Share your homebrewed fighter feats

[KoDT69]

So here are new feats I came up with for core fighters who have trained against wizards. I had similar feats posted in the past but they have been altered somewhat. My group is currently using these feats and they seem to work nicely. They seem to help cover some of the fighter weak spots. If you don't like them don't use them. I had someone tell me before "It don't work that way because wizards would pwn you" but guess what, the feats were designed to work that way. Every tactic has a defense, whether WotC prints one or not.

Arcane Intuition
Prerequisites: Must be taken at 1st level
Benefit: You have learned about spellcasting, even if you can't cast spells yourself. Knowledge Arcana and Spellcraft are treated as class skills for you, and you may add Draconic as a free bonus language.

Arcane Defense
Prerequisites: BaB +6, Arcane Intuition, No Spellcasting Ability
Benefit: Gain a +1 resilience bonus per 4 levels to all saves against spells that allow spell resistance to a max of +4.

Break Magical Barrier
Prerequisites: BaB +12, Arcane Defense
Benefit: You have a talent for bypassing magical barriers. When you encounter any immobile magical barrier of any sort, you have a chance at ignoring it, or removing it altogether. Arcane Lock, Forcecage, Wall of Force and Wall of Ice are examples of immobile barriers. Mobile barriers such as Mage Armor or Bigby’s Forceful Hand are not affected by this feat. As a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, you may make an attempt to bypass the spell. You must be touching the barrier for the entire round, or the attempt fails automatically. Roll 1d20 +1 per level, to a maximum of +20. The DC for this check is 11 + the spell’s caster level. If you succeed, the spell cannot directly affect you in any way. If a wall of wind blows something into you, damage is still taken even if you bypassed the wall. If you succeed on this check by 10 or more, you dispel the spell entirely, as if by dispel magic. During the full round action you use to bypass the barrier, you must maintain concentration as if you were casting a spell, or the attempt fails for that round. You can try again on the next round.

Resist Drain
Prerequisites: BaB +12, Arcane Defense
Benefit: You are skilled at resisting ability damaging spells and effects. Any ability draining/damaging spell effects that allows spell resistance deals only half as much ability damage (rounded up). If the spell has additional effects beyond ability drain/damage, these effects are not changed in any way. This ability also provides resistance to other ability draining/damaging type attacks such as touch attacks from undead and poisons.

Destructive Defenses
Prerequisites: BaB +8, DEX 15
Benefit: Once per round, you may make a single attack at your full base attack bonus against a charging foe that is within you reach and attacking you. This attack is in addition to any attacks of opportunity you may gain against the charging foe, and is in addition to any readied actions you took against that foe. If you readied an attack against a charge, you gain that attack and the free attack from this feat. This attack is resolved before the target’s attack on you. Note that a flying creature making a flyby attack, or a mounted character making a ride-by attack also qualify as charging characters for the purpose of this feat.

Master Grappler
Prerequisites: BaB +12, DEX 15, STR 15
Benefit: Gain the ability to make a grapple check against a mounted charging foe or against a flying creature swooping at the PC to climb onto the foe. The PC gains a +4 competency bonus for this maneuver.

Superior Grappler
Prerequisites: BaB +12, DEX 15, STR 15
Benefit: The PC has learned complex techniques that allow him to match strengths with or even topple enormous beasts. The PC gains a +8 competency bonus for all grappling maneuvers.

Shrug It Off
Prerequisites: BaB +16, Endurance, Die Hard, Steadfast Determination
Benefit: The PC has become battle hardened against all forms of massive damage. Once per day per 5 levels to a maximum of 4, you may completely ignore the effects of a single death effect spell or spell-like ability as if you had made a successful save. You must declare your use of this ability before you roll your save against the death effect. In addition, at all times you gain a +4 resistance bonus to your saves against death effects, and even if you fail your save, you are only reduced to 0 hit points rather than killed outright. The benefits of this feat also apply to death vs. massive damage as well. Any time you would be killed from massive damage, you are instead brought to 0 hit points.

In practical application, a person that subjects themselves to an element over time builds up resistance to it. It works that way regardless if you admit it. I personally am immune to Excedrine now because I used to get headaches a lot.

