[3.5] Great all-purpose feats

[Grushvak]

It's a great thing when you gain a new feat, and you realize you already have all the necessary feats for your character build at your current level.

In these times, you can always turn to the old classics, like Improved Initiative, a good old skill focus, spell penetration and the likes. But let's see some great feats that aren't used that often, but are all-around good for a wide range of character concepts.

My DM suggested Dash from Miniatures Handbook for my warlock upon reaching level 3. Extra 5 ft movement that will also affect my fell flight? Not the greatest thing ever, but damn, it's nice for a feat.

Of course I later realized that, being a dragonwrought kobold, draconic aura (swiftness) was better. Still, Dash is a great all-purpose feat in my opinion.

[sonofzeal]

Improved Toughness is a solid standby for me.

Nymph's Kiss is in the same vein. Extra skillpoints always help.

Open Minded is a faster payoff than Nymph's Kiss, and sometimes is worth it.

Wild Talent + Speed of Thought trumps Dash in most cases.

Martial Study / Martial Stance are just amazing, for almost everybody.

Combat Expertise is brilliant for anyone who doesn't rely on attack rolls (and good for many who do).

[Adumbration]

I don't know a character that wouldn't be improved by the Bind Vestige feat.

Travel Devotion can be useful.

[Grushvak]

I will pretty much always take Able Learner on my human characters, unless I'm really starved for skill points anyway.

It goes extremely well with a 1st level of rogue. Plenty of points to go around and you'll never have to worry about cross-class and maximum ranks again.

[Lycanthromancer]

For any character with levels in a manifesting class, Psicrystal Affinity is great. It's much more durable and useful than a familiar, and you technically don't have any drawbacks if it's destroyed (according to WotC, if it's destroyed you "get another one").

It has so many uses it's not even funny.

Shape Soulmeld and Martial Stance are great ways to get special abilities and always-on buffs, whether you have associated class levels or not.

[crazedloon]

spirit sense from HoH a nice feat which allows you to not worry about killing any messengers or any of the BBEG's minions because you can still question them.

[BenTheJester]

For any character with the Dragonblood subtype, the Draconic Aura provide nice bonuses(I especially like Senses, a +1-4 bonus to Spot/Listen/Init to all allies? Yes thanks!)

[Grushvak]

For any character with the Dragonblood subtype, the Draconic Aura provide nice bonuses(I especially like Senses, a +1-4 bonus to Spot/Listen/Init to all allies? Yes thanks!)

Regarding that, a Dragonwrought kobold loses its dragonblood subtype to become a pure dragon, if I remember correctly. Does that mean they're stuck at +1 with this feat? It would be pretty stupid: you're more of a dragon so your draconic aura is weaker. But the wording sure seems to point that way.

Also, does this mean a dragonwrought kobold sorcerer can sacrifice spell slots (level 2 and up) for draconic auras the way a true dragon does?

[charl]

Insightful Reflexes (from Complete Adventurer, let's ju add Int instead of Dex to reflex saves) is good for a pretty wide variety of classes, especially since Int builds tend to use classes that don't have a good reflex bonus. It's not useful for everyone though. The same book has Jack of All trades. It lets you use any skill untrained. Pretty nifty.

Dash has been mentioned. I just wanted to add you can find it in Complete Warrior as well.

[GolemsVoice]

There are a couple of feats that let you change the stat you use some skills with for another. Always useful for everyone who doesn't rely on the ability score in question.
The +2 bonus-on-one-saving-throw-feats is always helpful to boost a low save. Maybe a weapon focus?

[erikun]

Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Quick Draw, and Blind-Fight are ones that I've made good use of. Eschew Materials is found on every one of my casters.

I will second Psicrystal Affinity; those things are all kinds of useful. Practiced Manifester is good for any multiclassed psionic character. (Practiced Spellcaster too, but spellcasters who give up caster levels are a lot rarer.)

[Grushvak]

I'll have to second Shape Soulmeld and Martial Study / Martial Stance feats. They open up a world of possibilities. Like entirely new families of feats.

I'm looking into Shape Soulmeld (Wormtail Belt) for my kobold. +2 natural AC? All right. I rarely get attacked, but +2 is always good.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

My DM suggested Dash from Miniatures Handbook for my warlock upon reaching level 3. Extra 5 ft movement that will also affect my fell flight? Not the greatest thing ever, but damn, it's nice for a feat.

