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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Bringing Diversity to the Battlefield. Combat Focus Feats



Tempestfury
2015-04-28, 09:05 AM
So. Some time ago. I made a post with a collection of melee Focus feats, intending to create a large list of feats, that not only allowed Two-Weapon Fighting, Shield and Sword, and Empty-Handed fighting compete with the legendary power of a Two-Handed Fighter. Plus, feats that actually for specific weapons in order to encourage diversity in weapon selection, with each weapon bringing something to the table.

The problem is, I only got the Two-Weapon Fighting and the Shield and Sword completed. Not only that, but looking back over them, I grossly ramped up the damage output of the Two-Weapon Fighting feats to a ridiculous, and pretty much focused purely on the damage instead of any other options. Hence this thread here. I am going to fully rework my Two-Weapon Fighting and Shield & Sword Feats, alongside with finishing my Empty-Handed Fighting and weapon specific feats, plus archery and throwing feats.

Hopefully, I should be able to make the feats more balanced, as well as give you clear strengths and weaknesses between the different focus of fighting. THFing is most likely always going to range supreme in terms of damage, but they have to sacrifice accuracy in order to properly get it. Plus, there is much more to combat than simply damage.


Status
Two Weapon Fighting: Complete
Shield and Sword: Complete
Empty-Handed Fighting: Complete
Archery: Incomplete
Throwing: Unstarted
Weapon Specific Feats: Unstarted


Each Feat bellow is considered as ‘Combat’, ‘Fighter’ and ‘Focus’ Feats

Two Weapon Fighting


Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting with two weapons are reduced. The penalty for your primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand lessens by 6. Whenever you gain an additional attack with your main-hand weapon thanks to having a high BAB, you can make an additional attack with your off-hand weapon as well.

Initially, I had decided that basically making TWFing as Perfect TWFing, an Epic Feat, from the get go was a little much, despite being what most traditionally go for. However, on reflection, and over looking my feats as well, I decided it was for the best. This way, you can just take this feat, and have no penalties for not taking the other TWFing feats, and instead chose the more style specific feats.


Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
Requirements: Two-Weapon Fighting. BAB +6
Benefit: Whenever you attack with your main-hand weapon during a standard action, or whenever you attack with your main-hand weapon during an attack of opportunity. You can make an attack with your off-hand weapon, through you take two-weapon penalties for all attacks if you do. Additionally, you can apply full strength bonus to your off-hand weapon.

Kinda three feats in one this one, makes sense considering TWFing is two-feats in one huh? Yeah, basically these three abilities really help smoothen up the curve for two-weapon fighters. Now their off-hand weapon isn’t judge a dead weight when not doing a full-attack action, and they do decent damage with it.


Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
Requirements: Improved Two-Weapon Fighting. BAB +11
Benefits: When wielding two weapons, you gain +2 to hit and +2 to damage, as well as a +4 Shield AC. The Shield AC increases by +1 for every 5 BAB above 11 you are. Additionally, if you hit an enemy with both weapons in a around, you rend them, dealing extra damage equal to your off-hand weapon damage, with no active modifiers. You can only inflict this damage on an enemy once per round.

And the final feat of the chain is here, and is another combination of three feats, with a little bit of extra on top. First, its the traditional Supreme Two-Weapon Fighting through instead of reducing the penalties, you get a bonus. This is because class features which already reduce the penalties stack with it. Then you get an upgraded Two-Weapon Defence, and then I decided to add a variation of Two-Weapon Rend to it as well, because extra damage is always nice.


Skirmish Rhythm
Benefits: Whenever you perform a full-attack action when wielding two light weapons in either hand, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage every time you hit the enemy. At BAB+11, this bonus increases to +2 per hit.

Ah, the first of the new fighting styles for two-weapon fighting. The first being the multi-attacking focused Skirmish Style, making up for the lack of base-damage that comes from wielding light weapons by hitting many many times and making each consecutive hit hurt rather a lot.


