use a minor action each round instead of a standard action to help control the vessel.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different vehicle type.
Salt in the Blood
+ Benefit: You were born for the sea. In fact, you feel more comfortable in the water than you do on dry land. You gain a swim speed equal to your normal land speed. You must still make Athletics checks to perform dangerous or unusually difficult stunts underwater, though.
Shadow Stalker
+ Prerequisite: Trained in Stealth
+ Benefit: You are a ghostly apparition, striking fear into the hearts of your enemies - who can't even tell if you're real or not. You do not incur penalties to your Stealth checks if you move up to your speed while hiding. You still take the full penalty if you run or charge.
Solid Build
+ Benefit: Though others might think you're kind of a wimp, you're actually surprisingly sturdy. Double your carrying capacity. This affects your light load, heavy load, and maximum dragging load.
Sparring Practice
+ Benefit: You've been brushing up on your combat skills, trying to hone your swordsmanship or improve your aim. You gain proficiency with a specific weapon group, such as spears or heavy blades.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different weapon group.
Spiritual Safeguard
+ Benefit: It's purity of soul that matters most, not strength of body - something your allies would do well to learn. You can use your Wisdom score to determine the amount of HP you gain at each level instead of your Constitution score. This does not apply retroactively to previous levels you have gained.
Steady Calm
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 15
+ Benefit: A lifetime of jumping from one crisis to the next has jaded you. You know how to keep a cool head on your shoulders when everyone else is losing theirs. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against fear effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by stress.
Stoic Demeanor
+ Benefit: You've seen your fair share of lean times, and you've learned to go hungry without whining about it. You can go without food for twice as long as normal without suffering the effects of fatigue. In addition, you need only half as much food as normal to gain the same benefits others gain from eating a full meal. You still need to drink the same amount of water per day, though.
Swift Pace
+ Benefit: It seems like you’re always in a hurry, rushing from one place to another. Remember to slow down and let your friends catch up every once in a while, if you want them to stay your friends. Increase your speed by 3 meters (10 feet).
Talented
+ Prerequisite: Proficiency with the chosen skill
+ Benefit: Whatever it is, you're good at it. You've got a knack for some particular skill and are able to perform better than others with equal training. Choose a skill in which you have proficiency. You gain a +2 feat bonus to checks with that skill.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, choose a different skill with which you have proficiency.
Thick Skin
+ Benefit: The life of an adventurer is not a glamorous one. You've learned to ignore the little aches and pains (and burns and fractures) with a sigh, knowing they'll all scar up eventually. Pick an energy type. You gain resistance 2 to damage of that type. This resistance increases to 4 at level 11 and 6 at level 21.
+ Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take it, choose a different energy type.
Tireless Drive
+ Prerequisite: Constitution 15
+ Benefit: You're as stubborn as a mule. When you get knocked over you just get right back up again, and when you fail you just try even harder next time. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against fatigue effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by forced marches.
Tough as Nails
+ Benefit: You're a lot tougher than you look, able to take a beating and walk away from it. When you take this feat, you gain additional 5 hit points. At level 11, you gain 10 more. At level 21, you gain 15 more.
Toxic Intent
+ Benefit: History is written by the winners. It doesn't matter how you do it - after all, you can always skip this part when you tell the story. What's important is that you'll be the one telling it. You can apply poison to a weapon as a minor action, rather than a standard action. In addition, you can ignore the chance of poisoning yourself when you roll a natural 1 with a poisoned weapon.
Treetop Walk
+ Benefit: Maybe you used to climb a lot of trees as a kid, but you're like a monkey swinging from branch to branch. You gain a climb speed equal to your normal land speed. You must still make Athletics checks to perform dangerous or unusually difficult stunts in the trees, though.
Undeniable Clout
+ Benefit: Whether through your famous (or infamous) deeds or through a position of authority, you have a reputation that usually works in your favor. You gain a +2 feat bonus on any appropriate skill when attempting to influence someone who respects your position or good name.
Vigilance
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 13
+ Benefit: Even when you've got an enemy in your sights, you never lose track of what's going on around you. You don't provoke opportunity attacks from adjacent enemies by making ranged attacks.
Well-Rounded
+ Benefit: Either because your parents each had different jobs, or because you picked up a new vocation later in life, you know how to make a living in more than one way. You gain an additional background. If you can convince the GM that both of your backgrounds could plausibly affect the outcome of a situation, you can add both bonuses to your skill check.
