Feat: Immunity to Ability Damage/Drain (PEACH)

[Barbarian MD]

Interestingly enough, my first attempt at posting this has a title but no body. Sorry for the double post...

1. Thick-Skinned (Ex)
Prerequisites: Natural Armor or Endurance, Constitution 17
Benefit: Once per round, when you would normally take one point of ability damage, your thick skin absorbs the blow and the damage is prevented.

*Please note, any ability damage that is self-inflicted is not covered by this feat or any included in the chain that follows. This includes, but is not limited to, the damage from using hellfire as a warlock, or similar class abilities.

2. Improved Thick-Skinned (Ex)
Prerequisites: Thick Skinned, Fast Healing or Regeneration or Die Hard
Benefit: You heal ability damage at a faster rate: one point per round.

Special: If you have Regeneration or Fast Healing, you gain additional abilities from this feat at level 17. You become immune to ability damage entirely. You may also prevent two points of ability drain per round, and one point of ability drain is healed per round.

3. Greater Thick-Skinned (Ex)
Prerequisites: Improved Thick Skinned, character level 17
Benefit: You become immune to ability damage entirely. You may also prevent one point of ability drain per round, and one point of ability drain is healed per round.


Notes: Basically, a one level dip in Binder nets Naberius, which heals one point of ability damage per round. A different method is to take a feat, Shape Soulmeld, which allows you to negate one ability damage per round, and with another feat, Open Chakra, you can negate ability drain at level 18. Bonus Essentia, a third feat, allows you to up the number of points of abilty damage/drain you ignore per round. Sometimes it just doesn't fit the flavor of a character to start binding or shaping soul melds, but I think this is in line with those in terms of power level.

I've shortened the chain for those with Regeneration or Fast Healing, but I think it's fair. If someone's put in the investment to get Regeneration, I think it makes sense that they'd be a little stronger in this area than those that don't already heal themselves in some way.

Finally, I'd like to put a Death Ward effect in there somewhere, but I'm not sure if it should be part of the chain, or freestanding.

So, thoughts? Also, the name stinks. Any suggestions?

[Ashtagon]

I don't see how any of the common PC races would be able to obtain these feats. can you give examples?

Normally, a prerequisite isn't counted unless the character can maintain it continuously for 24 hours (including when asleep).

[Barbarian MD]

I was largely thinking of PrCs that grant Fast Healing and templates that give Regeneration (not things you're going to find at levels below 5-10, probably) which are for the most part limited to melee types.

Would you say that the prerequisites are too restrictive?

[Welknair]

It recently came to my attention that there is a Troll Blooded feat which can only be taken at first level and has Toughness as a prereq. It gives Regen 1. Aside from that, very few characters will qualify. Advanced monsters, on the other hand, will make splendid use of these.

[Barbarian MD]

And there's also this: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164730 (scroll down to War-Giant)

EDIT: I'm going to try something. I changed the requirements to include "DM's choice" if neither Fast Healing nor Regeneration are available for the second feat. Someone might suggest something more appropriate (and please do if you have any ideas), but this thing is going to require DM approval anyway, so it's true whether I write it or not...

[Ashtagon]

I was largely thinking of PrCs that grant Fast Healing and templates that give Regeneration (not things you're going to find at levels below 5-10, probably) which are for the most part limited to melee types.

Would you say that the prerequisites are too restrictive?

I'm not actually aware of any PrCs that grant fast healing or regeneration.

afaik, it's not strictly core to allow a player to pick templates either.

[Barbarian MD]

They're largely homebrew. See my last post for War-Giant, which grants regeneration. A lot of homebrew barbarians grant fast healing. There are also feats (that aren't homebrew) that do both, like troll blooded and epic feats in the SRD.

[The Glyphstone]

I'd make it require Endurance instead of having a natural armor bonus, so that default PCs could take it without needing a template/PrC/item to qualify.

[Barbarian MD]

That's not a bad idea. Consider it done.

[Sgt. Cookie]

Improved think skinned could use Diehard as a prerequiste.

[Barbarian MD]

Thanks.

Now, two questions:

1) is level 17 an appropriate level for the later abilities, or should they come earlier?

2) would death ward be a balanced feat somewhere in this chain? Presumably at a level two or three higher than where it can be cast as a spell, and with a pre-req or two?

Any other suggestions? And I still hate the name, so a cookie to anyone that comes up with a better one!

[Sgt. Cookie]

Is it just me, or does Greater thick skinned appear to be worse than Improved thick skinned?

[Barbarian MD]

Yep. Note the requirements: those with fast healing/regeneration get a better version and don't have to invest in a third feat. It's intentional (unless people just think it's crazy).