1
The Elephant in the Room
Feat Taxes in Pathfinder
by Mathew Iantorno
& Michael Iantorno
www.mammothisland.com
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e Elephant in the Room: Feat Taxes in Pathfinder is published under the Open Game License version 1.0a Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
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System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
e Book of Experimental Might. © 2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved.
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ird printing (v2.2) April 2021
2
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
In September of 2012, my brother and I released a blog
post discussing the issue of feat taxes in the Pathfinder
Roleplaying Game. Although the post was intended to be
a one-off thought experiment based on our experiences
building characters for organized play, it gained an
inexplicable amount of traction online. It is frequently
linked to on Reddit, Facebook, and the Paizo forums
and, for better or for worse, remains the most popular
thing I’ve ever written.
In response to the interest expressed by the Pathfinder
community, we’ve decided to publish an updated version
of our feat tree. Unlike the original blog post, which was
largely a series of annotations, this document includes a
reimagined version of the entire feat section found in the
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.
e intent of these revisions is to simplify feat
progression. Large feat chains have been trimmed down;
feats with narrow or questionable value have been
improved, eliminated, or merged together; and the way
combat maneuvers and options are handled has been
completely rethought. Overall, there are fewer, more
impactful feats, and builds tend to hit their stride at a
much lower level.
To address the real elephant in the room, no, we
don’t consider this a definitive upgrade to the Pathfinder
Roleplaying Game or an alternative second edition. is
document is first and foremost a vanity project, one
that has grown out of my and my brother’s homebrew
endeavours (such as the Hearth & Blade campaign
setting). However, we consider it a useful alternative
ruleset for those who enjoy Pathfinder but are frustrated
by the system mastery required to create an effective
character.
Out of the box, this document is compatible with the
is book is divided into two chapters.
Chapter 1 (Feats): A re-imagining of the Pathfinder
feat tree based on the article e Elephant in the Room:
Feat Taxes in Pathfinder. is chapter is meant to be
relatively self contained, featuring a full feat table as well
as complete descriptions for every single feat.
Chapter 2 (Appendices): A collection of notes that
provide context to the revised feats while addressing how
they interact with other parts of the ruleset. Here you
will find “patch notes” that quickly point out changes
to the feat tree, as well as errata for combat, classes,
equipment, and monsters. Closing the chapter (and the
book) is the original feat tax article, unedited from how
it was published online on September 5, 2012 on e
World Is Square blog.
Mathew Iantorno
Chapter 1: Feats
Overview
Feat Descriptions
Chapter 2: Appendices
Appendix I: Patch Notes
Appendix II: Combat Errata
Appendix III: Class Errata
Appendix IV: Equipment Errata
Appendix V: Bestiary Errata
Appendix VI: Original Article
Table of Contents
Introduction
03
04
04
31
32
33
34
35
36
38
Pathfinder Core Campaign experience. We also encourage
the use of and have accommodated for the Pathfinder
Unchained versions of the barbarian, monk, and rogue.
We feel the unchained versions of these classes pair well
with the streamlined character building experience we are
trying to create. Certain elements of the revised feat tree,
such as the simplified treatment of combat maneuvers
and weapon groups, could easily be appended to a
campaign using the full suite of Pathfinder rulebooks.
However, we do not officially support or reference these
books in this version of the document.
More than anything, we hope that this document
continues to spur interesting and lively discussion of the
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, just as the original blog
post did. ere’s no wrong way to play a tabletop game,
and we always love to hear how you adapt our rules or
create your own new ones.
Enjoy!
Using This Book
3
CHAPTER 1: FEATS
1. Feats
4
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Overview
Feat Descriptions
Feats are summarized on Table: 1-1 Feats on the pages
following. Note that the prerequisites and benefits of the
feats on this table are abbreviated for ease of reference.
See the feat’s description for full details.
e following format is used for all feat descriptions.
Feat Name: e feat’s name also indicates what
subcategory, if any, the feat belongs to, and is followed
by a basic description of what the feat does.
Prerequisite: A minimum ability score, another feat or
feats, a minimum base attack bonus, a minimum number
of ranks in one or more skills, or anything else required in
order to take the feat. is entry is absent if a feat has no
prerequisite. A feat may have more than one prerequisite.
Benefit: What the feat enables the character (“you”
in the feat description) to do. If a character has the same
feat more than once, its benefits do not stack unless
indicated otherwise in the description.
Normal: What a character who does not have this feat
is limited to or restricted from doing. If not having the
feat causes no particular drawback, this entry is absent.
Special: Additional unusual facts about the feat.
Acrobatic
You are skilled at leaping, jumping, and flying.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Acrobatics and Fly
Some abilities are not tied to your race, class, or skill—
things like particularly quick reflexes that allow you to react
to danger more swiftly, the ability to craft magic items, the
training to deliver powerful strikes with melee weapons, or
the knack for deflecting arrows fired at you. ese abilities
are represented as feats. While some feats are more useful
to certain types of characters than others, and many of
them have special prerequisites that must be met before
they are selected, as a general rule feats represent abilities
outside of the normal scope of your character’s race and
class. Many of them alter or enhance class abilities or
soften class restrictions, while others might apply bonuses
to your statistics or grant you the ability to take actions
otherwise prohibited to you. By selecting feats, you can
customize and adapt your character to be uniquely yours.
Rules for how feat prerequisites and feat types
function remain unchanged from the Pathfinder RPG
Core Rulebook. Below is the complete (revised) list of
feats available to players. For a detailed look at how these
feat changes affect other aspects of gameplay, consult
Chapter 2: Appendices.
skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these
skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Acrobatic Steps
You can easily move over and through obstacles.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Nimble Moves.
Benefit: Whenever you move, you may move through
up to 15 feet of difficult terrain each round as if it were
normal terrain. e effects of this feat stack with those
provided by Nimble Moves (allowing you to move normally
through a total of 20 feet of difficult terrain each round).
Agile Combatant (Combat)
You’ve learned to use your quickness in place of brute
force when performing combat maneuvers.
Benefit: You add your Dexterity bonus to your base
attack bonus and size bonus when determining your
Combat Maneuver Bonus (see Combat) instead of your
Strength bonus.
Normal: You add your Strength bonus to your base
attack bonus and size bonus when determining your
Combat Maneuver Bonus.
Special: With or without this feat, when you are using
a finesse weapon, you may use your Dexterity bonus in
place of your Strength bonus when attempting a disarm,
sunder, or trip maneuver.
is feat allows you to add your Dexterity bonus in
place of your Strength bonus when attempting a bull
rush, grapple, hamstring, or overrun maneuver.
Alertness
You often notice things that others might miss.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Perception and
Sense Motive skill checks. If you have 10 or more
ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4
for that skill.
Alignment Channel
Choose chaos, evil, good, or law. You can channel divine
energy to affect outsiders that possess this subtype.
Prerequisites: Ability to channel energy.
Benefit: Instead of its normal effect, you can choose
to have your ability to channel energy heal or harm
outsiders of the chosen alignment subtype. You must
make this choice each time you channel energy. If you
choose to heal or harm creatures of the chosen alignment
subtype, your channel energy has no effect on other
creatures. e amount of damage healed or dealt and the
DC to halve the damage is otherwise unchanged.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it
5
CHAPTER 1: FEATS
applies to a new alignment subtype. Whenever you
channel energy, you must choose which type to effect.
Animal Affinity
You are skilled at working with animals and mounts.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Handle Animal
and Ride skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in
one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Arcane Armor Mastery (Combat)
You have mastered the ability to cast spells while wearing
armor.
Prerequisites: Arcane Armor Training, Medium
Armor Proficiency, caster level 7th.
Benefit: As a swift action, reduce the arcane spell failure
chance due to the armor you are wearing by 20% for any
spells you cast this round. is bonus replaces, and does not
stack with, the bonus granted by Arcane Armor Training.
Arcane Armor Training (Combat)
You have learned how to cast spells while wearing armor.
Prerequisites: Light Armor Proficiency, caster level 3rd.
Benefit: As a swift action, reduce the arcane spell
failure chance due to the armor you are wearing by 10%
for any spells you cast this round.
Arcane Strike (Combat)
You draw upon your arcane power to enhance your
weapons with magical energy.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast arcane spells.
Benefit: As a swift action, you can imbue your
weapons with a fraction of your power. For 1 round,
your weapons deal +1 damage and are treated as magic
for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. For
every five caster levels you possess, this bonus increases
by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
Armor Proficiency, Heavy (Combat)
You are skilled at wearing heavy armor.
Prerequisites: Light Armor Proficiency, Medium
Armor Proficiency.
Benefit: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Normal: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Special: Fighters and paladins automatically have Heavy
Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. ey need not select it.
Armor Proficiency, Light (Combat)
You are skilled at wearing light armor.
Benefit: When you wear a type of armor with which
you are proficient, the armor check penalty for that armor
applies only to Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks.
Normal: A character who is wearing armor with
which he is not proficient applies its armor check penalty
to attack rolls and to all skill checks that involve moving.
Special: All characters except monks, sorcerers, and
wizards automatically have Light Armor Proficiency as a
bonus feat. ey need not select it.
Armor Proficiency, Medium (Combat)
You are skilled at wearing medium armor.
Prerequisite: Light Armor Proficiency.
Benefit: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Normal: See Armor Proficiency, Light.
Special: Barbarians, clerics, druids, fighters, paladins,
and rangers automatically have Medium Armor
Proficiency as a bonus feat. ey need not select it.
Athletic
You possess inherent physical prowess.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Climb and Swim skill
checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these
skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Augment Summoning
Your summoned creatures are more powerful and robust.
Prerequisite: Spell Focus (conjuration).
Benefit: Each creature you conjure with any summon spell
gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution
for the duration of the spell that summoned it.
Bleeding Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits cause opponents to bleed profusely.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, base attack bonus +11.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit with a slashing
or piercing weapon, your opponent takes 2d6 points of
bleed damage (see Conditions) each round on his turn,
in addition to the damage dealt by the critical hit. Bleed
damage can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal skill check or
through any magical healing. e effects of this feat stack.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical feat
to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical Mastery.
Blind-Fight (Combat)
You are skilled at attacking opponents that you cannot
clearly perceive.
Benefit: In melee, every time you miss because of
concealment (see Combat), you can reroll your miss
chance percentile roll one time to see if you actually hit.