Wealth to Burn
+ Benefit: You're filthy rich. Whether through a windfall inheritance or hard work, you have more cash than you know what to do with. When you take this feat, double the amount of money you have. Any non-liquid wealth you have (such as land, jewels, or magical items) is not doubled in this way.
That is all.
Ambidextrous
+ Benefit: Either through a quirk of genetics or through special training, you can use either hand with equal ability. You are able to use items, write, and perform other actions with either hand without incurring the -2 penalty. This allows you to treat all one-handed weapons as if they had the off-hand property.
Over-powered. Getting such an ability right now requires youo to be a Ranger or multi-classed into ranger.
Battlefield Medic
+ Benefit: You've been trained in basic first aid, and you know how to keep people alive when they really shouldn't be - at least, long enough to get them to somebody who can do a real job. Once per encounter, you can stabilize an adjacent dying character as a full-round action. That character can stop making death saving throws until they take damage again.
So yoou want to let a feat totally negate needing to make a skill check? Not very useful, but still too good for a feat
Cast-Iron Stomach
+ Prerequisite: Constitution 15
+ Benefit: You can eat almost anything, and you do. Bread covered in mold? Meat crawling with flies? That mysterious black thing? No problem. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against disease effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by food.
First, I don't beleive diseases use saves, but they might, and this part is probably okay. Second, auto-making saves is too good for a feat.
Considerate Skeptic
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 15
+ Benefit: You're pretty sharp, and you don't miss much. While others may be fooled, you remain unimpressed. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against illusion effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by illusory terrain.
Might have been okay with just the +2. Automaking saves is again, a bad idea.
Danger Sense
+ Benefit: You've learned to trust your gut, and your instincts help get you out of bad situations and into good ones. You gain a +2 feat bonus to your Initiative.
This feat is pointless. Improved Initiative offers a +4 feat bonus with no requirements as well. Additionally, Danger Sense is the name of an alreadyt existing core feat.
Deadeye Aim
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You've got the eyes of an eagle, and anyone trying to hide from your gaze has another thing coming to them. When you use a projectile weapon, increase its range by 3 meters (10 feet). In addition, you ignore the -2 penalty for making ranged attacks at long range.
Far Shot has the same prerequisite and only offers +5 to the range. Taking away 3 squares does not equal removing a -2 penalty for long range.
Defensive Training
+ Benefit: You got tired of waddling around the battlefield and finally learned how to buckle on that breastplate properly. You gain proficiency with a specific armor group, such as hide or shields.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different armor group.
No. Just no. You took the armor proficiency feats, folded them together, and removed the constitution requirements for the heavier armors. Over powerd.
Durable
+ Benefit: Never say die! Never surrender! You have an inner reserve of strength you can call on in times of need. Increase the number of times you can use your Second Wind each day by 1.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Its effects stack.
Second Wind is not a per day resource, it's a per encounter. And if it gave an extra second wind per encounter, it would be way too awesome for a dwarf, and still really good for anybody else.
Early Bird
+ Benefit: You're a morning person. While everyone else is still rubbing the grit out of their eyes and yawning, you're wide-awake and ready to go. At the end of an extended rest, you lose any unspent action points as normal, but you start fresh with 2 action points instead of 1.
Starting with a 2nd action point each day is way, way over-powered for a feat.
Fast Thinking
+ Benefit: You get a rush from catching your opponent's with their guard down - the rush of staying alive. During the first round of combat, you automatically gain combat advantage over any foe whose initiative result is lower than yours.
Again, over-powered. Your giving away a Rogue class feature nearly for free. Getting this ability now require you to paragon multi-class into rogue.
Fist of Steel
+ Prerequisite: Strength 13
+ Benefit: Maybe you've had special training in martial arts, or maybe you just get into a lot of bar brawls. Either way, your bare hands are deadly weapons. Your unarmed attacks deal 1d8 damage instead of 1d4 and qualify as a martial implement for the purposes of feats and powers. In addition, you can deal lethal or nonlethal damage as you choose.
This one actually looks okay, with one problem. First, fists already count as a weapon, so the martial implement line is unecessary. Second, without a proficiency bonus, it's not worth looking at. And 3rd, 4th edition does not distinguish between lethal and nonlethal damage. All damage is damage. Only when you finish the target does the player decide if the target is dead of unconcious.
