PDA

View Full Version : [feat] Zen Driving



Ashtagon
2009-12-28, 04:56 AM
Zen Driving

When you get behind the wheel, joystick, or other vehicle controls, you get "into the zone", and become one with your machine.


Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Drive 4 ranks or Pilot 4 ranks, any appropriate vehicle proficiency feats.
Benefit: There are three primary benefits of this feat. First, you can use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier when making Drive or Pilot checks. second, three times per day, you can re-roll any failed Drive or Pilot check. This re-roll takes place after the GM announces what the result of the original roll would have been. Finally, you can always take 10 when using the Drive or Pilot skill.
Special: The benefits of this feat only apply to those vehicles for which you meet the relevant prerequisites (either Drive or Pilot skill, plus the relevant vehicle proficiency feats, if any).


comments?

nb. This is primarily aimed at modern-day campaign worlds.

Scroll down to see latest version.

Solaris
2009-12-28, 05:58 AM
I was always a fan of Drive/Pilot being Wis-based anyways.
(Example from RL: I have a good Dex score, lousy Wis score. I'm a mediocre driver, as my poor perceptiveness and general awareness hurt more when I'm operating a 'body' larger than normal.)

The balance of this looks to be about even, especially as the Modern setting wasn't exactly loaded with high-powered feats and abilities.

Mulletmanalive
2009-12-28, 05:01 PM
From a play point of view, this one is a complete no-brainer. The number of times an unlucky roll has caused a crash...

In d20 Modern, this should probably cost action points, one if not two, for it's secondary bit.

I'm not sure what to recommend for D&D rules, probably something that's like one, plus one per 6 levels, or something.

At present, it would be insane NOT to take this if you drive or even call shotgun with any regularity.

Ashtagon
2009-12-28, 05:47 PM
mmm, I guess it is a little too good, even though strictly speaking it is a non-combat feat. And I didn't take advantage of the action points system, which is a capital offence :smalleek:

My design philosophy with feats is that they should provide both a small static bonus, and the ability to "do something" with the feat. This way, they continuously give something (static bonus), but by giving something active, the player appreciates the feat more because he can make a decision based on the feat which was impossible without it.

The feat re-written...

* Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Drive 4 ranks or Pilot 4 ranks.

* Benefit: There are two primary benefits of this feat. First, you can use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier when making Drive or Pilot checks.

Second, you can spend action points to help in your driving. Spending a single action point allows you to take 10 on all Drive and Pilot checks on a single vehicle for the next hour, or until you are removed from the vehicle controls (whichever comes last; you could leave and return to the controls within the hour, then carry on driving for the rest of the day without a break). This applies even in situations where you could not normally take 10.

Alternatively, you can spend a single action point and treat your next Drive or Pilot skill check (which must be made in that same round) as if you rolled a 20.

* Special: The benefits of this feat only apply to those vehicles for which you meet the relevant prerequisites (either Drive or Pilot skill, plus the relevant vehicle proficiency feats (Aircraft Operation and/or Surface vehicle Operation), if any).

Scroll down to see latest version.

Mulletmanalive
2009-12-28, 06:24 PM
I'd say a free take 20 is worth two action points.

That and this basically renders you immune to crashing [the out of control result needs a major fail of like 10 or something] if you use the initial feature.

One of the issues with Modern was that with a few exceptions, the majority of Talents aren't actually as good as feats, dispite being a more limited resource. This basically gives you a limited version of a Dedicated talent with a massively improved version of another for a single feat.

Why not just have it maximise Action Points on Drive checks? Seems simpler, less likely to be abusable [automatic rakes without damage springs to mind] and both allows for the cancellation of nasty rolls and turning passable ones into incredible successes?

CarpeGuitarrem
2009-12-28, 06:55 PM
"I am a leaf on the wind...watch how I VROOOOOM!! OH YEAH BABY!!!"

Ashtagon
2009-12-29, 08:33 AM
Version 3...


Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Drive 1 rank or Pilot 1 rank.
Benefit: There are two primary benefits of this feat. First, you can use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier when making Drive or Pilot checks. Second, when you spend action points toward improving the success of a Drive or Pilot check with a vehicle that you are operating, you roll d10s instead of d6s to determine the bonus gained.
Normal: You use your Dexterity modifier with Drive and Pilot checks.
Special: The benefits of this feat only apply to those vehicles for which you meet the relevant prerequisites (either Drive or Pilot skill, plus the relevant vehicle proficiency feats (Aircraft Operation and/or Surface vehicle Operation), if any).



nb. Changed prerequisites to 1 rank because, if you buy this feat, chances are you're going to invest heavily in those skills anyway in order to take full advantage of the feat.

Ashtagon
2009-12-31, 03:04 AM
One last change...

Zen Driving can be Substituted for Vehicle Expert for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites for other feats.