Favorite IRL Feat? (3.5)

[Qwertystop]

What D&D 3.5 feat would you most like to have in real life? Yuo would automatically be treated as having prerequesites, but only for the purposes of that feat. Also, no feats involving magic, including psionics or other alternates.

Personally, I say Improved Uncanny Dodge, since a lot of people like to give pats on the back or similar, and I don't like it. Also it'd be awesome to dodge something behind you.

[Ernir]

Leadership.

Dance, my minions, dance!

[Uhtred]

Better Lucky than Good. If ever I epic-fail, I just treat it as an epic-success! So getting fired = getting promoted, car crash = new car for freeeeee, rejected by girl = dating hotter girl than the one that rejected you, that sort of thing.

[The-Mage-King]

...Epic Spellcasting.

Goodbye, reality, hello Pokemon for myself via Genesis.


Well, since I just noticed that "No magic" part... Hm... Able Learner.

[DMBlackhart]

Improved Initiative..... Hay, it's a classic, shut up.

[John Campbell]

Improved Uncanny Dodge isn't even a feat, is it?

I could actually use combat feats - I'm an SCA heavy fighter - but most of the ones that I'd find useful, I've already got, or could pick up the old-fashioned way.

Leadership is always nice, but I probably don't have the Cha to get good benefit from it.

I'll go with Tomb-Born Vitality. I'll sleep when I'm dead.

[Privateer]

Mercantile Background. Buy anything for 75% price once a month. And since real world, unlike D&D, usually lets you sell things for more than 50 or 75% of their value, that's basically free money. :smalltongue:

[Silus]

I suppose....

Skill Focus (Craft: 3D Animation). Help me out with what I want to do in life.

[Volos]

Stunning Fist. Every time I've been forced to hit someone, they seem to be stunned for a round or so. Haven't used it in years, but still.

[Privateer]

The other choice I had, but didn't use because it might be considered magic, is Improved Familiar(Imp). A devotedly loyal little creature that can turn invisible at will in a world where nobody has "see invisible". Yes, please!:smallwink:

[akragster]

Probably 'Run', assuming I was one of the few allowed to pick a feat.

That would mean I could cut my mile time down to 6 minutes, and I don't even practice. With practice, I could probably cut it down far lower.

[mobdrazhar]

EWP: Katana as i've been trained to use one

[Slipperychicken]

Wedded To History, if IRL allows Dragon Mag.


With enough time, and enough money, anything's possible.

I'll laugh at the losers who took Leadership after I've financed a (bigger, better equipped) private army with returns from my stocks&bonds. Or I'll laugh at them when that money also gets me supermodel girlfriends. Or when they die of old age, and I'm only getting wiser and more charismatic.

[BIGMamaSloth]

blind sight could be a good time. Se everything within 5 feet even with no sight? I'm into that.

[Doughnut Master]

Die Hard.

There is no other feat.

[DeltaEmil]

Martial Study (Iron Heart Surge).

I end not being rich.

[Zaydos]

I'd say Leadership, but have to point out our leadership scores would be 1 or 2 (I'm assuming most of us aren't high level) + Charisma so we'd have a few followers at best and no cohort.

If I'm level 3 I'd say Dragon Cohort still...

Assuming I'm not high enough level for a real cohort... Wild Cohort; I get a loyal war dog that obeys my commands.

[Calmness]

Flying Kick, of course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBYFCRgiDBw

[Bosaxon]

Lunatic Insight from Heroes of Horror.

If you ask my friends, I have this already. They know I possess the necessary levels of depravity, and I seem to know a little bit about everything.

[sonofzeal]

Open-Minded. There's a lot I could do with five extra skillpoints in the real world.

[Draculmaulkee]

Manyshot would be pretty awesome...though not exactly practical.

[Merk]

Nymph's Kiss seems like a good deal.

[dspeyer]

Nymph's Kiss seems like a good deal.

We said we're ignoring the prerequisites, not granting them.

ISTR there's a feat that lets you understand all languages based on your knowledge of language in general. That would be handy.

[Akal Saris]

Open-Minded. There's a lot I could do with five extra skillpoints in the real world.

My thoughts exactly. I would kill to magically gain new 5 languages, for example.

