Reserve feats

[shadow_archmagi]

(from complete mage)

I searched it. But, as you can guess, "feats" came up in just about every single topic, and "reserve feats" didn't fair much better.

So, anyway, I was looking at them and they seemed wonderful for my gestalt factotum/warblade. (starting level four, but the DM promises we'll go to like fifteen.) To balance out the fact that I get about *two* spells a day, I can have two nifty spell-likes that last all day.

Also, it seems that they are... feats. That means, as far as I know, that they're lifetime investments, so I need to choose carefully. Which ones are good investments? What does the playground think of them as a whole?

[Stupendous_Man]

Most are meh.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Reserve Feats are rarely worth the action in-combat. So you have to abuse the 'infinite' part. Minor Shapeshift for turning Polymorph into Temp HP over and over again, Elemental Summoning for a trapmonkey, Dimensional Jaunt for never having to walk again, the key is ones where the weakness of the effect is mitigated by the number of uses.

Also, why do you lack spells? You're a SAD caster.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Reserve feats are a trap. Instead of using a reserve feat, you could be Initiating something to much better effect.

About the only one that might do you good is Dimensional Jaunt which gives you some maneuverability. Maybe Blade of Force to give yourself free Ghost Touch. Nothing else is remotely worth it.

[Jack_Simth]

(from complete mage)

I searched it. But, as you can guess, "feats" came up in just about every single topic, and "reserve feats" didn't fair much better.

So, anyway, I was looking at them and they seemed wonderful for my gestalt factotum/warblade. (starting level four, but the DM promises we'll go to like fifteen.) To balance out the fact that I get about *two* spells a day, I can have two nifty spell-likes that last all day.

Also, it seems that they are... feats. That means, as far as I know, that they're lifetime investments, so I need to choose carefully. Which ones are good investments? What does the playground think of them as a whole?

1) They're Supernatural, actually, not Spell-like - which means no Concentration check needed.

2) Usefulness: The only one that's useful for basically all builds that can invoke it is Minor Shapeshift - it's Improved Toughness, renewable as a Swift Action, for most intents and purposes. Really extends your endurance. The rest are mostly only useful in specialized circumstances, for particular tricks, or for particular builds. For instance: the Summon Elemental reserve feat, combined with a Permanencied Arcane Sight (or Detect Magic, or in a pinch, the Magic Sensitive Reserve Feat), is useful if you're party is lacking a decent trapfinder (have an earth elemental go everywhere before you do - it'll set off, and thus, find - most traps; most of the ones it won't set off will be magic, and detectable that way - unless the DM is spiting the method, it's actually MORE reliable than a Rouge with Search). Likewise, if you pick up a weapon with the Vampiric property (see the Magic Item Compendium), then Summon Elemental gives you infinite disposable minions targets - which means uncapped out-of-combat healing - great for endurance runs. Blade of Force is a handy one for Gish characters - swift-action extra damage for melee. However - most of the useful ones are Swift-actions, and as a Warblade, you have much more useful things to spend your Swift-actions on (Manuevers, Boosts). As a Factotum, you are a trapfinder already. Most of the Reserve Feats are not for you - but Minor Shapeshift will come in handy. If you pick up enough Inspiration Points to have a lot of extra standard actions, you might consider Fiery Burst (or one of the other Direct-Damage Reserve feats, but Fiery Burst will generally be the best for this) - being able to use it multiple times in a round means you can generally deal more damage in a round than a Sorcerer (for the first round of combat, anyway, after that you run out of inspiration points and can't anymore)

3) Yep, they're feats - you're pretty much stuck with them once you select them, unless you use the PHB II Retraining rules, in which case you can get rid of them the next time you level.


Edit: Dimensional Jaunt is also a useful one - get out of grapples, get past Walls of Force, cross small chasms, and so on - but as a Warblade, you can get most of that from Manuevers, so it isn't really worth the feat.

[shadow_archmagi]

Reserve Feats are rarely worth the action in-combat. So you have to abuse the 'infinite' part. Minor Shapeshift for turning Polymorph into Temp HP over and over again, Elemental Summoning for a trapmonkey, Dimensional Jaunt for never having to walk again, the key is ones where the weakness of the effect is mitigated by the number of uses.

