20 new Feats designed for my campaign Courtesy of Killer Shrike March 01, 2001 Number of Times Clicked: 1759 Category: Feats Printer Friendly Version Mail it to a friend The below was written 4 or 5 months ago to support a number of new prestige classes I made. In the interim, Sword and Fist has been released causing some overlap. I have not had the time (or as yet the need) to go back and update/revise this list since I originally wrote it. Currently, most of the Fighting Styles have been at least used in gameplay, and several have seen quite a bit of play. In retrospect, now that there is more 'official' material to compare against, some of them might be a tad beefy, but those that are have serious prerequisites and none are better than Whirlwind attack with 2 or 3 that might be as good in the right circumstances. The primary use we put them to is several rival fencing schools in Dyvers, in conjunction with a handful of Prestige Classes (a variant Duelist with several of the Precise Strikes (I couldnt in all good conscience allow that much damage to be inflicted all the time by a class) replaces by a bonus Fighting Style, a Swashbuckler, a Fencer, a Swordswain, and a Weapon Master). I wanted a setup whereby not all of thier Prestige Class abilities were special level abilities, so that a Swashbuckler might learn a style from a Fencer or a Swordswain from a Duelist. By using the Fighting Styles, a given swordsman might be any specialty but train in any of the academys to learn thier house style. Therefore the debonair Dysani Academy of the Sword specializes in Dueling techniques, but include several fencers and swashbucklers amongst thier students all aspiring to the sinister Dysani Technique (Spring Attack combined with Main Gauche, En Garde, Weapon Flurry, and Fiented Attacks; these give a lot of underhanded attacks that either negate your attack, give a bonus to hit, or leave you flat footed and allow the fighter to dance in and out, engaging En Garde on off rounds), while the more bon vivant Crossed Blades of Ularo Santeos specializes in a far more swing-from-the-candeliers and risky style (highly personalized by student, but centered on Rapid Assault, Unorthodox Attacks, Counter Attack and Multiple Level Attack; favoring a much riskier and more aggressive style of all-out attack or all-out defense) but includes a duelist, a rougue and probably an assassin of some sort amongst its fencers and swashbucklers, and the Anverai School of Fencing, specilized in fencing as a rarefied art and discipline, numbers a few duelists eager to learn the Anverai Style (Masterful Disarm, Punishing Attack, En Garde, Deflect and Disengage, Counter Dodge, Weapon Flurry) which leaves its opponents disarmed and at thier mercy. Any input is welcome.... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fighting Style Feats By Ed Hastings Some combatants study highly specialized weapon techniques, katas, and styles that set them apart from less skilled warriors. Such techniques often expand the character’s options quite a bit and make for a very dangerous opponent. Other, less trained opponents may be able to develop a style or two, through practice, imitation, or other means. Thus, any character that meets the prerequisites may take one of the following Fighting Style Feats just as they may take any other Feat they meet the prerequisites for. Certain Prestige Classes grant additional Fighting Styles upon advancement, and these must be selected from the Fighting Style Feats; however the individual Prestige Classes typically restrict the range of weapons Fighting Styles are usable with. Each of the Fighting Styles represents a broad classification or type of maneuver rather than a specific technique; thus two practitioners of a given Fighting Style will likely employ 2 different methods to achieve the same general end result. Practitioners of Fighting Styles often refer to their Style in flowery, descriptive, or mysterious terms, and several different techniques may combine to form a Fighting Style. Regardless of whether a character has studied his Agrippa or knows his Acappa-Ferra or mastered the Five Ribbon Sword Technique, the game effect is that the practitioner may use the Multiple Level Attack, Restricted Quarters, and Rapid Assault Styles. The styles are generally combinable, but full attack actions are obviously not usable in conjunction with other full or partial action Fighting Styles unless some other ability is used to expand the characters number of allowable actions. Most of the Styles may be used with barehanded attacks if the practitioner has the Improved Unarmed Combat Feat and has taken Weapon Focus: Bare hand. These 2 Feats are sufficient to classify the practitioners hands a lethal weapons. However, some of the Fighting Styles (such as Weapon Throwing) are obviously not usable barehanded. Main Gauche and Offensive Shield Technique are usable barehanded as dagger and fist or shield and fist respectively. Scabbarded Attack could be used if the practitioners hands were normally kept in a stole, in pockets, or otherwise concealed. If these additional Feats are used the Blind-fighting, Spring Attack, Stunning Fist, and Whirlwind Attack Feats should be considered Fighting Style Feats rather than General Feats as well. Of the bellow Fighting Styles, the design concept is to ensure a trade off between advantage and disadvantage, usually manifesting as a trade off between offence and defense or improved