Advice on new magicish feat. [3.5]

[Amechra]

Hello everybody!

can someone please PEACH this?

[Charm] Feats: All [charm] feats give different benefits based off what level slot they are invested in. In addition, 1st and 3rd level slots grant special bonuses if more than 1 slot of that level is filled with the same charm. 5th level slots are different in that they don't give a passive benefit, but can be expended to produce a 1/day effect. Remember, charm effects are not supposed to be flashy (except for some of the 1/day effects). They also can only be prepared in the morning (just like spellcasting, in a way), but only need 1 minute/slot, regardless of slot level. Charms are Su abilities. The same charm taken on multiple levels does not stack with itself, with the exception of 5th level slotted charms and for 2nd/4th level slots, which gain the (Multiple:) benefits of 1st/3rd level charms, respectively, but replacing the regular benefit with their own higher benefit (i.e. a +1 would become a +2). A charm filling multiple slots on the same level will only gain extra benefits under the (Multiple:) effect; the bonuses do not normally stack. Any charms you have are removed from your body when you begin to add new ones; you may instead keep the charms from the day before, if you wish.

Charm Knowledge
Prerequisites: Knowledge (arcana) 4, Spellcraft 4, must be first level
Benefit: You have a good smattering of arcane knowledge, and so you have gained a knowledge of magical charms second to none. You gain a number of charm slots based on your level, as seen on the following table:
Table: Charm Slots
1st: 1 1st level slot
2nd: 2 1st level slots
4th: 3 1st level slots, 1 2nd level slot
5th: 4 1st level slots, 2 2nd level slots
7th: 5 1st level slots, 3 2nd level slots, 1 3rd level slot
8th: 5 1st level slots, 4 2nd level slots, 2 3rd level slot
10th: 5 1st level slots, 4 2nd level slots, 3 3rd level slot, 1 4th level slot
11th: 5 1st level slots, 4 2nd level slots, 3 3rd level slot, 2 4th level slots
13th: 5 1st level slots, 4 2nd level slots, 3 3rd level slot, 2 4th level slots, 1 5th level slot

In addition, you are now capable of taking [charm] feats, and if you are a wizard, you can now take [charm] feats as bonus feats.

Rabbit's Foot [charm]
Prerequisites: Charm Knowledge
Benefit: You gain the Rabbit's Foot Charm, a good luck token that actually works.
1st:+1 luck bonus to saving throws (Multiple: Base speed increases by 10' for every 2 slots past the first.)
2nd:+2 luck bonus to saving throws
3rd:+3 luck bonus to saving throws (Multiple: perpetual Expeditious Retreat effect.)
4th:+4 luck bonus to saving throws
5th: You may expend this charm to automatically succeed on one saving throw.

Death Protection [charm]
Prerequisite: Charm Knowledge
Benefit: You gain the Death Protection Charm, which wards against death, obviously.
1st: Negative hitpoints before dying equals -15 (Multiple: You gain a +2 to all saving throws to resist death effects and ability drain per 2 slots past the first.)
2nd: Negative hitpoints before dying equals -20
3rd: Negative hitpoints before dying equals -25 (Multiple: You gain a perpetual Death Ward and Diehard effect)
4th: Negative hitpoints before dying equals -30
5th: When you die, this slot expends itself as to cast Raise Dead as a full round action. This effect targets you, and has none of the normal drawbacks (Level/Constitution Loss) that you would normally have.

Holy Hands [charm]
Prerequisite: Charm Knowledge, Knowledge (Religion) 4
Benefit: You gain the Holy Hands Charm, which does exactly what it looks like.
1st: You may use Lay on Hands as if you were a Paladin of 2nd level with you charisma modifier. (Multiple: You may turn undead as if you were a cleric of 1/4 your level, cumulative, for every two slots you have beyond the first.
2nd: You may use Lay on Hands as if you were a Paladin of 4th level with you charisma modifier.
3rd:  You may use Lay on Hands as if you were a Paladin of 6th level with you charisma modifier. (Multiple: You may turn undead as a Cleric of 3/4 your level, or smite evil as a Paladin of 1/2 your level)
4th: You may use Lay on Hands as if you were a Paladin of 8th level with you charisma modifier.
5th: You may expend this slot to cast Heal as a touch attack. This is a standard action.
Special: If you are evil, replace Lay on Hands with Deadly Touch (See Paladin of Tyrany/Slaughter), Turn Undead with Rebuke Undead, Smite Evil with Smite Good, and Heal with Harm.


I have some more, but I am going to wait to see if people take interest. Please post if you do.

[Amechra]

Superstition
Prerequisites: Concentrate 4 ranks, Knowledge (Local) 2 ranks, must be first level.
Benefit: The same as Charm Knowledge. In addition, count this feat as Charm Knowledge for the purpose of determining feat prerequisites.
Special: You may not take this feat if you are a spellcaster.