An invisible attacker gets no advantages related to
hitting you in melee. at is, you don’t lose your Dexterity
bonus to Armor Class, and the attacker doesn’t get the
6
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
TABLE 11: FEATS
Feat Prerequisites Benets
Acrobatic — +2 bonus on Acrobatics and Fly checks
Agile Combatant* — Use your Dex bonus when calculating your CMB
Alertness — +2 bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks
Alignment Channel Channel energy class feature Channel energy can heal or harm outsiders
Animal Anity — +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks
Arcane Armor Training* Armor Prociency, Light, caster level 3rd Reduce your arcane spell failure chance by 10%
Arcane Armor Mastery* Arcane Armor Training, Armor Prociency,
Medium, caster level 7th
Reduce your arcane spell failure chance by 20%
Arcane Strike* Ability to cast arcane spells +1 damage and weapons are considered magic
Armor Prociency, Light — No penalties on attack rolls while wearing light
armor
Armor Prociency, Medium Armor Prociency, Light No penalties on attack rolls while wearing
medium armor
Armor Prociency, Heavy Armor Prociency, Medium No penalties on attack rolls while wearing heavy
armor
Athletic — +2 bonus on Climb and Swim checks
Augment Summoning Spell Focus (conjuration) Summoned creatures gain +4 Str and Con
Blind-Fight* — Reroll miss chances for concealment
Catch Off-Guard* — No penalties for improvised weapons
Improvised Weapon Mastery* Catch Off-Guard, base attack bonus +6 Make an improvised weapon deadly
Channel Smite* Channel energy class feature Channel energy through your attack
Cleave* Str 13, base attack bonus +1 Make an additional attack if the rst one hits
Great Cleave* Str 13, Cleave, base attack bonus +4 Make an additional attack after each attack hits
Whirling Cleave* Str 13, Great Cleave, base attack bonus +6 Take a 5-foot step during a Cleave
Combat Casting — +4 bonus on concentration checks for casting
defensively
Combat Reexes* — Make additional attacks of opportunity
Command Undead Channel negative energy class feature Channel energy can be used to control undead
Critical Focus* Base attack bonus +9 +4 bonus on attack rolls made to conrm critical
hits
Bleeding Critical* Critical Focus, base attack bonus +11 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target
takes 2d6 bleed
Blinding Critical* Critical Focus, base attack bonus +15 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target is
blinded
Critical Mastery* Any two critical feats, 14th-level ghter Apply two effects to your critical hits
Deafening Critical* Critical Focus, base attack bonus +13 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target is
deafened
Sickening Critical* Critical Focus, base attack bonus +11 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target is
sickened
Staggering Critical* Critical Focus, base attack bonus +13 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target is
staggered
Stunning Critical* Staggering Critical, base attack bonus +17 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target is
stunned
Tiring Critical* Critical Focus, base attack bonus +13 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target is
fatigued
7
CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Feat Prerequisites Benets
Exhausting Critical* Tiring Critical, base attack bonus +15 Whenever you score a critical hit, the target is
exhausted
Deceitful — +2 bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks
Defensive Combat Training* — Use your total Hit Dice as your base attack
bonus for CMD
Deft Hands — +2 bonus on Disable Device and Sleight of Hand
checks
Deft Maneuvers* Dex 13 +2 on disarm/trip, feint as a move action, no
attack of opportunity
Greater Disarm* Deft Maneuvers, base attack bonus +6 Disarmed weapons are knocked away from
your enemy
Greater Feint* Deft Maneuvers, base attack bonus +6 Enemies you feint lose their Dex bonus for 1
round
Greater Trip* Deft Maneuvers, base attack bonus +6 Enemies you trip provoke attacks of opportunity
Disruptive* 6th-level ghter Increases the DC to cast spells adjacent to you
Spellbreaker* Disruptive, 10th-level ghter Enemies provoke attacks if their spells fail
Dodge* Dex 13 +1 dodge bonus to AC and an additional +4
against attacks of opportunity from movement
Spring Attack* Dex 13, Dodge, base attack bonus +4 Move before and after melee attack
Whirlwind Attack* Dex 13, Combat Reexes, Spring Attack,
base attack bonus +4
Make one melee attack against all foes within
reach
Wind Stance* Dex 15, Dodge, base attack bonus +6 Gain 20% concealment if you move
Lightning Stance* Dex 17, Wind Stance, base attack bonus
+11
Gain 50% concealment if you move
Elemental Channel Channel energy class feature Channel energy can harm or heal elementals
Elemental Focus — +1 bonus on save DCs for one energy type
Greater Elemental Focus Elemental Focus +1 bonus on save DCs for one energy type
Endurance — +4 bonus on checks to avoid nonlethal damage
Diehard Endurance Automatically stabilize and remain conscious
below 0 hp
Eschew Materials — Cast spells without material components
Extra Channel Channel energy class feature Channel energy two additional times per day
Extra Ki Ki pool class feature Increase your ki pool by 2 points
Extra Lay On Hands Lay on hands class feature Use lay on hands two additional times per day
Extra Mercy Mercy class feature Your lay on hands benets from one additional
mercy
Extra Performance Bardic performance class feature Use bardic performance for 6 additional rounds
per day
Extra Rage Rage class feature Use rage for 6 additional rounds per day
Extra Rogue Talent Rogue talent class feature Gain one additional rogue talent
Fleet — Your base speed increases by 5 feet
Great Fortitude — +2 on Fortitude saves
Improved Great Fortitude Great Fortitude Once per day, you may reroll a Fortitude save
Improved Channel Channel energy class feature +2 bonus on channel energy DC
Improved Counterspell — Counterspell with spell of the same school
8
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Feat Prerequisites Benets
Improved Critical* Prociency with weapon, base attack
bonus +8
Double the threat range of one weapon group
Improved Familiar Ability to acquire a familiar, see feat Gain a more powerful familiar
Improved Initiative* — +4 bonus on initiative checks
Intimidating Prowess* — Add Str to Intimidate in addition to Cha
Iron Will — +2 bonus on Will saves
Improved Iron Will Iron Will Once per day, you may reroll a Will save
Leadership Character level 7th Gain a cohort and followers
Lightning Reexes — +2 bonus on Reex saves
Improved Lightning Reexes Lightning Reexes Once per day, you may reroll a Reex save
Lunge* Base attack bonus +6 Take a -2 penalty to your AC to attack with reach
Magical Aptitude — +2 bonus on Spellcraft and Use Magic Device
checks
Master Craftsman 5 ranks in any Craft or Profession skill You can craft magic items without being a
spellcaster
Mounted Combat* Ride 1 rank Avoid attacks on mount with Ride check
Mounted Archery* Mounted Combat Halve the penalty for ranged attacks while
mounted
Ride-By Attack* Mounted Combat Move before and after a charge attack while
mounted
Spirited Charge* Ride-By Attack Double damage on a mounted charge
Trample* Mounted Combat Overrun targets while mounted
Unseat* Improved Bull Rush, Mounted Combat Knock opponents from their mounts
Natural Spell Wis 13, change shape or wild shape class
feature
Cast spells while transformed
Nimble Moves Dex 13 Ignore 5 feet of dicult terrain when you move
Acrobatic Steps Dex 15, Nimble Moves Ignore 20 feet of dicult terrain when you move
Powerful Stride Str 15, Dex 13, Nimble Moves Once per day, take a 10-foot step in place of a
5-foot step
Persuasive — +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks
Powerful Maneuvers* Str 13, base attack bonus +1 +2 on bull rush/hamstring/overrun/sunder,
no attack of opportunity
Greater Bull Rush* Powerful Maneuvers, base attack bonus
+6
Enemies you bull rush provoke attacks of
opportunity
Greater Hamstring* Powerful Maneuvers, base attack bonus
+6
Enemies you hamstring with an attack of
opportunity stop moving
Greater Overrun* Powerful Maneuvers, base attack bonus
+6
Enemies you overrun provoke attacks of
opportunity
Greater Sunder* Powerful Maneuvers, base attack bonus
+6
Damage from sunder attempts transfers to
your enemy
Precise Shot* — No penalty for shooting into melee
Far Shot* Precise Shot Decrease ranged penalties by half
Improved Precise Shot* Dex 19, Precise Shot, base attack bonus
+11
No cover or concealment chance on ranged
attacks
Pinpoint Targeting* Improved Precise Shot, base attack bonus
+16
No armor or shield bonus on one ranged attack
9
CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Feat Prerequisites Benets
Point-Blank Shot* Precise Shot +1 attack and damage on targets within 30 feet
Shot on the Run* Dex 13, Dodge, Precise Shot, base attack
bonus +4
Make ranged attack at any point during
movement
Parting Shot* Dex 13, Shot on the Run, base attack
bonus +6
Make ranged attack when withdrawing
Rapid Shot* Dex 13, Precise Shot Make one extra ranged attack
Manyshot* Dex 17, Rapid Shot, base attack bonus +6 Shoot two projectiles simultaneously
Quick Draw* Base attack bonus +1 Draw weapon as a free action
Rapid Reload* Weapon prociency (crossbow or sling) Reload a crossbow or sling quickly
Run — Run at 5 times your normal speed
Selective Channeling Cha 13, channel energy class feature Choose whom to affect with channel energy
Self-Sucient — +2 bonus on Heal and Survival checks
Shield Prociency — No penalties on attack rolls when using a
shield
Improved Shield Bash* Shield Prociency Keep your shield bonus when shield bashing
Shield Slam* Improved Shield Bash, Two-Weapon
Fighting, base attack bonus +6
Free bull rush with a bash attack
Shield Master* Shield Slam, base attack bonus +11 No two-weapon penalties when attacking with
a shield
Shield Focus* Shield Prociency, base attack bonus +1 Gain a +1 bonus to your AC when using a
shield, +4 AC bonus against ranged weapons
Greater Shield Focus* Shield Focus, 8th-level ghter Gain a +1 bonus to your AC when using a
shield, +4 AC bonus against ranged touch
attacks
Iron Guard* Shield Focus, base attack bonus +6 Avoid area of effect damage when using a
heavy or tower shield
Tower Shield Prociency* Shield Prociency No penalties on attack rolls when using a
tower shield
Simple Weapon Prociency — No penalty on attacks made with simple
weapons
Skill Focus — +3 bonus on one skill (+6 at 10 ranks)
Spell Focus — +1 bonus on save DCs for one school
Greater Spell Focus Spell Focus +1 bonus on save DCs for one school
Spell Mastery 1st-level Wizard Prepare some spells without a spellbook
Spell Penetration — +2 bonus on level checks to beat spell
resistance
Greater Spell Penetration Spell Penetration +2 bonus on level checks to beat spell
resistance
Stealthy — +2 bonus on Escape Artist and Stealth checks
Step Up* Base attack bonus +1 Take a 5-foot step as an immediate action
Strike Back* Base attack bonus +11 Attack foes that strike you while using reach
Toughness — +3 hit points, +1 per Hit Die beyond 3
Turn Undead Channel positive energy class feature Channel energy can be used to make undead
ee
Two-Weapon Fighting* Dex 15 Reduce two-weapon ghting penalties
Double Slice* Two-Weapon Fighting Add your Str bonus to off-hand damage rolls
10
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Feat Prerequisites Benets
Two-Weapon Rend* Double Slice, Greater Two-Weapon
Fighting, base attack bonus +11
Rend a foe hit by both your weapons
Greater Two-Weapon
Fighting*
Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting, base
attack bonus +6
Gain iterative off-hand attacks
Two-Weapon Defense* Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting Gain +1 shield bonus when ghting with two
weapons
Unarmed Combatant* Dex 13 Always considered armed, +2 bonus on
grapple attempts, no attack of opportunity
Deect Arrows* Dex 13, Unarmed Combatant or Shield
Focus
Avoid one ranged attack per round
Snatch Arrows* Dex 15, Deect Arrows Catch one ranged attack per round
Greater Grapple* Unarmed Combatant, base attack bonus
+6
Maintain your grapple as a move action
Scorpion Stance* Unarmed Combatant, Deft Maneuvers or
Powerful Maneuvers
You are able to use combat maneuvers
against larger opponents
Gorgon's Fist* Scorpion Stance, base attack bonus +6 Make an entangled or tripped foe at-footed
Medusa's Wrath* Gorgon's Fist, base attack bonus +11 Make 2 extra attacks against a hindered foe
Stunning Fist* Dex 13, Wis 13, Unarmed Combatant,
base attack bonus +8
Stun opponent with an unarmed strike
Vital Strike* Base attack bonus +6 Deal twice the normal damage on a single
attack
Improved Vital Strike* Vital Strike, base attack bonus +11 Deal three times the normal damage on a
single attack
Greater Vital Strike* Improved Vital Strike, base attack bonus
+16
Deal four times the normal damage on a
single attack
Savage Charge* Str 15, Spring Attack, Vital Strike, base
attack bonus +8
Vital Strike as part of a charge or Spring Attack
Weapon Focus* Prociency with weapon, base attack
bonus +1
+1 bonus on attack rolls with one weapon
group
Dazzling Display* Weapon Focus Intimidate all foes within 30 feet
Shatter Defenses* Dazzling Display, base attack bonus +6 Hindered foes are at-footed
Deadly Stroke* Greater Weapon Focus, Shatter
Defenses, base attack bonus +11
Deal double damage plus 1 Con bleed
Greater Weapon Focus* Weapon Focus, 8th-level ghter +1 bonus on attack rolls with one weapon
group
Penetrating Strike* Weapon Focus, 12th-level ghter Your attacks ignore 5 points of damage
reduction
Greater Penetrating Strike* Penetrating Strike, 16th-level ghter Your attacks ignore 10 points of damage
reduction
Weapon Specialization* Weapon Focus, 4th-level ghter +2 bonus on damage rolls with one weapon
group
Greater Weapon
Specialization*
Weapon Specialization, 12th-level ghter +2 bonus on damage rolls with one weapon
group
Point-Blank Master* Weapon Specialization with a ranged
weapon group
Do not provoke attacks of opportunity while
ring one ranged weapon group
Weapon Prociency* — No penalty on attacks made with one weapon
group
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CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Item Creation Feats Prerequisites Benets
Brew Potion Caster level 3rd Create magic potions
Craft Magic Arms and Armor Caster level 5th Create magic armors, shields, and weapons
Craft Rod Caster level 9th Create magic rods
Craft Staff Caster level 11th Create magic staves
Craft Wand Caster level 5th Create magic wands
Craft Wondrous Item Caster level 3rd Create magic wondrous items
Forge Ring Caster level 7th Create magic rings
Scribe Scroll Caster level 1st Create magic scrolls
Metamagic Feats Prerequisites Benets
Elemental Spell — Inict energy damage instead of regular spell
damage
Empower Spell — Increase spell variables by 50%
Enlarge Spell — Double spell range
Extend Spell — Double spell duration
Heighten Spell — Treat spell as a higher level
Maximize Spell — Maximize spell variables
Merciful Spell — Spell inicts nonlethal damage instead of lethal
Quicken Spell — Cast spell as a swift action
Silent Spell — Cast spell without verbal components
Still Spell — Cast spell without somatic components
Widen Spell — Double spell area
* This is a combat feat and can be selected as a ghter bonus feat
usual +2 bonus for being invisible. e invisible attacker’s
bonuses do still apply for ranged attacks, however.