melee capability at the expense of mobility. Other Fighting Styles are balanced by difficult prerequisites or an opportunity cost. Any future additions should follow this example to avoid the creation of ‘Mega-Feats’ that are simply better than any other character option. Additionally, a Fighting Style should be the result of training in a certain manner of fighting rather than a purely physical or untrained ability. For example, Combat Reflexes could be the result of either natural quickness or trained behavior or both and is therefore not a Fighting Style Feat, it is a General Feat. However, Punishing Blow is the result of honing that ability into a more offensive and opportunistic discipline, and is thus a Fighting Style. Feats that represent enhanced capabilities with existing abilities are also not appropriate as Fighting Styles, though they may be learned as part of gaining a Fighting Style, thus Weapon Focus and the various Improved Feats are not Fighting Styles of themselves, but may be prerequisites for new Fighting Styles. All of the Fighting Styles should also have prerequisites to indicate their by-training only status. Fighting Styles are generally designed to be used with either all melee weapons, including skilled use of bare hands, or large and general groupings of them such as Sweeping Blow. Feats designed to be used with a specific weapon, such as an Axe Master Feat, Leaping High Kick Feat, or a Double Club Technique Feat are better defined as a separate category of specialized Feat per Weapon Type, such as Bare Handed Feat or Axe Feat, with a restriction defined in its description regarding the weapon it may be used with. As always the individual DM is the final arbiter of what is and is not allowable in their own campaign. The following list is not meant to be all-inclusive, and may be added to: Counterattack [Fighting Style] You are skilled at parrying your opponents’ blows. Prerequisites: Expertise, Base Attack +6 Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may choose to forgo attacking and instead attempt to block incoming attacks as a full round action. The practitioner may apply each of his attack bonuses to his AC against a single incoming melee attack in succession until he runs out of attack bonuses. Once he is out of attack bonuses, his AC reverts to normal. Should the practitioner have attacks left over after all opponents have tried to strike then he may opt to hold onto his remaining attacks to block any further attacks before his next turn in the following round, or take his remaining attacks as he pleases. Thus if a practitioner had an AC of 20 and his attack bonuses were +15/+10/+5 then versus the first incoming melee attack he would have an AC 35, versus the second and AC 30, versus the third an AC 25 and versus all other incoming attacks (additional melee and all ranged) his normal AC 20. Counter Dodge [Fighting Style] You are skilled at reading opponents’ moves and striking where they will be rather than where they are. Prerequisites: Alertness, Dodge Benefit: The practitioner gains a +1 competence bonus to hit in melee versus any opponent benefiting from a dodge bonus to their AC. This serves to completely cancel the Dodge Feat and to offset any other dodge bonuses by 1, such as those granted by the Expertise Feat and Mobility. Deflect and Disengage [Fighting Style] You are greatly skilled at protecting your weapon in melee. Prerequisites: Improved Disarm Benefit: The practitioner gains a +4 bonus on any attempt to Sunder or Strike his weapon, and imposes a –4 penalty to foes attempting to disarm him. Deft Blow [Fighting Style] You are able to strike a single accurate blow. Prerequisite: Weapon Focus or Weapon Finesse (chosen weapon), Base Attack +8 Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style is skilled at making a single deadly strike with their weapon. The practitioner may opt to make a single attack as a full action that has a tripled critical threat range and inflicts triple damage if a critical is scored. This is not usable in conjunction with the Improved Critical Feat. If a weapon already causes triple critical damage then it inflicts quadruple instead; if the weapon already inflict quadruple then it inflicts quintuple instead, etc. Special: You can take this Feat several times but its effects do not stack; each time you must select it for another weapon that you have Weapon Focus or Weapon Finesse with. En Garde [Fighting Style] You are able to assume a defensive stance that allows you to react to the enemy. Prerequisites: Expertise Benefit: At his initiative, the practitioner may assume an ‘en garde’ position as a full attack action. When doing this, the practitioner holds position until an opponent moves to attack him in melee. When the first opponent makes their first melee attack the practitioner must make an attack of opportunity immediately even if he normally would not be allowed one. However, this attack of opportunity must be used in an attempt to deflect the incoming blow. The practitioner makes an attack roll against the opponents attack roll. If the practitioner equals or exceeds the opponents attack roll he successfully parries the incoming attack negating it totally; additionally the practitioner may then immediately take a single attack against that opponent (and that opponent only). After the practitioner has done this, the opponent may finish thier action(s) minus their first attack. Should the practitioner