Pathfinder Feats
Pathfinder scales slightly higher in terms of number of Feats as well as in terms of mechanical benefit. They organize their feats into cleaner categories - Combat, Critical, Item Creation, Metamagic.

They do retain most, if not all, of the conventions of the 3.5 Feat System in terms of gating certain playstyles (as defined by merely *having* the Feat) almost perfectly. So it suffers from excessive Feat taxing, and while there is a mechanical uptick in terms of power, it only serves to show how underpowered the Feats are in practice relative to the non-casters whose Magic subsystem renders most of the non-Metamagic Feats superfluous. I.e. Casters exist in another mechanical sphere entirely whereas non-casters are chained to the Feat system to express their "style" of play. Whereas non-casters suffer literally nothing.

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So Pathfinder does have some extra stuff - they extend some of the Feat trees with extra options. But it does so without extending the Feat acquisition economy which is largely static. This has the - and I'm going to say this to be generous - UNINTENDED side-effect of either giving the illusion of options, as they're certainly optional, or rather plainly it encourages hyper-optimization because Feats in both 3.e/Pathfinder are largely mechanically weak. And they only get weaker as one scales the game up in level which unfortunately many of these "options" are gated behind simply by dint of the fact that Level Progression equals Feat Acquisition.

It becomes, for non-casters, a sub-system of very diminishing returns relative to the assumed level of gameplay based on the Level Progression system.

Just  to clarify, are you using the first or second printing of Fantasy Craft for this comparison? I know the changes between the two are relatively small, but from everything I've read, if somebody new to the system is looking to invest, the second printing is the better choice.

Quote from: Broken Twin;1142149Just  to clarify, are you using the first or second printing of Fantasy Craft for this comparison? I know the changes between the two are relatively small, but from everything I've read, if somebody new to the system is looking to invest, the second printing is the better choice.

Everything for Fantasy Craft is 2nd Printing. I'm not sure you can even purchase the first printing in PDF and most copies in circulation of hardback are 2nd printing (but yes - you should definitely check if you buy a dead-tree copy first).

Excellent. Fantasy Craft is easily my favorite crunchy D20 system, but I doubt I'll ever be able to convince my group to run it (though they do enjoy Pathfinder). So I'm always happy when I see it come up outside of Crafty's (functionally dead) forums. Hopefully I'll eventually be able to point them at this thread as a way of convincing them to give it a try.

Fantasy Craft Feats

Fantasy Craft Feats share many of the organizational qualities of D&D3.x and Pathfinder.

They share a similar baseline acquisition progression (every third level) however - Fantasy Craft grants you more Feats from other sources than just ones level. In Fantasy Craft your Specialty (Background) grants you a Feat, as well as Class will give you several Feat options. FC Feats also use Prerequisite mechanics, including the use of Feat Trees with a design caveat that no Feat Tree is deeper than three Feats. This minimizes Feat Taxation and coupled with the implicit goal of allowing you to express some "style" of specialization that compounds prerequisite bonuses rather than nickel-and-dime you at the expense of Feat acquisition tied to level progression.

Feat Categories

Basic Combat Feats

ARMOR BASICS
You're quite comfortable in armor.
Benefits: While you wear armor, its Defense penalty drops by 1, its ACP drops by 1, and its Speed penalty drops by 5 ft. (in all cases, minimum 0).

Note: ACP stands for Armor Check Penalty which is applied for making physical skill checks. For example Plate armor has an ACP of -3 which might sound harsh - but the assumption is that martial characters will offset these penalties with Feats and quality of Gear (which will examine later) - where you can get your armor Fitted, Articulated, be Dwarven/Elven crafted - and a whole host of other options that can get very granular.

ARMOR MASTERY
You instinctively protect vulnerable spots.
Prerequisites: Armor Basics
Benefits: While you wear armor, its DR increases by 1 and you may not be targeted with Coup de Grace actions.

Note: DR is damage absorption. Unlike D&D3.x and Pathfinder, armor in Fantasy Craft absorbs damage directly.

ARMOR SUPREMACY
You're as comfortable and secure in armor as a turtle in his shell.
Prerequisites: Armor Mastery
Benefits: While you wear armor, its DR increases by an additional 1 (total 2) and you're immune to sneak attack damage.

CHARGING BASICS
You sometimes hurl yourself into the enemy, unleashing devastating fury.
Benefit: Your Speed increases by 5 ft. and you gain a trick.
Charge (Run Trick): You may make 1 free attack at any point during your movement (ignoring adjacency for that attack only). You may use this ability a number of times per combat equal to your starting action dice.

CHARGING MASTERY
You're a raging, slashing bull on the battlefield.
Prerequisites: Charging Basics
Benefit: When you Charge, you may make up to 2 free attacks, each at any point during your movement.

CHARGING SUPREMACY
You're the moving center of a sticky red haze.
Prerequisites: Charging Mastery
Benefit: While Charging, you may roll damage twice, keeping the result you prefer.

Note: Charging doesn't distinguish between being mounted OR on foot. This is intentional.

COMBAT FOCUS
Your sense of timing is deadly accurate.
Benefit: You may double one of your attribute bonuses for a single attack, damage roll, or save. You may use this ability a number of times per scene equal to the number of Basic Combat feats you have.

COMBAT INSTINCTS
You react instinctively to fresh opportunities.
Benefit: Once per round when an adjacent opponent attacks you and misses, you gain a free attack against him. If this attack hits, it inflicts only 1/2 damage (rounded up).

COMBAT VIGOR
You shrug aside even punishing blows.
Benefit: Your vitality points are calculated as if your Constitution modifier were 1 higher.

Note: Vitality = HP.

CONTEMPT
You haven't the time for lesser foes!
Benefit: Once per round, you may make a free attack against a standard character. You may use this ability a number of times per combat equal to your starting action dice.

ELUSIVE
You deftly avoid many attacks.
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count you may accept a penalty with your attack and skill checks of up to –4 to gain an equal dodge bonus to your Defense until the start of your next Initiative Count.

EXPERT DISARM
That's your weapon now…
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus with Disarm attack checks and when you successfully disarm an opponent you may either choose the square in which his weapon lands or (if you're adjacent to the opponent) catch and arm the weapon as a free action. Also, you don't become flat-footed when you fail a Disarm action.

GREAT FORTITUDE
You're one tough customer.
Benefit: Your base Fortitude save bonus increases by +3. You also gain 3 extra wound points.

Note: Wounds are essentially your Con rating. When it comes to Critical hits, you bypass Vitality (HP) and the damage goes directly to Wounds. So yeah,this Feat is actually quite powerful.

IRON WILL
Your strength of will is legendary.
Benefit: Your base Will save bonus increases by +3. Also, once per scene as a free action, you may shrug off 1 fatigued or shaken grade.

Note: Shaken and Fatigued are conditions that can be applied through *many* sources including Social combat. So this Feat is especially useful outside of "normal" combat.

LIGHTNING REFLEXES
You have the speed and grace of a mighty predator!
Benefit: Your base Reflex save bonus increases by +3. You may also roll twice when making Initiative checks, keeping the result you prefer.

QUICK DRAW
You juggle weapons like witty people juggle quips.
Benefit: Twice per round, you may Handle an Item as a free action.

SNAKE STRIKE
It's worth it just for the shock that creeps across their bloody faces.
Prerequisites: Quick Draw
Benefit: Once per opponent per combat, as a free action, you may draw 1 weapon you haven't used during the current combat and use it to Feint 1 opponent. With success, your attacks inflict
1 die of sneak attack damage until end of the current round.

Note: Feint is a skill check and if successful - your opponent is Flat-footed (No Dex bonus to Defense or Dodge bonuses. Plus being Flat-footed opens you up to other types of special attacks.

SURGE OF SPEED
Your moments count.
Benefit: Once per round you may take 1 additional non-attack half action as a free action. You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to your starting action dice.

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING
You fight most effectively with weapons in both hands.
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count when you're armed with two 1-handed weapons you may accept a –2 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative
Count. Once during your current Initiative Count you may take a half action to make 1 Standard Attack with each of those weapons.

Note: In Fantasy Craft you get 1 Full action or 2 Half-actions. An attack is a Half-action. This Feat means you can do use ONE Half-action to attack with each weapon. This leaves you with a half-action to do other things (like attack a third time with one weapon).

TWO-WEAPON STYLE
It's like each hand -- and weapon -- has a mind of its own.
Prerequisites: Two-Weapon Fighting
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count when you're armed with two 1-handed weapons you may accept a –5 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative Count. Once during your current Initiative Count you may take a full action to make 2 Standard Attacks with each of those weapons. If any of your attacks miss this round, you become flat-footed at the end of your current Initiative Count.

Note: So this means you could make *5* attacks in one round. 2 attacks with each weapon TWICE. Then your last half-action could be another attack, or cleaning your swords or whatever.

WOLF PACK BASICS
Controlled chaos is your best friend.
Benefit: You gain an additional +2 bonus when attacking a flanked opponent (total +4).

WOLF PACK MASTERY
You spot every opening.
Prerequisites: Wolf Pack Basics
Benefit: You inflict 1 die of sneak attack damage when attacking a flanked opponent. Also, an opponent becomes flanked when you and any teammate are both adjacent to him in any configuration.

WOLF PACK SUPREMACY
You don't leave much for the next guy. You're greedy that way.
Prerequisites: Wolf Pack Mastery
Benefit: Your threat range increases by 1 and you inflict 1 additional die of sneak attack damage when attacking a flanked opponent (total 2 sneak attack dice).

Melee Combat Feats

ALL-OUT ATTACK
You hit hard. Really hard.
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count you may accept a penalty with your attack and skill checks of up to –4 to gain an insight bonus with melee damage rolls equal to twice that number until the start of your next Initiative Count. If any of your attacks miss this round, you become flat-footed at the end of your current Initiative Count.

AXE BASICS
The bite of your axe isn't limited to the reach of your arm.
Prerequisites: Edged forte
Benefit: When you wield an axe it gains hurl and you gain a stance.
Punish the Defiant (Stance): Opponents who haven't moved since your Initiative Count last round are denied their Dexterity bonus to Defense against your melee attacks.

Note: Forte is an indicator you have spent a Proficiency point in an entire category of weapons. Edged, Blunt, Hurled, Bows, Black Powder, Siege. You get +1 hit with anything in your Forte. It also opens up certain Feats to you, along with fighting stances. Stances have to be called out before you roll initiative for you to gain the benefits.

AXE MASTERY
First the shield, then the squishy thing behind it!
Prerequisites: Axe Basics
Benefit: When you wield a 1-handed axe it gains bleed and when you wield a 2-handed axe its gains guard +2. Also, you gain a trick.
Sundering Chop (Axe Attack Trick): Your attack also inflicts the same damage on 1 piece of gear on the target's person (your choice).