You do not need to make Acrobatics skill checks to
move at full speed while blinded.
Normal: Regular attack roll modifiers for invisible
attackers trying to hit you apply, and you lose your
Dexterity bonus to AC. e speed reduction for darkness
and poor visibility also applies.
Special: e Blind-Fight feat is of no use against a
character who is the subject of a blink spell.
Blinding Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits blind your opponents.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, base attack bonus +15.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your
opponent is permanently blinded. A successful Fortitude
save reduces this to dazzled for 1d4 rounds. e DC of
this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base attack bonus.
is feat has no effect on creatures that do not rely on eyes
for sight or creatures with more than two eyes (although
multiple critical hits might cause blindness, at the GM’s
discretion). Blindness can be cured by heal, regeneration,
remove blindness, or similar abilities.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical
feat to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical
Mastery.
Brew Potion (Item Creation)
You can create magic potions.
Prerequisite: Caster level 3rd.
Benefit: You can create a potion of any 3rd-level or
lower spell that you know and that targets one or more
creatures or objects. Brewing a potion takes 2 hours if its
base price is 250 gp or less, otherwise brewing a potion
takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. When you
create a potion, you set the caster level, which must be
sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than
your own level. To brew a potion, you must use up raw
materials costing one half this base price. See the magic
item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
When you create a potion, you make any choices
that you would normally make when casting the spell.
Whoever drinks the potion is the target of the spell.
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Catch Off-Guard (Combat)
Foes are surprised by your skilled use of unorthodox and
improvised weapons.
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combatant, Dex 13.
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties for using
an improvised weapon. Unarmed opponents are flat-
footed against any attacks you make with an improvised
weapon. You receive a +1 circumstance bonus on attack
rolls made with thrown splash weapons.
Normal: You take a –4 penalty on attack rolls made
with an improvised weapon.
Channel Smite (Combat)
You can channel your divine energy through a melee
weapon you wield.
Prerequisite: Channel energy class feature.
Benefit: Before you make a melee attack roll, you can
choose to spend one use of your channel energy ability as a
swift action. If you channel positive energy and you hit an
undead creature, that creature takes an amount of additional
damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel positive
energy ability. If you channel negative energy and you hit a
living creature, that creature takes an amount of additional
damage equal to the damage dealt by your channel negative
energy ability. Your target can make a Will save, as normal,
to halve this additional damage. If your attack misses, the
channel energy ability is still expended with no effect.
Cleave (Combat)
You can strike two adjacent foes with a single swing.
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single
attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within
reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can make
an additional attack (using your full base attack bonus)
against a foe that is adjacent to the first and also within
reach. You can only make one additional attack per round
with this feat. When you use this feat, you take a -2
penalty to your Armor Class until your next turn.
Combat Casting
You are adept at spellcasting when threatened or distracted.
Benefit: You get a +4 bonus on concentration checks
made to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability when casting
defensively or while grappled.
Combat Reflexes (Combat)
You can make additional attacks of opportunity.
Benefit: You may make a number of additional attacks
of opportunity per round equal to your Dexterity bonus.
With this feat, you may also make attacks of opportunity
while flat-footed.
Normal: A character without this feat can make only
one attack of opportunity per round and can’t make attacks
of opportunity while flat-footed.
Special: e Combat Reflexes feat does not allow a rogue
to use her opportunist ability more than once per round.
Command Undead
Using foul powers of necromancy, you can command
undead creatures, making them into your servants.
Prerequisites: Channel negative energy class feature.
Benefit: As a standard action, you can use one of your
uses of channel negative energy to enslave undead within 30
feet. Undead receive a Will save to negate the effect. e DC
for this Will save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your
Charisma modifier. Undead that fail their saves fall under
your control, obeying your commands to the best of their
ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent
undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your
command. You can control any number of undead, so long
as their total Hit Dice do not exceed your cleric level. If you
use channel energy in this way, it has no other effect (it does
not heal or harm nearby creatures). If an undead creature
is under the control of another creature, you must make
an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict.
Craft Magic Arms and Armor (Item Creation)
You can create magic armor, shields, and weapons.
Prerequisite: Caster level 5th.
Benefit: You can create magic weapons, armor, or shields.
Enhancing a weapon, suit of armor, or shield takes 1 day
for each 1,000 gp in the price of its magical features. To
enhance a weapon, suit of armor, or shield, you must use up
raw materials costing half of this total price. See the magic
item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
e weapon, armor, or shield to be enhanced must
be a masterwork item that you provide. Its cost is not
included in the above cost.
You can also mend a broken magic weapon, suit of
armor, or shield if it is one that you could make. Doing
so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would
take to craft that item in the first place.
Craft Rod (Item Creation)
You can create magic rods.
Prerequisite: Caster level 9th.
Benefit: You can create magic rods. Crafting a rod
takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To craft
a rod, you must use up raw materials costing half of its
base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic
Items for more information.
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CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Craft Staff (Item Creation)
You can create magic staves.
Prerequisite: Caster level 11th.
Benefit: You can create any staff whose prerequisites
you meet. Crafting a staff takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp
in its base price. To craft a staff, you must use up raw
materials costing half of its base price. A newly created
staff has 10 charges. See the magic item creation rules in
Magic Items for more information.
Craft Wand (Item Creation)
You can create magic wands.
Prerequisite: Caster level 5th.
Benefit: You can create a wand of any 4th-level or
lower spell that you know. Crafting a wand takes 1 day
for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To craft a wand, you
must use up raw materials costing half of this base price.
A newly created wand has 50 charges. See the magic item
creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
Craft Wondrous Item (Item Creation)
You can create wondrous items, a type of magic item.
Prerequisite: Caster level 3rd.
Benefit: You can create a wide variety of magic wondrous
items. Crafting a wondrous item takes 1 day for each 1,000
gp in its price. To create a wondrous item, you must use up
raw materials costing half of its base price. See the magic
item creation rules in Magic Items for more information.
You can also mend a broken wondrous item if it is one
that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials
and half the time it would take to craft that item.
Critical Focus (Combat)
You are trained in the art of causing pain.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +9.
Benefit: You receive a +4 circumstance bonus on
attack rolls made to confirm critical hits.
Critical Mastery (Combat)
Your critical hits cause two additional effects.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, any two critical feats,
14th-level fighter.
Benefit: When you score a critical hit, you can apply
the effects of two critical feats in addition to the damage
dealt.
Normal: You can only apply the effects of one critical
feat to a given critical hit in addition to the damage dealt.
Dazzling Display (Combat)
Your skill with your favored weapon can frighten enemies.
Prerequisite: Weapon Focus.
Benefit: While wielding a weapon from the group
in which you have Weapon Focus, you can perform
a bewildering show of prowess as a full-round action.
Make an Intimidate check to demoralize all foes within
30 feet who can see your display.
Deadly Stroke (Combat)
With a well-placed strike, you can bring a swift and
painful end to most foes.
Prerequisites: Dazzling Display, Greater Weapon Focus,
Shatter Defenses, base attack bonus +11.
Benefit: As a standard action, make a single attack
with a weapon from the group in which you have
Greater Weapon Focus against a stunned or flat-footed
opponent. If you hit, you deal double the normal damage
and the target takes 1 point of Constitution bleed (see
Conditions). e additional damage and bleed is not
multiplied on a critical hit.
Deafening Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits cause enemies to lose their hearing.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, base attack bonus +13.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit against
an opponent, the victim is permanently deafened. A
successful Fortitude save reduces the deafness to 1 round.
e DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your base
attack bonus. is feat has no effect on deaf creatures.
is deafness can be cured by heal, regeneration, remove
deafness, or a similar ability.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical feat
to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical Mastery.
Deceitful
You are skilled at deceiving others, both with the spoken
word and with physical disguises.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Disguise
skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these
skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Defensive Combat Training (Combat)
You excel at defending yourself from all manner of
combat maneuvers.
Benefit: You treat your total Hit Dice as your base
attack bonus when calculating your Combat Maneuver
Defense (see Combat).
Deflect Arrows (Combat)
You can knock arrows and other projectiles off course,
preventing them from hitting you.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Unarmed Combatant or
Shield Focus.
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Benefit: Once per round when you would normally
be hit with an attack from a ranged weapon, you may
deflect it so that you take no damage from it. You must
be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Attempting
to deflect a ranged attack doesn’t count as an action.
Unusually massive ranged weapons (such as boulders or
ballista bolts) and ranged attacks generated by natural
attacks or spell effects can’t be deflected.
You must have at least one hand free and holding
nothing (Unarmed Combatant) or a shield in one of
your hands (Shield Focus) to use this feat.
Deft Hands
You have exceptional manual dexterity.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Disable Device and
Sleight of Hand skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks
in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Deft Maneuvers (Combat)
You are skilled in a variety of dextrous combat maneuvers.
Prerequisite: Dex 13.
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity
when performing a trip or disarm combat maneuver. In
addition, you receive a +2 bonus on checks with trip and
disarm combat maneuvers, and you can make a Bluff
check to feint in combat as a move action.
You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver
Defense whenever an opponent tries to trip or disarm you.
Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when
performing a trip or disarm combat maneuver. Feinting
in combat is a standard action.
Diehard
You are especially hard to kill. Not only do your wounds
automatically stabilize when grievously injured, but you can
remain conscious and continue to act even at death’s door.
Prerequisite: Endurance.
Benefit: When your hit point total is below 0, but
you are not dead, you automatically stabilize. You do not
need to make a Constitution check each round to avoid
losing additional hit points. You may choose to act as if
you were disabled, rather than dying. You must make this
decision as soon as you are reduced to negative hit points
(even if it isn’t your turn). If you do not choose to act as
if you were disabled, you immediately fall unconscious.
When using this feat, you are staggered. You can take
a move action without further injuring yourself, but if
you perform any standard action (or any other action
deemed as strenuous, including some swift actions, such
as casting a quickened spell) you take 1 point of damage
after completing the act. If your negative hit points are
equal to or greater than your Constitution score, you
immediately die.
Normal: A character without this feat who is reduced
to negative hit points is unconscious and dying.
Disruptive (Combat)
Your training makes it difficult for enemy spellcasters to
safely cast spells near you.
Prerequisites: 6th-level fighter.
Benefit: e DC to cast spells defensively increases by
+4 for all enemies that are within your threatened area.
is increase to casting spells defensively only applies if
you are aware of the enemy’s location and are capable of
taking an attack of opportunity. If you can only take one
attack of opportunity per round and have already used
that attack, this increase does not apply.
Dodge (Combat)
Your training and reflexes allow you to react swiftly to
avoid an opponent’s attacks.
Prerequisite: Dex 13.
Benefit: You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. is
bonus increases to +5 against attacks of opportunity
caused when you move out of or within a threatened
tile. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to
AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
Double Slice (Combat)
Your off-hand weapon while dual-wielding strikes with
greater power.
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting.
Benefit: Add your Strength bonus to damage rolls
made with your off-hand weapon.
Normal: You normally add only half of your Strength
modifier to damage rolls made with a weapon wielded in
your off-hand.
Elemental Channel
Choose one elemental subtype, such as air, earth, fire, or
water. You can channel your divine energy to harm or heal
outsiders that possess your chosen elemental subtype.
Prerequisites: Channel energy class feature.
Benefit: Instead of its normal effect, you can choose
to have your ability to channel energy heal or harm
outsiders of your chosen elemental subtype. You must
make this choice each time you channel energy. If you
choose to heal or harm creatures of your elemental
subtype, your channel energy has no effect on other
creatures. e amount of damage healed or dealt and the
DC to halve the damage is otherwise unchanged.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
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CHAPTER 1: FEATS
effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it
applies to a new elemental subtype.
