Few homebrew feats

[Jon_Dahl]

Contact

Prerequisite:

1st level character only when created, Charisma 10

Benefit:

You know someone of importance or an unusual creature. Maybe it’s a high priest, rich merchant, town sheriff or noble knight. Creature could be a unicorn or half-dragon or some other creature usually encountered solitary.

At maximum, Contacts are as influental as minor nobles (not ranking above baron) and they are not rich enough to own a castle, vast amounts of land or army of any size. Creature doesn’t have authority over other creatures. Contacts Challenge Rating is never higher than 6.

Relationship with Contact is friendly (Chat, advise, offer limited help, advocate). Contact will not lend or donate money or goods to you, but you can sometimes visit him for few days (no more than two weeks per year). Contact can not be persuaded to move anywhere. Also, he/she/it will not adventure or send anyone to adventure.

Aristocratic Background

Prerequisite:

1st level character only when created, literate class, Diplomacy: 2

Benefit:

You gain extra 500 gold pieces. Knowledge (Nobility) is always a class skill to you but Climb, Profession and Survival are never.

Your family name is recognised with a successful Knowledge (nobility) vs. DC 15 and you are recognised with a successful Knowledge (nobility) vs. DC 30. Local people always recognise your family name and recognise you with Knowledge (Local or Nobility) vs. DC 20.

If the character comes from a different race or culture, all the above DC’s are increased by at least +5.

Food Taster

Prerequisite:

Poison Use or Con 15

Benefit:

Food tasting requires two full round actions which provoke attack of opportunity. In the first round you carefully extract a sample of poison or (possibly) poisoned food on your gloved hand. In the second round you taste it. Consuming poison in this manner gives you +8 insight bonus to saves vs. poison. With successful save you are not affected by the poison. Failed check means that you suffer the absolutely minimum damage the poisons primary damage can cause (paralysis, instant death and unconsciousness only stun you for one round). You don’t suffer secondary damage.

Whether you succeed in the save or not you will find out if it was poison or poisoned food/drink. If you also succeed in Craft (poisonmaking) check vs. poisons DC you will know everything about the poison itself.

[ZerglingOne]

As far as the three go. The contact ability seems fairly underpowered. Won't quest, send adventuring help, or lend any kind of monetary aid. Not even a loan? Fencing services? It just seems like there'd be almost no point to take it.

The nobility one looks good, though it should require a signet ring with your family's crest on it. The only way I could see the +500gp coming back to bite the DM in the arse is if the noble in question chooses to be a wizard/sorc (wizard more-so) as they would be capable of purchasing a great deal of scrolls at this level and that could lead to imbalance early on.

For the poisons one, possibly have it require instead of 15 con. Something to the effect of 13 con and 13 int. Or have it require craft: alchemy to a certain rank (as far as I know actually, craft: alchemy can be used in this manner anyway). Being able to instantly identify any poison and getting a +8 save to it (I know it's only for the tasting) seems pretty overpowered. Maybe lower the save slightly or have it act differently for contact poisons. Possibly have it only work for poisons that need to be ingested since it is "food taster."

[imp_fireball]

Some of these should probably be traits rather than feats since they reflect role playing, y'know?


As far as the three go. The contact ability seems fairly underpowered. Won't quest, send adventuring help, or lend any kind of monetary aid. Not even a loan? Fencing services? It just seems like there'd be almost no point to take it.

Maybe change it to circumstantial bonus to gather information when using the contact. Would be good for a trait. The drawback would be that the contact could have enemies.

Aristocratic background could increase reputation (if you're using reputation mechanics) or also gain enemies, I guess. Inability to take survival and what not are definite draw back though, but it doesn't get rid of munchkins.

Food taster would be a good prerequisite for an ability that allows you to build up poison immunity with every successful save - call the feat 'Rasputin' or something related.

[Jon_Dahl]

Great, I was thrilled to see responses! I have offered these to my players but they've never been interested so I have been yearning to get some feedback on them.

ZerglingOne,
It's ok if Contact is underpowered. Would you think that getting a loan is a good idea?

You made extremely good point about scrolls... I have to think something about that one. However if you start the game as 2nd level characters or even highter, you will get much, much more money so the same thing will happen: Wizard can buy scrolls. So I don't see any real problem with 1st level character with enhanced wealth compared to 2nd level character with normal wealth (900 gp's wasn't it?).

With Food Taster I could lower the save bonus and have it work only with ingested poisons. Also your suggested prerequisites seem good enough.

Imp_fireball,

Making these into traits seems like a difficult idea. I really need to consider that with time.