AXE SUPREMACY
Mortal man or mighty oak -- your sweeping blade cuts them all down with ease.  
Prerequisites: Axe Mastery
Benefit: Your Strength score rises by 1 and you gain a trick.
Cleave in Twain (Axe Attack Trick): If your target is a  standard character with a lower Strength score than yours, he immediately fails his Damage save (damage isn't rolled). You may use this trick once per round.

CLEAVE BASICS
With just a taste of blood, your blade's thirst becomes legendary.
Benefit: Once per round, when one of your melee attacks kills an opponent or knocks him out, you may immediately make another Standard Attack with the same weapon as a free action.

CLEAVE MASTERY
You cut through foes like gory stacks of cordwood.
Prerequisites: Cleave Basics
Benefit: Your melee threat range against standard characters increases by 1. Also, you may use your Cleave Basics feat ability any number of times per round.

CLEAVE SUPREMACY
There is naught but a bloody trail of splintered bone and gristle in your wake.
Prerequisites: Cleave Mastery
Benefit: You activate melee critical hits against standard characters for 1 less action die (minimum 0). Also, each time one of your melee attacks kills an opponent or knocks him out, you may move 5 ft. before taking the additional attack, so long as the total distance you travel each round does not exceed your Speed.

CLUB BASICS
You definitely bring the beat down.
Prerequisites: Blunt forte
Benefit: Each of your club attacks may inflict your choice of lethal or subdual damage instead of the weapon's normal damage (no penalty or damage decrease occurs). Also, you gain a stance.
Driving Stance (Stance): Each time you hit an adjacent opponent with a melee attack, they're pushed 5 ft. away from you (assuming there's an empty square behind them). If they're pushed, you may move into the square they previously occupied.

CLUB MASTERY
One look at you and people start to recall urgent appointments elsewhere.
Prerequisites: Club Basics
Benefit: When holding a readied club you gain a +4 gear bonus with Intimidate checks. Also, you gain a trick.
Brained (Club Attack Trick): This trick may only be used when inflicting subdual damage. If the target fails his save against subdual damage, he instead fails 2 saves.

CLUB SUPREMACY
You're like an earthquake -- a thunderous, explosive, unstoppable force of nature.
Prerequisites: Club Mastery
Benefit: When you wield a 1-handed club it gains lure and when you wield a 2-handed club its Reach increases by 1. Also, you gain a trick.
Earth Shaker (Club Trip Trick): You may Trip as a full-action, targeting all opponents within 10 ft. You roll only once while each opponent rolls to resist separately.

DARTING WEAPON
Your strikes are almost too fast to follow.
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count when
you're armed with a single melee weapon, you may accept a –2 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative Count. Once during that round you may take a half action to make 2 Standard Attacks with that weapon.

FENCING BASICS
Your swift movements offer no respite.
Prerequisites: Edged forte
Benefit: Once per round, you may make a free attack with a fencing blade against an adjacent flat-footed character. You inflict only 1/2 normal damage with this attack (rounded up). Also, you gain a stance.
Work the Line (Stance): Each time an adjacent opponent attacks you and misses, you may move 5 ft. and draw the opponent into the square you previously occupied. Also, each time an adjacent opponent moves away from you, you may immediately move into the square he just left.

FENCING MASTERY
Your attackers pay in blood -- and tears.
Prerequisites: Fencing Basics
Benefit: Each of your fencing blade attacks may inflict your choice of lethal or stress damage instead of the weapon's normal damage (no penalty or damage decrease occurs). Also, you gain a trick.
En Garde! (Fencing Blade Total Defense Trick): Each opponent who moves into a square adjacent to you must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + your Dex modifier + the number of Melee Combat feats you have) or be automatically hit by your fencing blade.

FENCING SUPREMACY
You play with your foes like a cat… until you get bored. Then you do that other thing cats do.
Prerequisites: Fencing Mastery
Benefit: Your Dexterity score rises by 1 and you gain a trick.
Touche! (Fencing Blade Attack Trick): If your target is a standard character with a lower Dexterity score than yours, he immediately fails his Damage save (damage isn't rolled). You may use this trick once per round.

Note: Standard Characters are Mooks. Effectively when you damage a Mook they must make a saving throw vs. Damage. Special Characters are PC's and NPC's that are integral/important. Special Characters get Vitality and Wounds. When a Standard Character is hit - they make a Damage Save or "drop out of the fight" this could be unconscious, dead, or whatever the GM decides. The normal save is 10 + 1/2 Damage of any accumulated damage. So yes, this means in Fencing Supremacy a PC with this ability will auto-kill one minion per round.

FLAIL BASICS
Usually there's a blur, and then a thunk, and then the fight's over.
Prerequisites: Blunt forte
Benefit: Once per round you may make a free attack with a flail against an adjacent flat-footed character. You suffer a –4 penalty with this attack. Also, you gain a stance.
Whirling Serpent (Stance): You gain a bonus with your melee attack checks and damage rolls equal to the number of successful melee attacks you made last round. Opponents may not Anticipate your actions and you may not take move actions (though you may still take Bonus 5-ft. Steps as normal).

FLAIL MASTERY
Your approach is simple: speed, versatility, and an unbelievable number of strikes!
Prerequisites: Flail Basics
Benefit: You may use a flail to perform club or garrote tricks. Also, you gain a trick.
Thresher Spin (Flail Attack Trick): If this attack hits it counts as 2 melee hits made this round. You may use this trick up to twice per round.

FLAIL SUPREMACY
In your hands the humble flail can topple kings.
Prerequisites: Flail Mastery
Benefit: Once per round you may immediately make a free attack with a flail against an opponent who moves into a square adjacent to you. You suffer a –4 penalty with this attack. Also, you gain a trick.
Leaping Arc (Flail Attack Trick): You may substitute your Acrobatics (Dex) bonus in place of your melee attack bonus. If the attack misses you become flat-footed at the end of your Initiative
Count. You may use this trick as many times per combat as you have Melee Combat feats.

FLASHING WEAPON
That blur across their vision? Yeah, that's your weapon.
Prerequisites: Darting Weapon
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count when you're armed with a single melee weapon, you may accept a –5 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative Count. Once during your current Initiative Count you may take a full action to make 4 Standard Attacks with that weapon. If any of your attacks miss this round, you become flat-footed at the end of your current Initiative Count.

GREATSWORD BASICS
You handle even the largest of blades like a delicate dance partner.
Prerequisites: Edged forte
Benefit: When you wield a greatsword it gains guard +2. Also, you gain a stance.
Overpowering Force (Stance): When you use a 2-handed melee weapon to hit an opponent who hasn't moved since your Initiative Count last round, you inflict the weapon's maximum damage (sneak attack damage and other random bonuses are rolled normally). You may not take move actions (though you may still take 5-ft. Bonus Steps as normal).

GREATSWORD MASTERY
Even the largest of blades is like a graceful feather to you.
Prerequisites: Greatsword Basics
Benefit: You may use a greatsword to perform hammer and sword tricks. Also, you gain a trick.
Blade Wall (Greatsword Total Defense Trick): Each opponent who tries to move into a square adjacent to you must make a Will save (DC 10 + your Str modifier + the number of Melee Combat feats you have) or end their movement in the previous square.

GREATSWORD SUPREMACY
You sweep foes aside like a deranged windmill.
Prerequisites: Greatsword Mastery
Benefit: Your Strength score rises by 1 and you gain a trick.
Spiral Cutter (Greatsword Attack Trick): You may make a single attack check with a –4 penalty against every character within 10 ft. You become flat-footed at the end of your Initiative Count. You may use this trick once per round.

HAMMER BASICS
Your crushing blows reshape the battlefield.
Prerequisites: Blunt forte
Benefit: When you wield a hammer it gains AP 2 and you gain a stance.
Turn the Millstone (Stance): Each time you hit an adjacent opponent with a 2-handed melee weapon, you may also move them into any empty square adjacent to you.

HAMMER MASTERY
Castle walls? Castle guards? Meh. Same difference.
Prerequisites: Hammer Basics
Benefit: You inflict double damage when attacking objects or scenery with a hammer. Also, you gain a trick.
Bone Crusher (Hammer Attack Trick): The target must also make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your Str modifier + the number of Melee Combat feats you have) or suffer 1 point of Constitution impairment. This may not lower the target's Constitution score below 6.

HAMMER SUPREMACY
At this point every foe starts to look like a nail.
Prerequisites: Hammer Mastery
Benefit: Your Constitution rises by 1 and you gain a trick.
Splatter (Hammer Attack Trick): If the target is a standard character with a lower Constitution score than yours, he immediately fails his Damage save (damage isn't rolled). You may use this trick once per round.

KNIFE BASICS
You're done with the fight before most folks know it's started.
Prerequisites: Edged forte
Benefit: All knives on your person are considered armed at all times. Also, you gain a stance.
Wicked Dance (Stance): Your 1-handed melee attacks inflict 2 additional dice of sneak attack damage. You may not take move actions (though you may still take 5-ft. Bonus Steps as normal).

KNIFE MASTERY
It's easier to whittle people than twigs -- and more fun.
Prerequisites: Knife Basics
Benefit: Once per round you may Feint an opponent that you've hit with a knife this round as a free action. You suffer a –4 penalty with the Prestidigitation check. Also, you gain a trick.
Blade Flurry (Knife Attack Trick): If you hit by 4 or more, you inflict the knife's damage an additional time. If you hit by  10 or more, you inflict the knife's damage two additional times. In both cases, roll separately each time you inflict damage.

KNIFE SUPREMACY
Hamstrings, kidneys, and throats -- when slashing at people, it's good to have a little variety.
Prerequisites: Knife Mastery
Benefit: Your knife attacks inflict 1 die of sneak attack damage. Also, you gain a trick.
Shank! (Knife Attack Trick): If the target is a standard character with a lower Intelligence score than yours, he immediately fails his Damage save (damage isn't rolled). You may use this trick once per round.

POLEARM BASICS
One foot of steel, eight feet of death!
Prerequisites: Edged forte
Benefit: When you wield a polearm it gains hook. Also, you gain a stance.
Spinning Shield (Stance): You gain DR against bow and hurled weapon damage equal to the number of Melee Combat feats you have.

Note: The Hook weapon-quality gives the wielder +2 to any attempts to Disarm an opponent.

POLEARM MASTERY
When you put them down, they don't get back up.
Prerequisites: Polearm Basics
Benefit: Once per round you may immediately make a free polearm attack against an opponent who moves into a square adjacent to you. You inflict only 1/2 damage with this attack (rounded up). Also, you gain a trick.
Topple and Gut (Polearm Trip Trick): You also inflict your polearm's damage.