Elemental Focus
Your spells of a certain element are more difficult to resist.
Benefit: Choose one energy type (acid, cold,
electricity, or fire). Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for
all saving throws against spells that deal damage of the
energy type you select.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it
applies to a new energy type.
Elemental Spell (Metamagic)
You can manipulate the elemental nature of your spells.
Benefit: You may replace a spell’s normal damage with
one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity,
or fire. You may also choose to split the spell’s damage,
so that half is of that energy type and half is of its normal
type. An elemental spell does not use up a higher-level
spell slot than the spell’s actual level.
Empower Spell (Metamagic)
You can increase the power of your spells, causing them
to deal more damage.
Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of an empowered
spell are increased by half, including bonuses to those
dice rolls.
Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected,
nor are spells without random variables. An empowered
spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s
actual level.
Endurance
Harsh conditions or long exertions do not easily tire you.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on the following
checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal
damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to
continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid
nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution
checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks
made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or
thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage
from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves
made to resist damage from suffocation.
You may sleep in light or medium armor without
becoming fatigued.
Normal: A character without this feat who sleeps in
medium or heavier armor is fatigued the next day.
Enlarge Spell (Metamagic)
You can increase the range of your spells.
Benefit: You can alter a spell with a range of close,
medium, or long to increase its range by 100%. An
enlarged spell with a range of close now has a range of 50
ft. + 5 ft./level, while medium-range spells have a range
of 200 ft. + 20 ft./level and long-range spells have a range
of 800 ft. + 80 ft./level. An enlarged spell uses up a spell
slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.
Spells whose ranges are not defined by distance, as
well as spells whose ranges are not close, medium, or
long, do not benefit from this feat.
Eschew Materials
You can cast many spells without needing to utilize
minor material components.
Benefit: You can cast any spell with a material
component costing 1 gp or less without needing that
component. e casting of the spell still provokes attacks
of opportunity as normal. If the spell requires a material
component that costs more than 1 gp, you must have the
material component on hand to cast the spell, as normal.
Exhausting Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits cause opponents to become exhausted.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, Tiring Critical, base
attack bonus +15.
Benefit: When you score a critical hit on a foe, your
target immediately becomes exhausted. is feat has no
effect on exhausted creatures.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical
feat to a given critical hit unless you possess the Critical
Mastery feat.
Extend Spell (Metamagic)
You can make your spells last twice as long.
Benefit: An extended spell lasts twice as long as
normal. A spell with a duration of concentration,
instantaneous, or permanent is not affected by this feat.
An extended spell uses up a spell slot one level higher
than the spell’s actual level.
Extra Channel
You can channel divine energy more often.
Prerequisite: Channel energy class feature.
Benefit: You can channel energy two additional times
per day.
Special: If a paladin with the ability to channel positive
energy takes this feat, she can use lay on hands four
additional times a day, but only to channel positive energy.
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Extra Ki
You can use your ki pool more times per day than most.
Prerequisite: Ki pool class feature.
Benefit: Your ki pool increases by 2.
Special: You can gain Extra Ki multiple times. Its
effects stack.
Extra Lay On Hands
You can use your lay on hands ability more often.
Prerequisite: Lay on hands class feature.
Benefit: You can use your lay on hands ability two
additional times per day.
Special: You can gain Extra Lay On Hands multiple
times. Its effects stack.
Extra Mercy
Your lay on hands ability adds an additional mercy.
Prerequisites: Lay on hands class feature, mercy class
feature.
Benefit: Select one additional mercy for which you
qualify. When you use lay on hands to heal damage to
one target, it also receives the additional effects of this
mercy.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, select
a new mercy.
Extra Performance
You can use your bardic performance ability more often
than normal.
Prerequisite: Bardic performance class feature.
Benefit: You can use bardic performance for 6
additional rounds per day.
Special: You can gain Extra Performance multiple
times. Its effects stack.
Extra Rage
You can use your rage ability more than normal.
Prerequisite: Rage class feature.
Benefit: You can rage for 6 additional rounds per day.
Special: You can gain Extra Rage multiple times. Its
effects stack.
Extra Rogue Talent
rough constant practice, you have learned how to
perform a special trick.
Prerequisite: Rogue talent class feature.
Benefit: You gain one additional rogue talent. You
must meet all of the prerequisites for this rogue talent.
Far Shot (Combat)
You are more accurate at longer ranges.
Prerequisite: Precise Shot.
Benefit: You only suffer a -1 penalty per full range
increment between you and your target when using a
ranged weapon.
Normal: You suffer a -2 penalty per full range
increment between you and your target.
Fleet
You are faster than most.
Benefit: While you are wearing light or no armor,
your base speed increases by 5 feet. You lose the benefits
of this feat if you carry a medium or heavy load.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. e
effects stack.
Forge Ring (Item Creation)
You can create magic rings.
Prerequisite: Caster level 7th.
Benefit: You can create magic rings. Crafting a ring
takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To craft a
ring, you must use up raw materials costing half of the
base price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic
Items for more information.
You can also mend a broken ring if it is one that you
could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half
the time it would take to forge that ring in the first place.
Gorgon’s Fist
With one well-placed blow, you leave your target reeling.
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combatant, Scorpion
Stance, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: As a standard action, make a single unarmed
melee attack against a foe who is either entangled or
prone. If the attack hits, you deal damage normally and
the target is flat-footed until the end of your next turn
unless it makes a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2
your character level + your Wis modifier).
Great Cleave (Combat)
You can strike many adjacent foes with a single blow.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: As a standard action, you can make a single
attack at your full base attack bonus against a foe within
reach. If you hit, you deal damage normally and can
make an additional attack (using your full base attack
bonus) against a foe that is adjacent to the previous foe
and also within reach. If you hit, you can continue to
make attacks against foes adjacent to the previous foe, so
long as they are within your reach. You cannot attack an
17
CHAPTER 1: FEATS
individual foe more than once during this attack action.
When you use this feat, you take a -2 penalty to your
Armor Class until your next turn.
Great Fortitude
You are resistant to poisons, diseases, and other maladies.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saving
throws.
Greater Bull Rush (Combat)
Your bull rush attacks throw enemies off balance.
Prerequisites: Powerful Maneuvers, base attack
bonus +6, Str 13.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made
to bull rush a foe. is bonus stacks with the bonus
granted by Powerful Maneuvers. Whenever you bull
rush an opponent, his movement provokes attacks of
opportunity from all of your allies (but not you).
Normal: Creatures moved by bull rush do not
provoke attacks of opportunity.
Greater Disarm (Combat)
You can knock weapons far from an enemy’s grasp.
Prerequisites: Deft Maneuvers, base attack bonus +6,
Dex 13.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on combat maneuver
checks made to disarm a foe. is bonus stacks with
the bonus granted by Deft Maneuvers. Whenever you
successfully disarm an opponent, the weapon lands 15
feet away from its previous wielder, in a random direction.
Normal: Disarmed weapons and gear land at the feet
of the disarmed creature.
Greater Elemental Focus
Choose an energy type to which you have already
applied the Elemental Focus feat. Any spells you cast of
this energy type are very hard to resist.
Prerequisite: Elemental Focus.
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving
throws against spells that deal damage of the energy
type you select. is bonus stacks with the bonus from
Elemental Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it
applies to a new energy type to which you have already
applied the Elemental Focus feat.
Greater Feint (Combat)
You are skilled at making foes overreact to your attacks.
Prerequisites: Deft Maneuvers, base attack bonus +6,
Dex 13.
Benefit: Whenever you use feint to cause an opponent
to lose his Dexterity bonus, he loses that bonus until the
beginning of your next turn, in addition to losing his
Dexterity bonus against your next attack.
Normal: A creature you feint loses its Dexterity bonus
against your next attack.
Greater Grapple (Combat)
Maintaining a grapple is second nature to you.
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combatant, base attack
bonus +6, Dex 13.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to
grapple a foe. is bonus stacks with the bonus granted
by Unarmed Combatant. Once you have grappled a
creature, maintaining the grapple is a move action. is
feat allows you to make two grapple checks each round
(to move, harm, or pin your opponent), but you are not
required to make two checks. You only need to succeed
at one of these checks to maintain the grapple.
Normal: Maintaining a grapple is a standard action.
Greater Hamstring (Combat)
You can stop enemies in their tracks.
Prerequisites: Powerful Maneuvers, base attack
bonus +6, Str 13.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made
to hamstring a foe. is bonus stacks with the bonus
granted by Powerful Maneuvers. When you successfully
hamstring an opponent using an attack of opportunity,
that opponent cannot move for the rest of his turn.
Greater Overrun (Combat)
Enemies must dive to avoid your dangerous move.
Prerequisites: Powerful Maneuvers, base attack
bonus +6, Str 13.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made
to overrun a foe. is bonus stacks with the bonus
granted by Powerful Maneuvers. Whenever you overrun
opponents, they provoke attacks of opportunity if they
are knocked prone by your overrun.
Normal: Creatures knocked prone by your overrun
do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Greater Penetrating Strike (Combat)
Your attacks penetrate the defenses of most foes.
Prerequisites: Penetrating Strike, Weapon Focus,
16th-level fighter.
Benefit: Your attacks with weapons from the group in
which you have Weapon Focus ignore up to 10 points of
damage reduction. is amount is reduced to 5 points
for damage reduction without a type (such as DR 10/-).
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Greater Shield Focus (Combat)
You are skilled at deflecting blows with your shield.
Prerequisites: Shield Focus, Shield Proficiency, base
attack bonus +1, 8th-level fighter.
Benefit: Increase the AC bonus granted by any shield
you are using by 1. is bonus stacks with the bonus
granted by Shield Focus. Additionally, the AC bonus
against ranged weapons granted by Shield Focus now
affects ranged touch attacks (including rays and similar
magical effects).
Greater Spell Focus
Choose a school of magic to which you have already
applied the Spell Focus feat. Any spells you cast of this
school are very hard to resist.
Prerequisite: Spell Focus.
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving
throws against spells from the school of magic you select.
is bonus stacks with the bonus from Spell Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies
to a new school to which you already have applied the
Spell Focus feat.
Greater Spell Penetration
Your spells break through spell resistance much more
easily than most.
Prerequisite: Spell Penetration.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on caster level checks
(1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature’s spell
resistance. is bonus stacks with the one from Spell
Penetration.
Greater Sunder (Combat)
Your devastating strikes cleave through weapons and
armor and into their wielders, damaging both item and
wielder alike in a single terrific strike.
Prerequisites: Powerful Maneuvers, base attack
bonus +6, Str 13.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to
sunder an item. is bonus stacks with the bonus granted
by Powerful Maneuvers. Whenever you sunder to destroy
a weapon, shield, or suit of armor, any excess damage is
applied to the item’s wielder. No damage is transferred if
you decide to leave the item with 1 hit point.
Greater Trip (Combat)
You can make free attacks on foes that you knock down.
Prerequisites: Deft Maneuvers, base attack bonus +6,
Dex 13.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus on checks made to trip
a foe. is bonus stacks with the bonus granted by Deft
Maneuvers. Whenever you successfully trip an opponent,
that opponent provokes attacks of opportunity.
Normal: Creatures do not provoke attacks of
opportunity from being tripped.
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting (Combat)
You are skilled at fighting with two weapons.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting, base
attack bonus +6.
Benefit: In addition to the standard single extra attack
you get with an off-hand weapon, you get a second
attack with it, albeit at a -5 penalty. When your base
attack bonus reaches +11, you also gain a third attack
with your off-hand weapon, albeit at a -10 penalty.
Normal: Without this feat, you can only get a single
extra attack with an off-hand weapon.
Greater Vital Strike (Combat)
You can make a single attack that deals incredible damage.
Prerequisites: Improved Vital Strike, Vital Strike,
base attack bonus +16.
Benefit: When you use the attack action, you can
make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that
deals additional damage. Roll the weapon’s damage dice
for the attack four times and add the results together
before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities
(such as flaming), precision based damage, and other
damage bonuses. ese extra weapon damage dice are
not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
Greater Weapon Focus (Combat)
Choose one weapon group listed under the fighter’s
Weapon Training class feature for which you have
already selected Weapon Focus. You are a master at your
chosen weapon type.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus with the selected
weapon group, base attack bonus +1, 8th-level fighter.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls you make
using the selected weapon group. is bonus stacks with
other bonuses on attack rolls, including those from
Weapon Focus.
