+2/+2 Feats [3.5]

[Dark Herald]

My friends and I recently tried doing some homebrewed CoC and Cyberpunk with nothing but online charts and Srds and the core 3.5 books.

We had a pretty interesting discussion of feats. We decided that, in addition to all of the normal feats that work for all systems, we added a house rule of "any feat giving +2 to two skills, with proper justification." neadless to say, this has lead to such classics as

Sneaky Surgeon
(heal and hide)

Legal Eagle
(Spot and Diplomacy)

Shark Sleuth
(Swim and Gather Information)

Mountain Mage
(Climb and Spellcraft)

Zoo Buster
(Handle Animal and Open Lock)

many more are surely out there...

So, Do you have any funny ones? Are these [not these ones, but the whole idea] Balanced? Are these worth taking?

[BRC]

The above make no sense, they merely have a linked name. The +2/+2 feats area always linked activities: (Hiding and Moving Silently, spotting and Listening are both acts of perception, ect). "Sneaky Surgeon" dosn't make any sense, what does sneaking have to do with healing people.

[Dark Herald]

Most of the feats people came up with were related, the above were non serious examples.

[Bassikpoet]

Zoo Buster
(Handle Animal and Open Lock)

The feat every every animal rights activist needs.

Surgical Theater
(Heal and Perform)

[Inyssius Tor]

"Legal Eagle"? "Shark Sleuth"? We don't have a roffle smiley, but your group deserves a very large one indeed.

I'm contributing!
(forgery and autohypnosis)

+2/+2 feats are really profoundly underpowered, probably the least powerful (optimization-wise) feats you'll ever encounter, so I think you're okay balance-wise.

[Pie Guy]

Well, I'm already going to suck...
+2 to spellcraft and psicraft rolls.


Because you know, multiclassing casters, very underpowered.

[Glyphic]

Focus Pocus!

Concentration and Spellcraft

[tyckspoon]

Are these [not these ones, but the whole idea] Balanced? Are these worth taking?

Generally speaking the answers are, in order, yes and no. Skill feats are usually quite under-powered, because there are almost always better things to spend a rare feat choice on and because skill bonuses are generally pretty easy to get (masterwork items for a +2 bonus, investing in a +x magic item for the relevant stat, getting a cheap +5/+10 or so competence bonus item..) Exceptions occur where a skill is particularly powerful or necessary (ie, Truenamers always always take Skill Focus: Truenaming as their first feat) or when somebody is trying to optimize a particular subject instead of the overall character (Diplomancers make good use of Focus: Diplomacy and Negotiator.) Letting people put together their own combinations would give you more generally useful skill feats, but it still wouldn't break them.

[MisterSaturnine]

Alternative Payment
+2 to Diplomacy/+2 to Use Rope

...I am immediately ashamed.

[Lert, A.]

I don't know what to call it, but I want to go with Iaijutsu Focus/Survival.

[AmberVael]

Surgical Theater
(Heal and Perform)

I'm suddenly reminded of that really creepy surgeon in Bioshock, Dr. Steinman. o.o

[Dark Herald]

Good that they aren't overpowered. Nobody took any anyways, but it just illustrates the over abundance of really stupid feats.

Horse Bandit
(Ride and Sleight of Hand)

Hopping Mad
(Jump and Intimidate)

Nautical Bard
(Perform and Swim)

Kitty
(Jump and Move Silently)

Percussive Deduction
(Appraise and Listen)

Ancient Cartographer
(Knowledge Geography and Decipher Script)

Patient Lookout
(Concentration and Spot)

some of these just don't go together, so are only funny when doing both at once is imagined.

[Lert, A.]

Use Magic Device and Tumble

[Neek]

I can't help but contribute my own.

I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV
Bluff and Heal

Silent, but deadly
Move Silently and Craft (Alchemist)

And that's about as much as I can do. Weird. Thought I could do more.

[Pyron]

Leap in Logic
(Jump and Sense Motive)

[SurlySeraph]

I don't know what to call it, but I want to go with Iaijutsu Focus/Survival.

Samuranger!

Psimurai
Autohypnosis and Iaijutsu Focus

Dr. House-ism
Heal and Intimidate

Aron Ralston-ism
Escape Artist and Heal

Misleading Billboard Poster
Forgery and Climb

Rope Talker
Sense Motive and Use Rope

Improved ADD
Concentration and hey wouldn't it be cool if you got +2 to an ability instead of a skill?