Skirmish Flurry
Requirments: Skirmish Rhythm, BAB+6
Benefit: Whenever you perform a full-attack action when wielding two light weapons in either hand, you can take a -2 penalty to all attacks this round, in order to deal an additional attack with both weapons. At BAB+16, you instead deal an additional 2 attacks when using flurry. As a standard action, you may flurry, but only make one additional attack.

Ah, the traditional flurry. Granted to you at level 6, because as a feat practically anyone can take it. Admittedly you have to be level 9 if you're a mid-BAB class like a rogue, and won’t actually get the 2 additional attacks... but getting a total of 12 attacks alongside 10d6 sneak-attack is extremely powerful, as there are ways to get around sneak-attack immunity, like the penetrating strike ACF. As it is, limited to just 10... it should be balanced.


Skirmish Blitz
Requirements: Skirmish Flurry, BAB+11
Benefits: Whenever you are wielding two light weapons in either hand, and hit an opponent with both weapons. they become vulnerable to further attacks. Until the start of your next turn, allies deal an additional +1d6 damage against them. For every three additional hits made afterwards, this damage increases by +1d6. At BAB+16, the effect extends until the end of your next turn, though the increase of damage is halved when applied to you.

The end of the Skirmish line brings you an ability that can greatly help your allies. +1d6 damage doesn’t seem like much I admit... but, its every single attack. If you have even 2 allies, that makes a full-attack action towards him, at this level, that’s an extra +6d6 damage... and if you manage to full-attack flurry and hit with every attack... that’s an extra +3d6 damage per attack. It really emphasizes the multi-attack theme and can quickly have the damage racking up if you and your allies work together.


Florentine Parry
Benefits: Whenever you attack an enemy with both a one-handed weapon in your main hand and a light weapon in your off-hand, you can sacrifice one attack with your off-hand weapon in order to make your enemy take a penalty to all attack rolls against you equal to the base damage of your off-hand weapon until the beginning of your next turn. At BAB +6, you can sacrifice two attacks with your off-hand weapon in order for the attack penalty to apply to all attack rolls they make until the beginning of your next turn.

Ah, the first of the ‘Florentine’ feats... and it shows quite clearly what its focus is going to be. Sacrificing attacks with your off-hand weapon in order to weaken your enemy. Of course, because you require to be attacking with your off-hand weapon twice or more at BAB+6, you have to be full-attacking in order to get the full effect.


Florentine Opening
Requirements: Florentine Parry. BAB +6
Benefits: Whenever you attack an enemy with both a one-handed weapon in your main hand and a light weapon in your off-hand, you can sacrifice two attacks with your off-hand weapon in order to make the enemy lose an amount of AC equal to the base damage of your off-hand weapon until the beginning of your next turn. At BAB +11, whenever you inflict a penalty equal to the base damage of your off-hand weapon, you instead inflict a penalty equal to your off-hand weapon damage, without any active modifiers such as Power Attack.

So, Florentine Opening. Sacrificing two-attacks, in order to make your own and your allies attacks much easier to hit on the enemy. The more aggressive version of Florentine Parry. More important however, at BAB +11, both Opening and Parry get a strong boost in the reductions they can deal.


Florentine De’Grace
Requirements: Florentine Opening, BAB +11
Benefits: Whenever you attack an enemy with both a one-handed weapon in your main hand and a light weapon in your off-hand, you can sacrifice three attacks with your off-hand weapon in order to make your main-hand attacks as a touch attack, and double the critical range of all attacks made against them until the end of the turn. This critical range doubling stacks with effects like ‘Keen’. At BAB +16, the amount of attacks needed to sacrifice in order to use the effect of a ‘Florentine’ feat is reduced by 1.

Whew, what a doozy of an ability... large offensive potential from this one, but the BAB +16 is the kicker. Letting you use both Opening or Parry as for a standard attack action... and theoretically, you can use the selfish effect of Parry at all time, which isn’t exactly bad either.


Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefits: When wielding a one-handed weapon in your off hand, you take penalties for fighting with two weapons as if you were wielding a light weapon in your off hand. Additionally, whenever you hit an enemy with two one-handed weapons in one round, they take extra damage equal your off-hand weapons base damage, plus your primary ability bonus. You can only inflict this damage once per round. At BAB +11, this damage becomes equal to your full off-hand weapon damage, without active damage modifiers such as Power Attack.

Simple, but effective. Combining Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting with Two-Weapon rend. Yes I know you also get it from my Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, and the damage does stack for the rends. This helps bump up the damage of Oversized, but there is more than just damage to it.


Oversized Two-Weapon Assault
Requirements: Oversized Two-Weapon Fighting. BAB +6
Benefit: When wielding a one-handed weapon in either hand, and you damage an enemy with both weapons in a round, the enemy must make a Fortitude Save, DC 7+1/2 your level+your strength modifier, or become staggered for one round.

Simple, but effect. Your hitting your enemy so hard, that it knocks him off-balance. So much so, that it limits his actions during his turn. Its only one round, but its very useful and a free attempt, so I think many will like this.


Oversized Two-Weapon Devastation
Requirments: Oversized Two-Weapon Assault. BAB +11
Benefit: When wielding a one-handed weapon in either hand, and you damage an enemy with both weapons in a round, the enemy takes a -2 penalty to Strength. This penalty stacks, but can only be inflicted once per round, and is halved when stacking

Quite the ability this is... hitting them so hard that their body is weakened from the blows. As its not drain or damage, they can’t get around it either. Through admittedly, this does come at the cost of being terribily slow to stack up, and its VERY unlikely to get someone to zero Strength using this, especially at such high levels... but it weakens them for free. so equal trade I do believe.


Sword and Shield


Shield Focus
Benefit: Chose one type of shield. When using that shield, the AC bonus of that shield increases by 1, and you apply your shield bonus to your touch AC, and on checks or rolls to resist bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, or trip attempts against you. At BAB+6, and every extra 5 BAB, the AC increases by 1.

Whilst Two-Weapon Fighting got an Epic Feat made into a normal feat, Sword & Board is just gonna have to accept a 2.5-feats-in-one combination. Shield Spec’s AC increase, now scaling with BAB, alongside good old important Shield Ward.


Shield Ward
Requirements: Shield Focus, BAB+6.
Benefit: Whilst wielding a Shield, you gain 20% miss chance against all physical attacks. If you bash with the shield, you lose this bonus. At BAB+11, you gain 20% miss chance against all attacks, and at BAB+16, you gain 50% miss chance against all physical attacks.

And the new and improved Shield Ward, now instead of granting you AC, which is all well and good, it gives you the even more powerful miss chance! Of course, its a shield, so it focuses on physical attacks over magic and psionic and so on, but you still get a solid miss chance against them at BAB+11. Still, the focus needed to gain the miss chance, means you can’t use it shield bashes.


Shield Barrier
Requirements: Shield Ward, BAB+11
Benefit: Whenever you are targeted by an effect which targets an area instead of you specifically, you can have half the effect as if you automatically succeed in a save against it. If you do make a save, or have an ability that means you half the effect even if you fail, then you avoid the effect completely. If the effect does not have a save, then you can make a saving throw using your lowest saving through as if it does. If you succeed in this save, you take half damage (if the spell deals damage) or reduce the duration to one of whatever the normal interval of the spell is-- 1 round for a spell with a duration of 1 round/level, 1 minute for a spell with a duration of 1 minute/level, and so on. Abilities such as Evasion cannot effect this saving throw.
During the next round you use this ability, you are considered staggered. At BAB +16, all allies directly behind you, automatically get halved effects as well.

Whew... okay, I think this one is going to be the most wordy ability by far... hopefully it makes sense, in that it a automatic saving throw against effects like Fireball, or a Dragon’s breath attack. Through, you still make a saving throw if you have Evasion to nullify it completely. Or, if this effect doesn’t allow saving throws, you can make one anyway to reduce the effect. But, regardless what happens, you staggered next turn.