POLEARM SUPREMACY
Experience has its perks, among them not getting tooled.
Prerequisites: Polearm Mastery
Benefit: Your Wisdom score rises by 1. Also, you gain a trick.
Skull Crack (Polearm Attack Trick): If the target is a standard character with a lower Wisdom score than yours, he immediately fails his Damage save (damage isn't rolled). You may use this trick once per round.

SHIELD BASICS
Shoulder to shoulder or leading the charge, your shield shines at the front of every battle line.
Prerequisites: Blunt forte
Benefit: You gain a +4 gear bonus when Bull Rushing with an armed shield. Also, you gain a stance.
Phalanx Fighting (Stance): Each adjacent ally gains a +1 bonus to Defense and Reflex saves. This bonus increases to +2 when you wield a weapon with guard +2 or higher. The maximum bonus a character may gain from allies in this stance is +4.

SHIELD MASTERY
Your cunning shield-work turns every blade and punishes every lapse.
Prerequisites: Shield Basics
Benefit: When you wield a shield the armor-piercing and keen qualities of attacks targeting you decrease by the number of Melee Combat feats you have. Also, you gain a trick.
Shield Slam (Shield Attack Trick): This trick may only be used when inflicting subdual damage. If the target fails his save against subdual damage, he's also stunned for 1 round.

SHIELD SUPREMACY
You're a one-man fortress.
Prerequisites: Shield Mastery
Benefit: When you wield a shield its guard quality increases by +2. Also, you gain a trick.
Throw Them Back! (Shield Total Defense Trick): Each opponent who tries to move into a square adjacent to you must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + your Str modifier + the number of Melee Combat feats you have) or end their movement in the previous square.

SPEAR BASICS
You like to keep one hand free for more important things -- like mocking your opponent.
Prerequisites: Edged forte
Benefit: When you wield a 1-handed spear its Reach increases by 1 and when you wield a 2-handed spear its gains bleed. Also, you gain a stance.
Monkey's Grip (Stance): You may wield a single 2-handed melee weapon with one hand.

SPEAR MASTERY
Sometimes brute force actually is the answer.
Prerequisites: Spear Basics
Benefit: You may use a spear to perform staff and polearm tricks. Also, you gain a trick.
Falling Lightning (Spear Attack Trick): You may substitute your Athletics (Str) bonus for your melee attack bonus. If the attack misses you become flat-footed at the end of your Initiative Count. You may use this trick as many times per combat as you have Melee Combat feats.

SPEAR SUPREMACY
What do shish kebabs and your enemies have in common?
Prerequisites: Spear Mastery
Benefit: When you wield a spear it gains hurl. Also, you gain a trick.
Run Through (Spear Bull Rush Trick): If the target is a standard character with a lower Strength score than yours, he immediately fails his Damage save (damage isn't rolled). You may use this trick
once per round.

STAFF BASICS
Some people call it a "stick." You call it "insurance."
Prerequisites: Blunt forte
Benefit: When you wield a staff its Reach increases by 1. Also, you gain a stance.
Whirling Guard (Stance): Standard characters cannot flank you.

STAFF MASTERY
Arm's length is for amateurs! Now, the length of a small tree…
Prerequisites: Staff Basics
Benefit: When you wield a staff it gains guard +2. Also, you gain a trick.
Wall of Branches (Staff Total Defense Trick): Each opponent who tries to move into a square adjacent to you must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + your Str modifier + the number of Melee Combat feats you have) or end their movement in the previous square.

STAFF SUPREMACY
Even if they get through your makeshift rotary shield, you're rarely still there to greet them.
Prerequisites: Staff Mastery
Benefit: While holding an armed staff you gain a +4 gear bonus with Tumble and Jump checks. Also, you gain a trick.
Guardian's Circle (Staff Total Defense Trick): You gain DR against melee and unarmed attacks equal to the number of Melee Combat feats you have.

SWORD BASICS
Not everyone sees a sword's true flexibility and depth. Pity them.
Prerequisites: Edged forte
Benefit: Once per round as a free action, you may Anticipate an opponent that you've hit with a sword this round. You suffer a –4 penalty with the Sense Motive check. Also, you gain a stance.
Martial Spirit (Stance): You gain a +1 bonus with melee attack checks and a +3 bonus with melee damage rolls.

SWORD MASTERY
The risks and rewards of battle are laid bare before you.
Prerequisites: Sword Basics
Benefit: You may use a sword to perform polearm or spear tricks. Also, you gain a trick.
Bury the Blade (Sword Attack Trick): If you hit by 4 or more, your attack gains keen 10.

Note: Keen weapon-quality increases your threat-range by this number. So in this case - if you roll 4 higher than your target number your weapon's threat increases by 10!!! (not counting any other bonuses you have).

SWORD SUPREMACY
It's sometimes called the Prince of Arms. In your hands it's the King of War.
Prerequisites: Sword Mastery
Benefit: Your sword attacks inflict +1 damage per 2 your attack check exceeds the target's Defense. Also, you gain a trick.
Think Ahead (Sword Attack Trick): You may substitute your Sense Motive (Wis) bonus for your melee attack bonus. If the attack misses you become flat-footed at the end of your Initiative Count. You may use this trick as many times per combat as you have Melee Combat feats.

WHIP BASICS
The whip really is an extension of your arm.
Prerequisites: Blunt forte
Benefit: While holding a readied whip, your Reach for Handling Items and Tiring increases by 2. Also, you gain a stance.
Vicious Intensity (Stance): If you made no attacks last round you gain a +2 bonus with melee attack checks and damage rolls this round.

WHIP MASTERY
Come into my parlor, said the spider…
Prerequisites: Whip Basics
Benefit: When you wield a whip its Reach increases by 1.
Also, you gain a trick.
Entwine (Whip Attack Trick): If the target is your Size or smaller, he's also pulled into the nearest empty square adjacent to you and targeted by a Trip action using your attack result.

WHIP SUPREMACY
You spin a web of pain and surprise.
Prerequisites: Whip Mastery
Benefit: Each of your whip attacks may inflict your choice of lethal, stress, or subdual damage instead of the weapon's normal damage (no penalty or damage decrease occurs). Also, you gain a trick.
Thrash (Whip Attack Trick): If the target fails his save against stress damage, he instead fails 2 saves.

Ranged Combat Feats

ANGRY HORNET
Your arrows fly with lethal fleetness.
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count when you're armed with a bow or thrown weapon you may accept a –2 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative Count. Once during your current Initiative Count you may take a half action to make 2 Standard Attacks with that weapon. You may not use this ability with weapons that have the load quality.

BOW BASICS
Your aim is true and your arrows fatal.
Requirements: Bows forte
Benefit: When you wield a bow it gains AP 2 and you gain a stance:
Deadshot (Stance): You gain a +2 bonus with ranged weapon attacks and damage. You may not move while in this stance (though you may still take 5-ft. Bonus Steps as normal).

BOW MASTERY
In your hands, a bow can deliver the wrath of the gods.
Requirements: Bow Basics
Benefit: When you wield a bow its maximum range increases by 4 increments (e.g. from ×6 to ×10). Also, you gain a trick.
Eagle Eye (Bow Attack Trick): You may substitute your Search (Wis) bonus for your ranged attack bonus. If the attack misses you become flat-footed at the end of your Initiative Count. You may use this trick as many times per combat as you have Ranged Combat feats.

BOW SUPREMACY
You exploit your bow in ways undreamt of by…less creative archers.
Requirements: Bow Mastery
Benefit: When you wield a bow it gains spike and you gain a trick.
Multi-Shot (Bow Attack Trick): Using this trick fires 3 arrows or bolts. If you hit by 4 or more, you inflict your ammunition's damage an additional time. If you hit by 10 or more, you inflict your ammunition's damage two additional times. In both cases, roll separately each time you inflict damage.

BLACKENED SKY
Your enemies fight in the shade.
Prerequisites: Angry Hornet
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count when you're armed with a bow or thrown weapon you may accept a –5 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative Count. Once during that round you may take a full action to make 4 Standard Attacks with that weapon. If any of your attacks miss this round, you become flat-footed at the end of your current Initiative Count. You may not use this ability with weapons that have the load quality.

Note: The Load weapon-quality requires a number of rounds to reload the weapon before it can be used.

BULLSEYE
Dead center on the target. Dead center.
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count you may accept a penalty with your attack and skill checks of up to –4 to gain an equal insight bonus to ranged damage until the start of your next Initiative Count. If any of your attacks miss this round, you become flat-footed at the end of your current Initiative Count.

HURLED BASICS
Your hurled attacks always find their mark.
Requirements: Hurled forte
Benefit: Your Strength modifier is doubled when calculating thrown weapon damage. Also, you gain a stance.
Zen Shot (Stance): Your target's cover worsens by 2 grades (e.g. 1/2 cover becomes no cover). You may not move while in this stance (though you may still take Bonus 5-ft. Steps as normal).

HURLED MASTERY
Your control and accuracy of hurled attacks is almost supernatural.
Requirements: Hurled Basics
Benefit: When you wield a 1-handed thrown weapon it gains return and when you wield a 2-handed thrown weapon it gains AP 4.  Also, you gain a trick.
Staple (Thrown Weapon Attack Trick): With a hit, your target must take a Reflex save (DC 10 + your Dex modifier + the number of Ranged Combat feats you have) or become entangled for 1 round.

HURLED SUPREMACY
A high-pitched whistle is usually the last thing your targets hear.
Requirements: Hurled Mastery
Benefit: Once per round as a free action, you may Feint or Trip an opponent that you've hit with a thrown weapon this round. You suffer a –4 penalty with the Prestidigitation or Acrobatics check. Also, you gain a trick.
Ricochet (Thrown Weapon Attack Trick):  If you hit by 4 or more, you also inflict the weapon's damage on 1 adjacent character of your choice.

Unarmed Combat Feats

KICKING BASICS
Your foes better watch your hands and your feet.
Prerequisites: Unarmed forte
Benefit: You don't become flat-footed when you fail Trip attempts. Also, you gain a stance.
Shifting Footwork (Stance): When you make an unarmed attack, your target's Dodge bonuses decrease to 1/2 normal (rounded down). You may also move 5 ft. each time you hit an opponent with an unarmed attack.

KICKING MASTERY
In the ring, in the dojo, or on the street, you've always got the moves to finish the job.
Prerequisites: Kicking Basics
Benefit: Your unarmed attacks gain AP 2 and you gain a trick.
Guillotine Kick (Unarmed Attack Trick): If you hit by 4 or more, you inflict your unarmed damage one additional time (rolling damage separately for each). If the attack misses, you become sprawled. You may use this trick once per round.

