What do you think of this feat?

**ambu** · 2005-08-21, 06:36 AM (ISO 8601)

Hi everybody. I am designing a dwarven wizard with a een interest in geography and nature ( sort of a Royal Cartigrapher). I want him to take Track and Survival. To achieve that I want him to have the following feat

On your own ( General)
Benefit: Survival is a class skill for you. You also gain a +2 to all Survival checks.

What do you think, is it balanced? I believe it is somewhere between the +2/+2 feats and the Education feat.

**Falrin** · 2005-08-21, 09:46 AM (ISO 8601)

Seems balanced. You'd be the perfect munchkin to break this one I think.
It's very specific though, don't think many people will take it, but it's great as flavor.

**Dalcassius** · 2005-08-21, 10:56 AM (ISO 8601)

The feat looks good, and it fits well as survival is a skill that only three classes get. However, it has a feel of a player who just wants to modify a class. I'd be willing to take it one more step. Open it up so anyone in the group can do it.

Outside the Box (General)
You've gone outside your niche to learn something people in your situation normally wouldn't.
Benefit: You may choose one skill that is usable untrained that is not on your in-class skill list and make this a class skill for all classes you possess.

In this case the +2 shouldn't be there. One can still always take a +2/+2 feat and/or skill focus. I was almost tempted to make this a 1st level only feat, but it doesn't give a bonus to the skill itself and they would still have to spend their ranks on it. Plus if taken above 1st level they would already be missing the ranks from past levels. Although that could be made up in part or in whole with the education feat. But just how many feats is one person willing to spend on a skill? The bluff skill maybe as it has combat uses and is usable untrained. A barbarian, fighter, monk or ranger could now take bluff as in class to feint in combat, but this feat woudln't give a bonus, the player would still have to take spend ranks and/or take other feats.

**Venatius** · 2005-08-21, 01:19 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by ambu

Hi everybody. I am designing a dwarven wizard with a een interest in geography and nature ( sort of a Royal Cartigrapher). I want him to take Track and Survival. To achieve that I want him to have the following feat

On your own ( General)
Benefit: Survival is a class skill for you. You also gain a +2 to all Survival checks.

What do you think, is it balanced? I believe it is somewhere between the +2/+2 feats and the Education feat.

Makes sense to me. Smaller +, but you get a free class skill, and in a rather narrowly restricted skill that also happens to be keyed to a feat that some other classes might want. It would've done our paladin friend over in the comics a world of good. ;) I like it.

**ambu** · 2005-08-21, 01:30 PM (ISO 8601)

Thanks to all for your kind replies! Any more opinions welcome!

**RebelRogue** · 2005-08-21, 03:28 PM (ISO 8601)

Hmm, is it just me or wouldn't you also had to specify for which class the skill is a class skill? Otherwise you could get in trouble if the character multiclassed. Or is it supposed to become a class skill for whatever class you take levels in?

Also, I can see why you'd want this for flavour and stuff, but isn't it sort of taking away from the rangers? Some skills a limited to a few classes for a reason. On the other hand you still have to spend those skill points, so I guess it isn't really pushing it too much.

**Norhg** · 2005-08-21, 04:40 PM (ISO 8601)

Ohh yes... I had allow it. Especially because of its roleplaying implications.
Gives character you know.

**jdrich** · 2005-08-21, 05:23 PM (ISO 8601)

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/bu...skillKnowledge

Why does no one know about this feat?

**RebelRogue** · 2005-08-21, 06:27 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Jonathan

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/bu...skillKnowledge

Why does no one know about this feat?

Well, it is just what the doctor ordered!

**Norhg** · 2005-08-21, 06:45 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Jonathan

Why does no one know about this feat?

What is so special about it?

**CharPixie** · 2005-08-21, 07:05 PM (ISO 8601)

"Learning New Skills

As with the maximum ranks variant described earlier, the Skill Knowledge feat (see below) can be selected by a character to add to his number of skills known. In this case, the feat only allows you to designate a cross-class skill as a class skill (since you already know all your class skills). "

Doesn't that mean that the feat is for a different skill system? As in, you gain max ranks in two class skills or one cross class skill, in the system where all your skills have max ranks?

Anywho, I like the +2 and class skill better. It's attractive, but not too attractive.

**jdrich** · 2005-08-21, 07:31 PM (ISO 8601)

The Skill Knowledge feat was taylored to a variant system, but works in a traditional system as well.

Basically, lets say you're a fighter/rogue, level two. If you took Skill Knowledge, you could make Hide and Move Silently class skills perminantly, as they are on one of your class lists. This way you could take ranks in the skill even if you were leveling as a fighter.

You could also take Spellcraft as a class skill perminantly, but as it is a cross-class skill, you only are allowed to choose this one skill per application of the feat.

The first application is to ease multiclassing, while the second is to make it easier on classes that have very few class skills, or to add more flavor to a character.

**Wih** · 2005-08-22, 02:13 AM (ISO 8601)

Oriental Adventures has a feat that makes two cross-class skill class skills.
a +2/+2 skills feat is standard.
One skill being class with a +2 bonus doesn't seem so bad.

**Camora** · 2005-08-22, 08:12 AM (ISO 8601)

For the Star Wars d20 System there is a feat, which grants +2 bonus on a chosen skill and it becomes a class skill for you.

It´s in the Hero´s Guide and is WOTC-Stuff, I can't see any reason why it shouldn't work with D&D.

**ambu** · 2005-08-22, 11:16 AM (ISO 8601)

I am very pleased that most of you like it! I believe that I can safely say that this feat has been Giantitp-signed! Nice...

**Ayana** · 2005-08-22, 05:57 PM (ISO 8601)

I would allow this (though for my games I'd warn the player that Survival is about as useful as Craft (Basketweaving)). I use "make 2 skills class skills for all classes from now on" and "+2 to 2 skills" feats in my games and this is about on par there.

**stainboy** · 2005-08-22, 06:12 PM (ISO 8601)

There's also a feat called Cosmopolitan in Forgotten Realms that gives you a skill in-class.

I think those feats are underpowered if you spend them on Survival though. These feats are only balanced if you use them on Tumble or Use Magic Device (probably the most powerful skills in the game). I'd say your feat is balanced, since it only applies to Survival.

Thread: What do you think of this feat?

Thread Tools

Spoilers