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View Full Version : Magic as feats? a general feat redux(3.5 system change, very WIP)



bobthe6th
2012-07-09, 01:14 PM
so, a large system change idea. whittle down the existing feats to the important ones, like power attack and a few others. make the fighting styles each 3 feat long chains. Fold the rest into skills(stuff like quick draw coming with 5 ranks in slight of hand and leadership being a function of diplomacy and intimidate), abilities(so able learner coming with a 14 int), and class features. some could be flat out eliminated like a lot of the +2/+2 feats, or made free like weapon fineness. make magic item creation it's own sub system that is mostly left to NPCs.

now the feats should be all solid power boosts, and a respectable source of customization. the fighter should be remade with a few less feats(but still like 6 to grab at least two full styles), and more real class features.

now, make magic into feats. make each feat like an invocation, that unlocks a greater version as you level up(at like 5th, 10th, and 15th they become lesser, greater, dark). if you pick one up latter it functions as a feat you picked up earlier.

now, axe the casting classes as charicter options. you can't play the wizard that did it. the casting classes are funky as is, forcing players to stop often, varying in power heavily with tim. the casting archetype(weak but with some heavy magic power) will be filled by a class with the scholer, a class with a bad chassi, some magic and knowledge focused class features, and bonus magic feats.


so, this looks like a lot of work... anyone think it's worth while? or should I just make a D20 system variant like "classy D&D"?

as for the details... I don't have specifics, but this is what I have thought of.

so yes, feed back and descution would be appreciated.

bobthe6th
2012-07-09, 02:36 PM
so main changes envisioned
*convert most feats into abilities from skills.
*make combat style feat chains shorter and balanced against the magic feats
*leave a very small number of stand alone feats(can't think of many off the top of my head besides power attack...)
*convert spells into invocations style abilities from feats, add scaling bonuses.
*remove all casting classes, or remove the casting portions of the class and add bonus spell feats.
*add a new class based off these feats.

Ziegander
2012-07-09, 03:07 PM
This is all fairly interesting stuff. Sounds like you ought to play with the F&K Tomes-style feats. Each [Tome] feat had scaling benefits, like you are planning with your Magic Spell feats, and, though it was never done with [Tome] feats (to my knowledge), the style would fit well with a spells approach like the one you're suggesting.

bobthe6th
2012-07-09, 03:46 PM
[Tome] style feats is sort of the goal... at the same time making it possible to finally baleen feats against magic. I am not sure if smiler scaling should be done with the weapon styles...
I was trying to compress the feats into real significance, so as to compete with the spell feats...

I do like the Tome, so I could see doing it fully that way. I just fear putting to much emphasis on feats might make a more generic style of game and make me do a full system overhaul... which I want to avoid.

additionally the minor feats(like quick draw and run) would be hard to make into full feats by themselves. perhaps add a minor feat pool gained from abilities? you get like one for the mental abilities and one for the physical abilities, and for each net +3 modifier of the group you got a minor feat?