KICKING SUPREMACY
Your fight-ending flourishes are spectacular.
Prerequisites: Kicking Mastery
Benefit: When you hit a single opponent with an unarmed attack and the square on the opposite side of your target is empty, you may immediately move into that square. Also, you gain a trick.
Hurricane Kick (Unarmed Attack Trick): You may make a single attack check against every adjacent character. Each target hit suffers 1/2 your unarmed damage (rounded up) and is pushed 5 ft. away from you (assuming there's an empty square behind them). You may use this trick as many times per combat as you have Unarmed Combat feats.

MARTIAL ARTS
You're a living weapon, delivering deadly blows with your bare hands.
Prerequisites: Unarmed forte
Benefit: Your unarmed attacks inflict 1d6 lethal damage with a threat range of 19–20. Also, you may choose one attribute, substituting that attribute's modifier in place of Dexterity when calculating Defense and Initiative, and in place of Strength when making unarmed attack and damage rolls.

MASTER'S ART
Your fighting skills are the stuff of legend.
Prerequisites: Martial Arts
Benefit: Your unarmed attacks inflict 1d10 lethal damage with a threat range of 18–20.

RAGE BASICS
The fury of a caged beast lurks within you.
Benefit: You gain a +2 morale bonus with Intimidate checks. Also, you gain a stance.
Berserk Stance (Stance): Your Strength and Constitution scores rise by 3 each. You may not make skill checks while in this stance (but you may still oppose them as normal). When you leave this stance you become fatigued.

RAGE MASTERY
Your frenzy is the stuff of nightmares.
Prerequisites: Rage Basics
Benefit: While in Berserk Stance you may make Intimidate checks and your Strength and Constitution scores rise by an additional 2 each (total 5 each).

RAGE SUPREMACY
Though tamed, your beast hasn't lost its bite.
Prerequisites: Rage Mastery
Benefit: You may make skill checks in Berserk Stance. Also, if you take a half action to change stance or return to normal stance, you don't become fatigued.

TWO-HIT COMBO
…and the hits just keep on coming!
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count you may accept a –2 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative Count. Once during that round you may take a half action to make 2 unarmed Standard Attacks.

WARRIOR'S GRACE
You fist-falls are an avalanche of pain.
Prerequisites: Two-Hit Combo
Benefit: At the start of your Initiative Count you may accept a –5 penalty with your attack and skill checks until the start of your next Initiative Count. Once during that round you may take a full action to make 4 unarmed Standard Attacks. If any of your attacks miss this round, you become flat-footed at the end of your current Initiative Count.

WRESTLING BASICS
You prefer to tackle opponents at close range.
Prerequisites: Unarmed forte
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Defense against adjacent opponents. Also, you gain a stance.
Open Stance (Stance): Once per round when you have 2 hands free and an opponent misses you with a melee or unarmed attack, you may immediately Grapple or Trip him as a free action. You may not take move actions (though you may still take 5-ft. Bonus Steps as normal).

WRESTLING MASTERY
Bulk up, beat down!
Prerequisites: Wrestling Basics
Benefit: The lower of your Strength or Constitution scores rises by 1. Also, you gain a trick.
Clothesline (Unarmed Attack Trick): Your target must also make a Fortitude save (DC equal to the damage inflicted after DR and Resistances) or become sprawled.

WRESTLING SUPREMACY
Lights out!
Prerequisites: Wrestling Mastery
Benefit: You may Coup de Grace pinned characters and gain a trick.
Piledriver (Unarmed Trip Trick): With a hit you inflict double your unarmed damage and an equal amount of flash and bang damage. If the attack misses, you become sprawled. You may use this trick as many times per combat as you have Unarmed Combat feats.

WHEW... Okay these are just the combat feats - and not all of them (because many didn't make it into the core book and found their way into the first supplement The Adventurers Companion). Those Feats would almost double this number: they include more stuff for Two Weapon Fighting, Archery, Black Powder, Siege weaponry, and a whole bunch of other cool stuff.).

I'll get to the other non-Combat Feats in the next post. But I want everyone to get a good look at what we're dealing with here in terms of the sheer difference of magnitude in terms of mechanical strength. NONE of these Feats are class-restricted. So you could easily be a Mage and be a weapon master. Or a Soldier that not only is deadly with his family zweihander, is also a ridonkulously dangerous Martial Artist when bare-handed. You'll see Feats here that emulate "traditional" aspects of 3e classes - like the Rage Feats. If you wanted to make that 3x Barbarian - you merely take the Barbarian Specialty, pick the class you think is most appropriate and buy the Feat. Odds are you'll be better even at level 1 than most 3rd level 3.x characters (we'll put that to the test).

So small Feat trees, almost no "gate keeping feats" (in fact I don't know of any). And combined with the Trick and Stance subsystem - they add a huge mechanical punch over their D&D3.x and Pathfinder counterparts. Since there are no level restrictions (it's a GM prerogative thing - for instance I don't let anyone start with anything higher than Mastery) the fact that some Feat trees SYNERGIZE with other Feat Trees, (Greatsword Mastery allows you to use any Sword or Hammer Tricks and Stances for instance!) and scale based on the number of Combat Feats you posses creates further differentiation and effectiveness.

You can model practically any kind of combatant you can imagine with little effort AND without sacrificing your character concept. Want to be a mounted Lancer? No problem. Pick a couple of Feats and you're going to lose nothing since most of the important feats (Charge) are useful on foot too.

CHANCE FEATS

ADVENTURER’S LUCK
You’re every party’s best friend.
Benefit: Each time your party rolls for treasure you may roll twice, keeping both results.

ALL IN
Never tell me the odds!
Prerequisites: Special character only (i.e. PC's and important NPC's)
Benefit: You gain 1 Edge each time you roll a natural 20 on a skill check against an adversary. You may spend 4 Edge before making a skill check to increase both its threat and error ranges by 4.

Note: EdgeSpecial characters sometimes build momentum in combat, called Edge, and can use it to pull off special maneuvers as dictated by the Feat. Each special character may accumulate up to 5 Edge and all Edge is lost at the end of each combat. Edge may be spent to use certain exclusive tricks, actions, and abilities.

BLACK CAT
Strange and unfortunate accidents plague your enemies.
Benefit: Once per character per scene, as a free action, you may raise the target’s error ranges by 2 for the rest of the scene. You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to the number of Chance feats you have.

CLOSE CALL
That… That was a close one.
Prerequisites: Special character only
Benefit: You gain 1 Edge each time you spend an action die to boost a save. You may spend 3 Edge to automatically succeed with a failed save.

FORTUNATE
The odds are always in your favor.
Benefit: At the beginning of each session you gain a number of bonus d4 action dice equal to the number of Chance feats you have.

FORTUNE FAVORS THE BOLD
“I’ll take my chances” is your favorite strategy.
Benefit: When you roll an action die, the result increases by 2.

FORTUNE’S FOOL
Sometimes you snatch victory from the very jaws of defeat.
Benefit: Each time you suffer a critical failure you gain a bonus d4 action die. You may use this ability a number of times per session equal to the number of Chance feats you have.

JINX
You’re a walking disaster area — for your enemies.
Prerequisites: Black Cat
Benefit: While targeting a character with your Black Cat feat, you may activate his errors for 1 less action die (minimum 0).

LADY LUCK’S SMILE
If you’re consistently lucky, is it really luck?
Benefit: When you roll an action die, it explodes on its highest or second highest natural result (e.g. 5–6 on a d6, 9–10 on a d10, etc.).

LUCKY BREAK
One inch to the left and that would have been bad.
Prerequisites: Special character only
Bonus: You gain 2 Edge at the beginning of each scene. Once per round when an attack hits you by 1 or less, you may spend 1 Edge to cause the attack to miss.

TOUGH LUCK
Your enemies never catch a break.
Prerequisites: Jinx
Benefit: While targeted by your Black Cat feat, a character must spend 1 additional action die to activate each critical hit or success.


COVERT FEATS

AMBUSH BASICS
You frequently benefit from the element of surprise.
Benefit: You require only 2 rounds to make a Tactics/Ambush check. Also, your attacks inflict an additional die of sneak attack damage.

AMBUSH MASTERY
Your blows rattle opponents to their core.
Prerequisites: Ambush Basics
Benefit: You may convert damage without suffering the normal –4 attack penalty (see page 209). Also, when you inflict subdual damage on a flat-footed opponent, he doesn’t lose the flat-footed condition.

AMBUSH SUPREMACY
They never see you coming.
Prerequisites: Ambush Mastery
Benefit: If you take 10 minutes to make a Tactics/Ambush check, your threat range increases by 4. Also, your attacks inflict an additional die of sneak attack damage (total 2 dice).

FEROCITY BASICS
You always go for the kill.
Benefit: When rolling sneak attack damage, you inflict +1 damage per die.

FEROCITY MASTERY
That’s going to leave a mark!
Prerequisites: Ferocity Basics
Benefit: You gain a trick.
Crippling Strike (Attack Trick): Choose 1 of the target’s attributes. With a hit, the attack inflicts 1/2 damage and the opponent suffers a –4 penalty with attack and skill checks using the attribute for the rest of the scene. With a miss, you become flat-footed. Each character may suffer from only 1 successful Crippling Strike per scene.

FEROCITY SUPREMACY
You’re as ruthless as they come.
Prerequisites: Ferocity Mastery
Benefit: Once per round, you may take a half action to Coup de Grace a helpless character.

GARROTE BASICS
You turn a simple cord into a deadly weapon.
Prerequisites: Unarmed forte
Benefit: When you’re armed with a garrote, any opponent you pin immediately begins to suffocate. This continues until the pin is broken, you release them, or they die. Also, you gain a stance.
Wraith of the Battlefield (Stance): You gain a +4 bonus with Sneak checks made during combat.

GARROTE MASTERY
They may thrash and they may whimper but none of that will prevent the inevitable.
Prerequisites: Garrote Basics
Benefit: While armed with a garrote you gain a +4 gear bonus with unarmed Disarms. Also, you gain a grapple benefit.
Choke Out (Garrote Grapple Benefit): The target suffers 1 point of Strength impairment. This may not decrease the target’s Strength score to less than 6.

GARROTE SUPREMACY
Snap. Crackle. Pop!
Prerequisites: Garrote Mastery
Benefit: If you’re armed with a garrote you don’t become flat-footed when Grappling. Also, you gain a grapple benefit.
Neck Breaker (Garrote Grapple Benefit): If the target is a standard character with a lower Strength score than yours, he immediately fails his Damage save (damage isn’t rolled).

