Altrunchen
2014-10-08, 11:19 AM
So I noticed that next to no-one ever takes the "lightning reflexes", "great fortitude", or "iron will" feats because they are just a one-time boost to your saving throws by 2 whereas you could be taking a weapon focus, improved initiative, combat reflexes, or other feats that are generally much more appealing. I started thinking about this when I was playing X-Com: Enemy Within and how there is a perk soldiers can have called "lightning reflexes" where the first reaction shot taken against them each turn will miss no matter what, but only the first one (which is a huge boost for your front-line fighters but if you have a bunch of enemies all over then it can be easily bypassed by the sheer number of shots taken against you). As such, I think a homebrew version of these feats may be much more appealing to character design, instead of just some feats that hardly anyone ever takes.
For reference, I generally only consider the core rule-books and honestly can't be asked to care enough to read all the other reference books, splat books, and so on. There's just too much content and as a DM I really don't care to have to memorize all of it, it would take forever. Not to mention it'd make the game that much more obese with weird races, lore, and so on that I would have to juggle as a DM.
Anyways, here are my ideas for some improvements to these core saving throw feats:
Lightning Reflexes 2.0:
Benefit: Each combat round, the first reflex save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following reflex saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each combat round, all reflex saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Dexterity of 18 or greater.
Iron Will 2.0:
Benefit: Each combat round, the first will save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each combat round, all will saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Wisdom of 18 or greater.
Great Fortitude 2.0:
Benefit: Each combat round, the first fortitude save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each combat round, all fortitude saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Constitution of 18 or greater.
Lightning Reflexes 2.0:
Benefit: Each round, the first reflex save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following reflex saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each round, all reflex saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Dexterity of 14 or greater.
Iron Will 2.0:
Benefit: Each round, the first will save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each round, all will saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Wisdom of 14 or greater.
Great Fortitude 2.0:
Benefit: Each round, the first fortitude save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each round, all fortitude saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Constitution of 14 or greater.
I figure that adding the prerequisite of a relatively-high related ability score helps to explain why it is that a character is particularly good at a kind of saving throw without making the feat unobtainable or too easy to get.
For reference, I generally only consider the core rule-books and honestly can't be asked to care enough to read all the other reference books, splat books, and so on. There's just too much content and as a DM I really don't care to have to memorize all of it, it would take forever. Not to mention it'd make the game that much more obese with weird races, lore, and so on that I would have to juggle as a DM.
Anyways, here are my ideas for some improvements to these core saving throw feats:
Lightning Reflexes 2.0:
Benefit: Each combat round, the first reflex save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following reflex saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each combat round, all reflex saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Dexterity of 18 or greater.
Iron Will 2.0:
Benefit: Each combat round, the first will save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each combat round, all will saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Wisdom of 18 or greater.
Great Fortitude 2.0:
Benefit: Each combat round, the first fortitude save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each combat round, all fortitude saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Constitution of 18 or greater.
Lightning Reflexes 2.0:
Benefit: Each round, the first reflex save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following reflex saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each round, all reflex saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Dexterity of 14 or greater.
Iron Will 2.0:
Benefit: Each round, the first will save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each round, all will saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Wisdom of 14 or greater.
Great Fortitude 2.0:
Benefit: Each round, the first fortitude save that your character must make automatically succeeds. Any and all of the following will saves that must be rolled that round have a normal chance of failure.
Normal: Each round, all fortitude saves have an equal chance of failure and of success.
Prerequisites: Constitution of 14 or greater.
I figure that adding the prerequisite of a relatively-high related ability score helps to explain why it is that a character is particularly good at a kind of saving throw without making the feat unobtainable or too easy to get.