Pathfinder: Feats That Don't Make Me Sad

[icefractal]

I've been playing Pathfinder for a while now, and one thing is obvious - the feats could really use some work. Either intentionally or by mistake, the pattern - seen across all books - is a few good feats in a sea of chaff. While the sheer number of feats means you can usually strain enough decent ones out of the mess to make a character, this is - to me - an unsatisfactory situation. Feats should be something you look forward to, and remember that you have. So with that in mind, here's my attempt to normalize the feats to a standard, so that as many as possible will be worth taking. I'll be starting with the Player's Handbook, and cover more books if I have the time to.

Disclaimer: I'm not sure if this should be here or in Homebrew. Since it's a rebalancing with (hopefully) minor changes, rather than new material, this seemed like the place.

The Pathfinder PRD can be found at paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd), for reference.

The Standard: I'm looking for something around the level of Improved Initiative, Combat Reflexes, or Ride-by Attack. Something you can feel comfortable taking, which will be useful enough you always remember it, and have some moments of glory.


Not a Feat
Some things shouldn't actually be a feat, but an ability open to all characters. As feats, they just serve as a tax.
Finesse - Any light or specifically finesse-able weapon can use your Dexterity bonus to attack instead of Strength.

Changes by Category

+2/+2 Skill Feats - In addition to the bonus, you get 1 reroll/day on each skill. At 10 ranks, you get 2 rerolls/day. Also, if your associated ability score is less than 16, it counts as 16 for these skills.
Combat Manuever Feats - These are a bit anemic, and I don't like the design encouraging people to spam the same manuever repeatedly. Also some manuevers are just worse than others. Therefore, the feats are combined - one "Improved" feat covers multiple manuevers, and the corresponding "Greater" feat gives you the greater form of the same ones. The "Improved" feats have no prerequisites. The sets are:
* Disarm, Feint, Steal, Dirty Trick
* Trip, Bull Rush, Overrun
* Grapple, Drag, Sunder, Reposition
NOTE: I tried to give the sets an equal share of strong and weak manuevers
Metamagic Feats - I feel like these are a bit underwhelming in general, unless you have methods to not pay the full cost for them. Tentatively, my solution would be that, in addition to the normal use, you can apply these for free a number of times equal to 4 minus the adjustment (minmum 1). So Silent Spell 3/day, Maximize Spell 1/day.
Power Attack / Piranha Strike / Deadly Aim - For melee weapons, the ratio is 2:1 if using two weapons, 3:1 if using a single weapon, regardless of the weapon's handed-ness. For ranged weapons, the ratio is 2:1 if using Rapid Shot / Manyshot, 3:1 otherwise.
NOTE: Why screw over einhander types? They already get less base damage
Critical Feats - Critical Focus is not required, and you can use multiple at the same time.
NOTE: These were balanced by someone who didn't do the math for crits. They are woefully deficient at present.