GHOST BASICS
You’re swift, silent, and difficult to pin down.
Benefit: Your Sneak check movement penalties decrease to 1/2 (rounded down). Also, you may move up to double your Speed while making a Hide check.

GHOST MASTERY
You use every available advantage when hiding.
Prerequisites: Ghost Basics
Benefit: Your Sneak check ambient light, noise, and scenery penalties decrease to 1/2 (rounded down). Also, you may make Hide checks without any apparent place to hide (e.g. in an open field with low grass, in a bare room, etc.).

GHOST SUPREMACY
You move like a specter, effortlessly slipping from shadow to shadow.
Prerequisites: Ghost Mastery
Benefit: Your Sneak check penalties for being blinded, deafened, or making an attack decrease to 1/2 (rounded down). Also, when you’re hidden and benefit from at least 1/2 scenery cover against an opponent, you’re considered invisible to that opponent.

MISDIRECTION BASICS
You keep even the most ferocious enemies off balance and off guard.
Benefit: Your threat range with attacks against special characters increases by 1. You also count as 3 additional characters when determining numerical advantage.

MISDIRECTION MASTERY
When you set someone up, they fall hard.
Prerequisites: Misdirection Basics
Benefit: Once per combat, you and each teammate may make a free attack against a single flat-footed special character. You may not take this action during a surprise round.

MISDIRECTION SUPREMACY
You never miss critical moments and always use them to maximum effect.
Prerequisites: Misdirection Mastery
Benefit: When you use your Misdirection Mastery feat, you and each teammate who hits may also choose one of the following benefits.

- Inflict 2 dice of sneak attack damage
- Recover 2d6 vitality
- Gain 1 bonus d6 action die

MOBILITY BASICS
You’re always in just the right place during combat.
Benefit: You may make turns freely during a Run and don’t become flat-footed afterward. Also, when you take a Total Defense action, you may take 2 Standard Move actions.

MOBILITY MASTERY
Duck and weave, duck and weave!
Prerequisites: Mobility Basics
Benefit: Each time you perform a Standard Move or Run, you gain a +2 dodge bonus to Defense until the start of your next Initiative Count.

MOBILITY SUPREMACY
They never see you coming, or leaving.
Prerequisites: Mobility Basics.
Benefit: Your base Speed increases by 10 ft.

I'm going to skip Skill and Gear Feats (there's a lot and they're all very useful depending on the kind of game you're running) - I want to stick to the meat-and-potatoes of Character Generation so we can actually make some characters for comparison. So on to Species Feats! These are where you get to create your Drow, Hill Dwarves or Sorcerer-blooded, Tieflingesque weirdo PC's that are now so common in D&D.

SPECIES FEATS

ABIDE IN DARKNESS
Your exposure to the roots of the world makes you resistant to lesser magic.
Prerequisites: Sorcery campaign quality, darkvision II NPC quality
Benefit: You gain Spell Defense equal to 10 + your Career Level + your starting action dice. This Spell Defense decreases by 4 in bright light and by 10 in intense light or direct sunlight (minimum 0).

Note: Campaign Qualities are campaign-wide setting "conditions". Like Savage Worlds Setting Edges.

AGILE FLYER
You’re most at home in the air.
Prerequisites: Winged flight
Benefit: You gain Acrobatics as an Origin skill and suffer no additional penalties when hovering.

ANGELIC HERITAGE
Divine forces have touched your family line, gifting you with fine features and unusual grace.
Prerequisites: Level 1 only
Benefit: The higher of your Wisdom or Charisma scores rises by 1, you gain Acid Resistance 5, and your Appearance bonus increases by +1. When taking the Basic Skill Mastery feat you have access to a new skill pair: Savior (Notice & Tactics). However, you’re also an Outsider (see page 227) and vulnerable to various effects and potentially higher damage from some sources.

ANGELIC LEGACY
Your unearthly heritage continues to shine through in your every word and deed. You may even embrace your heritage completely, becoming like an angel in form and speech.
Prerequisites: Human, Angelic Heritage
Benefit: The lower of your Wisdom or Charisma scores rises by 1, your Acid Resistance increases to 10, and you gain Cold Resistance 10.You may choose to grow feathered wings once, when you level, gaining winged flight 60 ft. If you do, your starting action dice decrease by 1 and you become uncomfortable telling falsehoods, suffering a –5
penalty with Bluff checks.

DEVILISH HERITAGE
Pacts with the wicked forces have indelibly stained your family tree.
Prerequisites: Level 1 only
Benefit: The higher of your Dexterity or Intelligence scores rises by 1 and you gain Fire Resistance 5 and gore II. When taking the Basic Skill Mastery feat you have access to a new skill pair: Deceiver (Bluff & Sneak). However, you’re also an Outsider and vulnerable to various effects and higher damage from some sources.

DEVILISH LEGACY
Your path may have been paved with good intentions but they’ve clearly been forsaken. Another step and you’ll reveal your dark destiny to all.
Prerequisites: Human, Devilish Heritage
Benefit: The lower of your Dexterity or Intelligence scores rises by 1, your Fire Resistance increases to 10, and you gain Electricity Resistance 10.
You may choose to grow bat wings once, when you level, gaining winged flight 60 ft. If you do, your starting action dice decrease by 1 and you grow less caring for the well-being of others, suffering a –5 penalty with Medicine checks.

DRACONIC HERITAGE
You’re a descendant of mighty dragons, feared and admired by all.
Prerequisites: Level 1 only
Benefit: You gain menacing threat and thick hide 3. When taking the Basic Skill Mastery feat you have access to a new skill pair: Conqueror (Impress & Tactics).

DRACONIC LEGACY
Your ancestry’s draconic promise manifests fully in you.
Requirements: Saurian or Human, Draconic Heritage
Benefit: The higher of your Strength or Intelligence scores increases by 1. You may also breathe fire and select feats as if you’re a Drake. You may choose to grow leathery
wings once, when you level, gaining winged flight 60 ft. If you do, your starting action dice decrease by 1 and you find it difficult to subdue your imperious nature, suffering a –5 penalty with Blend checks.

EASTERN HORDE
Unafraid of the dawning sun, the Skull Tribes can strike anywhere at any time.
Prerequisites: Goblin or Orc, Level 1 only
Benefit: Explorer is an iconic class for you. You lose light-sensitive and suffer exactly 1 point per subdual damage die when making a Push Limit check (damage isn’t rolled).

ELEMENTAL HERITAGE
Your ancestors were closely tied to the primal forces of the world.
Prerequisites: Level 1 only
Benefit: Choose an element.
- Crystal: Your unarmed and natural attacks gain bleed and you gain 2 Panache. However, you also gain Achilles heel (sonic).
- Darkness: You gain darkvision II, light-sensitive and a +4 bonus with Sneak checks.
- Dust/Sand: You gain Unarmed Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus
with Prestidigitation checks. However, your Charisma score
drops by 1.
- Earth: You gain DR 2/Blunt and sterner stuff (see page 234). However, your Speed decreases by 5 ft. (minimum 10 ft.).
- Fire: You gain Fire Resistance 5 and may convert your unarmed damage to fire damage without suffering the normal –4 attack penalty. However, you also gain Achilles heel (cold).
- Ice: You gain Cold Resistance 5 and may convert your unarmed damage to cold damage without suffering the normal –4 attack penalty. However, you also gain Achilles heel (fire).
- Lava: You gain Heat Resistance 5 and grueling combatant (see page 233). However, you also gain Achilles heel (cold).
- Light: You gain Divine Resistance 5 and night-blind (see page 234), and may convert your unarmed damage to flash damage without suffering the normal –4 attack penalty.
- Lightning: You gain Electrical Resistance 5 and may convert your unarmed damage to electrical damage without suffering the normal –4 attack penalty. However, you also suffer a –2 penalty with Will saves.
- Metal: You gain Edged Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus with Resolve checks. However, you also suffer a –2 penalty with Reflex saves.
- Mist/Smoke: You gain Ranged Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus with Blend checks. However, you also suffer a –2 penalty with Fortitude saves.
- Water: You gain Blunt Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus with Acrobatics checks. However, you also gain Achilles heel (electricity).
- Wind: You gain Falling Resistance 5 and your Speed increases by 5 ft. However, your Size is considered 1 category smaller during Bull Rushes, Grapples, and Trips.
- Wood: You gain DR 2/Edged and attribute impairment you suffer decreases by 1. However, you also gain Achilles heel (fire).

ELEMENTAL LEGACY
More and more you embrace your element, perhaps enough to feel your birth species slipping…
Prerequisites: Drake, Giant, or Human; ElementalHeritage
Benefit: Your highest attribute rises by 1 and your lowest attribute decreases by 1. Also, all numerical benefits of your Elemental Heritage feat (positive and negative) are doubled (i.e. if you have Elemental Heritage (Earth), your Damage Reduction becomes 4/Blunt and your Speed decreases by 10 ft. instead of 5 ft.).
You may choose to embrace your elemental nature once, when you level, gaining the Elemental Type (see page 226). If you do, your starting action dice decrease by 1 and you become easier to spot unless trying to hide, suffering a –5 penalty with Blend checks.

FAERIE HERITAGE
The wilds have touched your soul and may one day claim it as their own…
Prerequisites: Non-fey, Level 1 only
Benefit: The higher of your Dexterity or Charisma scores rises by 1 and the DCs of Sense Motive checks targeting you increase by 4. You always have enough food and water for yourself, so long as you’re located within 10 miles of nature. Also, when taking the Basic Skill Mastery feat you have access to a new skill pair: Eldritch (Impress & Sneak). However, you’re also a Fey (see page 226) and vulnerable to various effects and potentially higher damage from some sources.

FAERIE LEGACY
It seemed a dream when you dined in the courts of Underhill and tasted the nectar of the fair folk — but dream or no, it has marked you forever.
Prerequisites: Human or Pech, Faerie Heritage
Benefit: The higher of your Dexterity or Charisma scores rises by an additional 1 and the DCs of Sense Motive checks targeting you increase by an additional 6 (for a total increase of 10).You may choose to grow shimmering insect-like wings once, when you level, gaining winged flight 60 ft. If you do, your starting action dice decrease by 1 and you find it hard to fathom the motivations of others, suffering a –5 penalty with Sense Motive checks.

FAST FLYER
You dart through the air with effortless ease.
Prerequisites: Winged flight
Benefit: Your winged flight Speed increases by 50 ft. and you gain a +1 dodge bonus to Defense while flying.

FARSTRIDE FOLK
Like the first rays of morning, you fearlessly fling yourself toward the unknown.
Prerequisites: Pech, Level 1 only
Benefit: You gain Stress Resistance 4 and are considered to have 2 additional Chance feats (you don’t gain these feats but they’re counted when the number of Chance feats you have is used). However, at the start of each session, the GM gains 1 extra action die that may only be spent to activate an error you suffer when making an attack or skill check.

