Strong Pathfinder Feats

[Person_Man]

So discussions on other threads have led me to wonder what Pathfinder Feats, if any, are as strong and/or useful as the commonly used 3.5 Feats.

My definition of "strong" is as follows:

Provides a useful status effect, well scaled bonus, or some other meaningful benefit or ability that a reasonable player familiar with the rules would want to use.

Cannot be easily cheaply and easily duplicated via other means (low level spells, cheap magic items, etc).

Is not highly situational or severely limited in some way.

Does not require one or more weak Feats as a per-requisite.


How many Pathfinder Feats fit this criteria? Please link to your source when legally possible.

[Starbuck_II]

So discussions on other threads have led me to wonder what Pathfinder Feats, if any, are as strong and/or useful as the commonly used 3.5 Feats.

My definition of "strong" is as follows:

Provides a useful status effect, well scaled bonus, or some other meaningful benefit or ability that a reasonable player familiar with the rules would want to use.

Cannot be easily cheaply and easily duplicated via other means (low level spells, cheap magic items, etc).

Is not highly situational or severely limited in some way.

Does not require one or more weak Feats as a per-requisite.


How many Pathfinder Feats fit this criteria? Please link to your source when legally possible.

Eldritch Heritage?
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/eldritch-heritage
Yes, skill focus is required, but skill focus is granted to Sorcerers for free now as a bonus feat choice.

This builds toward Improved: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-eldritch-heritage

Monk could want Belier's bite
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/belier-s-bite-combat

Power Attack/Deadly Aim

[Chained Birds]

Deadly Aim (www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/deadly-aim-combat)

I bring it up as it does make going Ranged worthwhile without needing to sink massive amounts of gold into weapon upgrades for your [Insert Ranged Weapon of Choice] to get through DR. Sure you are probably going to put a bunch of money into a [Insert Ranged Weapon of Choice] anyways, but at least you can actually kill creatures with DR at the low levels, which would normally shut down most Ranged characters.

1. A scaling bonus to Ranged attacks similar to Power Attack's bonuses to Melee.
2. There are very few feats or abilities that can overcome the overall bonus damage on ranged attacks given by this feat. A total of (+12) extra damage per ranged attack with a (-6) Attack Penalty at +20 BA. For Ranged Characters, this is pretty amazing.
3. Unless the character is undergoing extreme penalties making the penalties associated with this feat too risky to use, you will Always use this feat with every ranged attack.
4. Base Attack +1 and Dex 13: So any Full BA class can get this feat at level 1.

[Saph]

Antagonize (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/antagonize): A 'taunt' ability. Effective in combat and hilarious out of it.

Extra Revelation/Hex/whatever: With a feat at every odd-numbered level, these are usually more than worth it for your oracle/witch/other class with (Su)/(Sp) abilities.

Deadly Aim, as mentioned.

Step Up (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/step-up-combat---final): Provides an answer to the "I 5-foot step away and..." tactic. Surprisingly nasty, since after you've used it the enemy has used their 5-foot step and so can no longer move.

Dervish Dance (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/community-creations/pel-s-lab/dervish-dance): The Pathfinder way to add Dex to damage. Better than Shadow Blade for most classes (since it doesn't require a Shadow Hand stance).

[subject42]

Depending on its interpretation, Bewildering Koan (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/bewildering-koan-general) could be excellent, as is noted in the a previous thread.

Furious Focus (http://www.pathfindersrd.com/feats/combat-feats/furious-focus-combat) isn't bad. It lets you ignore the penalty for power attack in the first attack of each round and has minimal prereqs. More importantly, it's a prerequisite for Dreadful Carnage (http://www.pathfindersrd.com/feats/combat-feats/dreadful-carnage-combat), which lets you make free action demoralization attempts when you drop an enemy.

Despite its enormous prerequisite list, I've always wanted to play an archer character that used the Deadly Stroke (http://www.pathfindersrd.com/feats/combat-feats/deadly-stroke-combat) feat. Con bleed seems like it could be useful at upper-mid levels.


Does anyone have opinion on the Dimensional Agility/Assault/Dervish/Maneuvers/Savant line? It seems like it would work well for giving monks some needed mobility.

[Chained Birds]

Boon Companion (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/feats/general-feats/boon-companion)

A bit of a specific feat, but powerful nonetheless. This allows Multiclassing characters or character who happen to get a lesser version of a Familiar or Companion to still have a mighty creature by their side.

