Pathfinder Let's Fix Pathfinder's Feats! [Archive]

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Ziegander

2014-02-15, 01:52 AM

If I have omitted a feat it is not necessarily because I think it is perfect as is. It is OFTEN because it is so bad, in both concept and execution, that I have no idea where to go with it.

Core Combat Feats

Awesome Blow
Prerequisites: Str 17, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: If you use the attack action to make a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus while using Power Attack and you hit an opponent, you can spend a swift action to attempt a bull rush combat maneuver against that opponent. You may not move with an opponent bull rushed in this way (though you may move the opponent as far as your check allows). Instead, when using this feat, if your check exceeds the opponent's CMD by 5 or more, that opponent is pushed the normal distance and knocked prone. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + your base attack bonus) negates being knocked prone.

Break Guard
Prerequisites: Str 15, Crushing Blow, Power Attack, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: The second time you hit an opponent in a round when you use the Power Attack feat, if that opponent is Exhausted, Fatigued, or Sickened then it becomes flat-footed and loses its shield bonus to AC (if any) for 1 round. A successful Reflex save negates these effects. The DC of this Reflex save is 10 + your base attack bonus.

Bull Rush, Improved
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to bull rush a foe. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to bull rush you. Whenever you bull rush an opponent, its movement provokes attacks of opportunity from all of your allies (but not you). If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Catch Off-Guard
Prerequisites: Improvised Fighting
Benefit: Whenever you attack an opponent with an improvised weapon, if you haven't attacked with that improvised weapon yet this combat, your opponent is flat-footed against your attack.

Cleave
Prerequisites: Power Attack, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: Whenever you make a melee attack while using Power Attack, if you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack as a swift action at the same attack bonus against a foe that is adjacent to the first and also within reach.
Special: You may make a second, third, and fourth additional attack as part of the same swift action when you use this feat when your base attack bonus is at least +6, +11, and +16 respectively. These attacks cannot be made against your original target, nor any target you have previously attacked using this feat. Each additional attack must be made against a target that is adjacent to the previously attacked target and also within reach.

Cockatrice Strike [STYLE]
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Stone Vise Style, Monk 3
Benefit: The second time you successfully hit an opponent with an unarmed strike this round, if that opponent's speed is reduced for any reason, it becomes unable to make more than one attack per round, to make attacks of opportunity, or even to move for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. A successful Reflex save negates this effect. The DC of this Reflex save is 10 + ½ your character level + your Wis modifier). The target is allowed a new save to remove this effect at the start of each of its rounds.

Combat Expertise
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the dodge bonus increases by +1. You gain double this bonus to your CMD and against any attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against you. You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon. The effects of this feat last until your next turn.

Critical Feats

Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical feat to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical Mastery.

Critical, Bleeding
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit your opponent takes an amount of bleed damage each round equal to twice your base attack bonus on its turn, in addition to the damage dealt by the critical hit. A successful Fortitude save reduces the Bleed damage by half. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. Bleed damage can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal skill check or through any magical healing. The effects of this feat stack.

Critical, Blinding
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your opponent is permanently blinded. A successful Fortitude save reduces this to blinded for 1 round and dazzled for 1 minute thereafter. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. This feat has no effect on creatures that do not rely on eyes for sight or creatures with more than two eyes (although multiple critical hits might cause blindness, at the GM's discretion). Blindness can be cured by heal, regenerate, remove blindness, or similar abilities.

Critical, Crippling
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +3
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit against an opponent, its speed is halved permanently. A successful Fortitude save reduces this duration to 1d4 rounds. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. Against creatures with multiple types of movement, you must choose which movement type to affect. A flying creature hit by this attack must make a DC 10 Fly check to remain airborne, and has its maneuverability reduced by one step. This crippling effect can be removed with a DC 20 Heal check or by lesser restoration, restoration, heal, and similar abilities.

Critical, Deafening
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +3
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit against an opponent, the victim is permanently deafened. A successful Fortitude save reduces the deafness to 1 minute. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. This feat has no effect on deaf creatures. This deafness can be cured by heal, regeneration, remove deafness, or a similar ability.

Critical, Sickening
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +1
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your opponent becomes sickened for 10 minutes. A successful Fortitude save reduces the duration to 1d4 rounds. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. The effects of this feat do not stack. Additional hits instead add to the effect's duration.

Critical, Staggering
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +3
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your opponent becomes staggered for 1d4+1 rounds. A successful Fortitude save reduces the duration to 1 round. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. The effects of this feat do not stack. Additional hits instead add to the duration.

Critical, Stunning
Prerequisites: Staggering Critical, base attack bonus +7
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your opponent becomes stunned for 1 round and staggered for 4 rounds thereafter (or simply staggered for 5 rounds if it is immune to stunning). A successful Fortitude save reduces this to staggered for 1d4+1 rounds. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. The effects of this feat do not stack with themselves or with the Staggering Critical feat. Additional hits instead add to the duration.

Critical, Tiring
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +3
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your opponent becomes fatigued. A successful Fortitude save negates this. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus. If the opponent was already fatigued, then it becomes exhausted upon failing its Fortitude save. If you have at least base attack bonus +7, then an opponent becomes exhausted even if it wasn't already fatigued, and becomes fatigued even on a successful save. This feat has no additional effect on an already exhausted creature.

Crushing Blow [STYLE]
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: The first time you hit a foe with a melee attack this round while using Power Attack that foe becomes fatigued for 1 round and loses its next move action. A successful Fortitude save negates these effects. The DC of this Fortitude save is 10 + your base attack bonus.

[S]Dazzling Display
Deadly Display
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, Fighter 1
Benefit: While you are wielding your focused weapon, you may Demoralize opponents with the Intimidate skill using your base attack bonus in place of your Intimidate ranks and the ability modifier you add to attack rolls with that weapon (Strength or Dexterity) in place of your Charisma modifier. Whenever you confirm a critical hit with your focused weapon, drop an opponent with your focused weapon, or willingly accept a -5 penalty to your Intimidate check, you may Demoralize all opponents within 30ft. Demoralizing opponents after a critical hit or after dropping a foe is an immediate action.

Disarm, Improved
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to disarm an opponent. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to disarm you. Whenever you disarm an opponent, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Disruptive
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Fighter 2
Benefit: Whenever an adjacent foe attempts to take a 5-foot step away from you, you may also make a 5-foot step as an immediate action so long as you end up adjacent to the foe that triggered this ability. If you do, you may not take a 5-foot step on your next turn. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls when you make an attack of opportunity. The DC to cast a spell defensively for creatures you threaten is increased by 4.

Dodge
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Mobility, Acrobatics 5 ranks
Benefit: As an immediate action when you would normally be hit by an attack you may take a 5-foot step to dodge the attack entirely. You must be aware of the attack, your speed must be unhindered, and you must not be denied your Dexterity bonus to AC. If you do, you may not take a 5-foot step on your next turn. When you dodge a melee attack generated by a spell effect, such as the touch attack of a shocking grasp spell, the attacker is still "holding the charge."

Double Slice
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: Anytime you make a melee attack with your main-hand weapon you may make an attack with your off-hand weapon at the same attack bonus. You suffer two-weapon fighting penalties when doing so, but you may add your full Strength bonus to damage rolls with your off-hand rather than half.
Normal: A character that fights with two weapons may make an attack with his or her off-hand weapon for every attack they make with their main-hand weapon during a full attack action.

Feint, Improved
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You may feint in place of a melee attack. You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to feint. You also receive a +3 bonus to Sense Motive checks and your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to feint you. Whenever you successfully feint in combat, the opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Feint is both a use of the Bluff skill and a combat maneuver and may be attempted using either the Bluff skill or an attack roll and your Combat Maneuver Bonus. Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Flyby Attack
Prerequisites: Fly speed
Benefit: While flying you may make a single melee attack at any point during a move action. This is a standard action. You cannot take a second move action during a round when you make a Flyby Attack.
Normal: Without this feat, a character must move before or after making attacks.

Gorgon's Fist
Prerequisites: Wis 15, Stone Vise Style, Cockatrice Strike, Monk 7
Benefit: The third time you successfully hit an opponent with an unarmed strike this round, if that opponent can't move or can't make attacks of opportunity, then it becomes paralyzed for 1 round unless it succeeds on a Will saving throw with a DC of 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier. Even on a successful save it suffers 1d3 Dexterity damage.

Grapple, Improved
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: You may attempt to grapple an opponent in place of a melee attack. You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to grapple an opponent. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to grapple you. Whenever you successfully grapple an opponent, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Improvised Fighting
Prerequisites: None
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised weapon.
Normal: You take a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with an improvised weapon. Monks and Rogues are automatically proficient with improvised weapons.

Lightning Stance
Prerequisites: Dex 19, Dodge, Mobility, Wind Stance, Acrobatics 13 ranks
Benefit: If you move more than 30ft feet this turn, you gain 50% concealment against all attacks for 1 round. This concealment does not stack with the concealment you gain from the Wind Stance feat. You lose all benefits of this feat if your speed is hindered in any way.

Lunge
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: You can increase the reach of your melee attacks by 5 feet or as though you were one size larger (whichever is greater) for 1 round by taking a -2 penalty to your AC. You may choose to use this ability (or not to use it) on any of your attacks, but after using it once the AC penalty applies until your next turn.

[S]Spellbreaker
Mage Slayer
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Disruptive, Fighter 6
Benefit: Enemies in your threatened area that fail their checks to cast spells defensively provoke attacks of opportunity from you. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls when making attacks of opportunity against enemy spellcasters. Enemy spellcasters you deal weapon damage to must make Concentration checks to cast spells as if taking continuous damage from your attacks for 1 round thereafter (this does not actually deal additional damage).
Normal: Enemies that fail to cast spells defensively do not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Medusa's Wrath
Prerequisites: Wis 15, Stone Vise Style, Cockatrice Strike, Monk 11
Benefit: The fourth time you successfully hit an opponent with an unarmed strike this round, if that opponent is dazed, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to take standard actions, it becomes petrified unless it succeeds on a Fortitude saving throw with a DC of 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier. The target is allowed a new save to remove this effect at the start of each of its rounds. This is a supernatural polymorph effect.

Mobility
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Acrobatics 1 rank
Benefit: Your base speed improves by 5 feet, and you may take a 5-foot step on your turn in addition to other movement. You gain a +4 bonus to AC vs attacks of opportunity you provoke by moving. You lose all benefits of this feat if your speed is hindered in any way.

Mounted Combat
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: The penalties to your attacks while mounted are reduced by 2 (to a minimum of -0). Furthermore, once per round when your mount is hit in combat, you may attempt a Ride check (as an immediate action) to negate the hit. The hit is negated if your Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
Normal: While mounted you suffer a -2 penalty to attacks with one-handed melee weapons or a -4 penalty to attacks with two-handed or ranged weapons. Double these penalties if your mount uses the Run action.