Special: You can gain Greater Weapon Focus multiple
times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the
feat, it applies to a new weapon group.
Greater Weapon Specialization (Combat)
Choose one weapon group listed under the fighter’s
Weapon Training class feature for which you possess
the Weapon Specialization feat. Your attacks with these
weapons are more devastating than normal.
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CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Prerequisites: Greater Weapon Focus with the
selected weapon group, Weapon Specialization with the
selected weapon group, 12th-level fighter.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls
you make using any weapon from the selected group.
is bonus to damage stacks with other damage
roll bonuses, including any you gain from Weapon
Specialization.
Special: You can gain Greater Weapon Specialization
multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you
take the feat, it applies to a new weapon group.
Heighten Spell (Metamagic)
You can cast spells as if they were a higher level.
Benefit: A heightened spell has a higher spell level
than normal (up to a maximum of 9th level). Unlike
other metamagic feats, Heighten Spell actually increases
the effective level of the spell that it modifies. All effects
dependent on spell level (such as saving throw DCs
and ability to penetrate a lesser globe of invulnerability)
are calculated according to the heightened level. e
heightened spell is as difficult to prepare and cast as a
spell of its effective level.
Improved Channel
Your channeled energy is harder to resist.
Prerequisite: Channel energy class feature.
Benefit: Add 2 to the DC of saving throws made to
resist the effects of your channel energy ability.
Improved Counterspell
You are skilled at countering the spells of others using
similar spells.
Benefit: When counterspelling, you may use a spell
of the same school that is one or more spell levels higher
than the target spell.
Normal: Without this feat, you may counter a spell
only with the same spell or with a spell specifically
designated as countering the target spell.
Improved Critical (Combat)
Choose one weapon group listed under the fighter’s
Weapon Training class feature. Attacks made with your
chosen weapons are quite deadly.
Prerequisite: Proficiency with at least one weapon
from the selected weapon group, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: When using any weapon from the selected
group, your threat range is doubled.
Special: You can gain Improved Critical multiple
times. e effects do not stack. Each time you take the
feat, it applies to a new weapon group.
is effect doesn’t stack with any other effect that
expands the threat range of a weapon.
Improved Familiar
is feat allows you to acquire a powerful familiar, but
only when you could normally acquire a new familiar.
Prerequisites: Ability to acquire a new familiar,
compatible alignment, sufficiently high level (see below).
Benefit: When choosing a familiar, the creatures listed
below are also available to you. You may choose a familiar
with an alignment up to one step away on each alignment
axis (lawful through chaotic, good through evil).
Familiar Alignment
Arcane
Spellcaster
Level
Celestial hawk ¹ Neutral good 3rd
Dire rat Neutral 3rd
Fiendish viper ² Neutral evil 3rd
Elemental, Small (any type) Neutral 5th
Stirge Neutral 5th
Homunculus ³ Any 7th
Imp Lawful evil 7th
Mephit (any type) Neutral 7th
Pseudodragon Neutral good 7th
Quasit Chaotic evil 7th
1 Or other celestial animal from the standard familiar list.
2 Or other endish animal from the standard familiar list.
3 The master must rst create the homunculus.
Improved familiars otherwise use the rules for regular
familiars, with two exceptions: if the creature’s type is
something other than animal, its type does not change;
and improved familiars do not gain the ability to speak
with other creatures of their kind (although many of
them already have the ability to communicate).
Improved Great Fortitude
You can draw upon an inner reserve to resist diseases,
poisons, and other grievous harm.
Prerequisites: Great Fortitude.
Benefit: Once per day, you may reroll a Fortitude save.
You must decide to use this ability before the results are
revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it is worse.
Improved Initiative (Combat)
Your quick reflexes allow you to react rapidly to danger.
Benefit: You get a +4 bonus on initiative checks.
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Improved Iron Will
Your clarity of thought allows you to resist mental attacks.
Prerequisites: Iron Will.
Benefit: Once per day, you may reroll a Will save.
You must decide to use this ability before the results
are revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it
is worse.
Improved Lightning Reflexes
You have a knack for avoiding danger all around you.
Prerequisites: Lightning Reflexes.
Benefit: Once per day, you may reroll a Reflex save.
You must decide to use this ability before the results are
revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it is worse.
Improved Precise Shot (Combat)
Your ranged attacks ignore anything but total
concealment and cover.
Prerequisites: Dex 19, Precise Shot, base attack
bonus +11.
Benefit: Your ranged attacks ignore the AC bonus
granted to targets by anything less than total cover, and
the miss chance granted to targets by anything less than
total concealment. Total cover and total concealment
provide their normal benefits against your ranged attacks.
Normal: See the normal rules on the effects of cover
and concealment in Combat.
Improved Shield Bash (Combat)
You can protect yourself with your shield, even if you
use it to attack.
Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency.
Benefit: When you perform a shield bash, you may
still apply the shield’s shield bonus to your AC.
Normal: Without this feat, a character that performs
a shield bash loses the shield’s shield bonus to AC until
his next turn (see Equipment).
Improved Vital Strike (Combat)
You can make a single attack that deals a large amount
of damage.
Prerequisites: Vital Strike, base attack bonus +11.
Benefit: When you use the attack action, you can
make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that
deals additional damage. Roll the weapon’s damage dice
for the attack three times and add the results together
before adding bonuses from Strength, weapon special
abilities (such as flaming), precision based damage, and
other damage bonuses. ese extra weapon damage
dice are not multiplied on a critical hit, but are added
to the total.
Improvised Weapon Mastery (Combat)
You can turn nearly any object into a deadly weapon,
from a razor-sharp chair leg to a sack of flour.
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combatant, Catch Off-
Guard, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Increase the amount of damage dealt
by an improvised weapon by one step (for example,
1d4 becomes 1d6) to a maximum of 1d8 (2d6 if the
improvised weapon is two-handed). e improvised
weapon has a critical threat range of 19-20, with a
critical multiplier of ×2.
Intimidating Prowess (Combat)
Your physical might is intimidating to others.
Benefit: Add your Strength modifier to Intimidate
skill checks in addition to your Charisma modifier.
Iron Guard (Combat)
You are skilled at shielding yourself from flames and
magical effects.
Prerequisites: Shield Focus, Shield Proficiency, base
attack bonus +6.
Benefit: You gain the benefits of the rogue’s evasion
class ability as long as you have a heavy shield or tower
shield in one hand. Unlike evasion, you do not need to
be wearing light or medium armor to benefit from this
effect.
Iron Will
You are more resistant to mental effects.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.
Leadership
You attract followers to your cause and a companion to
join you on your adventures.
Prerequisite: Character level 7th.
Benefits: is feat enables you to attract a loyal
cohort and a number of devoted subordinates who
assist you. A cohort is generally an NPC with class
levels, while followers are typically lower level NPCs.
See Table 1-2: Leadership for what level of cohort and
how many followers you can recruit.
Leadership Modifiers: Several factors can affect
your Leadership score, causing it to vary from the
base score (character level + Cha modifier). Your
reputation (from the point of view of the cohort or
follower you are trying to attract) raises or lowers your
Leadership score:
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CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Leader’s Reputation Modifer
Great renown +2
Fairness and generosity +1
Special power +1
Failure –1
Aloofness –1
Cruelty –2
Other modifiers may apply when you try to attract a
cohort, as listed below.
The Leader... Modifer
Has a familiar, special mount, or animal
companion
-2
Recruits a cohort of a different alignment -1
Caused the death of a cohort -2*
*Cumulative per cohort killed.
Followers have different priorities from cohorts. When
you try to attract a follower, use the following modifiers.
The Leader... Modifer
Has a stronghold, base of operations,
guildhouse, etc.
+2
Moves around a lot –1
Caused the death of other followers –1
Leadership Score: Your base Leadership score equals your
level plus your Charisma modifier. In order to take into
account negative Charisma modifiers, this table allows for
very low Leadership scores, but you must still be 7th level
or higher in order to gain the Leadership feat. Outside
factors can affect your Leadership score, as detailed above.
Cohort Level: You can attract a cohort of up to this
level. Regardless of your Leadership score, you can only
recruit a cohort who is two or more levels lower than
yourself. e cohort should be equipped with gear
appropriate for its level (see Creating NPCs). A cohort
can be of any race or class. e cohort’s alignment may
not be opposed to your alignment on either the law/
chaos or good/evil axis, and you take a -1 penalty to your
Leadership score if you recruit a cohort of an alignment
different from your own.
A cohort does not count as a party member when
determining the party’s XP. Instead, divide the cohort’s
level by your level. Multiply this result by the total XP
awarded to you, then add that number of experience
points to the cohort’s total.
If a cohort gains enough XP to bring it to a level one
lower than your level, the cohort does not gain the new
level—its new XP total is 1 less than the amount needed
to attain the next level.
Number of Followers by Level: You can lead up to the
indicated number of characters of each level. Followers
are similar to cohorts, except they’re generally low-level
NPCs. Because they’re usually 5 or more levels behind
you, they’re rarely effective in combat.
Followers don’t earn experience and thus don’t gain
levels. When you gain a new level, consult Table 1-2
to determine if you acquire more followers, some of
whom may be higher level than the existing followers.
Don’t consult the table to see if your cohort gains levels,
however, because cohorts earn experience on their own.
TABLE 12: LEADERSHIP
Leadership
Score
Cohort
Level
Number of Followers by Level
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
1 or lower — — — — — — —
2 1st — — — — — —
3 2nd — — — — — —
4 3rd — — — — — —
5 3rd — — — — — —
6 4th — — — — — —
7 5th — — — — — —
8 5th — — — — — —
9 6th — — — — — —
10 7th 5 — — — — —
11 7th 6 — — — — —
12 8th 8 — — — — —
13 9th 10 1 — — — —
14 10th 15 1 — — — —
15 10th 20 2 1 — — —
16 11th 25 2 1 — — —
17 12th 30 3 1 1 — —
18 12th 35 3 1 1 — —
19 13th 40 4 2 1 1 —
20 14th 50 5 3 2 1 —
21 15th 60 6 3 2 1 1
22 15th 75 7 4 2 2 1
23 16th 90 9 5 3 2 1
24 17th 110 11 6 3 2 1
25 or higher 17th 135 13 7 4 2 2
22
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Lightning Reflexes
You have faster reflexes than normal.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Reflex saving throws.
Lightning Stance (Combat)
e speed at which you move makes it nearly impossible
for opponents to strike you.
Prerequisites: Dex 17, Dodge, Wind Stance, base
attack bonus +11.
Benefit: If you take two actions to move or a
withdraw action in a turn, you gain 50% concealment
for 1 round.
Lunge (Combat)
You can strike foes that would normally be out of reach.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: You can increase the reach of your melee
attacks by 5 feet until the end of your turn by taking a
–2 penalty to your AC until your next turn. You must
decide to use this ability before any attacks are made.
Magical Aptitude
You are skilled at spellcasting and using magic items.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Spellcraft checks
and Use Magic Device checks. If you have 10 or more
ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for
that skill.
Manyshot (Combat)
You can fire multiple shots at a single target.
Prerequisites: Dex 17, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, base
attack bonus +6.
Benefit: When making a full-attack action with
a bow, crossbow, or sling, your first attack fires two
projectiles. If the attack hits, both arrows, bolts, or
bullets hit. Apply precision-based damage (such as sneak
attack) and critical hit damage only once for this attack.
Strength bonuses apply to each projectile, as do other
damage bonuses, such as a ranger’s favored enemy bonus.
Damage reduction and resistances apply separately to
each arrow, bolt, or bullet.
Master Craftsman
Your superior crafting skills allow you to create simple
magic items.
Prerequisites: 5 ranks in any Craft or Profession skill.
Benefit: Choose one Craft or Profession skill in
which you possess at least 5 ranks. You receive a +2
bonus on your chosen Craft or Profession skill. Ranks
in your chosen skill count as your caster level for the
purposes of qualifying for the Craft Magic Arms and
Armor and Craft Wondrous Item feats. You can create
magic items using these feats, substituting your ranks in
the chosen skill for your total caster level. You must use
the chosen skill for the check to create the item. e DC
to create the item still increases for any necessary spell
requirements (see the magic item creation rules in Magic
Items). You cannot use this feat to create any spell-trigger
or spell-activation item.