If anyone has any suggestions of how to clean this feat up a bit and make it not so confusing, PLEASE share them, I am not very good with wordings and rules.


Improved Shield Bash
Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, you may still apply the shield’s shield bonus to your AC. The damage die of the shield increases as if it was one size larger, and you treat the shield as a light weapon for the purpose of two-weapon fighting. If you already treat the shield as a light weapon, then you gain a +2 bonus to hit with it instead. At BAB+11. you treat the shield as if it was two sizes larger for its damage die.

Ah, simple but effective. Normal Shield Bash Effect, with an added increase to damage ala bashing, and then better accuracy with it, both for heavy shields and light shields.


Shield Slam
Requirements: Improved Shield Bash, BAB+6
Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, and successfully hit the enemy. They must make a Fortitude Save, DC 7+1/2 ECL+Strength modifier or be staggered for the round. For every additional hit you make with your shield, the DC increases by +2

Yeah, fraid I’m borrow a bit from OTW Assault here, but it is easier to get as you only need to hit the enemy once. Plus, you actually gain a bonus for hitting them multiple times, OTW Assault does. Finally, this supports both high-strength single hit styles, or agile, multi-hit styles.


Shield Blast
Requirements: Shield Slam, BAB+11
Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, and successfully hit the enemy, you may make a free Bull Rush check against the enemy that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You do not have to move with the enemy, and get a bonus to the check equal to your shield AC. Additionally, for every +5 BAB you have, you are treated as if you are one size larger than you actually are for the purpose of the Bull Rush.

If the enemy hits an object before moving the full distance, they and the object each take 1d6 damage per 5ft left to move. At the end of the movement, the enemy must take a Reflex Save, DC10+1/2 ECL+Strength modifier or be knocked prone.

Alright, the final ability of the Shield Bash line, and what a doozy it is, a free bull rush check with each hit, with the potential of knocking them prone afterwards. Plus, the Bull Rush check is not ultra-mega lame, and has the Dungeoncrasher built into it. All in all, quite a powerful ability, no? I would love to hear someone getting up someone against a wall and bouncing them against it several times with a full attack, XD



Phanalax Focus
Benefit: When wielding a heavy or tower shield, you can wield a 2hd reach weapon in one hand, but take a -2 penalty to attack in order to use it. At BAB+6, this penalty becomes zero. At BAB+11, you can attack adjacent enemies with your reach weapon. If you can already do so, yo instead gain +2 to attack with that weapon.

Ah, the good old Phanalax fighting, rows and rows of soldiers, with a heavy shield and a spear. The movie 300 is a great example of it in action. So, this feat lets you use that style of fighting, and gets better at it as you get stronger... course, it ain’t going to be just this.


Locking Shields
Requirement: Phanalax Focus, BAB+6
Benefit: When wielding a heavy or tower shield, at the start of your turn, you can select one ally adjacent to you also wielding a heavy or tower shield. You gain half of their shield AC as an additional bonus to your own shield AC, and they gain half of your shield AC as an additional bonus as well for as long as you are adjacent to one another. For the purposes of the bonus shield AC you grant and gain, you do not count the bonus from your Locking Shields.

At BAB+11, you can instead chose two adjacent allies to use for this feat, as long as they would be counted as flanking you under normal circumstances. At BAB+16, you instead gain the full Shield AC from your ally as a bonus, and grant them your full Shield AC fto them as a bonus.

Wouldn’t be Phanalax fighting without the ability to make a Shield Wall now would it? It requires a lot of team-work I know, but the potential bonus to AC is very high. Especially if you all have Shield Focus as well, as that AC also applies to touch AC and against maneuvers as well... all in all, very useful and powerful. If you use it correctly.