Overrun, Improved
Prerequisites: Str 13, Spirited Charge
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to overrun an opponent. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to overrun you. Whenever you overrun an opponent, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity. When making a charge, you can attempt to overrun one creature in the path of the charge as a free action. If you successfully overrun that creature, you can complete the charge. If the overrun is unsuccessful, the charge ends in the space directly in front of that creature.

Penetrating Strike
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5
Benefit: Your attacks ignore up to 5 points of damage reduction or hardness.

Penetrating Strike, Greater
Prerequisites: Penetrating Strike, Fighter 10
Benefit: Your attacks ignore damage reduction short of DR/Epic and up to 10 points of hardness.

Precise Shot
Prerequisites: None
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against targets within 30ft. If you use the attack action to make a single ranged attack at your highest base attack bonus, for that attack you ignore the AC bonus granted to targets by anything less than total cover, and the miss chance granted to targets by anything less than total concealment. Total cover and total concealment provide their normal benefits.
Normal: Your allies do not provide Cover from your ranged attacks to opponents they threaten.

Precise Shot, Improved
Prerequisites: Precise Shot, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against targets within 30ft. Any ranged attacks you make ignore the AC bonus granted to targets by anything less than total cover, and the miss chance granted to targets by anything less than total concealment. Total cover and total concealment provide their normal benefits against your ranged attacks.

Precise Shot, Greater
Prerequisites: Improved Precise Shot, Precise Shot, base attack bonus +11
Benefit: When you use a full-attack action to make multiple ranged weapon attacks against the same opponent, total the damage from all hits before applying that opponent’s damage reduction. If you use the attack action to make a single ranged attack at your highest base attack bonus, for that attack you ignore cover and concealment entirely, including total cover and total concealment, and if your attack hits you automatically threaten a critical hit.

Rapid Shot
Prerequisites: Dex 15
Benefit: As normal.

Shatter Defenses [STYLE]
Prerequisites: Str 17, Break Guard, Crushing Blow, Power Attack, base attack bonus +11
Benefit: The third time you successfully hit a foe with a melee attack this round while using Power Attack, if that foe is prone or denied its Dexterity bonus to AC then you and your allies ignore its damage reduction and deal lethal damage even if it has regeneration with this attack and all other attacks for 1 round. A successful Fortitude save negates these effects. The DC of this Fortitude save is 10 + your base attack bonus.

Shield Bash, Improved
Prerequisites: Shield Focus
Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield's shield bonus to your AC and Reflex saves. You deal damage with a shield bash as though you were one size larger. Add your shield’s enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls made with the shield as if it were a weapon enhancement bonus.

Shield Focus
Prerequisites: Shield proficiency
Benefit: Increase the shield bonus to AC granted by any shield you are using by 1. As long as you are not denied your Dex bonus to AC, you apply your shield's shield bonus to AC to your Touch AC, to your CMD, and to any Reflex saves you make to reduce or avoid damage.

Shield Slam
Prerequisites: Str 15, Improved Shield Bash, Shield Focus, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: Whenever you hit with a shield bash after a charge or as an attack of opportunity you deal double damage. In those cases, you may make a trip attempt against the struck foe as an immediate action and with a +2 bonus. This trip attempt does not provoke attacks of opportunity and if it fails your opponent does not get an attempt to trip you in return. While you carry a shield, if you are not flat-footed, any opponent that misses you with a melee attack provokes an attack of opportunity from you. This attack of opportunity must be a shield bash.

Spirited Charge
Prerequisites: Str 13
Benefit: You do not suffer a penalty to AC for charging. After a successful charge attack your melee attacks deal +2 damage for 1 round.

Spring Attack
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Mobility, Acrobatics 1 rank, base attack bonus +2
Benefit: You may take a standard action at any point during a move action. You can move both before and after the action, but the total distance that you move cannot be greater than your speed. If your standard action is a melee attack, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity from your target for this movement.
Normal: Characters take a standard action either before or after its move.

Stand Still
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Fighter 1
Benefit: Whenever you make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who moves through your threatened area, if your attack hits, that opponent stops moving and its speed is reduced to 0 feet until the start of its next turn.

[S]Scorpion Style
Stone Vise Style [STYLE]
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Monk 1
Benefit: The first time you strike an opponent with an unarmed strike each round that opponent's speed is reduced by half and it takes a -1 penalty on attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves. These effects last for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. A successful Fortitude save negates these effects. The DC of this Fortitude save is 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier. The effects of this feat do not stack. Additional hits instead add to the duration.

Stonedeath Devastation [STYLE]
Prerequisites: Wis 17, Stone Vise, Cockatrice Strike, Gorgon's Fist, Medusa's Wrath, Monk 15
Benefit: As a standard action you may make a single unarmed strike against a petrified creature, or against a creature that is made up primarily of stone or crystalline mass. If your attack hits, that creature is utterly destroyed and cannot be resurrected by any means short of True Resurrection. A successful Fortitude save negates this effect. The DC of this Fortitude save is 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier.

Strike Back
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6
Benefit: When you are attacked by a creature with reach, if you are aware of the attack and not flat-footed you may make an attack before it hits you as an immediate action. This is considered an attack of opportunity. If the attacker is using a natural weapon, then you attack the creature. If the attacker is using a weapon that grants it reach, then this attack must be a Sunder maneuver against that weapon. Regardless, if your attack hits, your opponent's attack automatically fails and its subsequent attacks against you this round suffer a -4 penalty to hit.

Sunder, Improved
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to sunder an opponent's item. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to sunder your gear. Whenever you successfully attack an opponent's item, that opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Trip, Improved
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to trip an opponent. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to trip you. Whenever you trip an opponent, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Two-Weapon Defense
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: You gain a +2 shield bonus to AC during any round in which you fight two weapons. If either or both of those weapons has an enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, this shield bonus is increased by the highest enhancement bonus among the two (if any).

Two-Weapon Fighting
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: The penalties to your attacks while fighting with two weapons are reduced by 2 (to a minimum of -0). If your Strength score is 15 or higher you do not suffer a penalty to attacks while fighting with two weapons.
Normal: While fighting with two weapons you suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls with light weapons and a -4 penalty to attack rolls with one-handed weapons.

Two-Weapon Rend
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: If you hit an opponent with both of your weapons in the same action you deal additional damage. Roll each weapon’s damage dice again, add the results together, and add 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier. You can only deal this additional damage once each round.

Vital Strike Line

Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Weapon Focus, Heal 3 ranks, Perception 3 ranks, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: Applying your keen senses and knowledge of the body, you and your trusty weapon can bring a swift, ruinous end to many foes with a single, well-placed strike. As a standard action make a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus with your focused weapon. If that attack hits, it deals double damage. If the target was denied its Dex bonus against your attack it suffers 1 Constitution bleed (see Conditions). This bleed damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.

Vital Strike, Greater
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Greater Weapon Focus, Improved Vital Strike, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Heal 7 ranks, Perception 7 ranks, Fighter 16
Benefit: When you use the Vital Strike feat the Constitution bleed increases to 1d3, and on a failed save, if the target failed by 5 or more then it is Paralyzed for 1 round (or Dazed if it is immune to Paralysis) rather than Staggered.

Vital Strike, Improved
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Int 13, Vital Strike, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Heal 5 ranks, Perception 5 ranks, Fighter 11
Benefit: When you use the Vital Strike feat the Constitution bleed increases to 1d2 and the target is Staggered for 1 round if it fails a Fortitude save DC 10 + your Fighter level.
Weapon Finesse
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: Whenever you wield a melee weapon to which you may add your Dexterity bonus to attack rolls instead of your Strength bonus you may also add your Dexterity bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Normal: With a light weapon, elven curve blade, rapier, whip, or spiked chain made for a creature of your size category, you may use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier on attack rolls. Natural weapons are considered light weapons.

Weapon Focus
Prerequisites: Proficiency with weapon, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: Choose a weapon you are proficient with. You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with that weapon and an additional +4 bonus to attack rolls made to confirm critical hits with that weapon. While you wield your focused weapon you gain a +2 morale bonus on Will saves against Fear and you are always treated as if you were larger than your opponents for the purposes of the Intimidate skill.
Special: If you have at least one Fighter class level you may change the weapon you chose with this feat by spending one hour practicing with a new weapon. If not, you may take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new weapon.

Weapon Focus, Greater
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Fighter 8
Benefit: You gain an additional +1 bonus to attack rolls with the weapon you have chosen with the Weapon Focus feat (to a total of +2) and an additional +4 bonus to attack rolls made to confirm critical hits (to a total of +8). While you wield your focused weapon you are immune to Fear and cannot be Intimidated.

Weapon Specialization
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, Fighter 4
Benefit: You cannot be disarmed of the weapon you have chosen with the Weapon Focus feat. You deal additional damage with that weapon equal to half your Fighter level (rounded down). While you wield your focused weapon you gain a +2 morale bonus on all Will saves (to a total of +4 vs Fear).

Whirlwind Attack
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Mobility, Spring Attack, Fighter 6
Benefit: You can move up to your speed during a full attack action. You can move both before and after each of your attacks, but the total distance that you move cannot be greater than your speed. You do not provoke attacks of opportunity from movement from the targets of any melee attacks you make in this action.

Alternatively, as a full-round action you may make either one melee attack at your highest base attack bonus against each opponent you threaten or you may make one ranged attack at your highest base attack bonus against a number of opponents up to half your base attack bonus. These opponents must be no further from you than your weapon's range increment.

Wind Stance
Prerequisites: Dex 17, Dodge, Mobility, Acrobatics 9 ranks
Benefit: Your base speed improves by an additional 5 feet, and whenever you take a 5-foot step you may move up to 10 feet. You ignore difficult terrain. If you move more than 15ft this turn you gain 20% concealment against ranged attacks for 1 round. You lose all benefits of this feat if your speed is hindered in any way.

More fixin' to come!

Ziegander

2014-02-15, 01:53 AM

Moar Feats!

Ziegander

2014-02-15, 01:54 AM

Even moar feats!

Ziegander

2014-02-15, 01:55 AM

Why are there so many feats!?

Ziegander

2014-02-15, 01:58 AM

Oh my god! It's all of the feats! All of the--I CAN'T STOP THIS THING!

BWR

2014-02-15, 06:14 AM

Excellent, a thread to discuss ideas. I'll throw in my own attempts, if you don't mind. Some commentary on yours first.

Awesome Blow: I don't really see the need to waste a swift action on this. You have already reduced your options that round by making a single attack.

Improved Bull Rush - Basically the same route I took, so I agree.
Same general principle applies to all Combat Maneuver feats. However, I considered removing the various feat prereqs and adding this one.

Maneuver Mastery
Prerequisite: BAB +1
Benefit: Add +1 to your CMB. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, increase this bonus by 1.

