Question Regarding a House Rule (3.5)

[DaragosKitsune]

In the weekly game I run, I made the ruling last session that characters can get extra feats if the players actually take the time to find someone to teach them what the feat is tied to. This will have costs (which vary depending on the feat) and they can't take feats tied to lineage this way. Was this a bad idea, or does it seem fair. To clarify, none of the group really optimize, they just want to have characters that do rather awesome things (it helps that I am the only one in our group who has any idea of how to play a caster without the game grinding to a halt and boring everyone).

[JaronK]

Extra feats can be fun, but they can also overpower the group... but without optimization, you should be okay. Just realize that the more powerful classes will be more adept at finding more trainers for feats.

JaronK

[DaragosKitsune]

My party is a fighter going for Ashworm Dragoon, a swashbuckler, a warlock, and a bard that has almost died in at least a quarter of the fights they've been in. The fighter is the only one even remotely overpowered, and that is because he has Dungeon Crasher.

[Vangor]

In the weekly game I run, I made the ruling last session that characters can get extra feats if the players actually take the time to find someone to teach them what the feat is tied to. This will have costs (which vary depending on the feat) and they can't take feats tied to lineage this way. Was this a bad idea, or does it seem fair.

Depends entirely on how available such trainers are and, to a lesser extent, how costly those are. You appear to know the level of power of your group regardless, which is ultimately what is important in designing the difficulty of the campaign anyway. Merely factor in those feats, too.

[Serpentine]

Seems fine to me, as long as you add the qualifier that "this is only available so long as it is not abused".

[DaragosKitsune]

To put it in context, a feat like TWF or Power Attack will be easy to get. Metamagic will require quite a bit of effort. Some feats may require Faustian bargains. Believe me, my players are actually underpowered for the most part and are (shockingly) responsible, mainly because they want a challenge. The extra feats will make play more fun, and I will shift the power level accordingly. Out of curiosity, would anyone else use this rule?

[Serpentine]

Sounds like my groups. I would consider putting it in as an option, especially if a character is particularly lagging behind the others.

[Curmudgeon]

That sort of training, plus individual study and practice, is assumed to be going on all the time, and is how characters pick up the things they learn between levels.

We've already got something like that going with magical locations, and you can also pick up some feats in magic items. I think you're going to change the rules so that characters who can become overpowering with just a couple more feats will do so (example: Arcane Thesis), and those who most need the feats (your basic nonmagical fighters) won't get that big of a boost.

[derfenrirwolv]

It seems to undervalue the fighters only ability, since they get less out of learning more feats.

[Greenish]

To put it in context, a feat like TWF or Power Attack will be easy to get. Metamagic will require quite a bit of effort. Some feats may require Faustian bargains.

Yeah, stands for a reason, stuff like TWF chain and Power Attack are more of feat taxes anyway. Since you're homebrewin', might want to think about lumping the whole TWF chain into a single feat.

[Lysander]

A feat generally should take a while to learn. You shouldn't be able to pick up power attack after swinging a sword around for an afternoon. Really it should just probably take a few weeks of training at least, if not months. So perhaps when your players have a long period of free time between adventures then they can all earn a free feat.

Also, to balance things out, maybe you should also be able to learn spells this way. That way while the wizard learns Dodge, the fighter can pick up a 1st level spell and gain a spell slot.

[Diarmuid]

The other thing to take into account...is what the rest of the group is going to be doing while one of them is off looking for a training and training.

Unless all the characters are going to "take a break" from adventuring to go find more training now that the notion is available.

I've been in games where the DM doesnt let you pick skills/feats you rightfully entitled to unless you go and get the requisite training and I often found that to be far too limiting.

This new option seems like it could detract from the immersion of the game and as someone else pointed out it takes away the benefits certain classes get from already having bonus feats worked into their advancement.