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big teej
2010-11-29, 11:23 AM
okay... so, I've never made a thread like this before, and it is only under the pressure of extreme indecision I do now....

I'm playing a knight that just hit level 3, and I'm trying to decide on a feat.

I have narrowed the list down to the following*

Blind Fight - we fought a displacer beast in another campaign, nearly obliterated the party thanks to the 50% miss chance. I never want to be in this position, and as a Knight, it is my job to be able to fend off opponents

Improved Initiative - I have a dex bonus of +0 so I'm not typically going first (or even close to it) so a +4 to my checks would be helpful to the big meatshield

Combat Expertise - adds (at this time) up to +3AC given that a Knight's job is to draw fire (but not get hit) this is very useful to me.

Endurance - allows me to sleep in armour, as well as helps me out with things like forced march, more importantly, allows me to take the Die Hard feat at 5th level.

Ride by attack - soon, I will have a mount! :smallbiggrin: (likely a rhino) and I want to be able to take spirited charge at some point (x6 damage on a critical charge? yes please!)


so, I ask the esteemed members of the playground.
what would you pick? and why?

I have given the feats I am willing to pick from, and my reasons for choosing them. build upon these reasons or completely ignore them (or undermine them) as you see fit.


*no other feat options will be accepted (except from core and/or books I own, but try to stick to this list please)

Quietus
2010-11-29, 11:27 AM
If you're going to build your character around being mounted, and your DM provides enough outdoor combats to make it worthwhile, getting Spirited Charge is valuable. Otherwise, I'd go with Blind-Fight - it's pretty situational on its own, but it also opens up the Mage Slayer line of feats, if I'm not mistaken, which will be exceptionally valuable for your melee-oriented character.

Couple other notes - Combat Expertise would open up Improved Trip, which is also a valuable feat, even moreso if you have a reach weapon, and doubly so with combat reflexes and a solid Dex score. Endurance allows you to sleep in MEDIUM armor without being fatigued; You can sleep in Light armor just fine. Get yourself a nice set of chain shirt pajamas.

Greenish
2010-11-29, 11:30 AM
A critical hit with lance and Spirited Charge would have the multiplier of x5, not x6, unless you had some other source for them (cavalier levels, ribbon lance etc.).

Out of those, I'd pick Ride-by Attack if you can feasibly use a mount in most of your fights. Otherwise, Combat Expertise opens the road for Imp. Trip.

Darrin
2010-11-29, 01:48 PM
Some of these feats can be duplicated with magic items or equipment. However, I don't know anything about your DM or campaign, so some of these items might not be available.



Blind Fight - we fought a displacer beast in another campaign, nearly obliterated the party thanks to the 50% miss chance. I never want to be in this position, and as a Knight, it is my job to be able to fend off opponents


Buy a few bladders of Torchbug Paste (25 GP, Complete Scoundrel p. 120). Throw this as a grenade-like weapon (ranged touch attack), and anything within a 5' burst gets coated with a glowing paint that has the same effect as a faerie fire spell. Instead of getting a reroll on the miss chance, concealment is negated entirely.

Stormfire Ring (4000 GP, MIC p. 206) also can do faerie fire 5/day, but has the additional bonus of doing 1d6 electricity damage every round (no save). That's 25d6 electricity damage per day, no save.

That being said, Blind-Fight is still a pretty decent feat, and it's a prerequisite for Mage-Slayer and Pierce Magical Concealment, which are great picks for a Knight.



Improved Initiative - I have a dex bonus of +0 so I'm not typically going first (or even close to it) so a +4 to my checks would be helpful to the big meatshield


Another popular and very solid feat. However, the Warning property (MIC p. 46) gives you a +5 insight bonus on initiative checks, and is only a +1 enhancement. Warning armor spikes +1 only cost 8350 GP. The Eager property (another +1 enhancement) can also be added to a weapon for a Quickdraw effect and another +2 untyped bonus to initiative.

Another option is if you can get a reliable number of ranks in UMD, Arcane Schooling (PGtF), or Planar Touchstone linked to the Catalogues of Enlightenment (for the Magic domain), buy a Wand Chamber (100 GP, Dungeonscape) and a wand of nerveskitter.