Improvised Fighting/Catch Off-Guard - interesting take

Cleave - I can't say I like the idea of allowing CE as a prereq. Also, this is basically a far, far more powerful version of Whirlwind Attack, and you have removed all the penalties of basic Cleave. Now, there really is no reason not to pick up Cleave

Dazzling Display - it sems ok.

Dodge
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+
Benefit: You gain a +1 Dodge bonus to your AC. This bonus increases by 1 at 4th level and every 4th level thereafter. +

Mobility
Prerequisite: Dodge
Benefit: When you spend a move action to move, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to your AC until the beginning of your next turn.

Combat Expertise
Prerequisites: Dodge
Benefit: As written except you gain double the penalty in dodge bonus to AC.

Improved Feint
Prerequisites: Bluff 1 rank
Benefit: You may feint as a swift action.
Normal: Feinting is a move action

Endurance and Diehard are folded together to a single feat called Endurance.

Weapon Focus
Prerequisites: Proficiency with weapon, BAB +1
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls while using that weapon. At 4th level and every 4 levels therafter the bonus increase by 1.

Weapon Specialization
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Fighter 4+
Benefit: You deal +2 on damage rolls made with the selected weapon. At 8th and every 4 levels of Fighter thereafter the bonus increases by +2.

Greater Weapon Focus
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Fighter 8+
Benefit: Rolls of 1 on attack rolls with the selected weapon are no longer automatic misses.

Greater Weapon Specialization
Prerequisites: Greater WEapon Focus with selected weapon, fighter 12+
Benefit: Ignore the first miss chance or DR of target each round while attacking with the selected weapon.

Improved Great Fortitude/Lightning Reflexes/Iron Will are folded into the basic versions, with the Improved effects kicking in at 5th level

Spring Attack
Prerequisites: Dodge, Mobility, BAB +4
Benefit: You may split movement on either side of a standard action. Remove Shot on the Run and Flyby Attack from the game.

Point Blank Shot
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on ranged attack and damage rolls made against targets within the first range increment, or minimum of 30 feet.

Weapon Finesse
Benefit: You may replace your Strength modifier with your Dexterity modifier on melee attack and damage rolls made with light weapons, rapiers, scimitars, whips or chain weapons.

Teamwork feats work grant the benefit to others who do not have the feat. Multiple beings with same feat stack bonuses and apply to every legal target in range.

Vital Strike
Prerequisites: BAB +6
Benefit: Whenever you make a single attack as a standard action you roll double the weapon dice for damage, before adding static modifiers or other bonus dice. These extra dice are multiplied on a critical hit. You may also make a Vital Strike on a charge. This bonus damage only applies to the first attack you make in any given round.

Improved Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Vital Strike, BAB +11
Benefit: As Vital Strike but You roll twice the normal damage, including all modifiers.

Greater Vital Strike
Prerequisites: Improved Vital Strike, BAB +16
Benefit: The benefits of Vital Strike apply to any attack you make that is part a standard action attack or charge, including Cleave, Finishing Cleave, etc.

ArcanistSupreme

2014-02-15, 10:24 AM

Feats

Nice! My favorite is Combat Expertise. It's so hard to justify 13 Int on most melee characters. I'm not so sure about the stealth rule changes that you are making, though (monks and rogues being proficient with improvised weapons, no AoOs on maneuvers, etc.). I agree that your changes make sense, but you have moved out of feat territory at that point.

BWR, I like most of your fixes quite a bit. I do have a question about this one:

Point Blank Shot
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on ranged attack and damage rolls made against targets within the first range increment, or minimum of 30 feet.

It seems like a really minor buff, and it doesn't come anywhere close to competing with the new Weapon Focus/Specialization lines. What if it scaled with level or you got Precise Shot with it?

Ziegander

2014-02-15, 11:53 AM

Awesome Blow: I don't really see the need to waste a swift action on this. You have already reduced your options that round by making a single attack.

I will consider removing the swift action, but I don't see how it matters all that much. What do Fighters have to spend their swift actions on anyway?

Improved Bull Rush - Basically the same route I took, so I agree.
Same general principle applies to all Combat Maneuver feats. However, I considered removing the various feat prereqs and adding this one.

Cleave - [...]this is basically a far, far more powerful version of Whirlwind Attack, and you have removed all the penalties of basic Cleave. Now, there really is no reason not to pick up Cleave.

It's still only good at fighting multiple creatures that are all clumped together. I figured that's enough of a penalty on it to warrant making it much more useful. It can only ever allow you to attack as many times as you get attacks during a full attack (yes, it can be combined with a full attack, but to fully blenderize masses of creatures you also need to build for TWF and haste, etc). However, I will consider making it like Awesome Blow or Felling Smash or other similar feats where you may Cleave as a swift action after hitting and using Power Attack on an attack action. But that will result in a seriously neutered feat that probably no will take.

Dodge
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+
Benefit: You gain a +1 Dodge bonus to your AC. This bonus increases by 1 at 4th level and every 4th level thereafter.

Mobility
Prerequisite: Dodge
Benefit: When you spend a move action to move, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to your AC until the beginning of your next turn.

Combat Expertise
Prerequisites: Dodge
Benefit: As written except you gain double the penalty in dodge bonus to AC.

Are these intended to be math fixes for Pathfinder? I will admit I'm new to the system, but +22 to AC doesn't really seem necessary to me.

Weapon Focus
Prerequisites: Proficiency with weapon, BAB +1
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls while using that weapon. At 4th level and every 4 levels therafter the bonus increase by 1.

Weapon Specialization
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Fighter 4+
Benefit: You deal +2 on damage rolls made with the selected weapon. At 8th and every 4 levels of Fighter thereafter the bonus increases by +2.

The bonus on Weapon Focus (+6 at 20th level) is entirely, unnecessarily too high. I am actually fine with Weapon Specialization being a bonus to damage equal to half your fighter level. That's not inappropriate, I don't think.

BWR

2014-02-15, 12:52 PM

Ziegander

2014-02-15, 01:15 PM

Considering AC generally scales lousily compared to attacks d20, I wanted to allow those who really want to focus on it to actually get significant benefits from their feats. Because as it is Dodge is nice at 1st level but slowly becomes rather pointless. I've seen exactly one character use Combat Expertise. Mobility is a feat tax in RAW, so I wanted it to be actually attractive. Perhaps +2 in stead of +4?

Why is +6 to attack with a single weapon at 20th level too high? What would be a better bonus?

By too high, I don't mean "too powerful." +X to numbers like AC or attack rolls stop meaning anything after a while. I admit, I don't know the attack values of high level creatures in Pathfinder, but I would be surprised if a character really needed +10 dodge to AC at level 20 to avoid those attacks. Likewise, any warrior worth his salt absolutely does not need +6 to hit by 20th level. They will be hitting with their attacks anyway.

As far as Combat Expertise being worthless, well, it definitely is a sucky feat. Dodge is sucky too, but throwing bigger numbers at them doesn't seem to work to me. As for Combat Expertise, I threw in a free riposte function. Seems to make it more attractive. Dodge... Mobility... they are both just such garbage that I don't know what to do with them other than to throw them out entirely... or maybe roll them both into one feat

Dodge
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: You gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC and double your dodge bonuses to AC against attacks of opportunity. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.

Eh, it's just bigger numbers, but it least it's something people would actually take. Alternatively, scrap the terrible Deflect Arrows feat and change Dodge into:

Dodge
Prerequisites: Dex 15
Benefit: Once per round when you would normally be hit by an attack you may dodge the attack so that it misses you entirely. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or ballista bolts) and ranged attacks generated by spell effects can't be dodged. If a melee attack comes from a weapon so large that you could not dodge without moving from your space, then it also cannot be dodged. When you dodge a melee attack generated by a spell effect, such as the touch attack of a shocking grasp spell, the attacker is still "holding the charge."

BWR

2014-02-15, 04:34 PM

Difference in approach and opinion, I guess. If the point of Dodge is to improve AC, I figured it should grant enough bonus that at any point you can pick it you feel you are getting something worth a feat. At low levels, +1 to AC is worth a feat, IMO. At mid+ levels, +3 seems like a good deal.

Same with Combat Expertise. Yes, I've seen it used on occasion but mostly as a last resort. It's the sort of feat everyone I've seen has taken because it's a prereq to something they like rather than being useful on its own. So make it worthwhile for its own sake while doing what it was supposed to do..
Eh, we can agree to disagree on that point.

Ziegander

2014-02-16, 02:30 PM

How do you feel about my versions of Disruptive, Dodge, and Double Slice?

StreamOfTheSky

2014-02-16, 02:33 PM

In my (3.5E) game, I made Mobility a flat +4 Dodge bonus to AC against all AoOs.

Nothing's fallen apart and no one's cried bloody murder yet...

I figure if there's a feat (in dragon mag, granted... but it's not OP, either) to get +4 bonus on AoOs, a feat to give a blanket +4 AC against them is ok, too.

BWR

2014-02-16, 03:24 PM

How do you feel about my versions of Disruptive, Dodge, and Double Slice?

Disruptive is really, really powerful. Like, no-brainer auto-choice powerful. I'm all for making feats more powerful, espcially for those poor mundanes, but I think that might be going a bit far. If all the feat did was make it so people couldn't cast defensively it would still be really good, practically a no-brainer, but it also really messes up mundanes. A full-attack action with a bow would, I believe, be canceled by this feat if the poor archer provoked.

Dodge, which version of Dodge? The first is ok. better than the RAW but still weak enough I'm not sure I would bother taking it past level 8 or so. The second is powerful enough to be a no-brainer in my book. Maybe it could be something like Improved Dodge, with Dodge as a a prereq and allowing you to dodge anything with an attack roll, provided you don't have to move from your square?
Allow those pesky rogues to dodge your Disintegrates as well as your Fireballs.

Double Slice is pretty much exactly like I have been thinking about for TWF, so I'm all for that.

In my (3.5E) game, I made Mobility a flat +4 Dodge bonus to AC against all AoOs.

Nothing's fallen apart and no one's cried bloody murder yet...

I figure if there's a feat (in dragon mag, granted... but it's not OP, either) to get +4 bonus on AoOs, a feat to give a blanket +4 AC against them is ok, too.

Also an alternative. I had originally thought about just rolling Dodge and Mobility into one feat

Just to Browse

2014-02-16, 07:03 PM

I was going to make this post a joke about how many feats you've made, but I actually don't want to spend an hour counting them.

Catch Off-Guard makes rogues useful in Pathfinder again, but could you make the requirement BAB +2 so rogues can take it as their 3rd-level feat?

Ziegander

2014-02-16, 08:40 PM

Ziegander

2014-02-16, 11:21 PM

Disruptive is really, really powerful. Like, no-brainer auto-choice powerful. I'm all for making feats more powerful, espcially for those poor mundanes, but I think that might be going a bit far. If all the feat did was make it so people couldn't cast defensively it would still be really good, practically a no-brainer, but it also really messes up mundanes. A full-attack action with a bow would, I believe, be canceled by this feat if the poor archer provoked.