Also... you should notice, that whilst Locking Shields doesn’t grant you infinite looping, if you Lock Shields with a guy already Locking Shields with someone, your AC increases... and if they guy THEY are locked to, has another guy locked to... your AC increases! Basically, this thing is built for armies, not just teamwork.


Shield Wall
Requirement: Locking Shields, BAB+11
Benefit: When using the Locking Shields feat, if you are targeted by an effect that has a partial effect on a save, you instead nullify the effect completely on a save. If this effect is also affecting those next to you, and they do not make the save and you have, they are considered to have made a save for the partial effect, and only the partial effect. At BAB+16, you gain half of your shield AC to saves.

And here we go. A full, proper Shield Wall that can turn back even the dragon’s breath... very strong defence against saves, and works very well if you're working as a team with your allies. Or... a little something for that Badass Army to be truly magnificent


Empty-Handed Fighting


Fencer’s Grace
Benefit: When wielding a weapon in one hand, and nothing in the other hand, you can add either your Strength or Dexterity modifier as your attack and damage bonus. Whichever is higher. At BAB+6, you may add half of your Strength or Dexterity modifier to your attack and damage, which is lower. At BAB+11, this becomes the full modifier

Yep, this is basically an improved version of Weapon Finesse. As your a free-hand fighter, which is basically fencing it just makes sense to me. Fencing requires both agility and strength, hence why the feat uses both abilities, and not just one of them.


Fencer’s Desolation
Requirements: Fencer’s Grace, BAB+6
Benefit: When wielding a weapon in one hand, and nothing in the other hand, you can increase your critical threat range by 1. This effect stacks with effects like Keen Edge and Improved Critical, but apply afterwards. At BAB+16, this increase becomes 2.

Pretty standard I’m afraid... Fencer’s get extra chance and critical strikes, so a stacking ability with the good old doubling effects. Through, they apply afterwards as to not make it too exceedingly powerful


Fencer’s Celerity
Requirements: Fencer’s Desolation, BAB+11
Benefit: When wielding a weapon in one hand, and nothing in the other hand, when you make an attack as a standard action, you can make an extra attack. At BAB+16, you can instead make 2 extra attacks

Again, I think this was pretty much expected for the Fencer. You already got greater accuracy and damage... so now you simply have speed in terms of extra attacks. The way I worded it means that if you have other abilities which do the same, they stack.


Fencer’s Skill
Benefit: When wielding a weapon in one hand, and nothing in the other hand, you count as being 1 size larger when making and resisting trip and disarm attempts. In addition, you are treated as wielding a two-handed trip weapon. For every +5 BAB, you are treated as if you were one additional size larger

Yeah, sorry. I’m not really coming up with much creativity wise for the Fencer... basically the alternative to straight on damage is maneuvers such as trip and disarm.


Fencer’s Finesse
Requirements: Fencer’s Skill, BAB+6
Benefit: When wielding a weapon in one hand, and nothing in the other hand, you can make a free trip attempt whenever you successfully hit an enemy. Additionally, whenever you successfully make a trip attempt, you can make a free disarm attempt, and whenever you successfully disarm an opponent, you can knock the weapon 5ft per 5 BAB in either direction. At BAB+16, whenever you successfully trip or disarm an opponent, you can deal damage to the enemy as if you hit them.


Fencer’s Magnificence
Requirements: Fencer’s Finesse, BAB+11.
Benefit: When wielding a weapon in one hand, and nothing in the other hand, you may disarm supernatural abilities instead of a weapon, including the ability to cast spells, when you disarm a supernatural ability, it cannot be used until the end of the next turn. Additionally, you can ‘trip’ enemies that are flying when you perform a successful trip attempt, their means of flight if nullified until the end of the next turn.

Just adding a bit more later game utility for the tripping and disarming... tripping flying enemies, and disarming abilities and not just weapons... still need to be able to pass the check of course.