Normal: Only spellcasters can qualify for the Craft
Magic Arms and Armor and Craft Wondrous Item feats.
Maximize Spell (Metamagic)
Your spells have the maximum possible effect.
Benefit: All variable, numeric effects of a spell
modified by this feat are maximized. Saving throws and
opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without
random variables. A maximized spell uses up a spell slot
three levels higher than the spell’s actual level.
An empowered, maximized spell gains the separate
benefits of each feat: the maximum result plus half the
normally rolled result.
Medusa’s Wrath (Combat)
You can take advantage of your opponent’s confusion,
delivering multiple blows.
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combatant, Gorgon’s Fist,
Scorpion Stance, base attack bonus +11.
Benefit: Whenever you use the full-attack action and
make at least one unarmed strike, you can make two
additional unarmed strikes at your highest base attack
bonus. ese bonus attacks must be made against a
dazed, flat-footed, paralyzed, staggered, stunned, or
unconscious foe.
Merciful Spell (Metamagic)
Your damaging spells subdue rather than kill.
Benefit: You can alter spells that inflict damage to
inflict nonlethal damage instead. Spells that inflict
damage of a particular type (such as fire) inflict
nonlethal damage of that same type. A merciful spell
does not use up a higher-level spell slot than the spell’s
actual level.
Mounted Archery (Combat)
You are skilled at making ranged attacks while mounted.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: e penalty you take when using a ranged
weapon while mounted is halved: -2 instead of -4 if your
mount is taking a double move, and -4 instead of -8 if
your mount is running.
23
CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Mounted Combat (Combat)
You are adept at guiding your mount through combat.
Prerequisite: Ride 1 rank.
Benefit: Once per round when your mount is hit in
combat, you may attempt a Ride check (as an immediate
action) to negate the hit. e hit is negated if your Ride
check result is greater than the opponent’s attack roll.
Natural Spell
You can cast spells even while transformed.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, change shape or wild shape
class feature.
Benefit: You can complete the verbal and somatic
components of spells while using change shape or wild
shape. You substitute various noises and gestures for the
normal verbal and somatic components of a spell.
You can also use any material components or focuses
you possess, even if such items are melded within your
current form. is feat does not permit the use of magic
items while you are in a form that could not ordinarily
use them, and you do not gain the ability to speak while
using change shape or wild shape.
Nimble Moves
You can move across a single obstacle with ease.
Prerequisites: Dex 13.
Benefit: Whenever you move, you may move through
5 feet of difficult terrain each round as if it were normal
terrain. is feat allows you to take a 5-foot step into
difficult terrain.
Parting Shot (Combat)
You are an expert skirmisher, able to rain missiles upon
your enemies whether advancing or retreating.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Shot on the Run, base
attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Once per encounter, when using the
withdraw action, you can make a single ranged attack at
any point during your movement.
Normal: You cannot attack when using the withdraw
action.
Penetrating Strike (Combat)
Your attacks are capable of penetrating the defenses of
some creatures.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus, base attack bonus +1,
12th-level fighter.
Benefit: Your attacks with weapons from the group
in which you have Weapon Focus ignore up to 5 points
of damage reduction. is feat does not apply to damage
reduction without a type (such as DR 10/–).
Persuasive
You are skilled at swaying attitudes and intimidating
others into your way of thinking.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and
Intimidate skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in
one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Pinpoint Targeting (Combat)
You can target the weak points in your opponent’s armor.
Prerequisites: Dex 19, Improved Precise Shot, Precise
Shot, base attack bonus +16.
Benefit: As a standard action, make a single ranged
attack. e target does not gain any armor, natural
armor, or shield bonuses to its Armor Class. You do not
gain the benefit of this feat if you move this round.
Point-Blank Master (Combat)
You are adept at firing ranged weapons in close quarters.
Prerequisites: Weapon Specialization with the
selected weapon group.
Benefit: Choose the bows, crossbows, or thrown group
listed under the fighter’s Weapon Training class feature.
You do not provoke attacks of opportunity when firing
any weapon from the selected group while threatened.
Normal: Using a ranged weapon while you are
threatened provokes attacks of opportunity.
Point-Blank Shot (Combat)
You are especially accurate when making ranged attacks
against close targets.
Prerequisite: Precise Shot
Benefit: You get a +1 bonus on attack and damage
rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 feet.
Powerful Maneuvers (Combat)
You are skilled in a variety of strength-focused combat
maneuvers.
Prerequisites: Str 13, base attack bonus +1
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity
when performing a bull rush, hamstring, overrun, or
sunder combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2
bonus on checks with these combat maneuvers. You also
receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver Defense
whenever an opponent tries to bull rush, hamstring, or
overrun you or sunder your gear.
Targets of your overrun attempts may not choose to
avoid you.
Normal: You provoke an attack of opportunity when
performing a bull rush, hamstring, overrun, or sunder
combat maneuver.
24
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Powerful Stride
Your movements on the battlefield are swift and steady.
Prerequisites: Str 15, Dex 13, Nimble Moves.
Benefit: Once per day, you can take a 10-foot step in
place of a 5-foot step. is movement must be made in
a straight line.
Special: If you have the Step Up feat, you may still
take a 5-foot step during your next turn after benefiting
from its effects. In addition, any movement you make
using Step Up does not subtract any distance from
your movement during your next turn.
Precise Shot (Combat)
You are adept at firing ranged attacks into melee.
Benefit: You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an
opponent engaged in melee without taking the standard
–4 penalty on your attack roll.
Quick Draw (Combat)
You can draw weapons faster than most.
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can draw a weapon as a free action
instead of as a move action. You can draw a hidden
weapon (see the Sleight of Hand skill) as a move action.
A character who has selected this feat may throw
weapons at his full normal rate of attacks (much like a
character with a bow).
Alchemical items, potions, scrolls, and wands cannot
be drawn quickly using this feat.
Normal: Without this feat, you may draw a weapon
as a move action, or (if your base attack bonus is +1 or
higher) as a free action as part of movement. Without
this feat, you can draw a hidden weapon as a standard
action.
Quicken Spell (Metamagic)
You can cast spells in a fraction of the normal time.
Benefit: Casting a quickened spell is a swift action.
You can perform another action, even casting another
spell, in the same round as you cast a quickened spell.
A spell whose casting time is more than 1 round or 1
full-round action cannot be quickened.
A quickened spell uses up a spell slot four levels
higher than the spell’s actual level. Casting a quickened
spell doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.
Special: You can apply the effects of this feat to a
spell cast spontaneously, so long as it has a casting time
that is not more than 1 full-round action, without
increasing the spell’s casting time.
Rapid Reload (Combat)
Choose the crossbows or thrown group listed under the
fighter’s Weapon Training class feature. You can reload
such weapons quickly.
Prerequisite: Proficiency with at least one weapon
from the selected weapon group.
Benefit: e time required for you to reload a weapon
from the selected group is reduced to a free action (for
a hand crossbow, light crossbow, sling, or halfling sling
staff) or a move action (for a heavy crossbow). Reloading
no longer provokes an attack of opportunity. For all
these weapons but the heavy crossbow, you may fire
that weapon as many times in a full-attack action as you
could attack if you were using a bow.
Normal: A character without this feat needs a move
action to reload a hand crossbow, light crossbow, sling,
or halfling sling staff, or a full-round action to reload a
heavy crossbow.
Special: You can gain Rapid Reload multiple times.
Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new weapon
group.
Rapid Shot (Combat)
You can make an additional ranged attack.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Precise Shot.
Benefit: When making a full-attack action with a
ranged weapon, you can fire one additional time this
round at your highest bonus. All of your attack rolls take
a -2 penalty when using Rapid Shot.
Ride-By Attack (Combat)
While mounted and charging, you can move, strike at a
foe, and then continue moving.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: When you are mounted and use the charge
action, you may move and attack as if with a standard
charge and then move again (continuing the straight
line of the charge). Your total movement for the round
can’t exceed double your mounted speed. You and your
mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity from
the opponent that you attack.
Run
You are swift of foot.
Benefit: When running, you move five times your
normal speed (if wearing medium, light, or no armor and
carrying no more than a medium load) or four times your
speed (if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load). If
you make a jump after a running start (see Acrobatics), you
gain a +4 bonus on your Acrobatics check. While running,
you retain your Dexterity bonus to your Armor Class.
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CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Normal: You move four times your speed while
running (if wearing medium, light, or no armor and
carrying no more than a medium load) or three times
your speed (if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy
load), and you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC.
Savage Charge (Combat)
You fearlessly dive into battle, bringing the full weight of
your weapon down on your opponent.
Prerequisites: Str 15, Spring Attack, Vital Strike, base
attack bonus +8.
Benefit: You can Vital Strike as part of a charge action
or Spring Attack.
Scorpion Stance (Combat)
You are skilled at incapacitating larger opponents.
Prerequisites: Unarmed Combatant, Deft Maneuvers
or Powerful Maneuvers.
Benefit: You can bull rush, hamstring, overrun, or trip an
opponent who is up to two size categories larger than you.
You are treated as one size category larger while grappling.
Special: By spending 1 point from his ki pool, a monk
can bull rush, hamstring, overrun, or trip an opponent who
is up to three size categories larger than him and is treated
as two size categories larger while grappling. is effect lasts
for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier.
Normal: You can only bull rush, hamstring, overrun, or
trip an opponent who is no more than one size category
larger than you.
Scribe Scroll (Item Creation)
You can create magic scrolls.
Prerequisite: Caster level 1st.
Benefit: You can create a scroll of any spell that you
know. Scribing a scroll takes 2 hours if its base price is
250 gp or less, otherwise scribing a scroll takes 1 day
for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To scribe a scroll,
you must use up raw materials costing half of this base
price. See the magic item creation rules in Magic Items
for more information.
Selective Channeling
You can choose whom to affect when you channel energy.
Prerequisite: Cha 13, channel energy class feature.
Benefit: When you channel energy, you can choose a
number of targets in the area up to your Charisma modifier.
ese targets are not affected by your channeled energy.
Normal: All targets in a 30-foot burst are affected
when you channel energy. You can only choose whether
or not you are affected.
Self-Sufficient
You know how to get along in the wild and how to
effectively treat wounds.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Heal checks and
Survival checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of
these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Shatter Defenses (Combat)
Your skill with your chosen weapon group leaves
opponents unable to defend themselves if you strike
them when their defenses are already compromised.
Prerequisites: Dazzling Display, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Any shaken, frightened, or panicked
opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your
attacks until the end of your next turn. is includes any
additional attacks you make this round.
Shield Focus (Combat)
You are skilled at deflecting blows with your shield.
Prerequisites: Shield Proficiency, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: Increase the AC bonus granted by any shield
you are using by 1. is bonus increases to 5 against
ranged attacks (not including spell effects, natural
attacks, or massive ranged weapons).
Shield Master (Combat)
Your mastery of the shield allows you to fight with it
without hindrance.
Prerequisites: Improved Shield Bash, Shield
Proficiency, Shield Slam, Two-Weapon Fighting, base
attack bonus +11.
Benefit: You do not suffer any penalties on attack
rolls made with a shield while you are wielding another
weapon. Add your shield’s enhancement bonus to attacks
and damage rolls made with the shield as if it was a weapon
enhancement bonus.
Shield Proficiency (Combat)
You are trained in how to properly use a shield.
Benefit: When you use a shield (except a tower
shield), the shield’s armor check penalty only applies to
Strength- and Dexterity-based skills.
Normal: When you are using a shield with which
you are not proficient, you take the shield’s armor check
penalty on attack rolls and on all skill checks that involve
moving.
Special: Barbarians, bards, clerics, druids, fighters,
paladins, and rangers all automatically have Shield
Proficiency as a bonus feat. ey need not select it.
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Shield Slam (Combat)
In the right position, your shield can be used to send
opponents flying.
Prerequisites: Improved Shield Bash, Shield
Proficiency, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: Any opponents hit by your shield bash are
also hit with a free bull rush attack, substituting your
attack roll for the combat maneuver check (see Combat).
is bull rush does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Opponents who cannot move back due to a wall or other
surface are knocked prone after moving the maximum
possible distance. You may choose to move with your
target if you are able to take a 5-foot step or to spend an
action to move this turn.