Well, I ran with the concept, taking "disruptive" to its furthest conclusion. Any suggestions on nerfing it a little? I disagree that requiring six Fighter levels and a feat investment is worth it just for "casters you threaten can't cast defensively," but I can see where you're coming from that maybe the feat is too powerful. On the other hand, archers can take a feat to not provoke with their bows at all which negates that part of the feat's benefit.

Dodge, which version of Dodge?

The one in the OP.

Maybe it could be something like Improved Dodge, with Dodge as a a prereq and allowing you to dodge anything with an attack roll, provided you don't have to move from your square?
Allow those pesky rogues to dodge your Disintegrates as well as your Fireballs.

I don't know. You first say that it's too powerful, but your suggestion to make it more reasonable is to give it a crappy feat tax and then make it even more powerful. I'm not on board with that.

I wouldn't be averse to giving it a prerequisite however. What about reversing the roles here and making Mobility a prerequisite of Dodge? Dodge would require 5 ranks in Acrobatics, Mobility 1, and Mobility would give you a +4 bonus to AC vs attacks of opportunity?

Double Slice is pretty much exactly like I have been thinking about for TWF, so I'm all for that.

TWF would simply reduce the penalties and require Dex 13 not 15. Seems good enough for me. ITWF might remove the penalties entirely? Not sure where that leaves GTWF, but I have time to figure that out later.

EDIT: There, made new changes to Disruptive, Dodge, and added Mobility. Let me know what you think of the way they work. I like Dodge and Mobility much better this way. Disruptive seems to keep the intended purpose but with a noticeable downgrade in power.

TechyKat

2014-02-17, 10:41 AM

Most of these feats are pretty nice and seeing your Double Slice made me think about TWF and I had this idea. Tell me what you think about it.

Two Weapon Fighting:
Prerequisites: Dex 13
When you wield a weapon in each hand, whenever you make an attack with your main hand weapon if you hit by 2 or more and your second weapon would also beat their AC on that attack roll, resolve the attack as if you had hit with your other weapon also.

I think it is rather elegant, although it makes it a bit hard on the DM since they have to determine whether you hit by the threshold. But it lessens the amount of rolls each turn and makes your turn go a bit faster.

BWR

2014-02-17, 02:17 PM

TWF would simply reduce the penalties and require Dex 13 not 15. Seems good enough for me. ITWF might remove the penalties entirely? Not sure where that leaves GTWF, but I have time to figure that out later.
Yeah, I actually meant 'two weapon fighting in general', not the feat. This is almost exactly what I was thinking of. Sorry for the confusion.

Critical Feats
I will have to disagree with making them available so early on. Most ciritical feats have pretty powerful effects. For higher level parties the effects are annoying and hampering but at low levels they can be devestating.

Disruptive
Better now, but I think I would remove the C.Expertise and Int. requirements. Combat Reflexes alone should be fine. Heck if you really want to be fun you can have the increase in Concentration DC be 1/2 BAB.

Dodge
An interesting idea. I personally prefer to make the feats do what they did before, only better so as to minimize confusion with RAW. However I can see this as a viable alternative to that

Feint, Improved
You've seen my version of Improved Feint and I stick by that. This one doesn't look bad, though.

Lightning Stance
Nice one. Powerful, possibly too powerful but I can't think off hand how I would have done it instead.

Lunge
Guess I'm not as familiar with PF as I thought, because I can't recall in what situations being one size larger increases reach beyond 5 feet. I do like that it lasts until the beginning of your next turn though.

Mobility
Very nice, very nice indeed. I might just steal that one.

Mounted Combat
Looks ok.

Penetrating Strike
Ok

Penetrating Strike, Greater
You have with two feats rendered adamntine pointless and can get through a theoretical DR of Infinite/Everything. I generally don't think non-epic feats should render epic abilities moot.

Precise Shot
Precise Shot, Improved
Precise Shot, Greater

I can see what you are trying to do. I'll just have to think a bit more before I can tell whether I agree or not.

Spirited Charge
What was wrong with the original?

Weapon Focus
Better than the original, I'm not sure at what point I would not bother taking it over something else. Still leaning towards my version, I'm afraid.

Ziegander

2014-02-17, 03:11 PM

Critical Feats
I will have to disagree with making them available so early on. Most ciritical feats have pretty powerful effects. For higher level parties the effects are annoying and hampering but at low levels they can be devestating.

The reason I made them available at such early levels is because spells can just point and click to do those things at those levels. Blindness, the spell, lets you point at a guy from over 100ft away and if he fails the save, he's blinded. Yes, it's limited by the number of times per day you can cast it, but in a similar way Blinding Critical is limited by the fact that you don't get a critical hit on just any attack. I would argue that the character using the feat is even more limited, and in more ways than one, than the character using a spell to achieve a similar result.

Disruptive
Better now, but I think I would remove the C.Expertise and Int. requirements. Combat Reflexes alone should be fine. Heck if you really want to be fun you can have the increase in Concentration DC be 1/2 BAB.

Probably a good idea.

Dodge
An interesting idea. I personally prefer to make the feats do what they did before, only better so as to minimize confusion with RAW. However I can see this as a viable alternative to that

And I get that approach, I just think "take a feat, gain AC bonus" is a fundamentally bad design for a feat. Speaking of which, I need to revise Combat Expertise. I think I have a better solution for it.

Lightning Stance
Nice one. Powerful, possibly too powerful but I can't think off hand how I would have done it instead.

In the end I will likely have it grant the concealment only after you've moved at least 20 or 30 feet.

Lunge
Guess I'm not as familiar with PF as I thought, because I can't recall in what situations being one size larger increases reach beyond 5 feet. I do like that it lasts until the beginning of your next turn though.

You might be right. I'm not very familiar with the system at all. Hrm, actually, what I intended for it to do is pretty unrealistic, and what I would like to allow it to do doesn't work right with PF reach/size rules. I might have a workaround, but I don't know if I can word it so that it doesn't sound clunky. The point is that you could, and therefore should, benefit more from Lunge if you're taller (aka Large size or Enlarge Person'd, etc). You are able to stretch that much further because all of your limbs are longer. It's something I'll need to look into.

Penetrating Strike, Greater
You have with two feats rendered adamntine pointless and can get through a theoretical DR of Infinite/Everything. I generally don't think non-epic feats should render epic abilities moot.

Alright, maybe ignoring hardness was a bad/weird idea. But I'm going to stick to my guns on all but DR/Epic.

Spirited Charge
What was wrong with the original?

I honestly didn't realize there was a Spirited Charge feat in Pathfinder, so I was just making one up to serve as a thematic prerequisite for Improved Overrun. But, now that I've looked at it, so many stacking damage multipliers are just unnecessary aren't they? Or even if it is determined that, for some unknown reason, having loads of damage multipliers is a sacred cow that we must preserve I would rather call it Improved Mounted Combat or something.

Weapon Focus
Better than the original, I'm not sure at what point I would not bother taking it over something else. Still leaning towards my version, I'm afraid.

I think you mean that you're still not sure if you would bother taking over something else. And you can lean toward your version all you want, that's your right, but, to be quite honest with you, posting your own versions of feats in my thread about feats, then critiquing my feats and telling me that you're afraid mine just don't work for you as much as your own feats, well, that seems somewhat rude to me.

BWR

2014-02-18, 03:24 AM

And you can lean toward your version all you want, that's your right, but, to be quite honest with you, posting your own versions of feats in my thread about feats, then critiquing my feats and telling me that you're afraid mine just don't work for you as much as your own feats, well, that seems somewhat rude to me.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I just thought some other approaches and ideas would be welcome.

Ziegander

2014-02-18, 03:41 AM

Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I just thought some other approaches and ideas would be welcome.

No, your ideas and critique have been valuable, sorry, I guess that was overly prickly of me. I was getting the impression you were just continually going to be like, "cool, but mine's better." For some reason I had already felt that you'd established a pattern of doing that, but upon review of the thread you haven't. My bad, please do carry on here, if you will; you're basically the only person giving me any sort of constructive criticism on these.

For example, I don't want a Weapon Focus feat that grants a scaling attack bonus, I don't think it's good design, so what would Weapon Focus have to do to make you want to take it?

BWR

2014-02-18, 06:21 AM

I guess my point was it seems like we want slightly different things for our fixes and are unlikely to agree on everything, even if I like seeing what your ideas. At some point my opinion will simply be that your ideas are not what I would employ, for whatever reasons. I shall try to just comment and question and you decide what of my comments to consider and what to disregard.

One idea I toyed with for Weapon Focus was granting additional abilities as you got better, e.g. +1 to attacks at Level 1, +2 to Damage at level 4, +2 to crit confirmations at level 8/10, increase crit range at 12 etc. Or something along those lines.
That will be stepping on the toes of a lot of other feats, but it means that the feat will (almost?) always give enough that it's worth taking no matter what level you are.

Edit: most recent batch

Break Guard [STYLE]
Interesting idea but it's really powerful as it is and screws over any shield user, and shields are weak enough as they are. Perhaps make it into a combat maneuver?

Lightning Stance
Quite nice now. Can't think of anything to bitch about.

Mage Slayer
Interesting idea. It is intended to work with ranged weapons? Because right now an archer with a little luck can almost permanently lock down a caster. Sure it's a feat investment for stuff they are not likely to use most of the time, but it might just be worth it, especially of the number of archery feats is reduced.

Penetrating Strike, Greater
Better than the last version. Not sure I'd allow it but it's definitely better.

Shatter Defenses [STYLE]
The second time you successfully hit a foe with a melee attack this round while using Power Attack, if that foe is prone or denied its Dexterity bonus to AC
Does this mean "If succesfully hit a foe with a melee attack for the second time this round AND (if that foe is prone or denied)"
or
"If succesfully hit a foe with a melee attack for the second time this round OR the foe is prone OR denied Dex"
I assume it's the second because in the former case the bit about the second strike is pointless because thanks to Break Guard the target is without Dex to AC.

Either way, another really really powerful feat. It's really reducing the point of DR and regeneration - why bother with anything like planning or learning about the weaknesses of the target if everything can be solved with three feats?

Shield Bash, Improved
Doesn't really need the 'treat as one size larger', imo. Otherwise nice.

Shield Focus
Nice. Very much like what I've been thinking about. On the subject of shields, I've considered upping the bonus of the basic shields, Light +2, Heavy +4 and Tower +6.

Shield Slam
Grants a bit much, imo. Double damage on its own might not be worth it, but it's not too far off. I generally dislike adding a new sort of mechanic to do the same thing as an existing one - in this case a Reflex save to avoid being tripped. Because this is basically a combat maneuver, giving you a free trip attempt after a charge. If you kept it to that, also removing the AoO for doing it, it would be fine. As for the AoO after a miss.

Spring Attack
Have you considered just allowing any standard action between movement? Because as it is, Flyby Attack is still better in all ways except for not provoking an AoO.

