Useful non-core feats 3.5

[N0RKS]

I'm playing a game where we are forbidden from using anything from the Players Handbook, no races, classes, or feats. The only exception is that you can be a human as long as you also have a template.

I've made a Human Swordsage with the "spellwarped" and "dark" templates, I want to use a bastard sword and a ranged weapon (maybe a hand crossbow).
Str 20
Con 19
Dex 19
Int 12
Wis 18
Cha 14

The kind of character I'm going for is a CG mage-hunter, kind of like Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing character but without the religious mandate.
I need to choose feats, I've already got Adaptive Style and I need another useful one that isn't in the PH. Any suggestions? (Anything that isn't the PH is fair game)

[Urpriest]

I'm playing a game where we are forbidden from using anything from the Players Handbook, no races, classes, or feats. The only exception is that you can be a human as long as you also have a template.

I've made a Human Swordsage with the "spellwarped" and "dark" templates, I want to use a bastard sword and a ranged weapon (maybe a hand crossbow).
Str 20
Con 19
Dex 19
Int 12
Wis 18
Cha 14

The kind of character I'm going for is a CG mage-hunter, kind of like Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing character but without the religious mandate.
I need to choose feats, I've already got Adaptive Style and I need another useful one that isn't in the PH. Any suggestions? (Anything that isn't the PH is fair game)

Why a bastard sword? You can't get proficiency with it if you can't take feats out of the PHB, and otherwise a Greatsword is strictly better.

[sideswipe]

make sure you are allowed to use the players handbook weapons, armour, items and spells.

if so.... arcane swordsage?

[Forrestfire]

For feats, I recommend Darkstalker. It's an incredibly useful feat for you, especially later on when things with good senses start showing up. It's amazing with HiPS from Dark.

[N0RKS]

Why a bastard sword? You can't get proficiency with it if you can't take feats out of the PHB, and otherwise a Greatsword is strictly better.

I'm specialising in Diamond Mind and Shadow Hand, Diamond Mind uses the bastard sword and swordsage gives you weapon focus etc for its associated weapons.

We're definitely allowed the weapons and armour from the PH, it's just the things listed that are not allowed, races, feats, and classes. What is an arcane swordsage?

EDIT: Just looked up the arcane swordsage...good gosh no! :smalleek: The whole point is that he's hunting mages, that kind of falls down if he's basically one himself.

[Forrestfire]

Arcane Swordsage is a suggested adaptation of the Swordsage to use spells. It's a few sentences of ideas meant to inspire a DM to homebrew a full system for it, but is sometimes misconstrued as an actual alternate class.

[graeylin]

I still don't understand how you can use the bastardsword.

You need Exotic weapon proficiency, don't you? That feat is PH, so it's out.

Swordsage may give you weapon focus, but...
1) you still need proficiency, I believe
2) weapon focus is a PH feat, so... isn't it banned?

[N0RKS]

I still don't understand how you can use the bastardsword.

You need Exotic weapon proficiency, don't you? That feat is PH, so it's out.

Swordsage may give you weapon focus, but...
1) you still need proficiency, I believe
2) weapon focus is a PH feat, so... isn't it banned?

The weapon focus effect gained from swordsage is a feat in all but name, the description says something like "you gain the benefit of the weapon focus feat and are treated as having the feat in regards to prerequisits to other feats". DM has decreed that I'm considered proficient in the weapons associated with the disciplines I focus in.

Darkstalker looks good, I was thinking of maybe a heritage feat? Or other 1st-level only?

[Rubik]

Hidden Talent, from the XPH. 2 power points, the [psionic] subtype, and a 1st level power. Choose Psionic Minor Creation. There's so much you can do with that.

[Forrestfire]

What sources do you have available to you? There's a decent pile of level 1-only feats.

Also, what sort of PrCs are you planning on going into, if any? That'd probably affect what feats you need early...

[Troacctid]

I still don't understand how you can use the bastardsword.

You need Exotic weapon proficiency, don't you? That feat is PH, so it's out.

Swordsage may give you weapon focus, but...
1) you still need proficiency, I believe
2) weapon focus is a PH feat, so... isn't it banned?

You can use it as a martial weapon if you wield it in two hands. Normally it's just worse than using a greatsword, but in this case it would be the only two-handed weapon in the Diamond Mind group.

Of course, the DM has houseruled it to be even better here, so I guess that's a thing.

However, if you're getting free proficiency with your discipline's weapons, I'd strongly suggest Shadow Hand instead of Diamond Mind, as it gives you the spiked chain, which is much sweeter. It's also good against mages, since it prevents them 5-foot stepping away from you to avoid attacks of opportunity, and it lets you trip and disarm them (e.g. of their component pouch), which they won't be able to defend against very well with their dumped Str and half-BAB.

[N0RKS]

What sources do you have available to you? There's a decent pile of level 1-only feats.

Also, what sort of PrCs are you planning on going into, if any? That'd probably affect what feats you need early...

I was thinking of Occult Slayer if I can convince the DM to either waive or allow Improved Initiative for the prerequisite.

I can use any books except the PH, including dragon magazine.


However, if you're getting free proficiency with your discipline's weapons, I'd strongly suggest Shadow Hand instead of Diamond Mind, as it gives you the spiked chain, which is much sweeter. It's also good against mages, since it prevents them 5-foot stepping away from you to avoid attacks of opportunity, and it lets you trip and disarm them (e.g. of their component pouch), which they won't be able to defend against very well with their dumped Str and half-BAB.

That sounds pretty sweet, thanks I'll have a look at that :smallsmile:

[Renen]

Planar touchstone, and various open chakra feats.

[Troacctid]

You can get Improved Initiative in non-core via Planar Touchstone attuned to the Catalogues of Enlightenment to gain the granted power of the Time domain. Not sure Occult Slayer is worth it, though.