Shot on the Run (Combat)
You can move, fire a ranged weapon, and move again
before your foes can react.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, Precise Shot, base
attack bonus +4.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can move up to
your speed and make a single ranged attack at any point
during your movement.
Normal: You cannot move before and after an attack
with a ranged weapon.
Sickening Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits cause opponents to become sickened.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, base attack bonus +11.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your
opponent becomes sickened for 1 minute. e effects of
this feat do not stack. Additional hits instead add to the
effect’s duration.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical feat
to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical Mastery.
Silent Spell (Metamagic)
You can cast your spells without making any sound.
Benefit: A silent spell can be cast with no verbal
components. Spells without verbal components are not
affected. A silent spell uses up a spell slot one level higher
than the spell’s actual level.
Special: Bard spells cannot be enhanced by this feat.
Simple Weapon Proficiency (Combat)
You are trained in the use of basic weapons.
Benefit: You make attack rolls with simple weapons
without penalty.
Normal: When using a weapon with which you are
not proficient, you take a -4 penalty on attack rolls.
Special: All characters except for druids, monks,
and wizards are automatically proficient with all simple
weapons. ey need not select this feat.
Skill Focus
Choose a skill. You are particularly adept at that skill.
Benefit: You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving
the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that
skill, this bonus increases to +6.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it
applies to a new skill.
Snatch Arrows (Combat)
Instead of knocking an arrow or ranged attack aside, you
can catch it in mid-flight.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Deflect Arrows, Unarmed
Combatant.
Benefit: When using the Deflect Arrows feat you may
choose to catch the weapon instead of just deflecting it.
rown weapons can immediately be thrown back as an
attack against the original attacker (even though it isn’t
your turn) or kept for later use.
You must have at least one hand free (holding nothing)
to use this feat.
Spell Focus
Choose an arcane school of magic. Any spells you cast of
that school are more difficult to resist.
Benefit: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving
throws against spells from the school of magic you select.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it
applies to a new school of magic.
Spell Mastery
You have mastered a small handful of spells, and can prepare
these spells without referencing your spellbooks at all.
Prerequisite: 1st-level wizard.
Benefit: Each time you take this feat, choose a number
of spells that you already know equal to your Intelligence
modifier. From that point on, you can prepare these
spells without referring to a spellbook.
Normal: Without this feat, you must use a spellbook
to prepare all your spells, except read magic.
Spell Penetration
Your spells break through spell resistance more easily
than most.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on caster level checks
(1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature’s spell
resistance.
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CHAPTER 1: FEATS
Spellbreaker (Combat)
You can strike at enemy spellcasters who fail to cast
defensively when you threaten them.
Prerequisites: Disruptive, 10th-level fighter.
Benefit: Enemies in your threatened area that fail
their checks to cast spells defensively provoke attacks of
opportunity from you.
Normal: Enemies that fail to cast spells defensively do
not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Spirited Charge (Combat)
Your mounted charge attacks deal a tremendous amount
of damage.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat, Ride-
By Attack.
Benefit: When mounted and using the charge action,
you deal double damage with a melee weapon (or triple
damage with a lance).
Spring Attack (Combat)
You can deftly move up to a foe, strike, and withdraw
before he can react.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Dodge, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can move up to your
speed and make a single melee attack without provoking
any attacks of opportunity from the target of your attack.
You can move both before and after the attack, but you
must move at least 10 feet before the attack and the total
distance that you move cannot be greater than your speed.
You cannot use this ability to attack a foe that is adjacent
to you at the start of your turn.
Normal: You cannot move before and after an attack.
Staggering Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits cause opponents to slow down.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, base attack bonus +13.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your
opponent becomes staggered for 1d4+1 rounds. A
successful Fortitude save reduces the duration to 1
round. e DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 +
your base attack bonus. e effects of this feat do not
stack. Additional hits instead add to the duration.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical feat
to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical Mastery.
Stealthy
You are good at avoiding unwanted attention and
slipping out of bonds.
Benefit: You get a +2 bonus on all Escape Artist and
Stealth skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one
of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Step Up (Combat)
You can close the distance when a foe tries to move away.
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: Whenever an adjacent foe attempts to take a
5-foot step away from you, you may also make a 5-foot
step as an immediate action so long as you end up
adjacent to the foe that triggered this ability. If you take
this step, you cannot take a 5-foot step during your next
turn. If you take an action to move during your next
turn, subtract 5 feet from your total movement.
Still Spell (Metamagic)
You can cast spells without moving.
Benefit: A stilled spell can be cast with no somatic
components. Spells without somatic components are
not affected. A stilled spell uses up a spell slot one level
higher than the spell’s actual level.
Strike Back (Combat)
You can strike at foes that attack you using their superior
reach, by targeting their limbs or weapons as they come
at you.
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +11.
Benefit: You can ready an action to make a melee
attack against any foe that attacks you in melee, even if
the foe is outside of your reach.
Stunning Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits cause opponents to become stunned.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, Staggering Critical,
base attack bonus +17.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your
opponent becomes stunned for 1d4 rounds. A successful
Fortitude save reduces this to staggered for 1d4 rounds.
e DC of this Fortitude save is equal to 10 + your
base attack bonus. e effects of this feat do not stack.
Additional hits instead add to the duration.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical
feat to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical
Mastery.
Stunning Fist (Combat)
You know just where to strike to temporarily stun a foe.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Wis 13, Unarmed Combatant,
base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: You must declare that you are using this
feat before you make your attack roll (thus, a failed
attack roll ruins the attempt). Stunning Fist forces a foe
damaged by your unarmed attack to make a Fortitude
saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your
Wis modifier), in addition to dealing damage normally.
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
A defender who fails this saving throw is stunned for
1 round (until just before your next turn). A stunned
character drops everything held, can’t take actions, loses
any Dexterity bonus to AC, and takes a -2 penalty to
AC. You may attempt a stunning attack once per day for
every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and
no more than once per round. Constructs, oozes, plants,
undead, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to
critical hits cannot be stunned.
Special: A monk receives Stunning Fist as a bonus feat
at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. A
monk may attempt a stunning attack a number of times
per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time
per day for every four levels he has in classes other than
monk.
Tiring Critical (Combat, Critical)
Your critical hits cause opponents to become fatigued.
Prerequisites: Critical Focus, base attack bonus +13.
Benefit: Whenever you score a critical hit, your
opponent becomes fatigued. is feat has no additional
effect on a fatigued or exhausted creature.
Special: You can only apply the effects of one critical feat
to a given critical hit unless you possess Critical Mastery.
Toughness
You have enhanced physical stamina.
Benefit: You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die
you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit
point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1
hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when
you gain a level).
Tower Shield Proficiency (Combat)
You are trained in how to properly use a tower shield.
Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency.
Benefit: When you use a tower shield, the shield’s
armor check penalty only applies to Strength and
Dexterity-based skills.
Normal: A character using a shield with which he is
not proficient takes the shield’s armor check penalty on
attack rolls and on all skill checks that involve moving,
including Ride.
Special: Fighters automatically have Tower Shield
Proficiency as a bonus feat. ey need not select it.
Trample (Combat)
While mounted, you can ride down opponents and
trample them under your mount.
Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
Benefit: When you attempt to overrun an opponent
while mounted, your target may not choose to avoid
you. Your mount may make one hoof attack against any
target you knock down, gaining the standard +4 bonus
on attack rolls against prone targets.
Turn Undead
Calling upon higher powers, you cause undead to flee
from the might of your unleashed divine energy.
Prerequisites: Channel positive energy class feature.
Benefit: You can, as a standard action, use one of
your uses of channel positive energy to cause all undead
within 30 feet of you to flee, as if panicked. Undead
receive a Will save to negate the effect. e DC for this
Will save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your
Charisma modifier. Undead that fail their save flee for 1
minute. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw
each round to end the effect. If you use channel energy
in this way, it has no other effect (it does not heal or
harm nearby creatures).
Two-Weapon Defense (Combat)
You are skilled at defending yourself while dual-wielding.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting.
Benefit: When wielding a double weapon or two
weapons (not including natural weapons or unarmed
strikes), you gain a +1 shield bonus to your AC.
When you are using defensive stance or the total
defense action, this shield bonus increases to +2.
Two-Weapon Fighting (Combat)
You can fight with a weapon wielded in each of your
hands. You can make one extra attack each round with
the secondary weapon.
Prerequisite: Dex 15.
Benefit: Your penalties on attack rolls for fighting
with two weapons are reduced. e penalty for your
primary hand lessens by 2 and the one for your off hand
lessens by 6. See table below:
Circumstances
Primary
Hand
Off
Hand
Normal penalties –6 –10
Off-hand weapon is a nesse weapon –4 –8
Two-Weapon Fighting feat –4 –4
Off-hand weapon is a nesse weapon
and Two-Weapon Fighting feat
–2 –2
Normal: If you wield a second weapon in your off
hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that
weapon. When fighting in this way you suffer a -6
penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your
29
CHAPTER 1: FEATS
primary hand and a -10 penalty to the attack with your
off hand. If your off-hand weapon is a finesse weapon,
the penalties are reduced by 2 each. An unarmed strike is
always considered a finesse weapon.
Two-Weapon Rend (Combat)
Striking with both of your weapons simultaneously, you
can use them to deliver devastating wounds.
Prerequisites: Dex 17, Double Slice, Greater Two-
Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack
bonus +11.
Benefit: If you hit an opponent with both your
primary hand and your off-hand weapon, you deal an
additional 1d10 points of damage plus 1-1/2 times your
Strength modifier. You can only deal this additional
damage once each round.
Unarmed Combatant (Combat)
You are skilled at grappling and fighting while unarmed.
Prerequisite: Dex 13.
Benefit: You are considered to be armed even when
unarmed - you do not provoke attacks of opportunity
when you attack foes while unarmed. Your unarmed
strikes now deal 1d6 damage if you are medium sized
or 1d4 damage if you are small sized, and you can deal
lethal or nonlethal damage, at your choice.
You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when
performing a grapple combat maneuver. In addition,
you receive a +2 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe.
You also receive a +2 bonus to your Combat Maneuver
Defense whenever an opponent tries to grapple you.
Normal: Without this feat, you are considered
unarmed when attacking with an unarmed strike, and
you can deal only nonlethal damage with such an attack.
You provoke an attack of opportunity when performing
a grapple combat maneuver.
Unseat (Combat)
You are skilled at unseating your mounted opponents.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat,
Powerful Maneuvers, base attack bonus +1.
Benefits: When charging an opponent while mounted
and wielding a lance, resolve the attack as normal. If it
hits, you may immediately make a free bull rush attempt
in addition to the normal damage. If successful, the
target is knocked off his horse and lands prone in a space
adjacent to his mount that is directly away from you.
Vital Strike (Combat)
You make a single attack that deals significantly more
damage than normal.
Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: When you use the attack action, you can
make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that
deals additional damage. Roll the weapon’s damage dice
for the attack twice and add the results together before
adding bonuses from Strength, weapon abilities (such
as flaming), precision based damage, and other damage
bonuses. ese extra weapon damage dice are not
multiplied on a critical hit, but are added to the total.
Weapon Focus (Combat)
Choose one weapon group listed under the fighter’s
Weapon Training class feature.
Prerequisites: Proficiency with at least one weapon
from the selected weapon group, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you
make using any weapon from the selected group.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it
applies to a new weapon group.
Weapon Proficiency (Combat)
Choose one weapon group listed under the fighter’s
Weapon Training class feature. You understand how to
use all weapons from that group.
Benefit: You make attack rolls with weapons from
the selected group normally (without the non-proficient
penalty).
Normal: When using a weapon with which you are
not proficient, you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls.
Special: You can gain Weapon Proficiency multiple
times. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new
weapon group.
Weapon Specialization (Combat)
You are skilled at dealing damage with one type of
weapon. Choose one weapon group listed under the
fighter’s Weapon Training class feature for which you
have already selected the Weapon Focus feat. You deal
extra damage when using these weapons.
Prerequisites: Weapon Focus with the selected
weapon group, fighter level 4th.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all damage rolls you
make using any weapon from the selected group.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its
effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it
applies to a new weapon group.
Whirling Cleave (Combat)
You become a whirlwind of steel on the battlefield.
Prerequisites: Str 13, Cleave, Great Cleave, base
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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
attack bonus +6.
Benefit: You can take a single 5-foot step during a
Cleave or Great Cleave, as long as it brings you within
reach of another foe of which you are able to make an
additional attack against. is 5-foot step is a free action
and does not subtract from your normal movement for
the round.