FIRE BRAVE
You’re among the rarest breed of ogre: the oni, the shape-shifting spawn of demons.
Prerequisites: Ogre, Level 1 only, Charisma 13+
Benefit: You gain Fire Resistance 10 and ignore Species penalties with Disguise checks. You also lose reviled and gain gore I

FIRE ELDER
Your diabolical heritage fully permeates your being, warping your body and granting you mastery of arcane power.
Prerequisites: Spellcasting 1+ ranks, Fire Brave
Benefit: You become an Outsider with Spell Defense equal to your Intimidate (Str) bonus. Your Intelligence score rises by 2 but your Constitution score drops by 2. Each
time you gain 1 or more ranks in the Intimidate skill, you also gain an equal number of ranks in the Spellcasting skill. This may not increase your Spellcasting skill beyond its maximum rank.

FLOATER
Your design includes the ability to hover.
Prerequisites: Unborn, Level 1 only
Benefit: You lose fatal falls and gain flight 20 ft., though you may rise no higher than 20 ft. above the ground.
Special: When you gain this feat you may reduce any of your attributes by 2 to gain an additional Species feat with the requirement “Level 1 only.”

GREATER BREATH
Your breath lays waste to huge swaths of territory.
Prerequisites: Drake
Benefit: Your breath weapon becomes a 40-ft. line, 20-ft. cone, or 15-ft. sphere (your choice).

GREAT HORDE
The Blood Tribe stands at the center — the very heart — of the Black Blood armies.
Prerequisites: Goblin or Orc, Level 1 only
Benefit: Captain is an iconic class for you. You also gain Stress Resistance 4 and 25 Reputation that must immediately be spent to create or improve a Goblin or Orc contact. This contact doesn’t count against the maximum number of Prizes you may keep.

GUTS
You can push yourself harder than most and shake offincredible damage.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus with Push Limit checks and suffer only 1/2 the normal penalty to Strength and Dexterity when fatigued. Also, when you Cheat Death, you may return to play at the start of the next scene.

HART NATION
The wood elves of the Hart Nations are perhaps the most outgoing and best known of the elven peoples.
Prerequisites: Elf, Level 1 only
Benefit: Captain becomes an iconic class for you and Adventurer, Rogue, Tribesman, and Warden become iconic specialties for you. Your Dexterity score rises by 2 but your
Intelligence score drops by 2.

HART NOBLE
Patrolling the edge of their lands, Hart archers know best how to make intruders feel unwelcome.
Prerequisites: Bow forte, Hart Nation
Benefit: You include your Ranged Combat and Species feats in the number of Covert feats you have (when that number is used). You also gain a trick.
Flustering Shot (Bow Attack Trick): The target must also resist a Distract action with the attack result as the DC.

HIDDEN PROMISE
You’re destined for great things.
Prerequisites: Level 1 only
Benefit: Your lowest attribute rises by 2 (your choice in the case of a tie).

HILL-BORN
Not every stone is buried deep in the Earth; Hill-Born dwarves dwell above-ground, making them the most approachable of their kind, both physically and socially.
Prerequisites: Dwarf, Level 1 only
Benefit: Explorer is an iconic class for you. You suffer exactly 1 point per subdual damage die when making a Push Limit check (damage isn’t rolled). Also, when taking the Basic Skill Mastery feat you have access to a new skill pair: Hill-Dwarf (Haggle & Ride).

HILL-CLAN
You’ve shared meals and conversations in many exotic lands.
Prerequisites: Hill-Born
Benefit: You gain 2 additional Languages and 25 Reputation that must immediately be spent to create or improve a contact.

JUNGLE CLUTCH
The khamai are secretive tree-dwellers with a luminescent hide that changes color to match their surroundings.
Requirements: Saurian, Level 1 only
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus with Climb checks and are always considered to have climber’s gear. Also, you may temporarily gain chameleon I as a 1 minute action, matching the surrounding terrain (see page 231). This camouflage is lost when you sleep or replace it with a new terrain.

JUNGLE CREST
As a khamai ages, his body adapts into that of a deadly hunter, with huge rotating eyes and a long and sticky tongue he can use to snare prey.
Requirements: Jungle Clutch
Benefit: You may no longer be flanked and your Reach when Handling Items and Grappling increases by 2.

LAVA-BORN
You hail from the fiery depths of the world, where the stones glow with the heat of the First Dwarf’s forge.
Prerequisites: Dwarf, Level 1 only
Benefit: Explorer is an iconic class for you. You gain Fire and Heat Resistance 5 and each time you inflict lethal damage with an unarmed or melee attack you may convert it to heat damage without suffering the normal –4 attack penalty.

LAVA-CLAN
Flowing rivers of molten stone surround your home. Sometimes, they entrust you with their secrets.
Prerequisites: Lava-Born
Benefit: Your Speed increases by 5 ft. and you gain a +1 bonus to Defense. Also, when you spend an action die to boost unarmed or melee damage, you may convert it to fire damage.

LORE OF THE STARS
You know the secret magic of every star in the heavens.
Prerequisites: Elf, sorcery campaign quality
Benefit: Mage is an iconic class for you and you may substitute your Wisdom bonus in place of your Intelligence bonus when making a Spellcasting check. You may make this substitution a number of times per scene equal to your starting action dice.

MAKE ME A STONE
This simple prayer means endurance in your culture and it was chanted at your birth.
Prerequisites: Dwarf
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus with saving throws made during a Dramatic scene and may recover vitality points and wounds during a Refresh action even if attacked before rolling your action

MANY-ARMED
You have multiple arms and the coordination to use them.
Prerequisites: Rootwalker or Unborn, Level 1 only
Benefit: You may simultaneously hold and arm up to six 1-handed, four 1-handed and one 2-handed, or two 1-handed and two 2-handed weapons or objects. Also, each round that you hold no more than this, you may Handle an Iem as a free action. You also gain a +1 bonus with skill checks made as part of a Grapple action per two of your hands that are free (maximum +3).
Special: When you gain this feat you may reduce any of your attributes by 2 to gain an additional Species feat with the requirement “Level 1 only.”

MANY-LEGGED
You have multiple legs.
Prerequisites: Rootwalker or Unborn, Level 1 only
Benefits: You have more than 2 legs and gain improved stability and kick II.
Special: When you gain this feat you may reduce any of your attributes by 2 to gain an additional Species feat with the requirement “Level 1 only.”

MIGHTY BREATH
Your breath weapon is exceptionally deadly.
Prerequisites: Greater Breath
Benefit: Your Constitution score rises by 1 and your breath weapon inflicts an additional 1d6 damage.

NATIVE FEROCITY
You use your natural weapons to deadly effect.
Prerequisite: At least 1 natural attack
Benefit: Each of your natural attacks improves by 1 grade (i.e. gore III becomes gore IV). You may also activate critical hits with natural attacks for 1 less action die (minimum 0) a number of times per combat equal to your starting action dice.

NEW LEAF
You’re a rar

Updated the Feats list... Species feats should be given a good lookover.

Quote from: tenbones;1142586Updated the Feats list... Species feats should be given a good lookover.

Thank you for this thread.

The featapalooza on display has been of great help to remind me never to buy or play any of these systems.

That being said - the audience must be there for this kind of stuff.

PF2 is still catering to this market. And 3.5 is still being played; probably more than any single OSR game.

A further bit of evidence that my personal preferences are utterly irrelevant to the greater RPG hobby/market.

Quote from: Jaeger;1142861Thank you for this thread.

The featapalooza on display has been of great help to remind me never to buy or play any of these systems.

That being said - the audience must be there for this kind of stuff.

PF2 is still catering to this market. And 3.5 is still being played; probably more than any single OSR game.

A further bit of evidence that my personal preferences are utterly irrelevant to the greater RPG hobby/market.

I don't consider 3.x of any stripe "OSR".

As for personal tastes? Yep. Personal. I don't play 3.x at all. But I think there is something very useful to learn from the design. I'd even argue the elements that lead to the crazy bloat that 3.x became, were already there in D&D2e - even 1e, and I'd cite Oriental Adventures Martial Arts system and later 2e's Skills and Powers as the precursor. Fantasy Craft to me is the apotheosis of that design in terms of trying to actually do what it set out to do with rigor.

But if you squint closely - a lot of that design strategy of having beefy abilities, call them Feats, call them Edges, call them Talents whatever - has proliferated throughout game design. The key is learning from the design and paring away what works and what doesn't.

There is *always* room for minimalist design ala OSR. For those that want more mechanical rigor - there is a gigantic gap in terms of what's out there and where OSR-style ends. That's the playground where I dwell. Lots to see, many flowers to smell in that garden.

I think Fantasy Craft could hugely inform the design of a new edition of D&D... or something adjacent to it. Lighter, meaner, with all the beef and none of the crappy filler but all D&D.

I started with 3.5 so I am a bit blind to the rules bloat, I guess. I think if anything the mistake is having both skill points and feats. Pick one or the other IMO, especially given how many skills exist in the 3.X/PF rules.

Quote from: Cigalazade;1142883I started with 3.5 so I am a bit blind to the rules bloat, I guess. I think if anything the mistake is having both skill points and feats. Pick one or the other IMO, especially given how many skills exist in the 3.X/PF rules.

In terms of design in 3.x - Skills and Feats serve different purposes.

I should be clear here on my opinion of Feats. Ultimately Feats *should* be the non-caster stand-in for "spells", but only insofar as they are not overtly "magic". This does not mean they can't replicate some mechanical effects - Fireballs do DAMAGE. Swords do DAMAGE for instance. We're not saying having a Feat that does 1d6 per level of Slashing Damage is the way to go or anything, and it would be a bit lazy in design, but the entirety of the combat system is wide open to tinker with to create the ultimate effect for which direct-damage is intended: to end fights.

Spellcasters are under no such limitation because "magic" is used for all sorts of silly stuff. But direct damage? In actuality is probably the least effective way of ending fights - which only further places the spotlight on the lack of mechanical power on the non-casters comparatively. There are spells in 3.x that can end fights immediately with a simple failed-save, which casters *can* stack their PC's to for. Coupled with the sheer variety of spells and exception-based mechanic effects of magic and the fact that by design spells *scale* with level, which Feats do not, creates some huge mechanical shifts between certain classes in terms of relative power.

This is what has lead to the "Linear Fighter/Quadratic Mage" problem.

If the purpose is to close that gap in 3.x or any other system, then I don't think it's worthwhile to having a skill-system that replicates these kinds of scaling power-levels in a class-based system. Could it be done? Sure. But I believe it's at cross-purposes of design.