Stand Still
Looks good

Stonedeath Devastation [STYLE]
Why shouldn't a Stone to Flesh and Resurrection work?
Otherwise I can't complain.

Strike Back
Too powerful. I can see some argument for dealing damage to creatures with reach natural attacks, but I'm having a hard time seeing how you can reach the giant with a pike who has 10 feet between you and his hand, not to mention his body. Also, I tend to think that any AoO ability should have something like Combat Reflexes as a prereq. Right now, this much, much better than old staples like Robilar's Gambit or Kharmic Strike. Not only do you get to attack reach creatures, you attack them before they attack you and can stop them from hitting you and you get a bonus to AC rather than a penalty, and you get it at level 5 rather than 12. Yes, it's restricted to reach attacks, but that's still too good.

Two-Weapon Defense
Looks ok

Two-Weapon Fighting
I agree that two weapon styles needed a boost but between this and Double Slice there might be some unintended consequences. Sure, given the same strength and a 2h weapon with power attack vs. light weapons with double slice (e.g. greatsword vs two short swords) you will end up about equal damage slightly in favor of 2h, but now add Power attack in the mix and there will be no reason to choose the bigger weapon. Yes, there is a matter feat tax but there might be more complications. I'll have to think on it some more.

Two-Weapon Rend
Looks ok.

Vital Strike
Is this meant to a standard action exclusively for the purpose of using this feat or any time you make only a single attack, e.g. charge or Spring Attack?
Constitution damage is nasty. I'm not sure about that bit.

Weapon Finesse
Looks ok. Personally I prefer requiring a feat to let you use Dex to attack rolls on these weapons, but I can understand your position.

Ziegander

2014-02-18, 07:05 AM

BWR

2014-02-18, 07:36 AM

I just don't understand the craze with making Weapon Focus scale with level. You're not the only one to suggest it, and you won't be the last, but it just doesn't sit well with me and never has. Nobody insists that Weapon Finesse continue granting you new abilities as you gain levels. Class Features don't always automatically improve at every new class level. They often don't. Feats don't have to either.

The basic idea is that some feats will be of equal use no matter what level you are, and that flat numerical bonuses are not always of equal value at all levels. It's the reason that Power Attack scales with BAB. If it was a flat -1/+2(3) it would quickly lose its appeal. A +1 to attacks is very nice at low levels but at higher levels you can generally find something better to spend your feats on. The main hate for 3.0/5 Toughness was that 3 extra HP are nice at low levels but it's a wasted feat at medium+ levels. PF Toughness scales with level and if not a particularly exciting feat it's one that can be considered at all levels of play.

Logic

2014-02-18, 10:10 AM

Suggestion: Can we color-code the feats? For example, green to show improvements, black to show remained as is, and red to show a needed toned down version?

Vadskye

2014-02-18, 12:12 PM

The basic idea is that some feats will be of equal use no matter what level you are, and that flat numerical bonuses are not always of equal value at all levels. It's the reason that Power Attack scales with BAB. If it was a flat -1/+2(3) it would quickly lose its appeal. A +1 to attacks is very nice at low levels but at higher levels you can generally find something better to spend your feats on. The main hate for 3.0/5 Toughness was that 3 extra HP are nice at low levels but it's a wasted feat at medium+ levels. PF Toughness scales with level and if not a particularly exciting feat it's one that can be considered at all levels of play.

Scaling isn't about arbitrarily increasing numbers. It's about being relevant at every level. Toughness scales with level because HP scales with level. Attack bonus is completely different. It's a treadmill. Iterative attacks ensure that a +1 attack bonus is always relevant. That is, a +1 attack bonus already scales.

Power attack is different because damage automatically scales with level (magic weapons, higher STR, etc.). Trading attack bonus for damage is fair at 1st level, but very weak at higher levels when your normal attack already does a ton of damage.

Ziegander

2014-02-18, 01:06 PM

Scaling isn't about arbitrarily increasing numbers. It's about being relevant at every level. Toughness scales with level because HP scales with level. Attack bonus is completely different. It's a treadmill. Iterative attacks ensure that a +1 attack bonus is always relevant. That is, a +1 attack bonus already scales.

Power attack is different because damage automatically scales with level (magic weapons, higher STR, etc.). Trading attack bonus for damage is fair at 1st level, but very weak at higher levels when your normal attack already does a ton of damage.

Thank you.

Break Guard [STYLE]
Interesting idea but it's really powerful as it is and screws over any shield user, and shields are weak enough as they are. Perhaps make it into a combat maneuver?

I agree that it is too powerful for a 1st level feat. I will be making it a 6th level feat (and Shatter Defenses an 11th level one) and making some new feat in the combo for starting at 1st level that's more on par with the Stone Vise Style feat.

Mage Slayer
Interesting idea. It is intended to work with ranged weapons? Because right now an archer with a little luck can almost permanently lock down a caster. Sure it's a feat investment for stuff they are not likely to use most of the time, but it might just be worth it, especially of the number of archery feats is reduced.

Yeah, it should work with archery feats, that was intended.

Shatter Defenses [STYLE]
The second time you successfully hit a foe with a melee attack this round while using Power Attack, if that foe is prone or denied its Dexterity bonus to AC
Does this mean "If succesfully hit a foe with a melee attack for the second time this round AND (if that foe is prone or denied)"

That is what it means, yes.

I assume it's the second because in the former case the bit about the second strike is pointless because thanks to Break Guard the target is without Dex to AC.

It's not pointless, it's a secondary limitation and continuation of a "combo." If you hit it twice, and if it's flat-footed (like it should be because of Break Guard), then you shatter its defenses. Both of those feats need saves to resist though.

Shield Bash, Improved
Doesn't really need the 'treat as one size larger', imo. Otherwise nice.

I feel like it needs something. I was probably going to lose the "heavy shields count as light weapons thing," actually because of how TWF works, and because I figure most heavy armored shield users are going to be Strength-based and that would only encourage it. So, actually I feel like it needs something in addition to treating the bash as one size larger.

On the subject of shields, I've considered upping the bonus of the basic shields, Light +2, Heavy +4 and Tower +6.

I've considered that too, but then you run into the problem of them being drastically cheaper, lighter, less restricting, and more effective than equivalent armors. And that's just no good.

Shield Slam
Grants a bit much, imo. Double damage on its own might not be worth it, but it's not too far off. I generally dislike adding a new sort of mechanic to do the same thing as an existing one - in this case a Reflex save to avoid being tripped. Because this is basically a combat maneuver, giving you a free trip attempt after a charge. If you kept it to that, also removing the AoO for doing it, it would be fine. As for the AoO after a miss.

I will change the save into a trip check with a +2 bonus. Otherwise, I feel like the feat offers exactly enough.

Spring Attack
Have you considered just allowing any standard action between movement? Because as it is, Flyby Attack is still better in all ways except for not provoking an AoO.

Flyby Attack is problematic, yes... I suppose I should edit Flyby Attack too, because right now it's got fewer prerequisites and better usability than Spring Attack. I will consider making Spring Attack allow any standard action, yes.

Stonedeath Devastation [STYLE]
Why shouldn't a Stone to Flesh and Resurrection work?
Otherwise I can't complain.

Well, because I envisioned the creature being shattered into pieces. Does Resurrection work like that?

Strike Back
Too powerful. I can see some argument for dealing damage to creatures with reach natural attacks, but I'm having a hard time seeing how you can reach the giant with a pike who has 10 feet between you and his hand, not to mention his body. Also, I tend to think that any AoO ability should have something like Combat Reflexes as a prereq. Right now, this much, much better than old staples like Robilar's Gambit or Kharmic Strike. Not only do you get to attack reach creatures, you attack them before they attack you and can stop them from hitting you and you get a bonus to AC rather than a penalty, and you get it at level 5 rather than 12. Yes, it's restricted to reach attacks, but that's still too good.

I will make changes so that if you're being struck by a reach weapon, you must actually attack the weapon with a sunder maneuver and you can only attack the creature itself if it attacks you with a natural reach weapon. I think you're missing the fact that this costs you your immediate action, meaning you only get it once per round, and you lose your next turn's swift action. I think with all of its limitations it's perfectly reasonable at 5th level. I might add Combat Reflexes as a prerequisite.

Two-Weapon Fighting
I agree that two weapon styles needed a boost but between this and Double Slice there might be some unintended consequences. Sure, given the same strength and a 2h weapon with power attack vs. light weapons with double slice (e.g. greatsword vs two short swords) you will end up about equal damage slightly in favor of 2h, but now add Power attack in the mix and there will be no reason to choose the bigger weapon. Yes, there is a matter feat tax but there might be more complications. I'll have to think on it some more.

For the investment of two feats, a 1st level character, with less than 15 Str could wield two shortswords at no penalty and swing with both whenever he would normally swing with just one. Let's say he's got, I dunno, 14 Str. If he hits with both he deals 2d6+4 damage. Meanwhile, the greatsword guy has also invested two feats, Weapon Focus and Power Attack. He's got 18 Str. When he hits he deals 2d6+9 damage. But let's say the TWF'er also has 18 Str and is instead swinging around dual longswords. If he hits with both attacks he deals 2d8+8 damage. For the investment of two feats, he's dealing an average of 1 more damage than the greatsword guy! Seems okay to me.

Vital Strike
Is this meant to a standard action exclusively for the purpose of using this feat or any time you make only a single attack, e.g. charge or Spring Attack?
Constitution damage is nasty. I'm not sure about that bit.

I wanted to combine the deadly force of the Deadly Stroke feat with the easier accessibility and usability of the vital strike line. But I need to rethink how they work. It should be a standard action, I think. If I alter Spring Attack it should work with that feat, but not be usable on a charge.

D-naras

2014-02-19, 10:29 AM

For example, I don't want a Weapon Focus feat that grants a scaling attack bonus, I don't think it's good design, so what would Weapon Focus have to do to make you want to take it?

Make it so that you can roll twice on a single attack roll per turn and keep the better of the two?

BWR

2014-02-19, 11:23 AM

That's actually a fun idea.

D-naras

2014-02-19, 11:26 AM

And the Greater version can either allow a 2nd reroll, or reroll all your attack rolls. This can get time consuming though. It also indirectly increases your crit chances so it's like a different version of Improved Critical too.

The Mormegil

2014-02-19, 11:32 AM

Rerolling is a bonus to the roll, it's just flavored differently, though this might be what OP is looking for. (It adds +2.5 to average; it could be argued its actual bonus is a bit higher if you are going after "normal" DCs)

Vadskye

2014-02-19, 01:51 PM

D-naras

2014-02-19, 02:50 PM

As Mormegil said, that's just a different mechanic for providing a flat bonus. It's more time-consuming and complicated, scales weirdly the number of attacks you get, and doesn't add anything of obvious value that a bonus wouldn't already do.