Fish-Head [Charm]
Prerequisites: Charm Knowledge
Benefit: You gain the Fish-Head Charm, a charm that lets you swim.
1st: Swim speed +5ft, Swim check bonus +2 (Multiple: You may hold your breath twice as long for every 2 slots past the first. Standard D&D doubling rules apply)
2nd: Swim speed +10ft, Swim check bonus +4
3rd: Swim speed +15ft, Swim check bonus +6 (Multiple: You gain a persistent Water-Breathing effect)
4th: Swim speed +20ft, Swim check bonus +8
5th: You may expend this slot to be able to take twenty (without the time increase) on any swim checks in the next 10 rounds.

Greased Pig [Charm]
Prerequisites: Charm Knowledge
Benefit: You gain the Greased Pig Charm, which makes you quite slippery.
1st: Escape Artist Check Bonus +2 (Multiple: You can cast Grease at a caster level equal to your character level as a full round action if you have 3 slots filled with this charm. Decrease casting time to a standard action if all 5 are filled with this charm.)
2nd: Escape Artist Check Bonus +4
3rd: Escape Artist Check Bonus +6 (Multiple: You gain a persistent Freedom of Motion effect.)
4th: Escape Artist Check Bonus +8
5th: You may expend this slot to be able to take twenty (without the time increase) on any escape artist checks in the next 10 rounds. In addition, one enemy of your choice gets a penalty to all grapple checks for the next 10 rounds equal to the bonus to Escape Artist checks you gain from this charm.

Elemental Tinge [Charm]
Prerequisite: Charm Knowledge
Benefit: You gain the Elemental Tinge Charm, which brings concordance with your element, and all that high falutin' crap
1st: Resistance 5/Element(Your Choice) (Multiple: Your unarmed attacks do 1d4 points of damage of your element for every two slots used beyond the first)
2nd: Resistance 10/Element(Your Choice)
3rd: Resistance 15/Element(Your Choice) (Multiple: Your fists gain the benefit of dealing 2d6 damage, 19-20/3x, of the selected elemental type.)
4th: Resistance 20/Element(Your Choice)
5th: You may expend this slot to gain the following benefits for the next 10 rounds: Immunity to your element and any damage done using your element is doubled. In addition, you gain the bonus corresponding to your element. Fire: You gain the Heat (ex) ability. Ice: Anyone hit by your attacks is slowed for the next round. Fortitude save (DC equals your level). Acid: Your unarmed attacks gain wounding. Sonic: Anyone hit by your attacks is deafened. Fortitude save (DC equals your level). Thunder: You gain an extra attack at your highest base attack bonus.

Special: Any use of the abilities (excepting the energy resistance) granted by this charm deals 1 damage times the highest level of this charm you have (Treat use of the 5th level ability as if you have not used it, but only when calculating how much damage you receive. If you are using the 5th level ability, the 5 damage is also multiplied by half the number of turns you've been under the effect [capping at 25 damage on the 9th and 10th rounds])

Doorholder [Charm]
Prerequisites: Charm Knowledge
Benefit: You hold the door open with the Doorholder Charm! Maybe not.
1st: You get a +2 to strength checks involving being bull rushed or over-run. (Multiple: You gain Fast Healing 5 if you are standing still if you have 2 slots past the first full. If all the 1st level slots are full, you gain Fast Healing 10)
2nd: You get a +4 to strength checks involving being bull rushed or over-run.
3rd: You get a +6 to strength checks involving being bull rushed or over-run. (Multiple: You become immune to flanking and precision damage as long as you are standing still. You also gain Regeneration/(Being moved by the attack))
4th: You get a +8 to strength checks involving being bull rushed or over-run.
5th: You may extend this slot to gain 10 temporary hitpoints per attack you make. In addition, your attacks knock back enemies a number of feet equal to half the damge the attack dealt. These benefits are lost if you move from the spot where you are.
Special: For the purpose of this feet, standing still means to not move of the square where you are standing, and not have moved onto it in the last round. Also, Regeneration/(Being moved by the attack) means that bull rushes and other effects that would move you off the square you're on deal lethal damage (but only if they succeed in moving you.)

[RobbyPants]

My first thought is that they're all much more powerful than standard feats.  Aside from that, I have a few specific questions:

In general, if you take a higher level slot, do you also get the benefits of a lower level slot?  For example, if you take Rabbit's Foot at 5th level (which gives a save re-roll), do you also get the luck bonus to your saving throws from earlier?


Charm Knowledge:
Regarding the spell slots, what spells can you use?  How do you determine your spell list for these slots?