Edit: Also, VoP is still a trap!

[herrhauptmann]

blind sight could be a good time. Se everything within 5 feet even with no sight? I'm into that.
You can get BlindSight as a feat? Where is it? I know of BlindFight...

Able learner sounds good, but most of us don't really gain levels, so it's use would be limited. Unless you count college as a way of gaining levels in expert.

Some of the feats that affected bardic music could be fun if you actually knew how to play an instrument.

As another SCA heavy fighter who's friends with a lot of Larpers, having Mageslayer could be fun. And could help me lure them away from Larping
Them: "Firba-" *whack* "OW!"
Me: :smallbiggrin: *Whackity whack*


I think though, I'd take Weapon Supremacy: Clubs.
Pretty much every SCA weapon, despite shape, is just another club. So are most improvised weapons you'd have to use in an alley or bar. It'd also help with the fact that I've been having difficulty getting people to accept my shots in the SCA.

[Trekkin]

Skill Focus(Knowledge(Nature))

Biology, as bioinformatics, is what I do and what I will do until I'm not, and knowing the equivalent of three languages about it would be an immense help.

If Wedded to History isn't magic, then definitely that, though.

[Ajadea]

Polyglot.

What? We can ignore all the prerequisites!

[Thurbane]

Assuming you get all prereqs for free? Improved Dragon Wings.

Wheeeee!

[TurtleKing]

I would probably go with Able Learner. Maybe it will inable me to learn the degree I'm in. I have already recieved quite a bit of training in what would amount to alot of skills. Might as well make it so I can do the others as well. (Warning: Competence not included.)

[gomipile]

You can get BlindSight as a feat? Where is it? I know of BlindFight...



http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#blindsight5FtRadius

[Crossblade]

Wedded To History, if IRL allows Dragon Mag.

With enough time, and enough money, anything's possible.

You sir, have the same train of thought that I do.

[herrhauptmann]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/divineAbilitiesFeats.htm#blindsight5FtRadius

Ooh! Completely forgot about that. I've never had a character that met the prereqs.

[Gorgondantess]

Persuasive.
...What?:smalltongue:

[Xyk]

Someone already said "Draconic Wings", or whatever, so I'm thinking Controlled Immolation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/spelltouchedFeats.htm#controlledImmolation).

[NichG]

I can't think of anything better than Wedded To History (Pawn in the Great Game perhaps, but it becomes the stuff of horror if you don't get the implicit benefits of its prereq since you get to keep aging and you can't die)

Aside from those, I'd probably say Perfect Health or Extended Lifespan. Heroic Destiny would also be worthy of consideration (depending on how long a 'game' is, its basically complete protection from accidental death - you'd always survive any one single thing that would kill you).

[Halae]

I'm going to go with Trollblooded. as long as I don't get burned by Acid or Fire, I'll heal from absolutely anything the world can throw at me. Get hit by a car? Walk away smiling. Ten story fall? wait for your bones to reset themselves and get up. Go skydiving without a parachute!

Honestly, Regeneration is so cool. It'd also make me a really good applicant for dangerous jobs, as even if I say, Lost a limb it would grow back in less than three weeks on the outside, and I could go back to work. Including my head.

[Amphetryon]

Versatile Performer. :smallcool:

[The Rabbler]

I'm going to go with Trollblooded. as long as I don't get burned by Acid or Fire, I'll heal from absolutely anything the world can throw at me. Get hit by a car? Walk away smiling. Ten story fall? wait for your bones to reset themselves and get up. Go skydiving without a parachute!

Honestly, Regeneration is so cool. It'd also make me a really good applicant for dangerous jobs, as even if I say, Lost a limb it would grow back in less than three weeks on the outside, and I could go back to work. Including my head.

swordsage'd...

I'd probably go with Jack of All Trades if I had to choose a different one. Knowing how to use every skill there is would certainly be worthwhile. Even if it is only dabbling.

[Corrik]

Rapid Regeneration. Not only is regeneration a really amazing power that I want to an unhealthy degree, it also comes with a bag of other super powers. Enhanced strength, stamina, speed, etc., immortality(or at least super reduced aging), and all kinds of other goodies.

[herrhauptmann]

Enhanced strength, stamina, speed, etc., immortality(or at least super reduced aging), and all kinds of other goodies.