Savage Worlds is a good example of a system that is not class-based but leans heavily on it's Feats (Edges) doing the heavy mechanical lifting while maintaining a spellcasting system that scales on the same lines.

Fantasy Craft Feats Part II

Style Feats

COMELY
You always turn heads.
Benefit: Your Charisma score rises by 1. You also gain a +2 bonus with Impress checks but suffer a –2 penalty with Blend and Disguise checks.

ELEGANT
Your appeal is timeless.
Prerequisites: Comely
Benefit: Your Appearance bonus increases by +1 and your Comely bonus and penalty increase to 3 each.

ENCHANTING
No one forgets your face.
Prerequisites: Elegant
Benefit: Your Charisma score rises by 1 more (total +2) and your Comely bonus and penalty increase to 4 each.

EXTRA CONTACT
It's all about who you know...
Prerequisites: Player character only
Benefit: You gain an additional contact with a Reputation value of 50 or less who doesn't count against the number of Prizes you may keep.
Special: You may not gain this as a temporary feat.

Note: an optional system in the game is the use of Prizes - which we'll cover in Gear. Basically in this system you only keep the special gear and loot you get in an adventure by claiming it as a Prize (you have a limited number of slots. The rest is assumed to be frittered away partying your ass off between adventures. This mechanic was keep gear-bloat from occurring and to remove itemization-as-balance from the game purely by mechanics. Most good GM's don't require this, but for those new to the system it has its uses.

EXTRA HOLDING
...and where you live. That too.
Prerequisites: Player character only
Benefit: You gain an additional holding with a Reputation value of 30 or less that doesn't count against the number of Prizes you may keep.
Special: You may not gain this as a temporary feat.

GLINT OF MADNESS
There's something deeply disturbing about you. Maybe it's the growling. Or the frothing.
Benefit: You inflict 1d10 stress damage when you Threaten an opponent. Also, once per round when one of your attacks renders an opponent unconscious or dead, you may immediately Threaten another opponent as a free action.

MARK
You can size anyone up at a glance.
Benefit: Once per character per scene, as a free action, you may learn the total bonuses of 3 skills belonging to a character in your line of sight.

PERSONAL LIEUTENANT
Someone's always got your back.
Perquisites: Player character only
Benefit: You control a non-animal NPC with an XP value no greater than 50 + 5 × the permanent Style feats you have. You may choose your lieutenant from the Rogues Gallery or Bestiary or build an original NPC with GM approval. Your lieutenant may not possess temporary feats. Your lieutenant is a special character with a Threat Level equal to your Career Level minus 4 (minimum 1). He gains no
action dice but you may spend your action dice on his behalf. Your lieutenant may not control additional characters.If your lieutenant dies or is dismissed, you lose Reputation equal to your Career Level (he's replaced in the following adventure).
Special: You may not gain this feat as a temporary feat.

REPARTEE BASICS
You navigate intricate social webs with hollow promises and sincere lies.
Benefit: The error ranges of Sense Motive checks targeting you increase by your Charisma modifier (minimum +1). You also gain a trick.
Silver Tongue (Distract Trick): Your target's Wisdom score also drops by 1 until the end of the scene (minimum 6). You may use this trick a number of times per scene equal to the number
of Style feats you have.

REPARTEE MASTERY
You can demolish pride and confidence with a few well-chosen words.
Prerequisites: Repartee Basics
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus with Bluff Checks and a trick.
Painful Secrets (Threaten Trick): Your target also loses the ability to spend action dice for a number of rounds equal to the number of Style feats you have.

REPARTEE SUPREMACY
Your soul-piercing declarations stop people dead in their tracks.
Prerequisites: Repartee Mastery
Benefit: Your Lifestyle rises by 1 and you gain a trick.
Staggering Pronouncement (Distract Trick): Also, your target may not take attack actions until he's attacked or the scene ends. You may use this trick once per scene.

Comments: I *cannot* underscore how dangerous social skills are in this game especially with certain classes. Fantasy Craft has done a rock-solid job for those players that don't care much about fighting, or spellcasting and just want to get by purely on their wits. Played well, you'll rarely have to draw a blade - you can prevent/create conflicts before they can begin naturally. There is no equivalent in D&D that approaches Fantasy Craft's design in this regard. Stress damage is real and every bit as dangerous as a blade in the right circumstances. And FC's social classes (Courtier for example) is superb at exemplifying this kind of play.

TERRAIN FEATS
Good for Scouts? Naturally. Good for *any* PC that wants some environmental advantages and have outdoor-skills. Also many of these Feats are powerful when used for Party support. It adds deeper flavor for such characters that "plan things".

ANIMAL PARTNER
He followed you home and now he's going to keep you.
Perquisites: Player character only
Benefit: You control an animal NPC with an XP value no greater than 50 + 5 × the permanent Terrain feats you have. You may choose your partner from the Bestiary or build an original NPC with GM approval. Your partner may not possess temporary feats. Your partner is a special character with a Threat Level equal to your Career Level minus 4 (minimum 1). It gains no action dice but you may spend your action dice on its behalf. Your partner may not control additional characters.If your partner dies or is dismissed, you lose Reputation equal to your Career Level (he's replaced in the following adventure).
Special: You may not gain this feat as a temporary feat.

BATTLEFIELD TRICKERY
You use simple traps to disable your foes.
Benefit: When you successfully Ambush one or more characters, you may choose a number of them up to the number of Terrain feats you have. Each target chosen suffers the effects of a successful Cheap Shot trick (no attack is made and no damage is rolled).

Note: Ambush is an action that takes 1-minute to set up. The roll for an Ambush check is not made when the ambush is prepared, but rather when it's sprung. With success against a target character or group's Notice, Search, or Sense Motive (as appropriate), a surprise round happens with the targets unaware of your party. With a critical success, each member of your party also gains 1d6 sneak attack damage per action die spent. This sneak attack damage applies only during the surprise round. With a critical failure, each member of your party suffers an Initiative penalty of –2 per action die spent.

Note II: Cheap Shot Trick - The character attempts to exploit an opponent's obvious weakness. He chooses 1 of the opponent's attributes or the opponent's Speed and makes his attack check, suffering a =4 penalty. With a hit, the opponent suffers a –2 penalty with all attack and skill checks using the chosen attribute, or a –10 ft. penalty to his Speed, until the end of the scene. With a miss, the character becomes flat-footed. Each combatant may suffer from only 1 successful Cheap Shot per scene.

BUSHWHACK BASICS
You like to start fights with a little something special.
Benefit: When you have a 2-to-1 or better advantage, your Ambush effects last 3 rounds (beyond the surprise round).

BUSHWHACK MASTERY
You dominate attention during brawls.
Prerequisites: Bushwhack Basics
Benefit: Once per round when you have a 2-to-1 or better advantage, you may Taunt or Distract an opponent as a free action.

BUSHWHACK SUPREMACY
You keep the enemy bunched up and pinned down.
Prerequisites: Bushwhack Mastery
Benefit: When you have a 2-to-1 or better advantage, the Speed of each opponent within your line of sight drops to 1/2 normal (rounded up).

COORDINATED ATTACK
Your guidance dramatically improves your teammates' combat prowess.
Benefit: Once per round as a full action, you may direct a teammate who can see and hear you to make an immediate Standard Attack.

COORDINATED MOVE
Your complex synchronized assaults are devastating.
Prerequisite: Coordinated Attack
Benefit: Once per round as a full action, you may direct a teammate who can see and hear you to make an immediate Feint, Reposition, or Standard Move.

COORDINATED STRIKE
You direct battles like a conductor directs a beautiful orchestra.
Prerequisite: Coordinated Move
Benefit: Once per round as a full action, you may direct up to 2 teammates who can see and hear you to each make an immediate Standard Attack or Standard Move.

THE EXTRA MILE
You go to extreme lengths to make sure everyone comes back alive.
Benefit: Once per adventure, you may choose a single teammate who has died during a standard scene. If you have the teammate's body at the end of the scene, he Cheats Death with a Petty fate.

Note: Cheating death is a get out of jail card if your character should technically be dead. There is a table you can roll on, or you can get maimed or something - there should be something memorable and mechanical to the effect.

HORDE BASICS
You overwhelm enemies with sheer numbers.
Benefit: You and each teammate gain 1/4 personal cover when you have a 2-to-1 advantage, and 1/2 personal cover when you have a 3-to-1 or greater advantage.

HORDE MASTERY
You drive enemies before you and crush them beneath your allies' heels.
Prerequisites: Horde Basics
Benefit: Once per round when you have a 2-to-1 or greater advantage, you and each teammate may Pummel as a half action.

HORDE SUPREMACY
When you show up in force, you show up in force!
Prerequisites: Horde Mastery
Benefit: When you have a 2-to-1 or greater advantage, you and each teammate gain a +3 morale bonus to Close Quarters attack damage.

NIGHT FIGHTING
Vision isn't your most critical sense.
Benefit: Unless deafened, you ignore the blinded condition when targeting any character within 20 ft. You also gain darkvision I.

PATHFINDER BASICS
You exploit the environment to great advantage.
Benefit: Choose a terrain, gaining the following benefits.
Also, you may always act during surprise rounds and your Travel Speed increases by 2 MPH while in this terrain.
- Aquatic: You may hold your breath twice as long and you gain a +2 bonus with Swim checks.
- Arctic: You gain Cold Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus with Balance checks.
- Caverns/Mountains: You gain Falling Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus with Climb checks.
- Desert: You gain Heat Resistance 5 and you require 1/2 your normal fluids.
- Forest/Jungle: You gain a +2 bonus with Sneak checks.
- Indoors/Settled: You gain Sneak Attack Resistance 5.
- Plains: You gain a +2 bonus with Notice checks.
- Swamp: You gain Poison Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus with saves against disease.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, choosing a different terrain each time. Each feat has a separate name (e.g. Pathfinder (Aquatic), Pathfinder (Plains), etc.).

PATHFINDER MASTERY
You're one with your chosen environment, surviving there even against all odds.
Requirements: Pathfinder Basics
Benefit: When in one of your Pathfinder terrains, you gain a +4 gear bonus with Blend and Survival checks, and a +2 gear bonus with saves.

PATHFINDER SUPREMACY
You're the master of your domain.
Requirements: Pathfinder Mastery
Benefit: All numerical benefits of your Pathfinder feats are doubled (i.e. if you have Pathfinder (Swamp), your Poison Resistance becomes 10 and your bonus with Swim checks becomes +4).

Okay so that's most of the Feats - outside of Spellcasting specific ones which we'll cover with when we get to spellcasting.

My thoughts are we toss a few basic characters up for examination from the basic classes that have cross-edition analogs. Then we'll look at the magical classes. Then we'll look at the non-analog classes.