Rabbit's Foot:
Is the luck bonus to saving throws continuous?  If so, it's a pretty potent bonus.  Also, it stacks with many other spells, items, and features.


Holy Hands:
If nothing else, this seems like an easy way for any divine caster to nab Turn Undead at a low level and fuel Divine Metamagic.

[Amechra]

Sorry to not clarify.

Charm Knowledge: Those slots are used for the charms gained from the feats. So, in other words, there is no spell list.

In general, you do not gain the benefits of lower level slots (So a 4th level slot Rabbit's Foot would give only a +4 bonus, not a +10 bonus. Sorry about the mix up.) The only thing that carries up is the bonus for having more than one of a 1st or 3rd slot, and that is only if you qualify for that anyway (the 3rd level multiple trumps the 1st level multiple, so only one will apply.), and the 5th level slot does not surplant the 4th and lower slots, and so you gain the benefits of lower levels (so if you use the 5th level slot and the 4th level slot, you would get the reroll and the +4 bonus)

The bonus is continuous, but it does not stack with anything else that would give a luck bonus to saving throws. Sorry. 

Holy Hands (ERRATA): You can not use the turning ability granted by this charm to fuel DMM.


Actually, another note I forgot to mention: charm powers (I.E. stuff you gain from a charm) comes from outside of you (you're using folk mysticism to give yourself power), and so you can't use them to fuel feats (like DMM, Metamagic Song, Smite to Song...)

And, yes, they are intended to be more powerful than other feats.

[Bozwevial]

Death Protection seems a bit...mediocre as is. Increasing the death threshold by 2 points? Two points of damage is almost nothing at higher levels. Maybe you could scale it by higher numbers, or base it off of Constitution or something?

[Amechra]

Ahh, but you get that increase at level one. by higher levels, you'll probably have not only the 8 point increase, but you would also have the ability to resurrect yourself upon death. I say it's good enough (especially with the death ward effect...).


I'm adding a few more for PEACHing.

[Bozwevial]

Ahh, but you get that increase at level one. by higher levels, you'll probably have not only the 8 point increase, but you would also have the ability to resurrect yourself upon death. I say it's good enough (especially with the death ward effect...).

Agreed, that's a highly useful ability, but still? 8 points over the damage threshold at level 10 is nothing. I don't know, it just seems like you're trading power now for power later, and that never strikes me as a good balance model.

[Amechra]

Well, you see, 2 points over death threshhold can be powerful at much lower levels, so the usefulness of the ability would follow a parabolic curve.

I'm thinking of separating each feat into two, split between 3rd and 4th levels (of the charm.)

Is this a good idea?

[Bozwevial]

Well, you see, 2 points over death threshhold can be powerful at much lower levels, so the usefulness of the ability would follow a parabolic curve.

I'm thinking of separating each feat into two, split between 3rd and 4th levels (of the charm.)

Is this a good idea?

Well, the earliest levels you can get these bonuses are: 2 at 1st level, 4 at 4th, 6 at 7th, and 8 at 10th level. And that +2 at 1st level is if you spend two feats on it. The problem I find with this is that at 1st level, I could do much better in half the number of feats by picking--wait for it--Toughness. Improved Toughness would outstrip this completely. It's better, too, since with the charm feat, those hitpoints are added to the bottom, when you're lying there bleeding out. Toughness and its big brother, on the other hand, add hitpoints to your main pool, giving you more time to act. Again, if you're adding hit points to the death threshold, I'd seriously consider making it a better progression.

As for splitting the feats, I'm leery about that idea. There's already a huge gap between expending your highest level charm slot to reroll a save and having a 1/day Contingent Raise Dead (with no drawbacks to boot). I might spend two feats on Rabbit's Foot as is. I would never spend three on it.

[Amechra]

Thanks for the advice.
So, is Death Protection the only one you have a problem with? I'm really just using that one as a place holder.

Adding a couple more. Please PEACH those as well.



Can't have Death Protection getting all the love...

[Bozwevial]

Rabbit's Foot isn't half-bad, it just needs a little more punch in the 5th slot ability. If it's 1/day, it should be a little closer to being on par with the others.

[Amechra]

Would making it an auto-succeed on the saving throw help?

[Bozwevial]

I think that'd be fine, yeah.

[Amechra]

I have made changes to Rabbit's Foot and Death Protection.

Rabbit's Foot bow causes an auto-succeed.

The death threshold lowering has gone from 2/level to 5/level, and you gain the benefit of having diehard for the level 3 multiple.

Hope this suffices

(I think Death Protection is now officially overpowered...)

[Bozwevial]

Nah, it just has a spike in the power curve around level 13 or so. Really, it's not broken at all, in my opinion, but YMMV.

[Amechra]

If you say so.


Alright, who would use this in a game?