Of course I later realized that, being a dragonwrought kobold, draconic aura (swiftness) was better. Still, Dash is a great all-purpose feat in my opinion.

Spending a feat for something that is outclassed by Boots of Striding and Springing is not a good idea.

[Grushvak]

Spending a feat for something that is outclassed by Boots of Striding and Springing is not a good idea.

God forbid I ever have to retrain.

For now, at level 3, it is great. And the availability of such magic items is never assured, so I usually don't let the existence of a magic item that accomplishes the same function keep me from a feat I find appealing.

[Darrin]

Regarding that, a Dragonwrought kobold loses its dragonblood subtype to become a pure dragon, if I remember correctly. Does that mean they're stuck at +1 with this feat? It would be pretty stupid: you're more of a dragon so your draconic aura is weaker. But the wording sure seems to point that way.

True dragons automatically qualify for anything that requires the dragonblood subtype (RotD p. 4, down at the bottom).

Also, does this mean a dragonwrought kobold sorcerer can sacrifice spell slots (level 2 and up) for draconic auras the way a true dragon does?

I believe so.

[deuxhero]

Dash equivlent is only 2000 something gold (fixed) on armor. You can get a 10 ft land bonus for 2000 if you give up your shoes (3000 if you don't)

[tahu88810]

Toughness, 'nuff said

[Teron]

Combat Expertise is brilliant for anyone who doesn't rely on attack rolls (and good for many who do).

How do you figure? You have to attack to use it.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Toughness, 'nuff said

[ex cathedra]

Most builds don't take all-purpose feats. Generalizing = bad, specializing = good. That's how things work for the most part.

Improved bloody Initiative, however, is nigh-universally useful. It's not always worth a feat slot, but it's certainly better than scribe scroll in my eyes.

[Beelzebub1111]

Most builds don't take all-purpose feats. Generalizing = bad, specializing = good. That's how things work for the most part.

Improved bloody Initiative, however, is nigh-universally useful. It's not always worth a feat slot, but it's certainly better than scribe scroll in my eyes.

Improved initiative is good for Rogues, Ninjas, and anyone who relies on their opponents being flatfooted, but only for one round. Improved Feint is much more useful.

[Narazil]

Improved initiative is good for Rogues, Ninjas, and anyone who relies on their opponents being flatfooted, but only for one round. Improved Feint is much more useful.

Hello, my name is Wizard. I don't care about hitting first, I care about my opponents doing just that.
Seriously, winning initiative is important for everyone.

[AshDesert]

Sarcasm I hope

[Lycanthromancer]

Toughness, 'nuff said

No. Just...no.

No no never no.

And hell no, for good measure.

[Optimystik]

Sarcasm I hope

Maybe he means 3.0.

[RebelRogue]

Blind-fight in order to avoid being punished by invisible foes with sneak attack (or similar precision damage), though only for melee. The reroll for concealment can be beneficial as well.

[Thurbane]

Aside from feats that are part of a feat chain, here's some I really like when I have a feat to blow:

• Bloodline feats from Dragon Compendium (for any spontaneous caster - 1 extra spell known per level, which might otherwise not be available to your class)
• Bane Magic (2d6 extra damage against 1 creature type - good at low levels especially, if you are facing one type of foe a lot)
• Able Learner (must for any human who plans to multi-class)
• Wild Cohort
• Domain feats (especially Chaos, Knowledge, Law, Travel and Trickery)
• Rapid Spell (Summon creatures as a standard action for +1 spell level)
• Scorpion's Resolve: like Iron Will, but +4 instead of +2 (still applies to 90% of Will saves you have to make). Will also stack with Iron Will.

[Schylerwalker]

Toughness is required for Roll With It?

I made a 3rd level dwarven fighter with 45 hp and DR 2/-. Needed Toughness to do it though.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

If I'm playing a spellcaster, I usually grab Extend Spell ASAP. May not use it at level 1, but it's a great thing to have handy. Improved Initiative is also probably the only feat I would take, regardless of anything else on the character sheet.

[Eldariel]

Toughness is required for Roll With It?

I made a 3rd level dwarven fighter with 45 hp and DR 2/-. Needed Toughness to do it though.

Yeah, about that, I always ask DM if I can take Improved Toughness instead (though in one arena, I did play a character with Toughness and it won me a match; that said, that was because said arena was a level 1 arena).

'cause Toughness is frankly the reason Tarrasque isn't very intimidating. If it had useful feats instead of the infinite Toughnesses, maybe it could accomplish something other than be big and look dumb.