I whole-heartedly disagree. Rerolling dice is a mechanic that just feels good while playing. It can be more time consuming and that's precisely the reason why I said one attack per round. It's not complicated in the slightest. You just pick up the die and roll it again. It's value is immense actualy. It gives you a second chance to hit. How is that not an obvious benefit?

Ziegander

2014-02-19, 03:26 PM

Ziegander, could you provide some insight on your overall design goals for the PF feats? Are you trying to change feats in general, just patching overly strong/weak feats so they all share about the same power level as a "typical" PF feat, or some other goal? I need to get an idea of the overall narrative in order to judge these feats.

Hmm. Good question. To put it simply, PF nerfed a lot of options, and decided that they wanted to give more feats but make those feats less powerful. I am trying to roll back a lot of their nerfs and put the feats back on a power spectrum more reminiscent to D&D 3.5's feats.

That being said, some feats in D&D 3.5 likely were too strong. Some feats in PF are fine as is. So I am trying to reach some sort of "uniform" power level, but I don't know that it's one typical either to D&D 3.5 or Pathfinder, now that you mention it.

Some concrete design goals that I do have:

Make combat maneuvers more useful and more effective.
Make different combat styles (eg: Archery/TWF) operate on a level of effectiveness equal to prominent styles like Two-Handed Weapon fighting.
Ensure that a feat's effect is level-appropriate based on the feat's prerequisites.
Rework good concepts that previously had unworkable or painfully poor mechanics.
Rewrite the general rules when necessary to facilitate the design goals above.

I whole-heartedly disagree. Rerolling dice is a mechanic that just feels good while playing. It can be more time consuming and that's precisely the reason why I said one attack per round. It's not complicated in the slightest. You just pick up the die and roll it again. It's value is immense actualy. It gives you a second chance to hit. How is that not an obvious benefit?

Instead of the willpower bonuses I did consider adding 1 attack re-roll per day (not per round), but ultimately I didn't feel the re-roll was as interesting. I decided to pursue the angle that a warrior who has spent years mastering the use of a weapon is more confident with that weapon in his hands.

Mighty_Chicken

2014-02-19, 04:34 PM

I usually like your brew but you want criticism, so here it comes.

[SPOILER=Designer's Note]
Weapon Focus
Benefit: ... While you wield your focused weapon you gain a +2 morale bonus on Will saves against Fear and you are always treated as if you were larger than your opponents for the purposes of the Intimidate skill.

Weapon Focus, Greater
Benefit: ... While you wield your focused weapon you are immune to Fear and cannot be Intimidated.

Weapon Specialization

Benefit: ... While you wield your focused weapon you gain a +2 morale bonus on all Will saves (to a total of +4 vs Fear).

Heh... all these morale bonuses sound so... Freudian. Though it's funny, for this very reason I dislike the flavor of it. Fighters need stop being frightened chickens? Ok, but maybe the Weapon Focus tree is not the place to fix it.

(Personally, if we're talking about PF, I'd just fix Bravery so the morale bonus is 1/2 fighter levels. There you go, brave fighters)

Other than that, I like the changes. +1 to hit and +4 to confirms criticals is enough to make WF both useful and more flavorful. +1/2 fighter level to damage feels good - but in the end of the day it's just bigger numerical bonuses. If you want to add "special effects" to the WF tree, why not giving players a list of tricks to choose from?

How do you feel about my versions of Disruptive, Dodge, and Double Slice?

Double slice: OK. It's the TWF feat I'm worried about. Any reason for not going TWF now? I'm all for it if shields get a buff too.

(I always thought everyone should be "proficient" with shields, you just have to put them in front of you, damnit. But the "proficient" classes should be able to do something else)

Disruptive: was the original version underpowered? Your idea is good but I could see it divided into 2 feats, one against movement another one against casters.

Dodge: here's the big one. It sounds cool and not overpowered in the context of most campaigns, but it's literally game-breaking. If I read it well, you can use it every turn (since you can use your 5-foot step again in your foe's next turn)? Any character who doesn't have Dodge auto loses to another one who does in a 1v1 duel. And two 5th level (or lower) characters with this feat would just fight forever and ever with no winner coming out.

This ability might fit somewhere in the Dodge feat tree, but as the first or second feat of the line, it is literally game-breaking, specially at lower levels.

It would be fairly balanced, even as a 1st level feat, if, by moving 5 foot, you forced a successful attacker to reroll, and keep the result that is better for you. Though this would mean, in average, just a 2.5 bonus, it would be work as a critical hit denier.

Vadskye

2014-02-19, 04:47 PM

Hmm. Good question. To put it simply, PF nerfed a lot of options, and decided that they wanted to give more feats but make those feats less powerful. I am trying to roll back a lot of their nerfs and put the feats back on a power spectrum more reminiscent to D&D 3.5's feats.

That being said, some feats in D&D 3.5 likely were too strong. Some feats in PF are fine as is. So I am trying to reach some sort of "uniform" power level, but I don't know that it's one typical either to D&D 3.5 or Pathfinder, now that you mention it.

Some concrete design goals that I do have:

Make combat maneuvers more useful and more effective.
Make different combat styles (eg: Archery/TWF) operate on a level of effectiveness equal to prominent styles like Two-Handed Weapon fighting.
Ensure that a feat's effect is level-appropriate based on the feat's prerequisites.
Rework good concepts that previously had unworkable or painfully poor mechanics.
Rewrite the general rules when necessary to facilitate the design goals above.

Interesting. I'll have some more detailed feedback later, then. Possibly after posting some more of the Combat Reformation.

Heh... all these morale bonuses sound so... Freudian. Though it's funny, for this very reason I dislike the flavor of it. Fighters need stop being frightened chickens? Ok, but maybe the Weapon Focus tree is not the place to fix it.
Agreed.

If you want to add "special effects" to the WF tree, why not giving players a list of tricks to choose from?
This is not bad, if you make the abilities based on the weapons used. Which works best if you switch to weapon groups and assign each group a unique Weapon Focus special ability. Perhaps Spears are always treated as readied vs a charge, Heavy Blades get bonuses vs. unarmored targets, Crossbows get Rapid Reload (which would no longer be a separate feat)...

(I always thought everyone should be "proficient" with shields, you just have to put them in front of you, damnit. But the "proficient" classes should be able to do something else)
That's exactly how it works. Anyone can grab a shield and get an AC bonus. Proficiency prevents the shield from getting in your way when you try to attack.

Ziegander

2014-02-19, 05:07 PM

Fighters need stop being frightened chickens? Ok, but maybe the Weapon Focus tree is not the place to fix it.

Sigh. I know.

But of course, Barbarians shouldn't be frightened chickens either. I'm not familiar with PF Barbarians. Do they get stuff at an early level to resist Fear (I'm aware of the minor bonuses from Rage)? If they do, then Fighters should get equivalent "class feature" bonuses, and since feats are their class features, then they probably should get Fear resistance/immunity from feats. Preferably from feats that offer something more than bonuses vs Fear, because no one's going to take those feats if that's all they do.

(Personally, if we're talking about PF, I'd just fix Bravery so the morale bonus is 1/2 fighter levels. There you go, brave fighters)

Sweet jesus, I thought it already was. I thought it was bad even when I thought it was +1/2 levels. Bravery is a joke of a class feature. If I were fixing Bravery I'd say that they get to use their base Fort save bonus in place of their base Will save bonus when making Will saves against Fear and be done with it. It's almost the same size bonus, but it's much more relevant at low levels.

Other than that, I like the changes. +1 to hit and +4 to confirms criticals is enough to make WF both useful and more flavorful. +1/2 fighter level to damage feels good - but in the end of the day it's just bigger numerical bonuses.

Personally, I thought +4 to confirm criticals and +1/2 level to damage were enough for WF and WS, but other people seemed to disagree.

Double slice: OK. It's the TWF feat I'm worried about. Any reason for not going TWF now? I'm all for it if shields get a buff too.

Did you see Shield Focus and Improved Shield Bash? Do you not feel like I went far enough with those feats?

TWF is always going to be more feat intensive than other styles. The only thing I did was make it worth the investment. It can now outdamage all other styles, but doing so will cost at least two more feats than other styles. Other fighters can spend those two feats to do something else than damage. I can show you math if you'd like.

Disruptive: was the original version underpowered?

Absolutely. Step Up was underpowered and Disruptive was drastically underpowered. Step Up literally does almost nothing by itself. Disruptive on the other hand, requiring 6 whole levels of Fighter just to make it slightly harder on casters to cast defensively? That was just as much garbage. But when you put the two together, hey, that's a nice package that seems more thematically appropriate for a lower level than 6th (when you're at superhuman, or at the very least just on the cusp, capabilities). The +2 with AoOs is just icing on the cake that allows the feat to be useful for disrupting non-spellcasters.

Dodge: here's the big one. It sounds cool and not overpowered in the context of most campaigns, but it's literally game-breaking. If I read it well, you can use it every turn (since you can use your 5-foot step again in your foe's next turn)? Any character who doesn't have Dodge auto loses to another one who does in a 1v1 duel. And two 5th level (or lower) characters with this feat would just fight forever and ever with no winner coming out.

This ability might fit somewhere in the Dodge feat tree, but as the first or second feat of the line, it is literally game-breaking, specially at lower levels.

It would be fairly balanced, even as a 1st level feat, if, by moving 5 foot, you forced a successful attacker to reroll, and keep the result that is better for you. Though this would mean, in average, just a 2.5 bonus, it would be work as a critical hit denier.

I know it sounds game-breakingly powerful, but I really don't think it is. In practice, how often does that one-on-one duel situation come up? Even when it does, if the PC has Dodge against a skilled "duelist" NPC, the NPC can just use a combat maneuver on the PC (Feint seems thematically appropriate, but really any will work). There are also loads of situations in which you cannot use the Dodge feat such as, but not limited to: When flat-footed, when climbing, in the dark, when carrying more than a light-load, when "Slowed" by any effect, when you are attacked more than once in a round.

Yes, you make a 5ft step out of turn, which means, against foes without reach, you Dodge once and they don't get to attack you again, but if you're fighting multiple foes, or if you're fighting one foe with reach, then you Dodge one attack out of many that can still be coming your way.

In the situation of both duelists having the Dodge feat, that means that both also has the Mobility feat which would allow them to approach, attack, get dodged, take a 5ft step and continue their full attack. Choosing to Dodge does, however, steal this opportunity from them in their next round.

Mighty_Chicken

2014-02-19, 05:14 PM

That's exactly how it works. Anyone can grab a shield and get an AC bonus. Proficiency prevents the shield from getting in your way when you try to attack.

I do not mean to move the thread out of its track, so:

What I meant was: if I'm proficient with shields, I have a +10% chance to defend myself while using them. If I'm not, I have a +10% chance to defend myself, and a -10% chance of fighting well.