[Kel_Arath]

pretty cool, i think it will work well

[Arbitrarity]

That's nice, a homebrewed solution. We can use this, you can use this. It doesn't fix core. That's the complaint. You having to homebrew solutions merely emphasizes the might of the caster :P.

What about mettle? It's a nice ability.

Mettle is like evasion, from hexblade in PHB 2. Fort: Partial and will: partial, etc become will negates and fort negates.

[KoDT69]

Well I don't mind homebrewing though. It just seems that WotC is very biased being it was originally playtested by like 1 fighter, 1 rogue, 1 cleric, and 5 wizards or something leads me to believe this is just the path they've been on and will stay on in the future. My 20 mins of effort majorly fixed a long running campaign's balance and thrilled my players. A new defense, and a new tactic used against them too! I have a charging mounted fighter type who really got nailed by a lizardman taking a full attack on him in defense! And where is Mettle from? I'll have to check it out

[Aquillion]

Well I don't mind homebrewing though. It just seems that WotC is very biased being it was originally playtested by like 1 fighter, 1 rogue, 1 cleric, and 5 wizards or something leads me to believe this is just the path they've been on and will stay on in the future.

That's not it. IIRC, all their playtesting wizards were blasters, which is an extremely weak way to use magic. They put in a bunch of save-or-die and battlefield alteration spells, but always saw them as being used as occasional support by fireball-focused casters... they never really considered what would happen if a wizard focused on them exclusively.

So their playtesters kept reporting back that magic was underpowered or exactly balanced, when in fact they were just using it badly.

I mean, official WoTC material still frequently refers to Fireball as one of a wizard's most important spells! Who really thinks Fireball is all that great? Oh, wow, a few d6 of damage...

[KoDT69]

Yah whooohooo Fireball. Just add Energy Admixture, Maximize, Quicken, and Twin Spell and the 40th level wizard has made the 3rd level spell do a buttload of damage! Yeehaw! You're probably right though. Maybe they need to try again with all the new material

[Jade_Tarem]

Overcome Size Limitation
Prerequisites: Fighter Level 12
Benefit: The Fighter has learned complex techniques that allow him to match strengths with or even topple enormous beasts. The fighter is always considered 2 size categories larger for any grappling maneuvers.

I liked most of these except for this one. No, no, no! This will become the staple of all spiked-chain tripmonkey cheese. We don't need more of that and this doesn't help warrior types beat up on wizards.

[Rigeld2]

Um.
2 size categories larger for grappling doesnt help a tripmonkey at all.

[KoDT69]

That's only for grappling, and none of my group uses spiked chain seriously

[lord_khaine]

hey hey, fireball is good at what its suposed to go, clear a room full of goblings, so that the party fighter does not need to unsheate his sword :)

anyway, though i do like some of your ideas, then i think "Overcome Size Limitation" is far far to powerfull, especaly with the ability to ignore freedom of movement, thats suposed to be the 1 universal counter that keeps grapple in check.

for that matter, i also think its slightly unfair to reserve these feats for fighters, when all the other noncaster classes have just about the same problems.

oh and lastly, these things actualy dont really make that big a difference in the case of a fighter vs a wizards, since they will do nothing against improved invisibility and overland flight, the 2 core pieces of wizard defence that leaves the fighter chanceless.

[Kultrum]

its a good start

[Fhaolan]

Just to throw an idea out, one I haven't thought completely through so I might be completely off base but it might spark some better ideas...

Rather than tie these to Fighter levels, tie to BAB + other feat pre-requisites. The idea being that while not preventing non-fighters from taking the feats, lots of feats as pre-reqs make it very unlikely that non-fighters *can* take them.

No, now that I think on that, it just makes the Fighter burn more feat slots to get the good stuff. Nevermind.

You could tie it to +1 BAB progression, rather than fighter, so that Rangers & Paladins get some love too?

[skyclad]

grants a saving throw against spells that don't normally allow one? Could you clarify that? If someone cast magic missile at me, what save do I use? What happens if I make the save?