How does regeneration give all of those?

[Halae]

How does regeneration give all of those?

Your body not having to worry about tearing muscles and developing a resistance to pain. One of the reasons Wolverine is such a badass is because he can do feats of strength humans can't simply because he can overexert his musculature without too much worry. that said, he's probably got a bit of super strength as well, but the point stands. It's also why zombies are so strong

[Combat Reflexes]

A feat? In real life?

Bind Vestige!!! Oh, Naberius, the power!

[herrhauptmann]

Your body not having to worry about tearing muscles and developing a resistance to pain. One of the reasons Wolverine is such a badass is because he can do feats of strength humans can't simply because he can overexert his musculature without too much worry. that said, he's probably got a bit of super strength as well, but the point stands. It's also why zombies are so strong

Somehow, I had a feeling that explanation would end up having to do with Wolverine. Still, Logan's fine until he develops cancer. What're they going to do then, kill his cancer cells with chemo? :smallwink: They're just as badass as he is.

[Sinfonian]

I'm going to go with Trollblooded. as long as I don't get burned by Acid or Fire, I'll heal from absolutely anything the world can throw at me. Get hit by a car? Walk away smiling. Ten story fall? wait for your bones to reset themselves and get up. Go skydiving without a parachute!

Honestly, Regeneration is so cool. It'd also make me a really good applicant for dangerous jobs, as even if I say, Lost a limb it would grow back in less than three weeks on the outside, and I could go back to work. Including my head.

While that does sound pretty awesome, Regeneration does precisely nothing about pain. While you'll survive most things, the pain would probably be mind-bending. In pain is better than dead, but I doubt you'd actively be looking for kicks from it.

For me, I'd probably go with Polyglot. There's so very much that can be done if you can understand every language and be understood by everyone.

[MammonAzrael]

A feat? In real life?

Bind Vestige!!! Oh, Naberius, the power!

You, sir, have shamed your user name. :smalltongue:

I think the people choosing regeneration are overlooking the downside of other people. If you're ever found out, someone is going to abduct you and experiment on you. A lot. And chances are, its going to suck.

Wedded to History is probably the strongest choice that won't get you screwed in our world. I like Polyglot too, as it will land you a terrific translator job, but not put a huge target on your forehead.

You could choose Epic Speed and smoke the world records for foot speed. You'd be able to run the 200 meter dash, without any special equipment or training in under 18 second.

I'm sure there are other great options, but I'd avoid any kick-ass abilities that would get you investigated and snatched.

[Qwertystop]

You could get Polyglot, but not tell people. Work as a salesman in one country, specifically the salesman who is always assigned to go to foreign countries. Make it clear to the store owners in Japan that you don't speak Japanese. Let them negotiate with each other in Japanese. Hear exactly what they are saying, and use that as bargaining information. Tell your boss that you're not good at much other than that, so you don't get promoted to a non-foreign job, but still get benefits roughly equal to what the promotion would have given, except you don't have to leave your position for a promotion to something you can't do.

Your excuse could be somehting like being really good at reading body language, but that it's hard when there's understandable words distracting you from it.

[Longcat]

Since no one has mentioned it yet: Mindsight.

Being able to sense people, as well as telling how intelligent they are? Awesome!

[Eldan]

Wedded to history is hard to beat, and Immortality has always been the top point of my list of life goals. Leadership is nice, too. If you can ignore the L6 prerequisite, you can basically gain a whole lot of people who are about as useful as you are.
The problem is, you only get followers at leadership score 10. And I assume few of us are above level 3. Certainly, no one has a charisma modifier of more than +4.

So, the only way for us to get followers would be to be world famous (+2) and have our own base (+2). Even then, you'd have to have great charisma (+3) and be well-trained (level 3), to get even five people to follow you.

Still. The benefit of five level 1 experts working for you... not to be underestimated.

[Combat Reflexes]

You, sir, have shamed your user name. :smalltongue:

I don't get the nice AoO's, you need a Dex bonus for that :smallfrown:

And... I've changed my mind! I'm learning Improved Kiai Shout!
People panic as I go all...
KIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIII!!!