1. This Feat gives you +4 levels (maximum your total Character Level) for determining how powerful your AC or Familiar is. This allows you to improve upon a naturally weakened AC or Familiar (Like with the Rangers) or those gained through Multiclassing into classes.
2. I don't know of any other Feat (Besides the Mount-only Horse Master (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/feats/combat-feats/horse-master-combat) Feat), spell, or ability that can accomplish what this feat does. Technically this feat can supply no bonus if the Character remains in their Full Companion or Familiar class (Like Wizard or Druid), but that would make taking the feat unnecessary anyways.
3. Not really a situational feat, as it bolsters or "repairs" an already powerful Class Feature.
4. Just need an Animal Companion or Familiar.

[subject42]

This one is going to get errata-ed in the future, so use it while you can.

Read Glorious Heat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/glorious-heat). Realize that the Spark Orison has the [fire] descriptor.

To my knowledge, this is the only source of unlimited free healing in all of Pathfinder.

[TopCheese]

Accursed Hex and Split Hex are pretty strong feats for witches. I've seen melee witches take these along side the caster witches.

Dazzling Display got banned by PFS so it must be pretty good :p

[Chained Birds]

This one is going to get errata-ed in the future, so use it while you can.

Read Glorious Heat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/glorious-heat). Realize that the Spark Orison has the [fire] descriptor.

To my knowledge, this is the only source of unlimited free healing in all of Pathfinder.

While Unlimited healing isn't the end of the world, it is a massive oversight by the creators of the feat; much like the pre-Errata Antagonize Feat. After the Errata, this feat will become pretty useless.

[CigarPete]

I'd add Following Step (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/following-step-combat) as an excellent addition to Step Up. Lets you move up to 10ft when an enemy 5ft steps away, and the next round's movement is unaffected, so you can 5ft or move as normal. You move away, and not only do I follow you, but by the time I take my next attack, I am on the opposite side and flanking you.

[Khosan]

Dazing Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/dazing-spell-metamagic). The metamagic that makes blasting worth it.

[jmelesky]

Dazzling Display got banned by PFS so it must be pretty good :p

Wait, what? I've never heard that, and can find no reference to it in either the PFS Guide to Organized Play, nor the Additional Resources PFS page on paizo.com.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Persistent Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/persistent-spell-metamagic) isn't for buffers any more, but it's still good. Bouncing Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/bouncing-spell-metamagic) is good for the same reason.

And of course, Pathfinder retained the most powerful feat in the game. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/leadership---final)

[doko239]

I like Sap Adept and Sap Master myself. HUGE bonus to nonlethal damage on a sneak attack; useful for silently taking out guards, or ensuring that you take your target alive.

[jmelesky]

Divine Interference (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/divine-interference) is pretty good. It allows a divine spellcaster to sacrifice a slot as an immediate action to force an attack reroll with a penalty.

[Hand_of_Vecna]

This one is going to get errata-ed in the future, so use it while you can.

Read Glorious Heat (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/glorious-heat). Realize that the Spark Orison has the [fire] descriptor.

To my knowledge, this is the only source of unlimited free healing in all of Pathfinder.

It's been erratta'd, it just still lists the original text below it and says "you can use it if you want, but it isn't recommended."

[Corlindale]

I second the Extra [Class Feature] feats. Usually worth taking, since many of the features are more potent than most feats. My current Oracle has taken Extra Revelation twice by level 7.

[nyarlathotep]

Cornugon Smash (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/cornugon-smash-combat) is hilariously excellent.

[Person_Man]

Dazing Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/dazing-spell-metamagic). The metamagic that makes blasting worth it.

I'd agree, especially for large area of effect spells.

And when I looked it up, I accidentally found Dazing Assault (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/advanced/advancedFeats.html#dazing-assault). Accept a -5 on all melee attacks and combat maneuvers, and all of your all of your melee attacks also get a Save (Fort, 10 + BAB) or Daze effect for 1 round. -5 is a big penalty, but not so big that it can't be mitigated, especially if you can find a way to make a lot of attacks each round. And they don't have any caveat about touch attacks.

[Saidoro]

I'd agree, especially for large area of effect spells.

You're just scratching the surface of its potential, remember that the feat triggers each time it deals damage. Consider putting it on scorching ray and making someone make 3 will save or be dazed for two rounds(Or magic missile for something slightly shorter but even more guaranteed).
Alternately: Flaming sphere, Burning Gaze (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/b/burning-gaze)(Shared with a familiar), Spiked Pit (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/spiked-pit)(Remember, it gave a save to avoid falling in so you get no save to avoid dazing when climbing out), Spike Growth (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/spike-growth)(Because you're still pissed about the solid fog nerf, presumably).

And on the topic of janky metamagic: Spell Perfection (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/spell-perfection).
Remember, people, Pathfinder's balanced.