[Indon]

Magical Barrier Defense
Prerequisites: Fighter Level 6
Benefit: Gain the ability to attempt breaking magical binds or moving magical barricades. Examples include breaking open a Forcecage spell, pushing over a Wall of Force, breaking a Hold Person spell, or grappling a wizard that has cast Freedom on himself. (have you hugged your wizard today?)
Check: 10 + STR Modifier + total Weapon Focus benefit vs. Spell DC

One question: What if your party wizard makes a Wall of Force next to the BBEG and you, uh, push it down onto him? Perhaps 'putting a hole into a Wall of Force' would be a more appropriate effect?

A second question: Why not roll a D20, instead of just adding 10?

Resist Enfeeblement
Prerequisites: Fighter Level 8
Benefit: Gain the ability to resist ability score draining magical abilities such as Ray of Enfeeblement or Ray of Clumsiness in the same manner a Rogue evades a breath weapon attack. Ability drain spells have no effect on a successful save.

I can't think of any ability score draining abilities offhand that actually have a partial save. Most are save negates, or no save.

That's really all I notice about them that seems off. Other than this, very nice feats.

[Enzario]

Hmm. I'm surprised BWL hasn't paid this thread a visit yet.

[KoDT69]

I actually meant to include all CORE melee classes and the Rogue as well. So you can substitute or combine classes to meet the prerequesites because I believe the BaB is universal but leaves the Rogues behind. I was trying to type in a hurry before my family was walking out the door. As far as results of these feats...
Evade Enfeeblement - So basically your PC takes a max of 6 STR drain save for no effect against a Ray of Enfeeblement.
Magical Defense Training vs. Magic Missile your PC gets say a reflex save against each missile.
Shrug It Off - Finger of death would deal the damage part only being a secondary effect, save for no effect.
Magical Barrier Defense - I balanced this act of breaking a barrier exactly equal to the spell DC calculation. If the 2 characters are equally matched they will both waste actions nullifying each other. On equal terms and gear:
10 + STR Mod + Wep Focus = 10 + INT Mod + Spell Focus
And pushing a wall of force on the BBEG is the DM's call. I would say the WoF can be moved to escape from but not so quickly that it can be used as a weapon. The BBEG just takes a step to the side and AoO's the struggling fighter So really a means of escape more than anything.
I suppose you could make it a d20 roll, but I initially made it so if the caster has a good chance to not just get his spell broken.
As far as dealing with flying and invisibility, that's where you need magic items. A core fighter does not cast spells and I was trying to keep that integrity. I'm also glad to have some positive and constructive feedback. They are not all tweaked to perfection yet due to the fact we just started using them 2 weeks ago. After a few situations come up that show exceptions I'll more than likely errata my stuff. Please if anyone decides to use the feats here, let me know how it goes.

[The Great Skenardo]

Most of these look pretty interesting, but I'd suggest that Magical Defense Training is a little overpowered for its prereqs. Specifically, the part where it grants a save where one normally wouldn't apply. I think that mechanic can work, but it ought to have a higher level requirement.

One suggestion is to create a feat the emulates the Hexblade's mettle and Arcan Resistance abilities, to some extent.

[KoDT69]

Good options too Skenardo, I'll have to pick up more books and research soon!

[the_tick_rules]

interesting ideas. i had an idea of a fighter feat that would let them apply their armor to touch attacks, make ranged touches a B&tch for spellcasters.

[The Glyphstone]

Very good ideas...doesn't this belong in Homebrew though?

[Raum]

These are promising but I think the mechanics need some fleshing out.

Mobile Defense Training
Prerequisites: Fighter Level 6
Benefit: Gain the ability to take a full attack action against a charging foe, mounted charging foe, or against a flying creature swooping at the fighter. These attacks are not considered to be Attacks of Opportunity.

Mobile Grapple Training
Prerequisites: Fighter Level 12
Benefit: Gain the ability to make a grapple check against a mounted charging foe or against a flying creature swooping at the fighter to climb onto the foe. The fighter is considered 2 size categories larger for this maneuver.

Overcome Size Limitation
Prerequisites: Fighter Level 12
Benefit: The Fighter has learned complex techniques that allow him to match strengths with or even topple enormous beasts. The fighter is always considered 2 size categories larger for any grappling maneuvers.