[SiuiS]

I'm surprised no one has thought of the Landlord feat. That's, what? 800,000 1/50# solid gold coins to spend on getting your dream home?

I'd have a family compound with my own huge swathe of wilderness for hiking and Amtgard events. I know I've always wanted to own;
A crazy mansion with a central hub only reachable through secret passages or taking staircases in the right order,
A hobbit-hole, drilled into a small hillock,
A "dungeon" for use on Halloween and impressing my D&D crew,
A stone tower, 7 stories tall and decorated internally like the staircase to Yen-Sid's tower in kingdom hearts II.

It would be awesome, and pay off far more for my lineage than having special powers of my own would.

[Darklord Xavez]

Lunatic Insight from Heroes of Horror.

If you ask my friends, I have this already. They know I possess the necessary levels of depravity, and I seem to know a little bit about everything.

I feel the same. If my character gains depravity, he's taking that feat as his bonus, followed by master of knowledge.
-X

[Critical]

Martial Study (Iron Heart Surge) owns Wedded to History big time. :smallamused:

[John Campbell]

Wedded To History, if IRL allows Dragon Mag.

I've never played with a DM who reacted to Dragon Magazine material with anything other than derisive laughter; I'm not sure why real life should be any different.

[Thurbane]

So...what does Wedded to History actually do?

[MammonAzrael]

It is in Dragon Mag 354, and allows you to choose one of the ancient backgrounds described in the article and gain any special abilities that accompany it.

EDIT: The abilities aren't the things to write home about, as they're interesting but not amazing. The main thing is that the fluff of the feat is that you were born long, long ago and have lived through many generations of your race, and are perhaps even immortal, implying that you gain the endless special quality that is in the same article (basically you don't die from old age and you stop aging sometime before middle age).

[Telonius]

There are a couple from BoEF that I'd consider ... :smallbiggrin:

In Core/SRD, probably Open Minded (assuming I'm high enough level to put all of them into the same skill).

[faceroll]

I'm going to go with Trollblooded. as long as I don't get burned by Acid or Fire, I'll heal from absolutely anything the world can throw at me. Get hit by a car? Walk away smiling. Ten story fall? wait for your bones to reset themselves and get up. Go skydiving without a parachute!

Honestly, Regeneration is so cool. It'd also make me a really good applicant for dangerous jobs, as even if I say, Lost a limb it would grow back in less than three weeks on the outside, and I could go back to work. Including my head.

Yeah, I would have to go with that one as well.

[herrhauptmann]

Yeah, I would have to go with that one as well.

I think Japan and even Russia would be willing to pay you huge amounts of money if you were that ballsy.

[Halae]

I think Japan and even Russia would be willing to pay you huge amounts of money if you were that ballsy.

what do you mean? like letting myself have an arm cut off for the entertainment of the crowd? Have a leg eaten by a lion? Get shot by a cannon and get back up?

[faceroll]

I'd be the best athlete ever. And mercenary. Take over a country or something.

[Halae]

Perhaps not take over a country, but that is what I originally meant by dangerous work

[faceroll]

Perhaps not take over a country, but that is what I originally meant by dangerous work

Being indestructible would make great warlord material. Too bad a poisoned arrow would stop you real quick.

[herrhauptmann]

what do you mean? like letting myself have an arm cut off for the entertainment of the crowd? Have a leg eaten by a lion? Get shot by a cannon and get back up?

Grab a geiger counter and walk into the Exclusion zones. I mean, they ARE opening up Chernobyl for tours soon...

[Combat Reflexes]

If the regeneration from Trollblooded does bring back your head, It would be anawesome feat to have in the French Revolution! *chop* - *wait* - live!!!

[Corrik]

Being indestructible would make great warlord material. Too bad a poisoned arrow would stop you real quick.

You would be largely immune to most poisons/drugs and to be effected by them would require a huge amount. Even then you would overcome them before too long.

[Vonotar]

Still in danger of being grappled by a mob and incarcerated. And then cut up again and again whilst people try to SCIENCE! you. Terrible, just awful in my mind. I love the idea of regeneration or immortality, but I always focus on the huge possibility of disaster!

I think on the whole I'd have to go with able learner

[megabyter5]

Assuming you get all prereqs for free? Improved Dragon Wings.