Also, why do you lack spells? You're a SAD caster.

Umm. At level twenty I get to prepare nine spells a day. Nine is a much smaller number than, you know. Over thirty, like wizards get. At level four, I get... two? Maybe even three?

Also, the one involving "always see in the dark always even in magic dark" seems worth a feat.

[Fax Celestis]

Also, the one involving "always see in the dark always even in magic dark" seems worth a feat.

Glasses of ebon eyes cost in the vicinity of 2000 gp, and provide the same benefit.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Umm. At level twenty I get to prepare nine spells a day. Nine is a much smaller number than, you know. Over thirty, like wizards get. At level four, I get... two? Maybe even three?

Also, the one involving "always see in the dark always even in magic dark" seems worth a feat.

Sorry, I read it as Factotem/Wizard. However, I have to point out, you don't cast spells. You use spell-likes that mimic spells. They aren't spells, though. SLAs don't qualify for Reserve Feats.

[shadow_archmagi]

Sorry, I read it as Factotem/Wizard. However, I have to point out, you don't cast spells. You use spell-likes that mimic spells. They aren't spells, though. SLAs don't qualify for Reserve Feats.

Oh, I see. So this isn't even my problem. Thanks!

[Jack_Simth]

Sorry, I read it as Factotem/Wizard. However, I have to point out, you don't cast spells. You use spell-likes that mimic spells. They aren't spells, though. SLAs don't qualify for Reserve Feats.

They wouldn't, except:
text source

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)

Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. A few spell-like abilities are unique; these are explained in the text where they are described.

A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability’s use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component.

A spell-like ability takes the same amount of time to complete as the spell that it mimics (usually 1 standard action) unless otherwise stated. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell:

Using a spell-like ability while threatened provokes attacks of opportunity. It is possible to make a Concentration check to use a spell-like ability defensively and avoid provoking an attack of opportunity. A spell-like ability can be disrupted just as a spell can be. Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and to being dispelled by dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated.

A spell-like ability usually has a limit on how often it can be used. A spell-like ability that can be used at will has no use limit.

For creatures with spell-like abilities, a designated caster level defines how difficult it is to dispel their spell-like effects and to define any level-dependent variables (such as range and duration) the abilities might have. The creature’s caster level never affects which spell-like abilities the creature has; sometimes the given caster level is lower than the level a spellcasting character would need to cast the spell of the same name. If no caster level is specified, the caster level is equal to the creature’s Hit Dice. The saving throw (if any) against a spell-like ability is:

10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature’s Cha modifier.

Some spell-like abilities duplicate spells that work differently when cast by characters of different classes. A monster’s spell-like abilities are presumed to be the sorcerer/wizard versions. If the spell in question is not a sorcerer/wizard spell, then default to cleric, druid, bard, paladin, and ranger, in that order.

Some creatures are actually sorcerers of a sort. They cast arcane spells as sorcerers do, using components when required. In fact, an individual creature could have some spell-like abilities and also cast other spells as a sorcerer.

(Emphasis added)

[Fax Celestis]

SLAs have been confirmed to not qualify you for feats and prestige classes, so I don't see why they'd turn on a reserve feat.

[Sinfire Titan]

Reserve feats also state that SLAs do not qualify for them in any way, regardless of what spell they duplicate. You need actual spells to use them.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

They wouldn't, except:
text source
(Emphasis added)

RESERVE FEATS
Complete Mage presents a new category of feat: reserve feats. These feats are usable only by spellcasters, and they employ an unusual form of prerequisite. Reserve feats draw upon the magic inherent in a caster's body and soul, utilizing (but not consuming) energy from available spells to augment the character's already prodigious magical talents...Only actual spells or spell slots allow the character to use the primary benefit of a reserve feat. Spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, and extraordinary abilities—even if they mimic or duplicate an appropriate spell—do not qualify. Spells that do not have a descriptor until cast (such as the summon monster spells) can't be used to gain the primary benefit of a reserve feat.

SLAs do not work.

[Jack_Simth]

SLAs do not work.

Ah, nifty. So it's not the OP's problem then, cool.