What would you trade a feat for?

[Gwazi Magnum]

I'm wondering what people would give up a feat for.
What do you think would be a nice thing to gain every feat level (1, 3, 6, 9 etc.) instead of a feat?

Reason I'm wondering is because I'm working on this class here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=286986) and hit a snag where it gives you a feat or special class feature each level so each level seems meaningful rather than just... 'yay' I update my BAB and HP.

But it hit a conflict where every feat level now doubles up on feats, and I can see that getting ridiculous. And I don't want to just strip the bonus feats at those levels away because now those level no longer hold any special meaning.

So basically, what other kinds of bonuses would you guys find to be worth a feat?

[buttcyst]

I guess it all depends on the flavor of your class, if you are going for speedy and mobile, maybe the skirmish ability. uncanny dodge and evasion are always good, the useless trapsense of the barbarian is an option. it would be useful to know what kind of build you are working with as far as class features.

[Gwazi Magnum]

I guess it all depends on the flavor of your class, if you are going for speedy and mobile, maybe the skirmish ability. uncanny dodge and evasion are always good, the useless trapsense of the barbarian is an option. it would be useful to know what kind of build you are working with as far as class features.

I'm talking more in general, what kinds of benefits would benefit an all around character?

And if it needs to be more specific than that, what array/option of benefits you can pick one of would be worth trading a feat for?

[Emperor Tippy]

Spontaneous Divination?

That is a trade I will make any time a DM will let me. So somewhere worse than that.

Generally though, think of what you are trading the feat for as a "feat" its self. So something that fits my build better than any feats.

[Humble Master]

I would trade a feat for something like a spell usable once per day
I would trade a feat for higher abilities
I would trade a feat for higher spell resistance
I would trade a feat for more known spells as a spontaneous caster
I would trade a feat for more attacks in a Full Attack
I would trade a feat for the ability to not provoke attacks of opportunity
I would trade a feat for knowing all skills

[Gwazi Magnum]

Spontaneous Divination?

That is a trade I will make any time a DM will let me. So somewhere worse than that.

Generally though, think of what you are trading the feat for as a "feat" its self. So something that fits my build better than any feats.

And what would you normally find that to be?


I would trade a feat for something like a spell usable once per day
I would trade a feat for higher abilities
I would trade a feat for higher spell resistance
I would trade a feat for more known spells as a spontaneous caster
I would trade a feat for more attacks in a Full Attack
I would trade a feat for the ability to not provoke attacks of opportunity
I would trade a feat for knowing all skills

This is a nice list I should get some good use out of.

Thank you for this. :)

[137beth]

For a melee build...
I would not trade a feat for a flat +2 to damage.
I WOULD trade a feat for the ability to decide at any time to take a penalty not exceeding my base attack bonus on an attack roll to get an equal penalty on my damage roll:smalltongue:

[Emperor Tippy]

And what would you normally find that to be?

Depends entirely upon what I am playing and my build.

Trading a feat for something is basically just getting it as a feat. Design it around that.

[buttcyst]

damage reduction
boost to AC
boost to damage or alternate damage type
x lvl spell x/day/lvl
fast movement
fast healing
weapon tricks
spell tricks
skill tricks
faster or improved something
advanced weapon learning
advanced spell learning
animal companion
magic school mastery ( can spont cast all abjur spells)
sneak attack
spell sneak attack
gain access to other type of casting (divine or arcane)

[BowStreetRunner]

Really, I would just have the bonus feat for each level that doesn't normally get a feat, with no option to take a class feature. The, on the levels where you normally get a feat, you can choose from the list of class features.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Depends entirely upon what I am playing and my build.

Trading a feat for something is basically just getting it as a feat. Design it around that.

I guess I could, makes it easier.


damage reduction
boost to AC
boost to damage or alternate damage type
x lvl spell x/day/lvl
fast movement
fast healing
weapon tricks
spell tricks
skill tricks
faster or improved something
advanced weapon learning
advanced spell learning
animal companion
magic school mastery ( can spont cast all abjur spells)
sneak attack
spell sneak attack
gain access to other type of casting (divine or arcane)

Thanks, this gives me more ideas of what to work with. :)


Really, I would just have the bonus feat for each level that doesn't normally get a feat, with no option to take a class feature. The, on the levels where you normally get a feat, you can choose from the list of class features.

I thought of that, but that makes those used to be loved levels not so loved anymore and it really limits class features that it makes it almost impossible to get the same feel that a core class provided.

[Emperor Tippy]

Thanks, this gives me more ideas of what to work with. :)
Realize that most of what he listed already exist, as Epic feats.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Realize that most of what he listed already exist, as Epic feats.

Noted, but if scaled right it should still be something usable by lower level characters.

[Coidzor]

For a melee build...
I would not trade a feat for a flat +2 to damage.
I WOULD trade a feat for the ability to decide at any time to take a penalty not exceeding my base attack bonus on an attack roll to get an equal penalty on my damage roll:smalltongue:

You mean bonus on damage, right?