How much trouble are you getting from not being proficient? Quite. But still - the proficiency itself gives no defensive advantage. IMHO that shouldn't be the difference between being proficient with shields or not. But let's suppose shield proficiency is only supposed to mean, "the shield does not get in your way while fighting". So what is being good with a shield supposed to mean? Right now, both in 3E and PF, if you got only 2 or 3 shield feats, almost nothing.

In a nutshell: shields should be worth it after buying a single feat. Otherwise the difference between those who can and can't use them isn't too significant. Compare to the penalties of not being proficient with medium armor

Sigh. I know.

But of course, Barbarians shouldn't be frightened chickens either. I'm not familiar with PF Barbarians. Do they get stuff at an early level to resist Fear (I'm aware of the minor bonuses from Rage)? If they do, then Fighters should get equivalent "class feature" bonuses, and since feats are their class features, then they probably should get Fear resistance/immunity from feats. Preferably from feats that offer something more than bonuses vs Fear, because no one's going to take those feats if that's all they do.

I'm not sure Barbarians have their nerves fixed in PF.

But here: if fighter have Fort as their fear save, they don't need a feat to become just as good or better than wizards at resisting it. If you want them extra-brave, why not a combat feat specifically focused on fear or will checks? Like bonuses when receiving damage, or bonuses when dealing damage, bonuses when moving...

Personally, I thought +4 to confirm criticals and +1/2 level to damage were enough for WF and WS, but other people seemed to disagree.

Well, actually, this might be enough in my book, too.

Did you see Shield Focus and Improved Shield Bash? Do you not feel like I went far enough with those feats?

Oops, sorry. However, if everyone now kind of has TWF, maybe everyone proficient with shields could have one of the Shield focus benefits, too.

I know you dislike pure numerical bonuses, but a escalating numerical bonus would fit Shield Focus very well. So, for example, everyone's who's proficient gets shild bonus to touch AC, and with shield focus, you get it to Reflex saves too, and the bonus escalates with your BAB.

TWF is always going to be more feat intensive than other styles. The only thing I did was make it worth the investment.

True.

Absolutely. Step Up was underpowered and Disruptive was drastically underpowered.

True. Your change was nice.

I know it sounds game-breakingly powerful, but I really don't think it is. In practice, how often does that one-on-one duel situation come up?

The point here is: it is not overpowered. It is game breaking because as soon as this situation comes in, the one with the right feats wins the fight. It is almost futile to try to fight this Dodge version with more raw power; but outside of the conditions that make it game-breaking, it's not overpowered. However, a player with this feat will seek out opportunities to abuse it. "Don't worry", said the rogue, "I can kill all the castle guards by myself, as long as I fight one at a time..." Hence, gamebreaking, but not necessarily overpowered. Two 1st level warriors could kill someone with this, but probably someone much more powerful, but with a single attack per turn, couldn't.

If you don't have Improved Feint, you maybe have one attack attempt every two turns while Dodgy Gonzales attacks you every turn. The only option left is to try a grapple - making Dodge+Improved Grapple a great combo.

Vadskye

2014-02-21, 12:41 AM

When I was particularly confident in a change, I bolded it in the quote; comments are below. Some of these look really solid, and I would like to include them (or similar versions) in Rise, if that's okay with you.

Awesome Blow
Prerequisites: Str 17, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: When making a full attack using the Power Attack feat, if your first attack hits, you can spend a swift action to attempt a bull rush combat maneuver against that opponent with a bonus equal to your bonus to damage from Power Attack. You may not move with an opponent bull rushed in this way (though you may move the opponent as far as your check allows). If you successfully bull rush your opponent at least five feet away, it is also knocked prone. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + half your base attack bonus + Str modifier) negates being knocked prone.
Power Attack penalizes combat maneuvers in PF, which is counter-intuitive for Awesome Blow, so I added the damage bonus to the bull rush check. 10 + BAB is a weird DC; the feat requires high Str, so why not use the much more standard 10 + 1/2 [level] + [ability]? I also don't like how much rolling is involved here: swift action to make a combat maneuver check, and if it succeeds, it requires yet another roll. I'd rather have the foe be automatically knocked prone if it is knocked at least ten feet away. Also, why does this need Improved Bull Rush as a prereq? They're synergistic, yes, but I don't see the need for it to be a prerequisite.

Actually, now that I think about it, this is somewhat terrifyingly powerful in combination with the AoOs from Improved Bull Rush. Launch an opponent flying, grant your allies AoOs, and knock them prone - all for the cost of a swift action while you can full attack? This is probably too powerful. With all those effects, forcing Awesome Blow to be a standard action sounds more fair.

Break Guard
Prerequisites: Str 15, Crushing Blow, Power Attack, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: When making a full attack using the Power Attack feat, if you hit the same opponent twice in a row, you may break its guard. If that opponent is exhausted, fatigued, or sickened then it becomes flat-footed and loses its shield bonus to AC (if any) for 1 round. A successful Reflex save negates these effects. The DC of this Reflex save is 10 + half your base attack bonus + Str modifier.
Seemingly arbitrary list of conditions; why did you pick those? This actually seems fairly weak - and I feel like it should be a Fortitude save instead of a Reflex save. It would probably be okay without the condition requirements if it allowed a Fort save.

Bull Rush, Improved
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to bull rush a foe. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to bull rush you. Whenever you bull rush an opponent, its movement provokes attacks of opportunity from all of your allies (but not you). If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Very glad to see attempting a manuever doesn't provoke, and glad to see Improved merge with Greater. But the numerical bonus doesn't need to scale at all; see my Feat Design thread. Why does this need Power Attack? I'd require BAB +4 instead of Power Attack. And... hesitant about provoking AoOs. Probably balanced, though.

(My Improved Bull Rush allows you to bull rush without moving with your opponent.)

Catch Off-Guard
Prerequisites: Improvised Fighting
Benefit: Whenever you attack an opponent with an improvised weapon, if you haven't attacked with that improvised weapon yet this combat, your opponent is flat-footed against your attack.
So you can walk up to someone in plain sight with a broken bottle and they somehow didn't see the attack coming? Not broken, but strange.

Cleave
Prerequisites: Power Attack, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: Whenever you make a melee attack while using Power Attack, if you hit, you deal damage normally and can make an additional attack as a swift action at the same attack bonus against a foe that is adjacent to the first and also within reach.
Special: You may make a second, third, and fourth additional attack as part of the same swift action when you use this feat when your base attack bonus is at least +6, +11, and +16 respectively. These attacks cannot be made against your original target, nor any target you have previously attacked using this feat. Each additional attack must be made against a target that is adjacent to the previously attacked target and also within reach.
At low levels, this feat simply doubles your attacks per round. Later on, it's basically Whirlwind attack except that you also get your normal full attack. Too powerful.

Cockatrice Strike [STYLE]
Prerequisites: Wis 13, Stone Vise Style, Monk 3
Benefit: The second time you successfully hit an opponent with an unarmed strike this round, if that opponent's speed is reduced for any reason, it becomes unable to make more than one attack per round, to make attacks of opportunity, or even to move for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier. A successful Reflex save negates this effect. The DC of this Reflex save is 10 + ½ your character level + your Wis modifier). The target is allowed a new save to remove this effect at the start of each of its rounds.
So... if it's standing in bushes, it suffers huge penalties, but if it is out in the open, it's fine? Triggering on speed reduction is weird. I hate class level requirements; if I want to be an unarmed fighter, why stop me?

Combat Expertise
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: You can choose to take a –2 penalty on melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 dodge bonus to your Armor Class. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the dodge bonus increases by +1. You gain double this bonus to your CMD and against any attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against you. You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon. The effects of this feat last until your next turn.
Changing to a Dex requirement is interesting. Have to think about that. The penalty/bonus should start at -2/+2. -1/+1 is so small that it's basically useless. Shouldn't be triggered on "making an attack"; that would let you declare Expertise on an attack of opportunity, protecting you without hindering your full attack progression. Adding double your bonus to CMD and critical hits sounds like more book-keeping than it is worth (and as written, you add triple your bonus vs critical confirmations). I'm very suspicious of book-keeping on circumstantial modifiers like this which take no action to activate.

Critical Feats
I don't like critical feats. For one thing, they weight the game (even more) in favor of high-threat weapons. So I'm going to skip these.

[S]Dazzling Display
Deadly Display
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, Fighter 1
Benefit: While you are wielding your focused weapon, you may Demoralize opponents with the Intimidate skill using your base attack bonus in place of your Intimidate ranks and the ability modifier you add to attack rolls with that weapon (Strength or Dexterity) in place of your Charisma modifier. Whenever you confirm a critical hit with your focused weapon, drop an opponent with your focused weapon, or willingly accept a -5 penalty to your Intimidate check, you may Demoralize all opponents within 30ft. Demoralizing opponents after a critical hit or after dropping a foe is an immediate action.
Hope the DM likes making frequent "HD + Wisdom" checks for all of the monsters you fight. I tihnk this makes demoralizing a group too easy; instead, I'd allow an immediate Demoralize check on a single foe as an immediate action, possibly with a bonus. Also, is there any particular reason this feat requires Weapon Focus? I like making generalist fighters not gimped, and this seems unrelated to the "focus" concept entirely.

Disarm, Improved
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to disarm an opponent. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to disarm you. Whenever you disarm an opponent, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Granting a free attack for disarming, combined with the fact that weapon-wielding (usually humanoid) opponents tend to have relatively low CMD, means this encourages spamming Disarms every time you meet anyone with a weapon. Not sure I like that. I see combat maneuvers as something situational, not something you do every round. On the other hand, locked gauntlets exist, so it's really their own fault for losing their weapon. If they really liked it, they should have put a gauntlet on it. For an alternative view, my Improved Disarm lets you know the weapon flying, so they can't just pick it up.

The AoO should only be provoked if you disarm something the opponent is actually wielding, though. Disarming some random item shouldn't provoke, I think.

Disruptive
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Fighter 2
Benefit: Whenever an adjacent foe attempts to take a 5-foot step away from you, you may also make a 5-foot step as an immediate action so long as you end up adjacent to the foe that triggered this ability. If you do, you may not take a 5-foot step on your next turn. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls when you make an attack of opportunity. The DC to cast a spell defensively for creatures you threaten is increased by 4.
This is a mishmash of semi-related bonuses. Better to have two feats, each of which could be slightly stronger, with a more logical thematic connection. Why can't barbarians be disruptive? Or inquisitorial paladins?

Dodge
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Mobility, Acrobatics 5 ranks
Benefit: As an immediate action, when you would normally be hit by an attack you may take a 5-foot step to dodge the attack entirely. You must be aware of the attack, your speed must be unhindered, and you must not be denied your Dexterity bonus to AC. If you do, you may not take a 5-foot step on your next turn. When you dodge a melee attack generated by a spell effect, such as the touch attack of a shocking grasp spell, the attacker is still "holding the charge."
No. This is unconditional invincibility to all melee attacks by a single foe unless the foe has Disruptive. Absolutely not.

