Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (
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Mere moments before death, Lorenz.Lang@gmx.de hastily scrawled:
>Ed Chauvin IV wrote:
>> Mere moments before death, Lorenz Lang hastily scrawled:
>> >On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 09:28:12 -0500, Ed Chauvin IV wrote:
>> >> Mere moments before death, Lorenz Lang hastily scrawled:
>> >>>
>> >>>How about:
>> >>>
>> >>>Skill Concentration
>> >>>
>> >>>Prereq: Still Mind class ability
>> >>>
>> >>>Benefit:
>> >>>If you concentrate using a full-round action on your
>> >>>Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump or Tumble skill
>> >>>you gain a +1 insight bonus per 5 ranks of Concentration
>> >>>on this skill for the next round.
>> >>>
>> >>>Is this too weak? Should the bonus be +2 or +1 per 3 ranks for
>example?
>> >>
>> >> It seems to me that you guys are trying to fix a leaky pipe with a
>> >> hammer. Why not just make a Skill Mastery-like feat?
>> >>
>> >
>> >Do you think such a feat (as above) is worthless, silly or both?
>>
>> As written, I think it's mostly worthless, and a just bit silly.
>> Worthless because it's at best a +4 bonus for a 20th level character,
>
>+1 per 3 ranks would be +6 at 20th level, no problem.
>If it's otherwise worthless or too weak,
>let's just raise the boni a bit.
>
>> in exchange for not being able to use most of the skills it's
>supposed
>> to be augmenting. If you use a FRA, you can't use a Move Action and
>> therefore can't Balance, Climb, Jump or Tumble *to* anywhere.
>
>You overlooked the 'next round' bit. Concentrate and focus
>your Chi power or whatever as a FRA and gain a bonus on the *next*
>round.
Mea culpa. Well, at least it isn't useless. ;-)
>> Also, the bonus is weird. I don't know if there's precedent or not,
>> but a +1 bonus per 5 ranks in some skill just seems odd.
>
>Hey, am I creative or what? I invented a whole new feat mechanic!
No, you just used an existing mechanic in a non-standard way. ;-)
>> Most feats
>> that provide bonuses provide static bonuses, and those feats whose
>> bonus goes up with character level generally have static bonuses and
>> feat chains with stacking bonuses (TWF, ITWF*) or can be taken
>> multiple times (Toughness). And feats that are dependent on a skill
>> have ranks in that skill as a prerequisite and may use that skill to
>> "activate" the feat (Mounted Combat).
>
>True, these are the usual mechanics...
>
>> Thus, your feat should be more like:
>>
>>
>> Skill Concentration
>>
>> Prerequisites: Still Mind class ability, Concentration 1 rank.
>>
>> Benefit:
>> Once per round as a Standard Action, you may attempt a Concentration
>> check to gain a +2 insight bonus to your Balance, Climb, Escape
>> Artist, Jump or Tumble skill.
>
>Yeah, but I tried to find an incentive for monks to invest ranks
>in Concentration. This version is a rather small one...
What? The feat's usefulness is *directly* proportional to your
Concentration bonus.
>> And then maybe have an Improved Skill Concentration that makes your
>> insight bonus +4, and a Superior Skill Concentration that makes it
>+6.
>>
>> Also, one other thing that bugs me about the feat is the Still Mind
>> prerequisite. It seems to be a way around requiring levels in a given
>> class, but there's already a good way to do this and still let others
>> take the feat. Remove the Still Mind prerequisite, and allow Monks to
>> take this as one of their bonus feats.
>
>Prereq could be 3 ranks Concentration instead.
>Without 3 ranks it's pointless to take anyway.
Which makes requiring 3 ranks redundant. I don't even think you need
to require ranks, Concentration is an untrained skill after all.
>Takeable as a bonus feat for monks sounds very good.
>
>> Oh, and this feat should
>> probably be of the form "Choose X skills. This feat applies to these
>> skills. This feat may be taken multiple times, each time choose X
>> more skills to apply it to."
>
>The list of skills is too restrictive, but it should not be allowed for
>all skills.
Why not?
>> Personally, I'd just make a feat that allows you to break the no
>> Taking 10 when in a stressful situation based on a Concentration
>> check.
>
>As a matter of taste I like this less than the above...
Well, yeah. I don't
>> Focused Concentration
>>
>> Prerequisite: Concentration 1 rank.
>>
>> Benefit:
>> Once per round as a Standard Action that provokes an Attack of
>> Opportunity, you may attempt a Concentration check to allow you to
>> Take 10 on a skill check you otherwise couldn't Take 10 on due to
>> being distracted or threatened.
>>
>> Normal:
>> Without this feat you cannot Take 10 when distracted or threatened.
>
>Which DC would you require for the Concentration check?
Already covered in the Concentration rules. Read the skill
description.
>And it should be forbidden to take 10 on the Concentration check
>explicitly.
It already is.
Ed Chauvin IV
--
DISCLAIMER : WARNING: RULE # 196 is X-rated in that to calculate L,
use X = [(C2/10)^2], and RULE # 193 which is NOT meant to be read by
kids, since RULE # 187 EXPLAINS homosexuality mathematically, using
modifier G @ 11.
"I always feel left out when someone *else* gets killfiled."
--Terry Austin