[Thurbane]

Holy Diver
+2 Swim/+2 Knowledge (Religion)
Prerequisite: Must have been out too long in the midnight sea.

[Ulti]

No, really- I really am a famous inventor.

+2 bluff, +2 craft.

CANNONBALL!

+2 Swim, +2 Jump.

[Magnor Criol]

Holy Diver
+2 Swim/+2 Knowledge (Religion)
Prerequisite: Must have been out too long in the midnight sea.

Instant Win.

[SurlySeraph]

Holy Diver
+2 Swim/+2 Knowledge (Religion)
Prerequisite: Must have been out too long in the midnight sea.

Were I female, I would be asking to have your babies right now.

[Dervag]

The above make no sense, they merely have a linked name. The +2/+2 feats area always linked activities: (Hiding and Moving Silently, spotting and Listening are both acts of perception, ect). "Sneaky Surgeon" dosn't make any sense, what does sneaking have to do with healing people.

They're nonsensical, sure. But they are balanced. If anything, they're weaker than the common +2/+2 feats that do make sense. Because "Hide" and "Move Silently" are linked, the same character is likely to need both of them at the same time. Being good at one is made more valuable by being good at the other. Likewise for "Spot" and "Listen," and so on.

But being good at "Move Silently" is not made more valuable by being good at "Heal," or vice versa. So a feat that grants +2 to those unrelated abilities is arguably slightly less powerful than one that grants +2 to a pair of related abilities.

Flavorwise it's insane, but it's at least balanced. If I have a character concept that needs to be a great swimmer and a great detective, there's nothing wrong mechanically with me taking a feat that grants +2 to "Swim" and "Gather Information."

[Tempest Fennac]

I dont get the Holy Diver reference. What does it mean? Regarding balance, these feats would probably be better for classes with large diverse skill lists in a lot of cases.

[Fan]

Mcninja:
+2 heal, +2 hide.
Prerequisite:
Trained with batman.

[Townopolis]

Beastmaster
+2 Handle Animal, +2 Use Rope

Alternate Beastmaster
+2 Ride, +2 Use Rope

Ladies' Gnome
Prerequisite: Small size or smaller
+2 Diplomacy, +2 Climb

CON Artist
Prerequisite: Taste in really bad puns
+2 Concentration, +2 Bluff

I dont get the Holy Diver reference. What does it mean? Regarding balance, these feats would probably be better for classes with large diverse skill lists in a lot of cases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkysjcs5vFU

[Starscream]

Mcninja:
+2 heal, +2 hide.
Prerequisite:
Trained with batman.

Yes!

Percussive Maintenance:
+2 craft, +2 perform

Psychic Paper:
+2 psicraft, +2 bluff

Sonic Screwdriver:
+2 disable device, +2 perform

Regeneration:
+2 heal, +2 disguise

You can all guess what I've spent the last few hours watching...

[weenie]

Holy Diver
+2 Swim/+2 Knowledge (Religion)
Prerequisite: Must have been out too long in the midnight sea.

You sir just won the internets!

[Hawriel]

I dont get the Holy Diver reference. What does it mean? Regarding balance, these feats would probably be better for classes with large diverse skill lists in a lot of cases.

Jump on the tyger my son, and rock.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7d6ZwU...eature=related

That was awsome surly.

Rising Son
+2 know gambling +2 craft tailer

Satin Knight
+2 search +2 craft writing
requirments, must never get to the end.

[Grail]

Michael Flatley
Perform (Dance) +2 and Knowledge (Nobility) +2

Ziggy Stardust
Perform (Guitar) +2 and Knowledge (The Planes) +2
Prereq - bitten by a Spider from Mars

[Xefas]

Quantum Physicist
+2 Knowledge (Physics), +2 Bluff

Game Show Guest
+2 Perform (Knowledge), +2 Concentration

Introduction to Art Professor
+2 Knowledge (Crafts), +2 Craft (Knowledge)

[Grail]

We had a pretty interesting discussion of feats. We decided that, in addition to all of the normal feats that work for all systems, we added a house rule of "any feat giving +2 to two skills, with proper justification." neadless to say, this has lead to such classics as

Why does there need to be justification or anything tying the two skills together? This kind of feat should just be indicating that the character has a talent in 2 skills, why do they need to be bought as a package deal?