fail to exceed the opponents attack roll, the opponents attack is handled as normal and the practitioners action for the round is lost. This Feat may only be used once in a round regardless of circumstances. Feinted Attacks [Fighting Style] You are adept at fooling melee opponents. Prerequisite: Expertise, Bluff 10 Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may attempt to fool his opponent(s); If you successfully use the Feinting in Combat action described on page 64 of the PHB it counts as a free action, otherwise the use of the skill counts as a standard action as normal. Lightning Attack [Fighting Style] You are able to strike sooner at the expense of making yourself vulnerable to return attack. Prerequisites: Expertise, Improved Initiative Benefit: The practitioners of this type of style may strike quicker at the expense of defending themselves. The practitioner may take up to a –5 penalty to AC and apply an equal circumstance bonus to Initiative. This allows the practitioner to raise his Initiative without Refocusing, but for that round only; his Initiative drops to normal the next round. The AC penalty remains in effect until the practitioner’s action in the following round. The practitioner must declare a Lightning Attack on or before the Initiative count his modified Initiative would allow him to take an action from. Main Gauche [Fighting Style] You are skilled at using a dagger in your off hand. Prerequisite: Ambidexterity, Weapon Focus: Dagger or Weapon Finesse: Dagger Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style is adept at employing a small weapon in the off hand. The practitioner may fight with any sort of dagger in the off hand as if he had both Two-Weapon Fighting, and Improved Two Weapon Fighting so long as he is proficient with the dagger. This may only be used with a dagger; all other weapons take the standard penalties for fighting 2 handed. Multiple Level Attack [Fighting Style] You are skilled at forcing your opponent into positions that leave areas vulnerable to your attacks. Prerequisite: Base Attack +6, Power Attack Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may merge his top two attack bonuses into a single attack with a bonus equal to the sum of the two separate attacks. This is a full-round action and only 2 attacks may be merged thus. Effectively the practitioner ‘fakes’ one attack to create an opening for another. Example: Dearl the Mighty has an attack bonus of +14/+9 with his mighty greatsword. His current opponent is proving well defended, so on his next initiative Dearl announces that he is making a multiple-level attack. Rather than making his normal 2 melee attacks at +14/+9 he makes a single melee attack at +23. The merged attack bonus only applies to the multiple level attack itself and then reverts to the practitioners highest normal base attack; thus if Dearl killed his opponent with his multiple level attack and Cleaved thru to another opponent, he would attack using his normal highest base attack of +14. Offensive Shield Technique [Fighting Style] You have trained at using your Shield as both an offensive and defensive tool Prerequisites: Shield Proficiency, Strength 13+ Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style uses his shield as a deadly weapon. When using a shield in the off-hand the practitioner gains the benefit of the Two-Weapon Fighting Feat. The practitioner can use a Buckler to perform shield bashes, inflicting 1d2 damage (bludgeoning, x2 critical). Finally, the practitioner gains a +1 competence bonus to both hit with and damage inflicted by the Shield. Punishing Attack [Fighting Style] You are adept at taking advantage of your opponents fumbles. Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes Benefit: Should an opponent roll a natural ‘1’ on a d20 to hit the practitioner in melee combat, the practitioner may opt to take a single free attack of opportunity against the opponent immediately. Additionally, if the practitioner chooses to use this attack of opportunity to attempt a Disarm against the opponent, a +4 circumstance bonus applys to the Disarm attack roll. Rapid Assault [Fighting Style] You may launch a furious attack of blows in melee at the expense of leaving yourself vulnerable. Prerequisite: Base Attack +6, Expertise, Improved Initiative Benefit: As a full attack option the practitioner may take up to a -10 penalty to his AC and gain an equal competence bonus to his BASE attack. Both the AC penalty and the Attack bonus last until the practitioners action in the following round. As this modifies the practitioners BASE attack bonus, this will grant the practitioner additional attacks just as if he were of a higher level but for that round only. Example: Ularo Santeos is beset by a fearsome swordsman. Throwing caution to the wind, on his initiative Ularo announces that he will employ Rapid Assault against the foe and will take the full -10 penalty to AC. Ularos base attack is normally +13/+8/+3; for the following round it will be +23/+18/+13/+8/+3 but his normally impressive 23 AC drops to a mere 13 AC. His flurry of blows catches his opponent by suprise and the first 3 hit, but afterwards the foe severely punishes the off-balance and unprotected Ularo. Restricted Quarters Fighting [Fighting Style] You are skilled at close quarters melee where movement is limited. Prerequisites: Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Dodge, Base Attack +6 Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may