Fleet of Foot
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: If they blink, they'll miss you. When you run, increase your speed by an additional 3 meters (10 feet). In addition, enemies making opportunity attacks against you while you run must roll twice and take the lower result.
Way over-powered once more. It offers twice the power of the identically named paragon power, while forceing enemies to reroll opportunity attacks. Speed is vital in 4th edition. Offering +2 is too good. And forcing enemies to roll twice for OA's in the process is beyond good.
Good Fortune
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 15
+ Benefit: Somebody up there seems to have taken a liking to you, because you're one lucky guy. When you're on a roll, there's no one can stop you. Whenever you have combat advantage against an enemy, you gain a +2 feat bonus to your AC against attacks made by that enemy.
This one doesn't seem to bad. Probably okay.
Immediate Response
+ Benefit: Who says patience is a virtue? You make saving throws at the beginning of your turn instead of at the end of your turn.
Overpowered. Humans can manage this as an epic feat, for one specific type of saving throw (Death). Martial Classes, and only martial classes, can get a similar effect for only a fe specific effects as well. Giving it in general across the board is too much.
Master Craftsman
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13, GM's discretion
+ Benefit: You like working with your hands, and nothing gives you more pleasure than seeing the fruits of your labor put to good use. Choose a specific type of non-magical item (weapons, armor, poisons, traps, potions, etc). You can construct items of this sort equal to your level or lower, providing that have the proper tools and ingredients. Creating an item in this way takes a number of days equal to that item's level and costs the same amount of money in raw materials as if you'd purchased it directly.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, choose a different specialty.
This is unecessary. Crafting is outside the bounds of the rules, and fall under GM's discresion.
Linguist
+ Prerequisite: Intelligence 13
+ Benefit: You've got an ear for languages and can learn new ones with remarkable ease. You can now speak, read, and write one language of your choice. You know at least enough to get around, although you're not fluent and native speakers can immediately pick you out.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, choose a different language.
This was already a mediocre feat before, and now you want to weaken it, and add a stipulation for native speakers? Weak.
Quick Draw
+ Prerequisite: Dexterity 13
+ Benefit: You're a bit twitchy, whipping out a knife or a gun at the drop of a hat. You can draw a one-handed weapon (or an object stored in a belt pouch, pocket, or similar container) as a free action instead of a minor action.
Why remove the initiative bonus? As it was, only rangers and paladins would regularly want it. Now there are the only ones that would ever want it.
Salt in the Blood
+ Benefit: You were born for the sea. In fact, you feel more comfortable in the water than you do on dry land. You gain a swim speed equal to your normal land speed. You must still make Athletics checks to perform dangerous or unusually difficult stunts underwater, though.
This would be heavily biased by campaign type. In a typical campaign, it's probably close to useless, but too good in those situations it's really handy. In an aquatic campaign, it's way too good. Removing skill checks is bad.
Solid Build
+ Benefit: Though others might think you're kind of a wimp, you're actually surprisingly sturdy. Double your carrying capacity. This affects your light load, heavy load, and maximum dragging load.
Not worth wasting a feat on.
Sparring Practice
+ Benefit: You've been brushing up on your combat skills, trying to hone your swordsmanship or improve your aim. You gain proficiency with a specific weapon group, such as spears or heavy blades.
+ Special: This feat can be taken more than once. Each time you take it, pick a different weapon group.
Becoming proficient in an entire weapon group is too good for a general feat. Hell, most people consider the existing racial feats that offer entire weapon groups to good.
Spiritual Safeguard
+ Benefit: It's purity of soul that matters most, not strength of body - something your allies would do well to learn. You can use your Wisdom score to determine the amount of HP you gain at each level instead of your Constitution score. This does not apply retroactively to previous levels you have gained.
Considering that Constitution has absolutely no effect on HP gained per level, this is totally 100% useless. If your refering to first level, it's good, but probably not overly broken.
Steady Calm
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 15
+ Benefit: A lifetime of jumping from one crisis to the next has jaded you. You know how to keep a cool head on your shoulders when everyone else is losing theirs. You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws against fear effects. In addition, you don't even need to roll a save against effects caused by stress.
I've commented on the similar feats above. Honestly, completely removing the need for a saving throw for something is probably broken.
