Feats and Traits (Blashyyrk Supplement)

Blashyyrk has many new character options available to the players. Some of these options are essential for the changes made to the combat system and many are simply for fun.

Feats

New Feats

Parry [Fighter]

Prerequisites: STR 13, base parry bonus +1.

Benefit: You gain +1 parry bonus.

Special: A fighter may select Parry as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Archer's Bane [General]

You are an expert at dodging missiles, taking advantage of the missile's flight to get out of the path.

Prerequisites: Dodge, Base dodge bonus +4.

Benefit: You gain +1 dodge bonus against all ranged weapons for each range increment the weapon must be shot or thrown to reach you. This dodge bonus is doubled if fighting defensively or executing a total defense.

Intricate Swordplay [Fighter]

You are trained in a flashy fencing style.

Prerequisites: Weapon focus:(longsword or rapier), Parry, Combat expertise, CHA 13.

Benefit: Whenever you have a longsword or rapier in one hand and wearing at most medium armour, you may add your charisma bonus as a parry bonus to your Armour Class

Special: A character with 4 or more levels of barbarian cannot take this feat. If a character ever gains 4 or more levels of barbarian, he immediately loses the benefit of this feat. A fighter may select this as a fighter bonus feat.

Singlesword dueling [Fighter]

Prerequisites: Weapon focus:(longsword or rapier), dodge or parry, Combat expertise, Dex 13.

Benefit: Whenever you have a longsword or rapier in one hand, nothing in the other and wearing at most medium armour, you may add your intelligence bonus as a parry bonus to your Armour Class.

Special: A character with 4 or more levels of barbarian cannot take this feat. If a character ever gains 4 or more levels of barbarian, he immediately loses the benfit of this feat.

Stunning Attack [General]

Prerequisites: Dex 13, Str 13, fighter level 6th

Benefit: You may use this with the following weapons; unarmed strike, pommel, gauntlet, light shield or buckler. You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). It forces a foe damaged by your attack to make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + ½ your character level + your Str modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails this saving throw is stunned for 1 round (until just before your next action). A stunned creature drops everything held, can’t take actions, takes a -2 penalty to AC, and loses his Dexterity( and subsequently any dodge or parry) bonus to AC. You may attempt a stunning attack once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round. Constructs, oozes, plants, undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits cannot be stunned.

Boar Tusk [Style]

You are a master of fighting with sword and spear at the same time, and have learned to push your foes around with your tremendous blows.

Prerequisites: Power attack, Two-Weapon Combat Proficiency, Weapon Focus (Long sword), Weapon Focus (Shortspear).

Benefit: If you hit a creature with both your sword and your spear in the same round, and you can choose to immediately attempt a bullrush as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity, as if you had the improved bullrush feat. In addition, while wielding a longsword and shortspear you are treated as carrying a light weapon in your off hand.

Changed core Feats

Dodge [Fighter]

Prerequisites: DEX 13, base dodge bonus +1

Benefit: You gain +1 dodge bonus.

Special: A fighter may select Dodge as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Greater Weapon Specialization [Fighter]

Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, Greater Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, Weapon Specialization with selected weapon, fighter level 6th

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all damage rolls you make using the selected weapon. This bonus stacks with other bonuses on damage rolls, including the one from Weapon Specialization.

Special: You can gain Greater Weapon Focus multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.

A fighter must have Greater Weapon Focus with a given weapon to gain the Greater Weapon Specialization feat for that weapon.

A fighter may select Greater Weapon Specialization as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Greater Weapon Focus [Fighter]

Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, Weapon Focus with selected weapon, fighter level 6th

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon. This bonus stacks with other bonuses on attack rolls, including the one from Weapon Focus (see below).

Special: You can gain Greater Weapon Focus multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.

A fighter must have Weapon Focus with a given weapon to gain the Greater Weapon Focus feat for that weapon.

A fighter may select Greater Weapon Focus as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Critical [Fighter]

Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, fighter level 6th

Benefit: When using the weapon you selected, your threat range is doubled.

Special: You can gain Improved Critical multiple times. The effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.

This effect doesn’t stack with any other effect that expands the threat range of a weapon.