Double Slice
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: Anytime you make a melee attack with your main-hand weapon you may make an attack with your off-hand weapon at the same attack bonus. You suffer two-weapon fighting penalties when doing so, but you may add your full Strength bonus to damage rolls with your off-hand rather than half.
Normal: A character that fights with two weapons may make an attack with his or her off-hand weapon for every attack they make with their main-hand weapon during a full attack action.
This should be merged with Two-Weapon Fighting. You'll never see any (sane) character with 2WF who doesn't have this feat, so it's just a feat tax. I don't like adding full Str to the offhand; the symmetry of 1.5x Str for both two-handing and dual-wielding is important.

Feint, Improved
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You may feint in place of a melee attack. You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to feint. You also receive a +3 bonus to Sense Motive checks and your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to feint you. Whenever you successfully feint in combat, the opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Feint is both a use of the Bluff skill and a combat maneuver and may be attempted using either the Bluff skill or an attack roll and your Combat Maneuver Bonus. Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Feint is not a use of the Bluff skill; it's just a combat maneuver. This doesn't need Combat Expertise; feinting and fighting defensively are thematically unrelated. BAB +4 would be a better prerequisite. I don't trust the AoO mechanic; I expect rogues with Combat Reflexes to spam this on every attack of every round when they wouldn't otherwise be able to sneak. That doubles the rolls required to act.

(My system allows feint as an attack action without the feat. It really isn't overpowered in any way without the AoO.)

Flyby Attack
Prerequisites: Fly speed
Benefit: While flying you may make a single melee attack at any point during a move action. This is a standard action. You cannot take a second move action during a round when you make a Flyby Attack.
Normal: Without this feat, a character must move before or after making attacks.
Plausible, except that dragons can't do flyby breath attacks anymore. I'm confused about what you mean by "This is a standard action".

Gorgon's Fist
Prerequisites: Wis 15, Stone Vise Style, Cockatrice Strike, Monk 7
Benefit: The third time you successfully hit an opponent with an unarmed strike this round, if that opponent can't move or can't make attacks of opportunity, then it becomes paralyzed for 1 round unless it succeeds on a Will saving throw with a DC of 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier. Even on a successful save it suffers 1d3 Dexterity damage.
Oh, I get how this style works now. It sounds like... a huge mess of rolling. Roll to hit, roll save, roll effect. I don't think saves aren't meant to be made that frequently; saving throw bonuses are fairly low, so there's too much variability on a d20. Even highly resistent opponents are are basically guaranteed to fail before too long.

Grapple, Improved
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: You may attempt to grapple an opponent in place of a melee attack. You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to grapple an opponent. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to grapple you. Whenever you successfully grapple an opponent, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Allowing [attacks/round] to grapple with no consequences for failure virtually guarantees that the grapple will succeed unless you're grappling something dumb. My Improved Grapple allows you grapple as an attack action only once you're in a grapple.

Improvised Fighting
Prerequisites: None
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using an improvised weapon.
Normal: You take a –4 penalty on attack rolls made with an improvised weapon. Monks and Rogues are automatically proficient with improvised weapons.
Any improvised weapon? That includes basically every object in the game. I feel like there should be some sort of penalty for attacking with a table, "proficiency" or no.

Lightning Stance
Prerequisites: Dex 19, Dodge, Mobility, Wind Stance, Acrobatics 13 ranks
Benefit: If you move more than 30ft feet this turn, you gain 50% concealment against all attacks for 1 round. This concealment does not stack with the concealment you gain from the Wind Stance feat. You lose all benefits of this feat if your speed is hindered in any way.
Why lose the benefits if your speed is hindered if you can still move 30+ feet? Also, this would be a nightmare in combination with uberchargers. I don't know if those exist in PF, though.

Lunge
Prerequisites: Dex 13
Benefit: You can increase the reach of your melee attacks by 5 feet or as though you were one size larger (whichever is greater) for 1 round by taking a -2 penalty to your AC. You may choose to use this ability (or not to use it) on any of your attacks, but after using it once the AC penalty applies until your next turn.
The penalty and/or prerequisites are way too low. Doubling your reach is huge - particularly with the monumentally stupid way D&D/PF treats AoOs. Also, just use the "as if you were one size larger" wording; you don't want Tiny creatures to suddenly gain large reach with this feat.

[S]Spellbreaker
Mage Slayer
Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Disruptive, Fighter 6
Benefit: Enemies in your threatened area that fail their checks to cast spells defensively provoke attacks of opportunity from you. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls when making attacks of opportunity against enemy spellcasters. Enemy spellcasters you deal weapon damage to must make Concentration checks to cast spells as if taking continuous damage from your attacks for 1 round thereafter (this does not actually deal additional damage).
Normal: Enemies that fail to cast spells defensively do not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Another mishmash of quasi-related abilities. It's ambiguous how much damage they are supposed to be "taking" on their next turn. Do mages actually fail Concentration checks to cast defensively in PF? Why wouldn't they just 5' step back? Why can't barbarians be spellbreakers? (mage slayers?)

Medusa's Wrath [STYLE]
Prerequisites: Wis 15, Stone Vise Style, Cockatrice Strike, Monk 11
Benefit: The fourth time you successfully hit an opponent with an unarmed strike this round, if that opponent is dazed, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to take standard actions, it becomes petrified unless it succeeds on a Fortitude saving throw with a DC of 10 + ½ your character level + your Wisdom modifier. The target is allowed a new save to remove this effect at the start of each of its rounds. This is a supernatural polymorph effect.
This sounds simultaneously cool and completely useless, since it will basically never successfully trigger. I hate that combination.

Mobility
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Acrobatics 1 rank
Benefit: Your base speed improves by 5 feet, and you may take a 5-foot step on your turn in addition to other movement. You gain a +4 bonus to AC vs attacks of opportunity you provoke by moving. You lose all benefits of this feat if your speed is hindered in any way.
I'm ignoring the brokenness of Dodge for the moment. Acrobatics 1 rank is totally meaningless; either add a significant rank requirement or remove the requirement. Two 5' steps allows you to avoid ever taking full attacks from anyone who doesn't have Dodge. Broken.

Mounted Combat
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: The penalties to your attacks while mounted are reduced by 2 (to a minimum of -0). Furthermore, once per round when your mount is hit in combat, you may attempt a Ride check (as an immediate action) to negate the hit. The hit is negated if your Ride check result is greater than the opponent's attack roll.
Normal: While mounted you suffer a -2 penalty to attacks with one-handed melee weapons or a -4 penalty to attacks with two-handed or ranged weapons. Double these penalties if your mount uses the Run action.
Interesting. Why would you suffer a greater attack penalty with larger (two-handed) weapons? It should be easier to attack foes far away from you with a larger weapon, I would think. (Good luck attacking an enemy on your left with a longsword in your right hand... that's not worth modeling precisely, but it does suggest that one-handed weapons shouldn't be favored while mounted.)

Overrun, Improved
Prerequisites: Str 13, Spirited Charge
Benefit: You receive a +3 bonus on checks made to overrun an opponent. You also receive a +3 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense whenever an opponent tries to overrun you. Whenever you overrun an opponent, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If your base attack bonus is +11 or higher, these bonuses increase to +6.
Normal: Attempting a combat maneuver does not provoke attacks of opportunity. When making a charge, you can attempt to overrun one creature in the path of the charge as a free action. If you successfully overrun that creature, you can complete the charge. If the overrun is unsuccessful, the charge ends in the space directly in front of that creature.
Overrun is only used as part of a charge? Interesting... it should also be useable as part of normal movement. "If only there was an enemy on the other side of this guy so I could overrun him!"

Penetrating Strike
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5
Benefit: Your attacks ignore up to 5 points of damage reduction or hardness.
Why can't a barbarian strike penetratingly?

Penetrating Strike, Greater
Prerequisites: Penetrating Strike, Fighter 10
Benefit: Your attacks ignore damage reduction short of DR/Epic and up to 10 points of hardness.
Ignore allDR? But only 10 hardness? This is really confusing. And it's just a boring upgrade from Penetrating Strike. I don't like it.

Precise Shot
Prerequisites: None
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against targets within 30ft. If you use the attack action to make a single ranged attack at your highest base attack bonus, for that attack you ignore the AC bonus granted to targets by anything less than total cover, and the miss chance granted to targets by anything less than total concealment. Total cover and total concealment provide their normal benefits.
Normal: Your allies do not provide Cover from your ranged attacks to opponents they threaten.
Did you get rid of the -4 penalty for firing into melee? Why does shooting precisely = firing from point blank range? Those should be separate abilities. I don't like "first attack per round is better" abilities; they scale strangely with level. This is effectively Improved Precise Shot until 6th level. I'm guessing you think archery is too weak?

Precise Shot, Improved
Prerequisites: Precise Shot, base attack bonus +6
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons against targets within 30ft. Any ranged attacks you make ignore the AC bonus granted to targets by anything less than total cover, and the miss chance granted to targets by anything less than total concealment. Total cover and total concealment provide their normal benefits against your ranged attacks.
Same thing as Precise Shot, but removes the arbitrary scaling restriction. Don't like it.

Precise Shot, Greater
Prerequisites: Improved Precise Shot, Precise Shot, base attack bonus +11
Benefit: When you use a full-attack action to make multiple ranged weapon attacks against the same opponent, total the damage from all hits before applying that opponent’s damage reduction. If you use the attack action to make a single ranged attack at your highest base attack bonus, for that attack you ignore cover and concealment entirely, including total cover and total concealment, and if your attack hits you automatically threaten a critical hit.
Holy cow. You automatically threaten a crit every round? That's insane (particularly considering bows are already x3). It took me a bit to understand the concept behind the DR ability, but I actually like it. The crit ability is not good, though. And I don't think you've thought through the implications of ignoring total cover and concealment. That gets... weird.

Whew! That's all for now.

NeoSeraphi

2014-03-03, 06:56 PM

Ziegander! It's good to see you again! I HAVE A SUGGESTION!

Combat Reflexes (Combat)
Prerequisites: Base Attack Bonus +1
Benefit: You gain the ability to make one additional attack of opportunity per round per 2 points of Base Attack Bonus you have, rounded down (minimum +1 attack of opportunity per round). You cannot make multiple attacks of opportunity against the same creature for the same provoking action.

At +4 BAB, you can make attacks of opportunity while flat-footed.

At +8 BAB, you can make attacks of opportunity against creatures initiating combat maneuvers even if they have a feat or special ability that protects them from attacks of opportunity (such as the grab special attack).

At +12 BAB, you can make attacks of opportunity against creatures casting spells in your threatened area even if they succeed their concentration check to cast defensively.

At +16 BAB, if you miss an attack of opportunity, you may immediately make an attack of opportunity against any creature within your reach.

At +20 BAB, any creature you hit with an attack of opportunity must make a Fortitude save (DC 10+ your BAB) or be dazed for one round.