Stoic Demeanor
+ Benefit: You've seen your fair share of lean times, and you've learned to go hungry without whining about it. You can go without food for twice as long as normal without suffering the effects of fatigue. In addition, you need only half as much food as normal to gain the same benefits others gain from eating a full meal. You still need to drink the same amount of water per day, though.
This falls on the weak side. Not worth a feat.
Swift Pace
+ Benefit: It seems like you’re always in a hurry, rushing from one place to another. Remember to slow down and let your friends catch up every once in a while, if you want them to stay your friends. Increase your speed by 3 meters (10 feet).
Where do I start? Mechanically worse than your Fleet of Foot feat, and still stronger than the core Fleet of Foot. +2 speed for 1 feat is too good.
Talented
+ Prerequisite: Proficiency with the chosen skill
+ Benefit: Whatever it is, you're good at it. You've got a knack for some particular skill and are able to perform better than others with equal training. Choose a skill in which you have proficiency. You gain a +2 feat bonus to checks with that skill.
+ Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, choose a different skill with which you have proficiency.
This is a crappier version of skill focus. Once again, too weak.
Thick Skin
+ Benefit: The life of an adventurer is not a glamorous one. You've learned to ignore the little aches and pains (and burns and fractures) with a sigh, knowing they'll all scar up eventually. Pick an energy type. You gain resistance 2 to damage of that type. This resistance increases to 4 at level 11 and 6 at level 21.
+ Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take it, choose a different energy type.
This one is interesting. I like it. It might even be just a hair on the weak side. I could see 3, 6, and 9.
Tough as Nails
+ Benefit: You're a lot tougher than you look, able to take a beating and walk away from it. When you take this feat, you gain additional 5 hit points. At level 11, you gain 10 more. At level 21, you gain 15 more.
This is twice as good as toughness, which makes it broken as hell. Toughness is already a good feat.
Toxic Intent
+ Benefit: History is written by the winners. It doesn't matter how you do it - after all, you can always skip this part when you tell the story. What's important is that you'll be the one telling it. You can apply poison to a weapon as a minor action, rather than a standard action. In addition, you can ignore the chance of poisoning yourself when you roll a natural 1 with a poisoned weapon.
Interesting. Depending on how often you can get good poison, this is portentially a good feat.
Treetop Walk
+ Benefit: Maybe you used to climb a lot of trees as a kid, but you're like a monkey swinging from branch to branch. You gain a climb speed equal to your normal land speed. You must still make Athletics checks to perform dangerous or unusually difficult stunts in the trees, though.
Giving a clmib speed is too good. Additionally, you didn't specify the climb speed was onyl for trees, which seems to be the intent. It it is limited to trees, it's pretty bad overall.
Undeniable Clout
+ Benefit: Whether through your famous (or infamous) deeds or through a position of authority, you have a reputation that usually works in your favor. You gain a +2 feat bonus on any appropriate skill when attempting to influence someone who respects your position or good name.
Effects like this shouldn't fall under a feat. This is the sort of thing best handles by role playing.
Vigilance
+ Prerequisite: Wisdom 13
+ Benefit: Even when you've got an enemy in your sights, you never lose track of what's going on around you. You don't provoke opportunity attacks from adjacent enemies by making ranged attacks.
Another feat that if over-powered.
Wealth to Burn
+ Benefit: You're filthy rich. Whether through a windfall inheritance or hard work, you have more cash than you know what to do with. When you take this feat, double the amount of money you have. Any non-liquid wealth you have (such as land, jewels, or magical items) is not doubled in this way.
This is beyond broken, allowing a character to break the game in half with judicious and proper applications. Wealth is in the GM's hands for a good reason.
Listen to that advice.
Always Prepared ( You can ready an action as a minor action rather than as a standard action.)
broken: rounds now become, move action, standard action,
--> you get 2 standard actions instead of 1, for a very low cost.
Animal Empathy (gain access to any special abilities + skills checks)
-> any special ability is better then the mount feat. skills checks are also extremely good. this feat overshadows the normal skill feats and the mount-feat together.
Battlefield Medic (auto stabilize on ally), Danger Sense (+2 init)
agreed with ff6shadow. skill training (heal) is what Battlefield Medic should be. Improved init > Danger sense ...
Defensive Training (gain prof. in 1 armor)
nope. you need the armor proficiency chain for this.
Durable
... refraise it you into 1/day you can use spend a healing surge to gain hp equal to your healing value.