sacrifice mobility for improved offense and defense. If the practitioner does not move at all in a round, including taking a 5’ step, then he gains a +3 competence bonus to both his AC and to his melee attacks until his action in the following round. Running Attack [Fighting Style] You are skilled at moving through a melee and striking foes as you go. Prerequisites: Mobility Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may move his normal distance as a full action, but may make a single attack on each opponent along his path of movement until he runs out of attacks. The practitioner does draw Attacks of Opportunity, but may use other abilities such as the prerequisite Mobility Feat to offset this. Scabbarded Attack [Fighting Style] You are skilled at drawing a weapon and attacking so quickly opponents are caught off guard. Prerequisites: Quickdraw, Improved Initiative Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may choose to draw his weapon and attack in a single movement as a full round action, granting a +5 circumstance bonus to hit. Additionally, the targeted foe must make a Reflex Save versus the practitioners highest attack bonus with the weapon being used immediately or be caught flat-footed and therefore loose any Dexterity bonuses to their AC versus the attack. Note that the practitioner may only make one attack in this manner per round. The practitioner may opt to return the weapon to its scabbard or keep it drawn at the conclusion of the maneuver. Sweeping Attack [Fighting Style] You are skilled at making long indiscriminate sweeps in melee. Prerequisites: Power Attack, Cleave, Great Cleave Benefit: If armed with a Medium sized or larger Slashing or Bludgeoning weapon, the practitioner of this type of style may opt to make a sweep attack against all the people in thier threatened area as a full attack option, suffering a –5 to thier AC until thier following action in the process. All the people in the affected area must make a Reflex Save vs. the practitioners highest attack bonus with the sweeping weapon or be hit, even friends and allies. However, the swing is too indiscriminant to inflict massive damage; the practitioner does not add thier strength bonus to the damage. Unorthodox Attacks [Fighting Style] You are skilled at adopting strange poses, moving unusually, and generally adopting bizarre positions in combat. This can sometimes disconcert foes for significant advantage but can also make you dangerously vulnerable to more skilled opponents. Prerequisites: Expertise, Dexterity 13+, Base Attack +6 Benefit: To use this feat, the practitioner must declare that he is using it and pass a Reflex Save versus a his opponents highest attack bonus before making his own attack. If facing multiple opponents, use the single highest attack bonus of all the opponents. If he succeeds the practitioner gains a +5 circumstance bonus to both his attack rolls and to his AC until his next action in the following round. Should he fail his Reflex save then the practitioner suffers a –5 circumstance penalty to hit and to AC until his next action in the following round. Weapon Binding [Fighting Style] You are able to restrict your opponents weapon. Prerequisites: Improved Disarm, Improved Unarmed Strike Benefit: As a full action the practitioner may attempt to bind a melee opponents weapon. To do this the practitioner makes an attack roll against his opponents highest attack bonus. If successful, the practitioner has locked blades with his opponents weapon and must make an immediate grapple check. If the practitioner wins, he has effectively grappled his opponent by the expedient of trapping his weapon. The opponent may attempt to break out of this bind in his own action as normal for breaking a grapple; however, the opponent also has the option of releasing his weapon. If the opponent releases his weapon the grapple is broken, and the opponent counts as being disarmed. The practitioner may do any of the things normally allowed in a grapple including causing damage (by kicking, pushing, kneeing, etc). The practitioner and the opponent may both attempt to push the other as if engaging in a Bull Rush (by making opposed Strength checks) as their action, or attack with an off hand weapon. The practitioner does not draw attacks of opportunity when engaging in a Weapon Binding attempt. Weapon Flurry [Fighting Style] You are skilled at performing complex displays of weapon flairs that disorient foes. Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+, Base Attack +6 Benefit: The practitioner may choose to execute a weapon flurry as a standard action, granting a competence bonus to hit equal to the practitioners Dexterity bonus on thier next melee attack. This melee attack must be made in the same round or be the first attack made in the following round. Any greater interval of time negates the bonus. Weapon Throwing [Fighting Style] You have trained in the risky but oft-times necessary tactic of throwing your melee weapon. Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, Strength 13+ Benefit: The practitioner of this type of style may throw any type of melee weapon that is the same size or smaller than the practitioner. Weapons that are light for the practitioner have a range increment of 10 feet; all others have a range increment of 5 feet. Weapons that may already be thrown, such as daggers, have their range increment increased by 10 feet for the practitioner