Dark
2007-01-26, 08:24 PM
In another thread, far far away, someone remarked that as a DM, he always rolled his major villains' saves secretly, and never let them fail on the first round. That struck me as unfair, and I wondered if his players knew that they were wasting their spells on the first round. After some further thought, I concluded that the goal -- having the final showdown last more than 6 seconds -- was good, but it would be nicer if there was a more explicit way of giving the villain that ability. So I came up with these feats:
[edit: added prerequisites to the first three feats]
[edit: added flavor text except for the first where I can't think of any]
Immense Fortitude [General]
Prerequisite: Great Fortitude
Benefit: Once per day, you may treat one failed Fortitude saving throw as a success. This effect must be announced before the die is rolled, but the use per day is only used up if the roll fails.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Impossible Reflexes [General]
You can occasionally make last-moment corrections to your reflexes.
Prerequisite: Lightning Reflexes
Benefit: Once per day, you may treat one failed Reflex saving throw as a success. This effect must be announced before the die is rolled, but the use per day is only used up if the roll fails.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Adamantine Will [General]
You can occasionally resist the irresistible.
Prerequisite: Iron Will
Benefit: Once per day, you may treat one failed Will saving throw as a success. This effect must be announced before the die is rolled, but the use per day is only used up if the roll fails.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Lucky Break [General]
Sometimes fortune just smiles on you.
Benefit: Once per day, you can automatically succeed on one saving throw without rolling for it.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Major monsters could use these as well as classed villains, and I think they're a nice way to give them more survivability without making them more lethal. The feats are not really intended for PCs, but I can imagine a fighter taking Adamantine Will for similar reasons, and any paranoid character might want to take Lucky Break just in case, especially if resurrections are not easily available.
[edit: added prerequisites to the first three feats]
[edit: added flavor text except for the first where I can't think of any]
Immense Fortitude [General]
Prerequisite: Great Fortitude
Benefit: Once per day, you may treat one failed Fortitude saving throw as a success. This effect must be announced before the die is rolled, but the use per day is only used up if the roll fails.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Impossible Reflexes [General]
You can occasionally make last-moment corrections to your reflexes.
Prerequisite: Lightning Reflexes
Benefit: Once per day, you may treat one failed Reflex saving throw as a success. This effect must be announced before the die is rolled, but the use per day is only used up if the roll fails.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Adamantine Will [General]
You can occasionally resist the irresistible.
Prerequisite: Iron Will
Benefit: Once per day, you may treat one failed Will saving throw as a success. This effect must be announced before the die is rolled, but the use per day is only used up if the roll fails.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Lucky Break [General]
Sometimes fortune just smiles on you.
Benefit: Once per day, you can automatically succeed on one saving throw without rolling for it.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times to get extra uses per day.
Major monsters could use these as well as classed villains, and I think they're a nice way to give them more survivability without making them more lethal. The feats are not really intended for PCs, but I can imagine a fighter taking Adamantine Will for similar reasons, and any paranoid character might want to take Lucky Break just in case, especially if resurrections are not easily available.