Player's Handbook

Alignment Channel - At the time of use, you can choose which alignment to channel.
Arcane Armor Training / Mastery - Gives you the armor proficiency instead of requiring it.
Armor Proficiency - One feat, gives you proficiency in all armor.
Augment Summoning - No prerequisites.
Brew Potion - Includes potion-like Wondrous Items like Elixirs. No level limit on potions.
Combat Casting - Applies to all Concentration checks.
Combat Expertise - +2 AC for every -1 to attack.
Craft Wand - Includes Craft Staff, Craft Rod.
Craft Wondrous Item - Includes Forge Ring.
Defensive Combat Training - Adds an additional +2 CMD
Deflect Arrows - Includes Snatch Arrows
Disruptive - Includes Spellbreaker
Dodge - Includes Mobility
Double Slice - Additionally, when you attack as a standard action or charge, you can attack (once) with both weapons.
Wind Stance - Includes Lightning Stance
Elemental Channel - At the time of use, you can choose which element to channel.
Endurance - Additionally, lets you automatically stabilize and remain concious below 0 hp. Because...
Diehard - When you would be taken completely out (dead, petrified, unconcious), you get one last round of actions before it takes effect.
Fleet - Includes Run, Lightning Stance
Great Fortitude / Iron Will / Lightning Reflexes - Includes the Greater version.
Improved Counterspell - Additionally, 1 + CL/4 times per day, you can counterspell as an immediate action.
Improved Critical - Applies to all weapons.
Improved Unarmed Strike - Does 1d6 for a Medium character, 1d4 for Small.
Leadership - Is now split into two feats. Leadership gives you the followers, Cohort (with a prerequisite of Leadership) gives you the cohort. This may still be too strong if used to its full potential.
Natural Spell - While still strong, this is less dominant than in 3.5, due to the Druid already having a number of speaking and arm-having forms available. Keep in mind the qualification that it does not act as Still or Silent spell - you still move and make noise when using it. It should probably require a Bluff check to have this seem like natural animal behavior.
Nimble Moves - Includes Acrobatic Steps
Precise Shot - Includes Point Blank Shot
Penetrating Strike - Works for an entire weapon category (ala Unearthed Arcana), includes Greater PS.
Quick Draw - Also for sheathing. Does work with wands.
Rapid Reload - Always a free action, does not provoke AoO.
Scorpion Style - Includes Gorgon's Fist
Skill Focus - In addition to the bonus, you get 1 reroll/day on the skill. At 10 ranks, you get 2 rerolls/day. Also, if your associated ability score is less than 16, it counts as 16 for this skill. At 10 ranks, you can take 10 for the skill under any conditions.
Spell Focus - Pick a subschool: you get an addition +1 DC for that subschool.
Spell Focus, Greater - Pick two schools, at least one of which you have Spell Focus in.
NOTE: These are tricky. +1 is a bit anemic, but a straight +2 seemed too good.
Spell Penetration - Includes Greater Spell Penetration
Toughness - Additionally, all healing - including magical healing and fast healing - is doubled.
Two Weapon Defense - +2 to AC, not +1.
Two Weapon Fighting - Includes Improved TWF, Greater TWF, once you reach the appropriate BAB.
NOTE: Two-handed weapon warriors only need one feat to be effective their entire career. TWF types shouldn't need three.
Vital Strike - Includes Improved VS, Greater VS, once you reach the appropriate BAB.
Weapon Focus - Works for an entire weapon category (ala Unearthed Arcana), also applies to CMB with those weapons.
Weapon Specialization - Works for an entire weapon category, includes Greater WS at 12th.
Weapon Finesse - Gives Dexterity to damage, instead of attack. See "Not a Feat" section above.
Weapon Proficiency - One feat, all weapons.
Whirlwind Attack - Prerequisites are Dex 13, BAB +4

So - do these seem like an improvement in parity? If not, how would you change them? And are there any underperforming feats I've missed?
Finally - I'm aware that the amount of changes is rather extensive. Would the size of these changes turn you off of a campaign, bearing in mind that they're almost entirely beneficial?

[Ryulin18]

My immediate thought is that even if you beef some of the other feats up, you will still have the best float to the top.

It's how you use them, not what they are.

[Spuddles]

Honestly, I think this is what PF feats should have looked like to begin with. They split a lot of them up so they still required garbage pre-reqs, the slightly more feats you got still went into feat chains, and the stuff that needed fixing (dodge, mobility, spring attack, etc.) only got a fix by having them be pre-reqs for feats that are useful to have, sometimes.

I don't think any caster feats should get a boost, though, definitely not the metamagic ones. Reducing metamagic is pretty easy in PF. I do like the rule of making elixer-like potions with Brew Potion and removing the level cap. A potion of Restoration should be makeable with brew potion, not craft wondrous item.

[icefractal]

My immediate thought is that even if you beef some of the other feats up, you will still have the best float to the top.That's true, and even if all the feats were completely even there would still be some that were better for a particular character. But the situation now is that there's a huge cliff between feats you actually want and feats you reluctantly take once you run out of good ones. I'd like to make that more of a gentle slope, and make it so that all the feats are at least good for some characters.


I don't think any caster feats should get a boost, though, definitely not the metamagic ones. Reducing metamagic is pretty easy in PF.I am a bit uncertain on the metamagic, I'll have to see how that one plays out in practice. However, it would definitely use the unadjusted cost for how many times/day you get it, so only 1 free Maximize/day. I feel like the current situation is that if you can reduce metamagic, it's awesome - maybe too awesome - and otherwise it's pretty mediocre. I'd rather it was good but not crazy in both cases.

Merging Forge Ring was because in practice it's dubious if there's even a difference - what keeps you from making a Wondrous Item of Evasion, for example? Merging Staffs and Rods was because both those feats tend to be underused, and I didn't want to add Rods to the already useful Wondrous Items.

[The Random NPC]

I've always hated Power Attack because you couldn't choose the amount of BAB you sacrifice. If that gets added back in, I would like it again. It can even be the same as it is now, just allow me to choose if I want to sacrifice 1 BAB or 3 BAB at 20.

