Hidden Power feats [Feats]

[heroe_de_leyenda]

POWER OVERLOAD (METAMAGIC)
You can exceed your arcane power limits by sacrificing your life force
Prerequisite: Able to cast 2nd level arcane spells without preparation
Effect: When you run out of spell slots of your highest available levels, you can cast a spell of that level (from your list of spells known) but you take 1d4 damage per spell level yourself. This feat can only be activated during battle or another moment of great danger or stress (Determined by the DM). As with any metamagic feat the spell's casting time is increased.
This feat can only be activated once per day, but you can continue to cast spells this way, as long as you do nothing but cast spells (and/or speak and take 5 foot steps) in the consecutive rounds

Example: Aramil is a fourth level sorcerer and he's out of 2nd level spells. He can cast Melf's Acid Arrow (a second level spell) but takes 2d4 damage himself, in the next round he can cast another Melf's acid arrow taking 2d4 extra damage. In the third round he moves and drinks a potion, ending the feat's effect for the day (because he didn't cast a spell in this round)


OBSCURE POWER (METAMAGIC)
You can draw power from a secret and unknown source to cast spells you don't even know, risking your own health at the process
Prerequisite: Able to cast 3rd level arcane spells without preparation
Effect: Once per day, you can cast a spell that's not on your list of Spells Known but you take 1d6 damage per spell level. As with any metamagic feat the spells casting time is increased.

and a revision of my previous homebrew feat:

LATENT POWER (METAMAGIC)
Your latent arcane power manifest when you are in danger, displaying your hidden talent.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast arcane spells without preparation.
Effect: Choose an arcane spell one spell level higher than you can currently cast. Once per day while at less than 1/2 your base HP you may cast that spell by sacraficing one spell slot of your highest available level.

To successfully cast the spell you must make a Concentration check against the spell’s DC. If you fail the spell fizzles. A successful cast deals 1d3 damage to the caster for every level of the spell (will save at same DC for half damage), but the spell otherwise functions normally.

When you gain a new spell level you must add the spell chosen for this feat to your permanent spell list. At that time you may choose another spell for this feat to apply to of the next higher spell level. When you reach spell level 9 you may choose another metamagic feat to replace this feat.

Example: Marcus is a 5th level sorcerer with the Latent Power feat, he gives up a 2nd level spell slot to attempt to manifest his latent power to cast a fireball He makes a DC 16 Concentration check (Fireball DC 10+3(spell level) +3(CHA modifier) =16). He succeeds and casts a fireball (dealing 5d6), he takes however 3d3 damage because he failed his Will save against DC 16. When Marcus reaches 6th level, he must add fireball to his spells known, now that he can cast it normally.

[Fael IsilLuin]

I like these feats, but whye does latent power requiere a Concentration check and the other feats don't?

[heroe_de_leyenda]

Well, I thought that in order to manifest your Latent Power, you would have to search deeply within yourself, requiring concentration.

Power overload just uses the momentum of battle to keep casting the spells you know at cost of health.

and Obscure Power is more like a sudden revelation, a mystic force through yourself not necesarily intended... but, I think it could require concentration. I'll think about it.

What do you guys think?
And how about game balance? are they ok?

[Abjurer]

I don't know. Playing a high-CON gnomish sorcerer with an amulet of health is suddenly appealing. You'd be able to cast your highest-level spell loads of times per day, especially if you had a healer handy. Crossclassing would be nice, too-- all those extra HP from your fighter levels can now help with spellcasting.

The third one seems a bit much to me. Just as the party barbarian is hitting a hundred hitpoints, the party sorcerer is learning power word kill, to instantly kill a character with 100 hitpoints, no save allowed. Or to pump out 144 damage with a [sudden maximized] meteor swarm. Or to open portals to alternate dimentions. Or to undo magic, arcane and divine, mortal and godly! Or to STOP TIME!

In my own opinion, 9th-level spells are the epitomy of spellcasting, and shuold be reserved until they are rightly earned.
The other feats aren't bad, but all of them could be abused something terrible.

[heroe_de_leyenda]

I made some changes to Power Overload above, I think it's fine now. What do you think?

[Abjurer]

Aye, I think that's better.
But my main problem lies with the Latent Power feat.

Access to higher-level spells should be nigh-impossible without a real reason to access those spells. Getting stabbed in a battle hardly constitutes a sudden realization of ultimate arcane power... does it?

[jindra34]

Aye, I think that's better.
But my main problem lies with the Latent Power feat.

Access to higher-level spells should be nigh-impossible without a real reason to access those spells. Getting stabbed in a battle hardly constitutes a sudden realization of ultimate arcane power... does it?

It does however qualify as a stimuli to remove mental limiters on ability...

[Abjurer]

Say what?

(Stimuli are plural, by the way.)

[heroe_de_leyenda]

These feats are for a hombebrew setting in wich I include some sort of Action Points (from Eberron Campaign Setting) What if you spend an action point to cast the spell with the Latent Power? That would limit the use to critical and dramatic situations

[Abjurer]

Personally, I'd not bring it into the picture, but it's a hard call.
Wish at level 15 is big. But it's your campaign.

[mauslin]

Hmm, the latent power feat might work well with the Bloodline Feats

Bloodline Feats are designed for sorcerers. You get a specified extra spell known per spell level, and in exchange you give up the ability to cast a subset of spells.

If the latent power feat only worked on your list of bonus spell known, then it would be a little more balanced, and eliminates using it for stuff like wish. Plus it fits the theme.

Edit: Darn it, the link isn't working properly. Here's a link to the Air Bloodline to show you an example of what I meant.

[Matthew]

Yeah, I'm not that clear on the necessity of these Feats. Even so, I think it ought to be Attribute Damage (probably Constitution), rather than hit Point Damage.