[buttcyst]

Realize that most of what he listed already exist, as Epic feats.

nope, I think just one of them is, most are standard class and prestige features



oh ya, another good class feature: alternate use of an ability score (ie: wisdom modifier added to AC for monk)

[ArcturusV]

Trade a feat for +1 to every stat, stacking as per level up stat increases.

I'd make that trade, no doubt (At least once or twice while leveling). No matter what character I was playing.

[gooddragon1]

A klondike bar.

But really probably expanding a normally limited spell list. Like getting spontaneous access to the spells of a cleric domain.

[Flickerdart]

A klondike bar.
Damn, you beat me to it!

The thing about giving away feat slots is that we already know what feats are worth - they're worth other feats. Trade a feat for a new spell known? That's a feat. Trade a feat for more Smite? That's a feat too.

By declaring that X is worth a feat, you might as well just make X a feat.

[Emperor Tippy]

damage reduction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#damageReduction)
boost to AC (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#armorSkin)
boost to damage (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#epicWeaponSpecialization) or alternate damage type (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#holyStrike)
x lvl spell x/day/lvl (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedSpellCapacity)
fast movement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#epicSpeed)
fast healing (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#fastHealing)
weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#twoWeaponRend) tricks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#distantShot)
spell (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spellStowaway) tricks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spellOpportunity)
skill (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#legendaryClimber) tricks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#legendaryTracker)
faster or (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#automaticQuickenSpell) improved (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#efficientItemCreation)something (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedManyshot)
advanced (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#overwhelmingCritical) weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#perfectTwoWeaponFighting) learning (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#swarmOfArrows)
advanced (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spellKnowledge) spell learning (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#bonusDomain)
animal companion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#magicalBeastCompanion)
magic school mastery (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spontaneousSpell) ( can spont cast all abjur spells) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#spontaneousDomainAccess)
sneak attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#improvedSneakAttack)
spell sneak attack
gain access to other type of casting (divine or arcane) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#epicSpellcasting)

So you had one thing listed that isn't an epic feat.

[karkus]

I would trade a feat for knowing all skills

There's already a feat (http://dndtools.eu/feats/complete-adventurer--54/jack-of-all-trades--1695/) for that. :smallwink:

[kulosle]

So wizards have come out and said that some things are worth one feat. 1d6 sneak attack is worth a feat. look at anything the wizard gets for giving up their feats, or fighters get for giving up a feat or monks. There are things that are already listed as, worth a feat, essentially.

A good rule for making a class is more options is almost always better than more stats.

[Melcar]

Are you going to remove the normal feat gain every 3d level? Or are you talking about instead of gaining bonus feats at every third level?

Personally, I would not choose any class that removes my feat option 3, 6, 9 level... etc. That would remove my personal choses, and that is a big thin g for me!

[Coidzor]

A scaling minion or even set of minions. Scaling spellcasting/manifesting/soulmelding/initiating/binding progression. Scaling defenses including miss chances and the ability to deal with incorporeal creatures. Mobility, whether it be flight, some kind of teleportation effect, burrowing, or some combination thereof.

Those sorts of things are what I'd take in trade for my character's feats.

[thethird]

In my games as long as people qualify for ACFs that substitute feats (such as the several of the fighter, or wizard) they can take them as feats. So that's what I would trade for a feat :smallsmile: You could go book diving for ACFs that work more or less as feats and make those viable options. Of course, they also work pretty well as feats in the first place.

[Gwazi Magnum]

Are you going to remove the normal feat gain every 3d level? Or are you talking about instead of gaining bonus feats at every third level?

Personally, I would not choose any class that removes my feat option 3, 6, 9 level... etc. That would remove my personal choses, and that is a big thin g for me!

Yes I am, but for a specific class who already gains a bonus feat each level. So normally at every 3rd level it would turn into 2 and that would be feat over kill. And I don't want to just get rid of the classes bonuses feats those levels and let the normal feats substitute in because then every 3rd level is meaningless compared to the others.

So I made this topic looking for ideas to makes to make a list of abilities which the character can pick from every third level instead of gaining just another feat is they wish.

This is what it looks like so far to give you a better idea of what I mean.
If you want more detail on the class as a whole to get a better idea of the whole picture click here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=286986).

Bonus Abilities


At Level 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 you may choose to gain a special ability listed below instead of gaining the bonus feat granted from that level. Each ability below may only be taken once.


+1 to two ability scores
+2 to one ability score
Gain a Spell Resistance of 10 + Class Levels
Gain a Damage Reduction equal to Class Levels/2
Gain Light Fortification:
When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the wearer, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
Gain Moderate Fortification:
When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the wearer, there is a 75% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
Prerequisites: Light Fortification
Gain Heavy Fortification:
When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on the wearer, there is a 100% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.
Prerequisites: Moderate Fortification
+2 Natural AC
+2 to all non-spell damage rolls & +1 to all attack rolls
Pick an element, you may covert any damage you do to that damage type instead as a free action.
Prerequisites: Novice Spell Caster




In my games as long as people qualify for ACFs that substitute feats (such as the several of the fighter, or wizard) they can take them as feats. So that's what I would trade for a feat :smallsmile: You could go book diving for ACFs that work more or less as feats and make those viable options. Of course, they also work pretty well as feats in the first place.

Good point, I'll look more into that.