Fast Thinking you automatically gain combat advantage over any foe whose initiative result is lower than yours.
overpowered, as this could last an entire encounter
Fist of Steel
I'dd add a +3 proficiency bonus. and the versility modifier (when you use both hands, you get +1 damage)
...
Battlefield Medic, Durable, Night Owl, Spiritual Safegaurd, & Stoic Demeanor
Most of my group's games are significantly darker than the average D&D setting, commonly with some sort of post-apocalyptic feel - something like 3.5 Dark Sun. We focus gritty realism, with an emphasis on simple survival and even avoiding combat encounters over killing things and taking their stuff. To help create this tone, we've removed the majority of the healing abilities characters in other games enjoy. The Heal skill has been completely removed, as have Healing Surges. The only thing players have to fall back on is their Second Wind ability, which has become a daily power instead of an encounter power. Similarly, a character only gains HP equal to their Constitution modifiers at each level after the first.
Cast-Iron Stomach, Considerate Skeptic, & Steady Calm
According to page 49 of the DM's guide, diseases use saving throws on first infection and once every day after that. I'll admit I hadn't really considered the ramifications of completely removing the need to save, though in my defense I tried to make it for very minor effects - illusory terrain, stress, and spoiled food. If I remove those parts, would these feats be good?
Salt in the Blood & Treetop Walk
I was under the impression that climb and swim speeds on their own aren't considered broken - several people have posted homebrewed races with these features which weren't called overpowered. Would they be more balanced if I made them equal to 1/2 normal land speed?
Defensive Training & Sparring Practice
I didn't even catch that the Armor Proficiency feats required proficiency with all lighter armors. My main intention was simply to collapse five feats that were taking up space doing almost the same thing into one. I'll try to find a way to incorporate the requirements into it, though. As for Sparring Practice, I'm a bit confused - isn't it exactly the same as as the core Weapon Proficiency feat?
Linguist
As a linguist myself, I took issue with the idea that you could become completely fluent in three new languages overnight - most people can't do that at all. In addition, I felt that adding the clause about native speakers being able to pick you out created interesting role-play opportunities. Also, Qube, you're completely right: I lifted this one from World of Darkness. I've always admired its devotion to flavor, but several of the mechanics are incredibly clumsy.
Danger Sense, Talented
I intended Danger Sense to replace Improved Initiative, which I'd always considered a bit too good. I based the new feat off of the ability of the same name that the Gith have in the Monster Manual. Talented is similarly meant to replace Skill Focus, because I've found +3 to be a little too significant.
Master Craftsman
This was a very conscious attempt on my part to inject rules for crafting back into the game without making it a skill again, which was never really worked properly in 3.5. Still, crafting was always one of my favorite things things to do - I still have very fond memories of an old game where we defended a castle under siege with dozens of traps.
Quick Draw, Solid Build
This is a case where I'm hesitantly going to have to disagree with you, ff6. I removed the initiative bonus to Quick Draw because it felt tacked-on and overlapped too much with another feat. In addition, I feel this is a fun feat that a wide variety of characters might like - my playgroup has never been overly concerned with optimization. As for Solid Build, I've always felt that the rules on carrying capacity are nonsensical. A regular persona just can't carry that much without being bogged down, and so we've halved the capacity. This feat basically just lets characters keep carrying what they can under the current rules.
Always Prepared, Fist of Steel, Tough as Nails, Undeniable Clout
Fixed. These ones are just examples of not being a very good rules lawyer on my part
Ambidextrous, Early Bird, Immediate Response, Vigilance
These are the ones that I take issue with. I'll freely admit up front that I'm *not* an expert on game balance, but to me these abilities really don't seem overpowered. Would they break team balance if they were allowed? I just don't see it.
Deadeye Aim, Fast Thinking, Fleet of Foot, Swift Pace, Wealth to Burn, Animal Empathy
I can see the problem with these ones, but I feel there's still a good idea buried in them somewhere. I'll think more on them and try to come up with some sort of solution.
It's a shame you didn't post some details about your groups setting and gritty homebrew rules before posting your feats; i think eveyone had assumed that you had just decided to overhaul the feats in a somewhat standard d&d game. If you could post some more info on how else your houserules modify the core rules(in your original post if possible), you'd probably get more appealing feedback because we can see what you're balancing them off and what you're trying to achieve. Are there any major changes to any of the classes, powers, treasure gain etc, you say the heal skill has been removed, is this the only skill that's been changed?