Wheeeee!

Prerequisites are not granted, they are ignored. Therefore, you dragon wings you have are improved, if you have them now.

...Do you have dragon wings?

Anyway, I take Obtain Familiar. I want an intelligent super-kitty that won't die of old age.

[Yora]

In real life, I would go with Toughness. :smallbiggrin:

As a nonheroic 1 HD commoner with a Constitution penalty, I have only 1 hit point. With toughness, my body can sustain four times as much damage before I'm in serious danger. That's pretty cool.

Grab a geiger counter and walk into the Exclusion zones. I mean, they ARE opening up Chernobyl for tours soon...
You mean like "years ago"?

[herrhauptmann]

You mean like "years ago"?
Seriously? I first heard about general public tours a few months ago, which said it could happen as soon as this summer.
But they've been letting the public in to see the plant for years?

[MammonAzrael]

In real life, I would go with Toughness. :smallbiggrin:

As a nonheroic 1 HD commoner with a Constitution penalty, I have only 1 hit point. With toughness, my body can sustain four times as much damage before I'm in serious danger. That's pretty cool.

You mean like "years ago"?

Nonono, bad Yora! You never take toughness when you can take epic toughness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#epicToughness)! :smallbiggrin:

[Thurbane]

Prerequisites are not granted, they are ignored. Therefore, you dragon wings you have are improved, if you have them now.

Splitting hairs a little, dontcha think? :smalltongue:

[Qwertystop]

Actually, what I said was that the prerequesites are given for free, but only in situations where the feat applies. For example, if you took Rapid Shot, you would automatically get Point Blank Shot and DEX 13, but only when using Rapid Shot. Therefore, you would not have the DEX for your AC, and you would not get Point Blank Shot unless you were using Rapid Shot at the same time.

[MammonAzrael]

In that case, Mindsight would be pretty awesome.

[NichG]

Heck, I'd be sorely tempted to take some of the epic feats for the brief spikes of insight and skill when using them (hey look, I now have 30 skill ranks in something!)

Are there any feats which have 'number of hitdice' as a prereq? Something like Weapon Specialization to get automatic fighter levels...

[Qwertystop]

Let me rephrase:
You get the prereqs for the purposes of using the feat. If the prereqs do not affect the usage of the feat, they are not given. For example, the Improved Dragon Wings feat would give you wings, because the feat directly affects the wings that are a prereq. However, you would not get fighter levels for getting Weapon Specialization because it does not actually affect your fighter levels.

[Thurbane]

Let me rephrase:
You get the prereqs for the purposes of using the feat. If the prereqs do not affect the usage of the feat, they are not given. For example, the Improved Dragon Wings feat would give you wings, because the feat directly affects the wings that are a prereq. However, you would not get fighter levels for getting Weapon Specialization because it does not actually affect your fighter levels.
In that case, I'm definitely sticking with Improved Dragon Wings! :smallbiggrin:

[Yora]

Seriously? I first heard about general public tours a few months ago, which said it could happen as soon as this summer.
But they've been letting the public in to see the plant for years?
I did some googling and the reports about the new tours all speak of "official guided tours". However I also found some sites about tours as far back as 2004, but I think most of those included a lot of paperwork and were done by a private company. And it was kind of a secret tip for tourists.
I guess the tours announced now are backed up by the state and intended for mass tourism. They will probably also be a lot cheaper.

[SiuiS]

You would be largely immune to most poisons/drugs and to be effected by them would require a huge amount. Even then you would overcome them before too long.

No, see, that's not what regeneration in D&D does.
Having troll-blooded IRL means you don't take lethal damage to hitpoints from anything but fire and acid. Suffocation, old age (standard aging penalties apply), privation, disease and poison all kill you normally because they aren't abstracted to hit-point damage. Trying to brig real life in as justification for extra advantages shouldn't work, even if you're bringing real life into the fantasy rules that you're bringing into real life.

[big teej]

well, given that I already have Goad. (or mebeh just 4 levels in knight, and nobody carries ranged weapons)

I'd go for either
earth sense - a moment of focus and i can sense living things touching the ground

or

die hard.

or (if its a feat somewhere) either scent or...... drawing a blank.

personally I like the idea of earth sense or scent the most.