Murderous Intent

[Mr.Kraken]

I have a few questions regarding the Murderous Intent feat (Elder Evils):


Choose one creature of a type or subtype you have selected as a favored enemy. As a full-round action,
you can make a single melee attack against the chosen creature. If you deal at least 1 point of damage, that creature
must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier). On a failure, it is overcome with dread and can take only a move action or a standard action on its next turn.
You automatically confirm any critical threats made against a favored enemy.

Is this feat a mind-affecting ability?
Is this "overcome with dread" a fear condition? How does it reacts with other fear conditions?
Can I use it with special attack options, such as with Improved Trip?
Can I use it with other special attacks that take a full-round action, such as the Monk's Decisive Strike ACF?

[Zaq]

It doesn't seem to be a mind-affecting ability. Likewise, "overcome with dread" doesn't say it's a fear effect, so I don't think it's a fear effect. I think you can probably use it with Trip or another combat maneuver that can replace a normal attack, but I don't think that it works with Decisive Strike, because that requires its own action (rather than piggybacking on an existing action, like Trip does).

[Mr.Kraken]

Thanks, Zaq. Another question: Do you think this feat is worth it?

[WhamBamSam]

Thanks, Zaq. Another question: Do you think this feat is worth it?Automatically confirming criticals is sometimes worth it, but the SoS attack probably isn't.

[atemu1234]

Thanks, Zaq. Another question: Do you think this feat is worth it?

No, it's not. It's interesting, but seeing as charisma is the quintessential dump stat for everything, especially rangers...

[Red Fel]

Automatically confirming criticals is sometimes worth it, but the SoS attack probably isn't.

No, it's not. It's interesting, but seeing as charisma is the quintessential dump stat for everything, especially rangers...

Agreeing with these.

First off, a Cha-based save is going to suck. It becomes an extremely low chance at a one-turn debuff, which doesn't impress much.

Second, the debuff itself is only so-so. The target is limited to move or standard actions. So no full attack, fine, but it can still hit or flee. At high levels, that standard action is still a menace. Further, as with any FE-focused ability, unless you have FE: Arcanist or FE: Evil, it's going to be highly situational.

Lastly, auto-confirming crits is nice, but really only relevant if you're horribly focused on crits. Otherwise, it's not particularly worth the effort to get something that only comes up a small percentage of the time, against a small percentage of enemies.

So, no, I'm not a fan. Fluffwise, it's cute, but crunchwise, I'd give it a pass and look for something that offers a more consistent benefit.

[Flickerdart]

I'd say there's one situation where it's sort of worth it - when you have Stalker of Kharash levels for FE: Evil, since that means the feat works against pretty much everything you fight in a typical campaign.

Also, consider tacking on feats that give you extra attacks, something like this:
1: Activate Murderous Intent, make your attack, enemy is filled with dread.
1.5: Snap Kick triggers, make an extra attack.
2: Knockdown triggers. Make a free trip attack.
3: Improved Trip gives you another attack against the tripped, scared enemy.
At the end of your turn, your enemy is on the ground and restricted in his actions - he either stands back up or attacks you, but he cannot do both this round without some special ability. If you combine these with Sand Snare, the opponent can't get up at all on that turn because Sand Snare makes standing up require a full round action. And then your melee guys swarm him and beat him into the ground.

[WhamBamSam]

I'd say there's one situation where it's sort of worth it - when you have Stalker of Kharash levels for FE: Evil, since that means the feat works against pretty much everything you fight in a typical campaign.Murderous Intent is Vile and Stalker of Kharash has Exalted feat prerequisites. Exalted and Vile are somewhat silly notions, especially for mundane feats like Murderous Intent, but such is the nature of the game. The two are not compatible.

If you have some idea of what you'll be fighting in advance, you can use Chameleon 2 and set the floating feat to Extra Favored Enemy.

[Flickerdart]

Murderous Intent is Vile and Stalker of Kharash has Exalted feat prerequisites. Exalted and Vile are somewhat silly notions, especially for mundane feats like Murderous Intent, but such is the nature of the game. The two are not compatible.
If you're going to get all RAW, losing prerequisites for any PrC outside of CArc and CWar doesn't actually lose you the abilities gained from the PrC. :smallamused:

[WhamBamSam]

If you're going to get all RAW, losing prerequisites for any PrC outside of CArc and CWar doesn't actually lose you the abilities from the PrC. :smallamused:Fair enough. I suppose if you really want to kill evildoers, the Blood War might be a more effective route to doing so than the goody two-shoes lifestyle.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Does the Hellbreed Evil exception applies to feats too? Because that could be a way to sneak it in.

[Flickerdart]

Does the Hellbreed Evil exception applies to feats too? Because that could be a way to sneak it in.
That was the first place I looked, too - but it's spells and items only. I suppose it might be possible to have a character who satisfies both Exalted and Vile requirements though by being very careful with the actions that he takes. Or abusing prerequisite-less Bonus Feats somehow, I'm sure there's a way buried somewhere.

[Red Fel]

Does the Hellbreed Evil exception applies to feats too? Because that could be a way to sneak it in.

I don't think so. Hellbred's ability provides that, "[r]egardless of alignment or class restrictions, a hellbred can cast spells with the evil descriptor and never gains negative levels while wielding evil magic items[.]" However, it explicitly states that it "does not shield a hellbred from losing access to class features if he violates a class's code of conduct."

I would chalk the requirements of Vile and Exalted feats up to the code of conduct provision - they're not just objects or abilities, but powers that require you to be Exalted or Vile. You can trick a spell or an object, but Exalted and Vile feats depend on what you are.

Note that Hellbred come from the same book as Devil-Touched feats. Hellbred are able to receive Devil-Touched Feats as racial feats. Despite Hellbred having the Evil Exception ability, and despite the fact that Devil-Touched feats do not require an Evil alignment (although Devil's Favor generally requires making a pact with a Devil, generally an Evil act), these feats explicitly bar you from taking Exalted feats. In much the same way, I would read Vile and Exalted feats as mutually exclusive, irrespective of the Evil exception ability.