Fair enough. Like I said, most of these feats aren't necessarily meant to be "optimized," as my group isn't terribly concerned with being competitive; rather, they're meant to help evoke a theme and give players more tools outside of combat. As for our houserules, here are the most important ones I can think of off the top of my head:
- Characters are more fragile, and death is around every doorstep. Players have no healing surges, and the Second Wind ability is 1/day rather than 1/encounter. The Heal skill has been removed and replaced with a less encompassing feat. Players gain HP on a more limited basis: at first level they gain 5/6/7+Constitution score (depending on class), and every level after that they only gain HP equal to their Con modifier. For example, most random commoners have only 10 HP, and characters likely wouldn't start out with much more than that.
- The world is poor in resources, and characters have to scrounge for what they can. Each character starts with only 50 GP at level 1, and money from then on is hard to come by. It's never found in dungeons or awarded for battles, and can usually only be had by performing odd jobs for people in towns (essentially, mini-games). Magical items are extremely rare, especially magical weapons or armor, and obtaining a single such item will usually be the goal of most dungeons. Even mundane armor and weapons are restricted to soldiers or nobility, and purchasing them in towns is expensive, dangerous, or both. Usage of the Master Craftsman feat is meant to allow players some way of obtaining equipment that is more in-flavor for this world: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.
- To play up both of the themes above, food and water are important resources that characters have to be aware of. Characters must consume 5 kilograms of food and water/day. Similarly, they need to rest at least 6 hours/day. Each day that they do not, they must start rolling Survival checks. I use the "Rule of Three": Human can survive three minutes without air, three hours without heat, three days without water, and three weeks without food. These represent the cut-off points for the use of the Survival skill; no matter how well someone rolls, after they reach these points they automatically fall unconscious. If someone fails an Survival check before that point, they're considered Fatigued, a new condition that basically means you're weakened, slowed, and stunned, AKA screwed.
- Skills have been modified. I've actually further condensed them into 10: Athletics (STR), Acrobatics, Initiative, Stealth (DEX), Survival (CON), Knowledge (INT), Bluff, Diplomacy, Streetwise (CHA), and Insight (WIS). Other than the loss of the Heal skill, all of the actual uses of the old skills are maintained - for example, hearing someone sneak up on you and seeing through a disguise are both Insight. Classes remain largely unchanged beyond HP gain and the number of trained skills, which have gone down to account for the fewer number of skills available.
I *think* those are the big ones. I can't remember any more off the top of my head, at least.
Linguist
As a linguist myself, I took issue with the idea that you could become completely fluent in three new languages overnight - most people can't do that at all. In addition, I felt that adding the clause about native speakers being able to pick you out created interesting role-play opportunities.
4e PC's aren't "most people". If that isn't the case in your campaign though, would be good to mention it.
Edit: Saw that you mentioned this in later posts.
About the native speakers thing. I believe that would be better handled by a discrete insight check for the npc, rather than being a forced situation. Basically this feat states that no one will ever speak another language good enough to bluff people. In effect, having the reverse of the intended effect of making for good roleplaying opportunities.
I do like the "Toxic Intent" feat though. But it would probably need a Rogue prerequisite though. "Anyone can slather poison on a weapon, but it takes a rogue to do it well."
Edit 2: I would also like to point out that even though the effect of a feat is gained instantly at level up, there's more than enough time inbetween feats in which the character has trained/studied enough to gain the benefit and so that part isn't spoken off but rather "ad-libbed"
There's generally one feat gained per every two levels. To advance one level is roughly 8-10 encounters (normally) stated by the dmg. Two level for my player would ingame translate to everything from two weeks to two months.
Edit 2: I would also like to point out that even though the effect of a feat is gained instantly at level up, there's more than enough time inbetween feats in which the character has trained/studied enough to gain the benefit and so that part isn't spoken off but rather "ad-libbed"
There's generally one feat gained per every two levels. To advance one level is roughly 8-10 encounters (normally) stated by the dmg. Two level for my player would ingame translate to everything from two weeks to two months.