Archery

Precise Shot
Benefit: You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on your attack roll. In addition, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage when making a ranged attack at anyone within 30 feet. This bonus increases by 1 for every 4 BAB you have, and you can double the range of the bonus by halving the bonus, rounded down.

Pretty typical at first. Just combining the pretty much feat-tax of Precise Shot, with its annoying requirement feat, Point-Blank Shot... and then like most other of these feats, I gave it a scaling feature. Specifically, increasing the bonus from PBS... and also letting you extend it. So, with 4 BAB, you gain +1 against enemies at 60 foot, and at 12 BAB, you gain +1 against enemies at 120 foot... not much, but every little helps does it not?


Improved Precise Shot
Requirements: Precise Shot, BAB+6
Benefit: Your ranged attacks 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. At BAB +16, you treat Total Cover and Total Concealment as if they were normal cover and concealment. This does not mean you can use the effect of Improved Precise Shot or other such abilities to ignore the AC bonus or miss chance granted by cover and concealment when this ability is in effect.

Not too sure on the wording of this one... basically, the BAB+16 downgrades Total Cover and Total Concealment, and makes sure you can’t use the previous effect in order to ignore them completely... otherwise Improved Precise Shot works like normal. Just, granted a little sooner than before.


Greater Precise Shot
Requirements: Improved Precise Shot, BAB+11
Benefit: Effects such as Deflect Arrows and Friendly Fire, do not automatically negate ranged attacks. Instead, they must past a caster level check or character level check, whichever is appropriate, against your attack. If they pass, they negate the ranged attack, if they fail, the attack proceeds as normal. Effects such as Wind Wall instead grant cover that cannot be ignored by Improved Precise Shot

Not 100% on the check that they guys get as I’m unsure how fair it is... but hopefully it someone can help me with that. Basically, effects like Deflect Arrow and Friendly Fire sucks for archers. So, this ability helps you get round them, and not make them an instant middle finger in your direction.


Rapid Shot
Benefit: Whenever you are making a full attack action, you can take a -2 penalty to all attacks to gain an extra attack with ranged weapons. This extra attack is made with your base-attack modifier. At BAB+11, you can also use this feat when making a standard attack action.

Again, pretty standard upgrade here. Rapid Shot without a requirement, then adding a boost to it at BAB+11. Its a pretty strong feat already, so doesn’t need much touching upon.

Finding the Range
Requirements: Rapid Shot, BAB+6
Benefit: Whenever you are making a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, or using the Rapid Shot feat. You can purposefully miss with the first attack, in order to give all other attacks you make during your turn a +4 bonus to attack, and a +2 bonus to damage. For every 5 BAB you have above six, these bonuses increase by 1.

Simple, but effective. Basically, you sacrifice your first attack in order to give yourself better chances at hitting with more than one arrow, as well as better damage with those extra attacks. Its a gamble all things considered, but as a volley archer, I think the gamble can sometimes be worth it.


Manyshot
Requirements: Finding the Range, BAB+11
Benefit: Whenever you are making and ranged attack, you may take a -3 penalty to that attack in order to make another ranged attack with the same attack bonus at the same time. This second attack can be made against the same target as the first, or against a different target in range. This second attack is not affected by rider effects, such as precision damage, damage increases from maneuvers, or feats such as Deadly Aim. At BAB +16, you may increase the penalty to -5 in order make a third attack as well.

Here we go, another reworked feat! Manyshot should now be worth taking. Because whilst it doesn’t let you abuse sneak-attack or damage increasing effects, you are still doubling or tripling the amount of attacks you can make... and giving you AoE abilities, which is something melee fighters often struggle with.


Far Shot
Benefit: The range increment of any ranged weapon you used it doubled when you are using it. At BAB+11, the range increment is instead tripled when you are using it instead of being doubled.

Just as previous reworks, the main feature for Far Shot is the BAB scaling it has, allowing for it to remain relevant at the later stages of the game. Of course before hand, it gives a boost by doubling the range increment of all weapons, instead of just thrown ones... and no PBS requirement either.