So I'll write up a couple of basic characters and translate them to each edition at 1st level, 6th level and 10th level. We'll look at what they're capable of and how they operate in a white-room environment.

My first archetype will be a Spartan. He's going to be a Fighter-type, skilled with spear and shield as his primary mode of combat. I'll also do a Barbarian warrior. He's going to be a "classic" big-axe wielder.

I'm open to suggestions on Thief concepts, or anything else that might be of interest. Let's keep backgrounds basic.

More to come.

Just snagged a copy for $20 from Noble Knight. It doesn't get any lower than that.

Quote from: Aglondir;1143125Just snagged a copy for $20 from Noble Knight. It doesn't get any lower than that.

that is a superb price!

D&D 3.5 Level 1 Fighter
He's designed to represent a Spartan-esque type of Fighter. Which to me means a highly trained warrior that fights with a Shield and Spear, and excels particularly in when fighting in an organized fashion with others. Let's not pretend here - I'm going to build him so he can fight with a Shield and Spear first, group benefits if I can afford it. I'm going to exclude extraneous stuff just to keep it to the meat. We can dicker about the other stuff later. Gear on him comes from the starting template with mild adjustments without going over any assumed starting money budget.

For sake of argument and in order to keep all the systems aligned by comparison - I'm going to use whichever offers the most optional static method. In this case I'm using (Powerful Array) based on 3.5's optional rules:

This consists of: 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11

Tychidas 1st Level Human Fighter

Str:16 +3
Dex:14 +2
Con: 15 +2
Int: 13 +1
Wis: 11
Cha: 12 +1

HP: 12
AC: 18 (19 with Dodge)
Skills - Climb 7, Intimidate 5, Ride 3, Swim 4, Jump 4, Move Silently 4, Listen 2, Survival 3,
Feats: Weapon Focus: Shortspear, Improved Shield Bash, Dodge

Equipment: Scale Mail, Light Steel Shield (1d3), Short Spear

Basic Attack: Short Spear +4 to hit, (1d6+3 damage against a Medium creature).

Notes: So I'm already annoyed. Shield-bashing would incur huge penalties. Immediately I'm at odds with the concet: I'm forced to use a Short-Spear *because* it's 1-handed and the only 1-handed spear in the game. The mechanics of a short-spear in no-way approximate the Spartan Dory - which was longer (9-feet) and designed as a reach-weapon. But by the rules, this is what I'm left with. Further the bizarre mechanical penalties for using a Spear and Shield, one of the most ancient forms of martial combat in history, are positively dreadful. I'm forced to use a Light shield, for the simple fact that shield-bashing with a heavier shield would make using both virtually impossible. Likewise I can't pick up the Two-Weapon Fighting feat because the Stat requirement is a Dex 15! which I won't be able to buy until my first stat-upgrade at 4th level and raise my Dex to 15! Which seems intensely high for being able to do what is traditionally taught to any men-at-arms fighting in formation. As it stands right out of the gate, I can't do that at all. I'm stuck with a tiny spear doing tiny-damage.


Pathfinder Level 1 Fighter

So with Pathfinder I'm using their Epic Fantasy method of stat-generation. 25-points total. Ironically - this gives you slightly LOWER stats than the Powerful build of D&D 3.5. This is made up for by your racial bonuses. In this case: Humans get +2 to any single stat. For the purposes of getting closer to the concept of a Spartan, I'm going to put this in Dex so I can actually wield my shield like a weapon and get access to Feats that will quickest exemplify the kind of play I want from my concept.

Tychidas

Str:16 +3
Dex:16 +3
Con: 15 +2
Int: 12 +1
Wis: 10
Cha: 11

HP: 12
AC: 20
Skills - Climb 1(6), Intimidate (3), Survival 1 (3), Swim 1 (6),
Feats: Weapon Focus: Shortspear, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Shield-Bash

Equipment: Chain Mail, Light Steel Shield (1d3), Short Spear

Basic Attack: Short Spear +4 to hit, (1d6+3 damage against a Medium creature). Optional routing - Short-spear attack +2 to hit/Shield-Bash +0 (1d3+3).

Notes: Okay so here I'm able to afford better gear, but more importantly I'm able to reliably get a shield-bash to fit my Spartan concept. But Pathfinder teases me yet further - they have a Spear which is shorter than a Longspear, but longer than a Short-spear. And it has all the stats I'd probably give a Spartan Dory... except they made it TWO-HANDED. So once again... I'm stuck using a fucking limp-dick Short-spear. It's closer... but still not what I'd want starting out of the chute, and if I wanted to make another kind of Fighter, I'd be more dangerous than this using a two-handed weapon, or hell, any other d8 1-handed weapon than a short-spear.



Fantasy Craft Level 1 Soldier

Fantasy Craft gives you 36-points to build your character. All stats start at 10. Because Fantasy Craft's stats have intrinsically more meaning - they're pound-for-pound spread out in terms of their downstream impact, that you aren't required (nor is it desirable) to frontload your stats in obvious places that you do in D&D/Pathfinder. A lot of thought can be given towards how you want to express your character via Feats and the stats that support those Feats (since most Feats in Fantasy Craft are not locked by stat-prerequisites).

I'm including the values here. Point cost in brackets.

Tychidus

Str:18 +4 (14) Modified +2 by Talent: Strong below.
Dex:14 +2 (
Con: 15 +2 ( Modified +1 by Specialty: Fighter below.
Int: 12 +1 (4)
Wis: 10  (2)
Cha: 10 (2)

Vitality: 14
Wounds: 15

Defense 17
Damage Resistance: 2/4

Race: Human
Talent: Strong - +2 Strength, Double Boost for Action Dice (roll 2 for any Strength based checks), 1-Size larger for carrying, Trample and resisting Bull Rush or Trip attempts. Gain the Shove Trick

Specialty: Shield-Bearer. Bonus Feat Shield Basics Agile Defense +1, Melee Combat Expert (+2 for any ability calculating number of Melee Combat Feats), Practiced Resolve (Spend Resolve check Action die and get die back if the check fails), Shield Block Trick (If Shield is ready, any unarmed or melee attack as an action can reduce damage to ZERO on a Fortitude save vs. Attack value). Can make an umber of blocks equal to number of Melee Combat feats (so 4)

Skills - Athletics 2 (4), Intimidate 1, Survival 2, Notice 1(1), Tactics 3(1)

Core Class Ability- Accurate: Your finely honed physique is your deadliest weapon. Each time you spend 1 action die to boost an attack check, you roll and add the results of 2 dice.

Action Dice - d4 (3)

Forte: Edged, Blunt

Feats-
Shield Basics (+4 bonus to Bull Rush with Shield) Phalanx Fighting Stance (+1 Defense and Reflex saves to all adjacent Allies. Increases to +2 with weapon that has Guard feature. This stacks with other players up to maximum of +4).

Shield Mastery - Decrease Armor Piercing and Keen qualities by number of Melee Combat Feats possessed (4). Gain Shield Slam Trick (Shield bash attacks force save vs. damage or be stunned for 1 round).

Spear Basics - Wielding 1-handed spear increases reach by 1. Wielding 2-h spear gains the Bleed effect. Gain the Stance: Monkey Grip (May wield a single 2h melee weapon with 1 hand.)

Armor: Chainmail 2DR (4DR vs Edged)
Shield: Metal Shield (1d4 damage, Guard +2)

Weapon -
Boar Spear -  +6 to hit, 1d8, Guard +1, Reach +1 2h Bleed w/Spear Basics

Notes: Okay so this might seem like a lot of stuff - it is. But in play this is how it works...

Fantasy Craft have slightly lower "AC" values than D&D (Defense). Here because I made Tychidus a Spartan - I chose the Strong Talent (totally arbitrary - I was thinking of a couple of other possibilities, but I figured let's make him big and strong. Shield-Bearer Specialty - obviously, as it's for Shield-using cultures. The Solider Class has a starting Defense of +1 but I pick up Defense from Dexterity +3, and my shield + Boar Spear guard qualities. So nearly comparable.

But I also get DR of 2 for the Chainmail, and 4 vs. Edged attacks.

But! I can also voluntarily make a Shield Parry against any successful attacks as an Action (up to 4 times) with a Fortitude save vs. attack value. Let's get on to the offensive capabilities...

My goal is to have a Spartan - Shield and Spear. That means I want to stab and bash (and protect myself and others). In Fantasy Craft everyone gets 1-action. Attacks are half-actions. You can attack twice, or once and use your remaining half-action for other things. This bypasses the "attack matrix" of D&D3.5/Pathfinder where everything incurs penalties "because" you're trying to do something we don't want you to do without taxing you.

In Fantasy Craft you *can* get a Two-Weapon Fighting Style. All it means is you've learned to attack multiple times in 1-half action with ONE weapon. This is where you'll see those familiar penalties you see in D&D3.5 but they're more easily mitigated. This is where you are choosing to learn how to fight in a specific style, rather than simply being good at using what you have. In this Spear-and-Shield setup I'm using - not only can I use a very effective non-light weapon, in this case I chose the Boar Spear (because it gives you +1 Guard and +1 Reach - and yes it's TWO-HANDED - but because I have Spear Basics, I can use a single two-handed weapon in one-hand! This frees me up to go Shield-Bash-Wild with my Shield. PLUS because the Boar Spear has Read 1 - I get an additional +1 Reach because of Spear Basics and Bleed... And let's not forget a Boar Spear does 1d8.

I could also use a Pike... and that Reach would be 4...

All this without penalties - AND without mechanical sacrifice for the concept. Then I can do all my Shield tricks too - where I can parry attacks actively, shield adjacent allies passively, shield-bash and potentially stun enemies, Bull-rush with BIG bonuses, using my shield.

This immediately passes my basic-level of the Spartan Test.

All at 1st level. And it only gets better from there as I level up.

Quote from: tenbones;1143471and yes it's TWO-HANDED - but because I have Spear Basics, I can use a single two-handed weapon in one-hand!

True for the most part, but remember it's a stance.

Stances give you specific bonuses and sometimes special effects, and you can essentially toggle them. By default, you're considered in "normal" stance - no bonuses or penalties, and you can always go back to normal stance as a FREE action. Assuming any other stance is a half-action. And having certain conditions inflicted on you can also knock you back into normal stance - being knocked prone, for example.

Monkey grip is a stance, and it's totally okay to say that you're in this stance unless stated otherwise. But since Phalanx Fighting is also a stance, you have to pick one or the other at any given time. It would probably be a good idea to have a backup weapon to use without penalty for times that you would prefer(or need) to be in Phalanx.

But yes, it's a very nice build. You have some really cool things you can do that are both thematically appropriate and mechanically supportive of the style of combat you want to engage in.