Someone with an innate talent for language acquisition could perhaps become fluent with *one* language in two months with an intense, non-stop regimen of study. If one of my players really wished to do that, I'd probably allow it - but in most games, players spend their time fighting monsters and solving puzzles, not quietly studying. Hell, I've been studying Spanish for years and I'm still not what I would consider "fluent" yet.
Master Craftsman also suffers the problem that mundane items don't have a level, so like staves in 3e, you can materialize them at will.
Hmm ... how about if I make the amount of time it takes to craft an item have a minimum of 1 day? Or would that still be too quick?
Also, an additional thought on the Wealth to Burn feat: what if I made it available only at character creation, so that it simply doubled your starting gold?
Also, an additional thought on the Wealth to Burn feat: what if I made it available only at character creation, so that it simply doubled your starting gold?
200 gold instead of 100 gold? That is probably the lamest feat I've ever heard of.
Someone with an innate talent for language acquisition could perhaps become fluent with *one* language in two months with an intense, non-stop regimen of study. If one of my players really wished to do that, I'd probably allow it - but in most games, players spend their time fighting monsters and solving puzzles, not quietly studying. Hell, I've been studying Spanish for years and I'm still not what I would consider "fluent" yet.
Yes it takes a long time to master another language in reality, I'm not arguing that. But, this is fiction and not an accurate simulation of real life. It's not supposed to be (although I also found 3 languages a little on the heavy side). Take the movie "The Thirteenth Warrior" for instance. In that movie an arab learns Swedish in a manner of weeks, just by listening. Is it accurate? Hells no! Does it really matter to the audience? Not really.
And also, like I already said, when you take a feat the system treats the actual act of training and studying as ad-libbed into the parts the players don't actually play (week long travels fast forwarded, nights about the fireplace, before going to bed in the inn, before setting out from the inn etc)
Actually roleplaying all that would be a chore and not much fun, which is why it's not included. It isn't only feats that are treated like this.
Take a wizards spells for example. Spells are supposed to be something learned from intense study, just as languages, but the system gives the wizard instant access to new, more complex spells when he levels up. By your reasoning of the Linguist feat everything would need to be reasoned similarly which would force the wizard to study hard before using his new spells (and every other character to study/train his/her new powers and feats). This would slow down the game considerably and as such it is also considered ad-libbed into the parts players don't play. Because things would get boring really fast if it weren't.
Edit: Upon pondering I would say that some feats, such as Linguist, doesn't actually reflect the act of studying but actually the moment of completion. A character could have studied draconic for his whole life, but it was when the player took the Linguist feat that the character had come to the point where he could reap the benefit from his studies.
When I DM I let my players have virtually total control over their own character (as long as they aren't out of line). If a player suddenly decides that his human character was raised by elves, but haven't spoken of it before, that's perfectly fine. Feats and powers could be looked upon the same way.
Also think of it from a mechanical standpoint, is it really worth a feat to learn to speak one language, sort of.
Who wants to spend a feat to suddenly be average at something?
Consider it like the weapon training feats, suddenly they pick up knowledge of how to fight with a longsword just as good as the guy who has trained his entire life? Even if they are an 8 str mage at level 23, now he is just as trained as the fighter?
Salt in the Blood & Treetop Walk
I was under the impression that climb and swim speeds on their own aren't considered broken - several people have posted homebrewed races with these features which weren't called overpowered. Would they be more balanced if I made them equal to 1/2 normal land speed?
...
Ambidextrous, Early Bird, Immediate Response, Vigilance
These are the ones that I take issue with. I'll freely admit up front that I'm *not* an expert on game balance, but to me these abilities really don't seem overpowered. Would they break team balance if they were allowed? I just don't see it.
Racial abilities tend to be better on average than feats - similarly, racial specific feats tend to be better than general ones. If you really want to give an alternate movment mode via a feat, make it into a power-substitution feat. Anything else is going to be overpowered.
Ambidextrous infringes on a key class feature.
Early bird is good enough that every player would want to take it - which means its probably too good (if everybody wants a feat it may be unbalanced, if everyone needs a feat it's broken).
Immediate Response - powers with ongoing effects are balanced on the principle that the power will affect the target for at least one round. This feat breaks over half of the powers in the game.
Vigilance - ranged combat has huge advantages over melee combat. Opportunity factors are one of the few disadvantages ranged attacks have to balance. This feat negates that disadvantage - bad idea.
NAD I HOPE I MEET IT, 'CAUSE I WANT ME SOME DUAL KATARS XD