A fighter may select Greater Weapon Focus as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Two-weapon combat proficiency [General]

You can fight effectively with a weapon in each hand

Prerequisites: Simple weapon proficiency, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: When you fight with two weapons you take no penalty so long as one of your weapons is a light weapon, or only a -4 penalty to all attack rolls if both weapons are one-handed.

Normal: You take a -2 penalty to attack rolls if you wield a one-handed and a light weapon, or -6 if using a one-handed in each hand.

Improved Two-weapon combat [Fighter]

You are an expert at fighting with a weapon in each hand

Prerequisites: Simple weapon proficiency, Two-weapon combat proficiency, base attack bonus +6.

Benefit: When you fight with two weapons and take a full-round action you can make an additional attack with your off-hand weapon at a -5 penalty.

Normal: A character wielding a weapon with each hand can only make one attack per round with an off-hand weapon.

Character Traits

Traits are aspects of a character's personality, background, or physique that make him better at some activities and worse at others. In many ways, traits resemble feats: A character can have only a limited number of traits, and each trait provides some benefit. Unlike feats, however, traits always carry a corresponding drawback. In addition to their game effects, traits suggest characteristics about the character's personality that might lead to interesting roleplaying opportunities. Together with a character's class and feat selection, traits offer a way for game mechanics to encourage deeper character backgrounds and consistent roleplaying.

Traits serve as an interesting starting point for roleplaying, reminding players of their characters' most prominent strengths and weaknesses. However, roleplaying a certain aspect of a character's personality does not require possessing the trait. For example, a paladin can be honest and forthright without the Honest trait. The player should roleplay the character consistently even though the character's honesty has no effect on his skill checks.

A character can begin play with up to two traits, chosen by the player at the time of character creation.

[information on traits can be found via this link].

Traits

Abrasive

You are difficult and demanding in conversation, which tends to oppress those around you.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Diplomacy checks and Bluff checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be loud and abrupt or quiet and sinister, but either way, most find them disconcerting or irritating.

Absent Minded

You are fascinated by knowledge and learning and are capable of pursuing complex trains of thought quite quickly. However, your preoccupation with such thoughts makes you a little less aware of your surroundings.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Knowledge checks (although this does not let you use a Knowledge skill untrained).

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks and Listen checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might flit from idea to idea, trailing off in mid-sentence or mumbling their way through complex ideas. Conversely, characters with this trait might be extremely articulate but still allow their thoughts to move faster than the pace of a conversation.

Aggressive

You are quick to initiate combat, and you tend to press the attack once battle is joined. Your enthusiasm makes you a dangerous foe, but you sometimes leave yourself open to blows that a more cautious warrior would avoid.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty to Armor Class.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are often hotheaded and quick to anger, or simply think that the best defense is a quick offense.

Brawler

You naturally move close to your opponents when fighting, instinctively grabbing and punching rather than striking with weapons.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on unarmed attack rolls and grapple checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on all other attack rolls.

Special: The bonus from this trait doesn't apply to natural weapons. A character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat can't select this trait (if a character with this trait later gains that feat, he loses the trait).

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often disdain the use of weapons entirely, and some eventually learn more refined martial arts based on their instinctive fighting techniques. Many brawlers might not even be consciously aware that they fight differently from other characters; they simply know that the best way to take someone out of a fight is to grab him or punch him in the face.

Cautious

You are cautious in combat, even a bit cowardly, and you take more care to defend yourself than others. However, this caution renders you susceptible to fear effects.

Benefit: You gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class whenever you fight defensively or take the total defense action.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on saving throws made to resist fear effects.

Special:You cannot select this trait if you have immunity to fear or fear effects. If you later gain immunity to fear, you lose the benefit of this trait.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might consistently urge talking rather than fighting, or they might do little to encourage that their companions avoid combat and simply remain as far away from foes as possible, using ranged weapons or spells.

Detached

You maintain a distance from events that keeps you grounded but limits your reaction speed.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on will saves

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Reflex saves.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are likely to be quiet and restrained, but they might be vocal when others falter in their beliefs.

Dishonest

You are naturally deceitful and insincere with others. You have a talent for lying, but have difficulty convincing others when you do speak truthfully.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Bluff checks.

Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Diplomacy checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be portrayed as crafty liars, or lying might simply be second nature to them, making actually telling the truth a difficult chore.

Easygoing

You are naturally friendly. Others feel comfortable around you, but this trait also makes it more difficult for you to be pushy or suspicious.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Gather Information checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Intimidate checks and Sense Motive checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be more easily manipulated in interactions with NPCs, or they might simply prefer not to argue and instead use their natural talent to learn more about the world around them.

Farsighted

You have difficulty focusing on nearby objects, but your distance vision is more keen than normal.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Spot checks.

Drawback: You have a -2 penalty on Search checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or they might simply be oblivious to its presence, having never known any different way of experiencing the world.

Focused

You can keep your attention on a task despite many distractions; however, events in the background pass you by.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Concentration checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks and Listen checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often seem single-minded or even obsessive in their focus on a specific task.

Hard of Hearing

You have a slight hearing impairment, and to compensate, you have become more in tune with your other senses.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Spot checks.

Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Listen checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or they might simply be oblivious to its presence, having never known any different way of experiencing the world.

Hardy

You are made of tougher stuff than the average person, but you're not quite as quick to react to dangerous effects.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Reflex saves.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might see their physical prowess as normal and look down on less hardy individuals, or they might see it as their duty to play the role of protector and help those less able to endure physical hardship.

Honest

You are naturally straightforward and sincere. This quality helps you persuade people to your viewpoint, but you have difficulty telling lies and seeing deception in others.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Bluff checks and Sense Motive checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be naive and too unsophisticated to lie, or they might be aware of worldly matters and simply choose to take a higher ground.

Illiterate

You cannot read, but you have devoted yourself to learning other skills.

Benefit: Choose any one skill except Decipher Script or Forgery. You gain a +1 bonus on checks using that skill.

Drawback: You are illiterate.

Special: You can eliminate the negative effect of this trait by spending 2 skill points to become literate. Unlike with the barbarian, you cannot become literate by taking a level in any class other than barbarian. You can't select this trait if your character is already illiterate because of race, class, or any other reason.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about not being able to read, or they might not value "book learnin'."

Musclebound

You are good at almost everything that requires strength, but less adept than most at tasks that require coordination.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Strength-based skill checks and ability checks.

Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Dexterity-based skill checks and ability checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are likely to solve problems with physical strength rather than through trickery or finesse.

Nearsighted

You have difficulty focusing on distant objects, but your eye for detail is more keen than normal.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Search checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be sensitive about it, or they might simply be oblivious to its presence, having never known any different way of experiencing the world.

Nightsighted

Your eyes are particularly well suited to using darkvision, but they are less well adapted to what others consider normal light.

Benefit: Add 10 feet to the range of your darkvision.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Spot checks when in areas of bright light.

Special: You must have darkvision as a racial ability to have this trait.

Roleplaying Ideas: This trait might not affect a character's personality at all, but it might make the character prefer going on underground or nighttime adventures.

Passionate

You are made of tougher stuff than the average person, but you are highly suggestible.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Fortitude saves.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Will saves.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be gruff and place extreme value on overcoming physical obstacles, or conversely, their weakness against magical enchantments might leave them fascinated and fearful of such things.

Plucky

You have a strength of will not reflected in your limited physical gifts.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Will saves.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Fortitude saves.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be annoyingly positive-minded, or they might only show their mental resilience in times of dire need.

Polite

You are courteous and well spoken.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks.

Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Intimidate checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be honestly polite and kind, or they might simply be adept at mimicking social conventions to get what they want.

Quick

You are fast, but less sturdy than average members of your race.

Benefit: Your base land speed increases by 5 feet (if you don't have a land speed, apply the benefit to whichever of your speeds is highest).

Drawback: Subtract 1 from your hit points gained at each level, including 1st (a result of 0 is possible).

Special:You must have a Constitution of 4 or higher to select this trait.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait typically try to stay away from physical combat, but a rare few might relish it, striving to see if their superior speed is enough to best hardier warriors.