Combat Expertise - adds (at this time) up to +3AC given that a Knight's job is to draw fire (but not get hit) this is very useful to me.


Meh... I've never been a big fan of Combat Expertise. Kill 'em faster is usually better than sacrificing attack bonus for AC. The fight tends to last longer, giving your opponents a better chance to land a lucky critical. You have infinite AC against an opponent you killed 3 rounds ago.

Law Devotion (Complete Champion p. 61) will also give you a +3 bonus you can swap between AC or attack. It scales up slower (+5 at 10th level, +7 at 15th level) but only lasts 1 minute per day.



Endurance - allows me to sleep in armour, as well as helps me out with things like forced march, more importantly, allows me to take the Die Hard feat at 5th level.


Ick, no. Buy a Restful Crystal (500 GP, MIC p. 26) if you need to sleep in armor.

Ok, Diehard isn't nearly as worthless as Endurance, but you can get the same effect with only one feat: Shape Soulmeld (Rageclaws). Requires access and some familiarity with Magic of Incarnum, though.



Ride by attack - soon, I will have a mount! :smallbiggrin: (likely a rhino) and I want to be able to take spirited charge at some point (x6 damage on a critical charge? yes please!)


You can get this feat with either Riding Boots (12000 GP, MIC p. 121) or Battle Bridle (9000 GP, MIC p. 151). The bridle is cheaper, and is worn by your mount, keeping your feet slot open for something else (Steadfast Boots or Anklets of Translocation are both affordable and awesome).

Out of the choices you list... I'm kinda leaning towards Blind-Fight, mostly to pick up Mage Slayer and Pierce Magical Concealment.

Otherwise, Law Devotion or Ability Focus: Test of Mettle (Monster Manual p. 303).

Jyokage
2010-11-29, 05:45 PM
Also, I'm AFB at the moment, but isn't there a 500 gp armor enhancement that lets you sleep in your Armor? I'm normally more encyclopedic, but I always play monk, so I've never had to worry about it.

big teej
2010-11-29, 09:16 PM
okay, this was my bad, to clarify

my group has a standing ban on anything not found either A) on the SRD or B) in one of my source books

we have
Masters of the Wild
The Book of Vile Darkness
The Book of Exalted Deeds
The Dungeon Master's Guide
Cityscape
Races of Stone
The Arms and Equipment Guide
Dieties and Demigods


anything not in these books is out of bounds until I get more books. my apologies for not mentioning this

(hence the original question of FEAT selection) :smallredface:

herrhauptmann
2010-11-30, 01:34 AM
If you're going to build your character around being mounted, and your DM provides enough outdoor combats to make it worthwhile, getting Spirited Charge is valuable. Otherwise, I'd go with Blind-Fight - it's pretty situational on its own, but it also opens up the Mage Slayer line of feats, if I'm not mistaken, which will be exceptionally valuable for your melee-oriented character.

Couple other notes - Combat Expertise would open up Improved Trip, which is also a valuable feat, even moreso if you have a reach weapon, and doubly so with combat reflexes and a solid Dex score. Endurance allows you to sleep in MEDIUM armor without being fatigued; You can sleep in Light armor just fine. Get yourself a nice set of chain shirt pajamas.

Restful armor (Dungeonscape) and restful armor crystal. Will both let you sleep in armor without a feat tax.
Mageslayer requires a few ranks in Spellcraft. Pierce magical protection has a prereq only of mageslayer. Blindfight is a prereq only for pierce magical concealment. [/nitpick] The entire feat tree is very useful for any melee who has a reasonable expectation of getting close to the enemy wizard. However, often see players avoid the entire tree solely because they believe that blindfight is a weak feat, and is somehow a prereq for the entire feat tree.

Person_Man
2010-11-30, 09:51 AM
Knight Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109429)

The above link includes a well researched Feat section.

Given the very limited and generally weak options you presented, I basically agree with Darrin. I would personally choose Ride by Attack if you're a Small race, or Improved Initiative if you're not.