How do the Mobile Defense & Mobile Grapple feats work? Does the fighter need to ready an action to use them? Or are you giving the fighter additional actions in the round? The first seems underpowered and the second overpowered...is there a middle ground I'm missing?

The Overcome Size Limitation feat is interesting, though two size categories may be a bit much. I'm undecided though...if it negated penalties for size differences up to two categories I would like it a bit more. It's mostly a flavor issue for me I think...I don't see why the fighter is considered two categories higher when grappling with someone his own size.

I'm less fond of the other feats. They're all "anti-wizard" and I prefer to balance in terms of a party battling a dragon rather than a fighter dueling a wizard.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Mettle is like evasion, from hexblade in PHB 2. Fort: Partial and will: partial, etc become will negates and fort negates.

Hexblade is in Complete Warrior.

Mettle also first appeared in Oriental Adventures as a class feature of the Sohei. That was a class pretty much everyone ignores.

[Epiphanis]

Mettle is also a class feature for Pious Templar in Complete Divine.

[ArmorArmadillo]

Is this meant to balance fighters and Wizards? It doesn't do that at all.

The problem in balance of the two classes isn't that a wizard can easily kill a fighter, it's the fact Wizards dominate higher-level combat and that the Fighter isn't able to tank effectively against higher level monsters (who can do too much damage to fast)

Aside from this, most of these feats are either too specific (resist enfeeblement) or confusingly written. (What does allowing a save against a spell that doesn't allow one mean?)

[Tellah]

Is this meant to balance fighters and Wizards? It doesn't do that at all.

The problem in balance of the two classes isn't that a wizard can easily kill a fighter, it's the fact Wizards dominate higher-level combat and that the Fighter isn't able to tank effectively against higher level monsters (who can do too much damage to fast)

Aside from this, most of these feats are either too specific (resist enfeeblement) or confusingly written. (What does allowing a save against a spell that doesn't allow one mean?)

These feats make the fighter better at fighting wizards. Sometimes people fight other people, rather than just monsters.

[ArmorArmadillo]

These feats make the fighter better at fighting wizards. Sometimes people fight other people, rather than just monsters.

Sometimes, but considering that the OP is claiming that he's "Tired of all the Wizard Bias here" I can only assume that it desires to create some semblance of balance between the classes.

Also, a great number of feats designed to fight wizards? It pushes an excessive pressure on the DM to "send NPC mages or I won't get to do anything"

[greenknight]

The Fighter's real problem isn't that the class is bad at fighting Wizards and other full spellcasters (although that is true). ArmorArmadillo has got it right - the real problem is that the Fighter isn't really needed at higher levels because other classes can do the same job and offer a whole lot more (Cleric and Druid are the two I'm thinking of here). The other issue is that there are a number of spells which are just broken in 3.5e, and they need to be toned down a bit or removed from the game. And many of those spells are self-buffs or don't allow a save (for example, Divine Power and Time Stop). Once that's done, non-spellcasters (which includes other classes besides Fighters, and quite a few monsters) shouldn't even need these feats in order to be effective.

[KoDT69]

The requirements can be increased as well as combining or altering some of them. The real problem I see is that fighters DO fight wizards and clerics since full casters are the BBEG of choice in most games. No I am not claiming that a set of 5 or 6 feats can balance a fighter to a wizard against monsters or each other, but they do help fill in the gaps. So 2 feats are designed to counter common arcane tactics. The mobile defense is good say against a dragon in particular if you can tempt it to swoop in at you. Think about it, it's dire charge on the receiving end, like a dire set to receive charge or something. It does require a readied action same as setting to receive a charge in the first place, it just allows multiple attacks (only the first one would do any extra damage from the charge though).

[Amphimir Míriel]

Hmm. I'm surprised BWL hasn't paid this thread a visit yet.

He would probably say that these feats would not be enough to overcome the "high level wizards are batman" problem.

While this is a step on a good direction (since adding some wizard-slaying feats doesn't break the game too much), I would think that it's still not enough.

Yet adding some of these feats, plus some spell nerfing might do the trick

[Arbitrarity]

BWL will say that this doesn't make the fighter any more mobile and therefore useful probably. You can full attack a balor, who has reach? Nope.