[Spuddles]

Augment Summoning is already good; don't remove the pre-req. summon Monster got a huge boost in PF, thanks to how smite now works. Smote that fiendish/celestial creatures get.

[QuidEst]

The boost to Toughness seems pretty game-breaking to me. Paladins and Alchemists are more or less unkillable through hitpoints. Paladins have Lay On Hands as a swift action for themselves. Alchemists have (with two discoveries) Fast Healing 5 1/day per level. Making that Fast Healing 10 is more or less giving them 10 hp/level on top of their d8 + Con, allowing them to leave Barbarians in the dust.

Skill Focus seems like it takes a lot out of the game. My Dwarf Blight Druid, Ugly McStinkypants (who smells so bad it's a class feature), laughs at his 5 in Charisma and takes Skill Focus (Diplomacy). Level 10 rolls around. The feat now gives him +12 in Diplomacy. Moreover, he never has to roll. He just says, "I Diplomacy", and takes 10 for a 29 on it. Your roll and your ability score are now more or less irrelevant- only ranks and class skill count for anything noticeable.

I'm speaking as somebody who already takes Toughness and Skill Focus as they are, though.

My favorite changes from the list are the Great Fortitude / Iron Will / Lightning Reflexes update and the Wondrous Item / Forge Ring update. Master Craftsman should get some love, since currently it's set up as "half price is the new full price, melee pays double."

[icefractal]

The skill boosting do allow a character that wouldn't normally be good at the skill in question to have a decent chance, but if you really want to be the Diplomacy master, you're going to want a lot better than 16 Charisma. Diplomacy has borked rules though, so it does get weird in that case. The "Take 10" ability is definitely a boost - there are probably a few skills (UMD, for example) that would still be worth the feat without it, but I'm hoping to make something like Skill Focus (Climb) worthwhile.

Toughness - I guess it depends on the campaign. In most campaign I've played, non-combat healing ceases to be an issue past low levels, due to wands or other abilities. So that fast healing ability, for example, would be a nice backup plan but not a major factor in survival, since it's still not fast enough to keep you alive in a serious fight.

I may be reading Master Craftsman wrong - where does it say you pay full price? Doesn't it just allow you take another Crafting feat, which you would use normally? Although looking at it, the fact that you'll always have to take the +5 for every prerequisite spell seems a bit underwhelming. What about:
Master Craftsman - You can ignore one prerequisite, and a second one at 10 ranks.

[Spuddles]

I would actually consider taking skill focus if it did more than add a static bonus. In my opinion, feats should add a new ability.

[QuidEst]

The skill boosting do allow a character that wouldn't normally be good at the skill in question to have a decent chance, but if you really want to be the Diplomacy master, you're going to want a lot better than 16 Charisma. Diplomacy has borked rules though, so it does get weird in that case. The "Take 10" ability is definitely a boost - there are probably a few skills (UMD, for example) that would still be worth the feat without it, but I'm hoping to make something like Skill Focus (Climb) worthwhile.
I think part of the problem is that skills aren't balanced. If Skill Focus is worthwhile for Climb, it will be OP for Diplomacy or Bluff.


Toughness - I guess it depends on the campaign. In most campaign I've played, non-combat healing ceases to be an issue past low levels, due to wands or other abilities. So that fast healing ability, for example, would be a nice backup plan but not a major factor in survival, since it's still not fast enough to keep you alive in a serious fight.
That's true… the fast healing only has full effect if combat lasts for a number of rounds equal to your level. It would be a little more accurate to say that you are changing it from level rounds of DR 5/- to level rounds of DR 10/-. But even then, every round you're not hit lets you keep healing up.


I may be reading Master Craftsman wrong - where does it say you pay full price? Doesn't it just allow you take another Crafting feat, which you would use normally? Although looking at it, the fact that you'll always have to take the +5 for every prerequisite spell seems a bit underwhelming. What about:
Master Craftsman - You can ignore one prerequisite, and a second one at 10 ranks.
Oh, no- I mean that any caster can pick up a crafting feat and start crafting at half price. A melee character pays full price until they hit level 7. (Take Master Craftsman at level 5, but you can't use it until you take another crafting feat. So four levels later, you can finally get your Wondrous Items or Magic Arms and Armor. I think Master Craftsman should also let you pick one type of magic item that you have appropriate ranks for, and allow you to craft that. So if I take it at level 3, I can take it as Craft Wondrous Items. Caster classes can just take your combined versions right away.