Reckless

You naturally sacrifice accuracy to put more power behind your blows.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on damage rolls after successful melee attacks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on melee attack rolls.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be loudly passionate about entering combat and overcoming foes through strength of arms, or they might be quiet and so desperate to avoid confrontation that they put extra effort into every blow in an attempt to end the encounter more quickly.

Relentless

You don't know the meaning of the word "tired." You go all out until you simply can't continue.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Constitution checks and similar checks made to continue tiring activities (see the Endurance feat for all the checks and saves to which this benefit applies).

Drawback: Any effect or condition that would normally cause you to become fatigued instead causes you to become exhausted.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait may see others as soft or weak, especially anyone who complains about being tired or fatigued. They might openly scoff at others' weaknesses or might quietly encourage them to "tough it out."

Saddleborn

You are a natural in the saddle, but you have little patience for handling animals when not riding them.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Ride checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Handle Animal checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait rarely bother to consider animals as good for anything other than mounts, but they are extremely confident about their riding abilities.

Skinny

You are very slender for your race.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Escape Artist checks.

Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on Strength checks to avoid being bull rushed or overrun.

Roleplaying Ideas: Skinny characters tend to be pushed around by tougher types, so those with this trait might be shy, or they might be very defensive when faced with such situations.

Slippery

You are less adept at grappling and wrestling than others of your size and strength, but you are adept at slipping out of another's hold.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Escape Artist checks to escape a grapple and on grapple checks to escape a grapple or avoid being grappled.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on all other grapple checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might fear close combat, knowing they are less adept grapplers than most opponents. On the other hand, good escape artists with this trait might enjoy baiting larger foes into grappling them, knowing they can easily slip out of the grasp of most foes.

Slow

You are slow, but sturdier than average members of your race.

Benefit: Add +1 to your hit points gained at each level.

Drawback: Your base land speed is halved (round down to the nearest 5-foot interval).

Special: You must have a base land speed of at least 20 feet to select this trait.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait tend to be relatively immobile in combat. They typically prefer to wear strong armor (or other protective devices), since it's hard for them to flee a fight.

Specialized

You have a knack for one kind of work or study, but other tasks are harder for you to accomplish.

Benefit: Choose one specific Craft, Knowledge, or Profession skill. You gain a +1 bonus on checks using the specified skill.

Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on all other checks using the same skill (Craft, Knowledge, or Profession, based on the skill chosen).

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait often see themselves as elite artists or experts rather than mere professionals, and they might regard their chosen vocation or study as more useful or interesting than other tasks.

Spellgifted

You have a gift for casting spells from a certain school. Although your spells from this school are more potent than those of other casters, you are not as effective at casting spells from other schools.

Benefit: Choose a school of magic. Add 1 to your caster level when casting spells from that school.

Drawback: Reduce your caster level by 1 whenever you cast a spell that is not from your chosen school.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait might be loudly vocal about the merits of the school of magic that they understand most readily, or they might feel awkward and out of place around "normal" spellcasters as a result of their unusual aptitude.

Stout

You are heavy for your race.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Strength checks to avoid being bull rushed or overrun.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Escape Artist checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Overweight characters are often bullied, so those with this trait might be shy, or they might be very defensive when faced with such situations. Some turn to humor to defuse such situations, while others become bitter.

Suspicious

You are naturally suspicious of everyone and everything. While this trait makes you hard to fool, it makes others slightly less likely to agree with you or find you threatening.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Sense Motive checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Diplomacy checks and intimidate checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: This trait might express itself as comic levels of paranoia, or it might make the character quietly cautious about others.

Torpid

You are sluggish and slow to react to danger, but also resistant to others' commands.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on saves against enchantment (compulsion) effects.

Drawback: You take a -2 penalty on initiative checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Torpid characters may be seen as lazy, or as methodical and measured in their actions.

Uncivilized

You relate better to animals than you do to people.

Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Handle Animal checks and wild empathy checks.

Drawback: You take a -1 penalty on Bluff checks, Diplomacy checks, and Gather information checks.

Roleplaying Ideas: Characters with this trait are likely to feel awkward in many social situations; that might be expressed as shyness and quiet behavior, or it might be expressed through an overly exuberant need to participate in conversations.

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