Whirlwind Attack (Combat)
You can strike out at every foe within reach.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Combat Reflexes, Dodge,
Spring Attack, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: When you use the full-attack action, you can
give up your regular attacks and instead make one melee
attack at your highest base attack bonus against each
opponent within reach. You must make a separate attack
roll against each opponent.
When you use the Whirlwind Attack feat, you also
forfeit any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats,
spells, or abilities.
Widen Spell (Metamagic)
You can cast your spells so that they occupy a larger space.
Benefit: You can alter a burst, emanation, or
spread-shaped spell to increase its area. Any numeric
measurements of the spell’s area increase by 100%. A
widened spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than
the spell’s actual level.
Spells that do not have an area of one of these four
sorts are not affected by this feat.
Wind Stance (Combat)
Your erratic movements make it difficult for enemies to
pinpoint your location.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Dodge, base attack bonus +6.
Benefit: If you move more than 5 feet this turn,
you gain 20% concealment for 1 round against ranged
attacks.
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CHAPTER 2: APPENDICES
2. Appendices
32
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
is appendix is meant to serve as a quick reference
for the changes that have been made to the feat tree in
the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Any table notes in
this appendix are for descriptive purposes only, and do
not supersede rules presented in the feat descriptions
themselves. Feat changes have been broken down into
four categories:
New Feats: Feats that have been created to fill gaps or
add more options to the feat tree (Table 2-1).
Altered Feats: Feats that have received changes
beyond their prerequisites or wording (Table 2-2).
Added Feats: Feats that have been adapted from the
Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide:
• Elemental Focus
• Elemental Spell
• Extra Rogue Talent
• Greater Elemental Focus
• Parting Shot
• Point-Blank Master
Removed Feats: Feats that have been completely
removed from the game, usually due to redundancy with
new or altered feats:
• Combat Expertise
• Deadly Aim
• Exotic Weapon Proficiency
• Improved Bull Rush
• Improved Disarm
TABLE 2-1: NEW FEATS
Feat Notes
Deft Maneuvers Combines the effects of Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, and Improved Feint.
Greater Hamstring Victims of your hamstring combat maneuvers cannot move for the rest of their turn.
Iron Guard Gain the benet of a rogue’s evasion class feature when using a shield.
Powerful Maneuvers Combines the effects of Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, and Improved Sunder.
Enables the use of the hamstring combat maneuver without attacks of opportunity.
Powerful Stride Once per day, take a 10-foot step in place of a 5-foot step.
Savage Charge Use Vital Strike as part of a charge or Spring Attack.
Scorpion Stance Replaces Scorpion Style. Allows the use of bull rush, hamstring, overrun, and trip combat
maneuvers against larger foes.
Unarmed Combatant Combines the effects of Improved Grapple and Improved Unarmed Strike.
Weapon Prociency Allows you to make attack rolls with a single ghter weapon group normally.
Whirling Cleave Take a single 5-foot step during a Cleave or Great Cleave.
TABLE 2-2: ALTERED FEATS
Feat Notes
Agile Combatant Formerly titled Agile Maneuvers. Includes the hamstring combat maneuver and acknowledges
the changes to Weapon Finesse.
Catch Off-Guard Combines the effects of Catch Off-Guard and Throw Anything.
Deect Arrows Characters with Shield Focus may take this feat to deect arrows with their shield.
Dodge Combines the effects of Dodge and Mobility.
Greater Shield Focus The AC bonus granted by Shield Focus now affects ranged touch attacks (including rays
and similar magical effects).
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting Combines the effects of Improved Two-Weapon Fighting and Greater Two-Weapon Fighting.
Improvised Weapon Mastery Solely increases the damage dealt by improvised weapons, as Catch Off-Guard already
removes all penalties to attack.
Natural Spell Now works with the wizard’s change shape class feature.
Rapid Reload Slings and sling staves may now be reloaded as a free action.
Shield Focus Grants an additional +4 bonus to AC against ranged attacks.
Two-Weapon Fighting Verbiage changed to reect the changes to Weapon Finesse.
Appendix I: Patch Notes
33
CHAPTER 2: APPENDICES
• Improved Feint
• Improved Grapple
• Improved Overrun
• Improved Sunder
• Improved Trip
• Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
• Improved Unarmed Strike
• Martial Weapon Proficiency
• Mobility
• Power Attack
• Scorpion Style
• Stand Still
• row Anything
• Weapon Finesse
Appendix II: Combat Errata
New Combat Maneuver: Hamstring
A new combat maneuver called Hamstring has been
added to replace the somewhat awkward Stand Still and
Scorpion Style feats. ese two feats shared the same
purpose of slowing down enemy movement, but did not
interact with other feats or combat options.
Hamstring
You can attempt to hamstring your opponent’s movement
in place of a melee attack. You can only hamstring an
opponent who is no more than one size category larger
than you. If you do not have the Powerful Maneuvers
feat, or a similar ability, initiating a hamstring provokes an
attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.
If your attack exceeds the target’s CMD, the target
is entangled for 1 round. For every 5 by which your
attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, the penalty lasts
1 additional round. Creatures that are immune to critical
hits - such as elementals and oozes - cannot be hamstrung.
Flying creatures can be hamstrung, but only if they use
non-magical means for flight (such as wings).
Risky Strike and Defensive Stance
In place of Power Attack, Deadly Aim, Fight Defensively,
and Combat Expertise, players are granted two new
combat options: Risky Strike and Defensive Stance. Both
are usable by any character with a base attack bonus of
at least +1, and neither option requires a feat to access.
Risky Strike
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all attack rolls and
combat maneuver checks to gain a +2 bonus on all damage
rolls. is bonus to damage is increased by half (+50%) if
you are making an attack with a two-handed weapon, a one-
handed weapon using two hands, or a primary natural weapon
that adds 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier on damage rolls.
is bonus to damage is halved (–50%) if you are making an
attack with an off-hand weapon or secondary natural weapon.
When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every 4
points thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus
to damage increases by +2.
You must choose to use Risky Strike before making an
attack roll, and its effects last until your next turn. e
bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects
that do not deal hit point damage.
Defensive Stance
Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
You can choose to take a -1 penalty on melee attack
rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain a +1 dodge
bonus to your Armor Class. When your base attack bonus
reaches +4, the penalty increases by -1 and the dodge
bonus increases by +1.
You must choose to use Defensive Stance before making
an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn.
Nonlethal Damage
Nonlethal damage rules have been very slightly tweaked:
players no longer take a -4 penalty to attack rolls when
inflicting nonlethal damage with a weapon that deals lethal
damage, but instead lose the ability to confirm critical hits
when doing so.
Nonlethal Damage
Nonlethal damage represents harm to a character that is not
life-threatening. Unlike normal damage, nonlethal damage
is healed quickly with rest.
Dealing Nonlethal Damage: Certain attacks deal
nonlethal damage. Other effects, such as heat or being
exhausted, also deal nonlethal damage. When you take
nonlethal damage, keep a running total of how much
you’ve accumulated. Do not deduct the nonlethal damage
number from your current hit points. It is not “real”
damage. Instead, when your nonlethal damage equals your
current hit points, you’re staggered (see below), and when it
exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious.
Nonlethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Lethal
Damage: You can use a melee weapon that deals lethal
damage to deal nonlethal damage instead, but you cannot
confirm critical hits when doing so.
Lethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals Nonlethal
Damage: You can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage,
including an unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead,
but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll.
34
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Errata notes have been provided for all classes presented
in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook, save for the
barbarian, monk, and rogue. It is suggested that players
use the Pathfinder Unchained variations of these classes,
which fall more in line with the revised feat tree.
Druid
e druid’s animal companion feats have been adjusted
to account for changes in the feat tree.
Animal Feats
Animal companions can select from the following feats:
Acrobatic, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, and
heavy), Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Diehard,
Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative,
Improved Natural Attack (see the Pathfinder RPG
Bestiary), Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning
Reflexes, Powerful Maneuvers, Run, Skill Focus, Spring
Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, and Weapon Focus. Animal
companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can select
any feat they are physically capable of using. GMs may
expand this list to include feats from other sources.
Monk (Unchained)
e bonus feat for the monk’s unarmed strike class feature
has been changed from Improved Unarmed Strike to
Unarmed Combatant. Additional, the monk’s bonus feats
have been adjusted to account for changes in the feat tree.
Bonus Feat
At 1st level, 2nd level, and every 4 levels thereafter, a
monk can select a bonus feat. ese feats must be taken
from the following list: Catch Off-Guard, Combat
Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, and Scorpion Stance.
At 6th level, the following feats are added to the list:
Deft Maneuvers, Gorgon’s Fist, Greater Grapple, and
Powerful Maneuvers. At 10th level, the following feats
are added to the list: Improved Critical, Medusa’s Wrath,
Snatch Arrows, and Spring Attack. A monk need not
have any of the prerequisites normally required for these
feats to select them.
Ranger
e ranger’s combat style feats have been adjusted to
account for the changes in the feat tree.
Combat Style Feat (Ex)
At 2nd level, a ranger must select one of two combat
Appendix III: Class Errata
styles to pursue: archery or two-weapon combat. e
ranger’s expertise manifests in the form of bonus feats at
2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. He can choose feats
from his selected combat style, even if he does not have
the normal prerequisites.
If the ranger selects archery, he can choose from the
following list whenever he gains a combat style feat: Far
Shot, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload, and
Rapid Shot. At 6th level, he adds Improved Precise Shot,
Manyshot, Parting Shot, and Point-Blank Master to the
list. At 10th level, he adds Pinpoint Targeting and Shot
on the Run to the list.
If the ranger selects two-weapon combat, he can
choose from the following list whenever he gains a
combat style feat: Double Slice, Improved Shield Bash,
Quick Draw, Shield Focus, and Two-Weapon Fighting.
At 6th level, he adds Greater Two-Weapon Fighting,
Shield Focus, and Two-Weapon Defense to the list. At
10th level, he adds Shield Slam and Two-Weapon Rend
to the list.
e benefits of the ranger’s chosen style feats apply
only when he wears light, medium, or no armor. He
loses all benefits of his combat style feats when wearing
heavy armor. Once a ranger selects a combat style, it
cannot be changed.
Rogue (Unchained)
e rogue’s finesse training class feature has been
adjusted to account for equipment rule changes -
specifically in regard to finesse and agile weapons.
Additionally, the combat swipe rogue talent is no
longer available.
Finesse Training
At 1st level, a rogue gains Deft Maneuvers as a bonus
feat. In addition, starting at 3rd level, she can select any
one weapon group listed under the fighter’s Weapon
Training class feature. Once this choice is made, it cannot
be changed. Whenever she makes a successful melee
attack with a finesse weapon or an agile weapon from
this group, she adds her Dexterity modifier instead of her
Strength modifier to the damage roll. If any effect would
prevent the rogue from adding her Strength modifier to
the damage roll, she does not add her Dexterity modifier.
e rogue can select a second weapon group at 11th level
and a third at 19th level.
Sorcerer
When determining bonus feats granted by a sorcerer
bloodline, replace removed feats according to the
following table while ignoring duplicate feats.
35
CHAPTER 2: APPENDICES
Old Feat New Feat
Combat Expertise Deft Maneuvers
Improved Bull Rush Greater Bull Rush
Improved Disarm Greater Disarm
Improved Feint Greater Feint
Improved Grapple Greater Grapple
Improved Overrun Greater Overrun
Improved Sunder Greater Sunder
Improved Trip Greater Trip
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed Combatant
Mobility Spring Attack
Power Attack Powerful Maneuvers
Weapon Finesse Agile Combatant
Appendix IV: Equipment Errata
Weapon Finesse
e Weapon Finesse feat has been removed, and now any
character may choose to use their dexterity bonus to hit
with light melee weapons. As a consequence, the Light
TABLE 2-3: BESTIARY FEAT SWAPPING
Old Feat New Feat
Combat Expertise Deft Maneuvers
Deadly Aim Far Shot
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting Double Slice
Improved Bull Rush Greater Bull Rush
Improved Disarm Greater Disarm
Improved Feint Greater Feint
Improved Grapple Greater Grapple
Improved Overrun Greater Overrun
Improved Sunder Greater Sunder
Improved Trip Greater Trip
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed Combatant
Mobility Spring Attack or Whirlwind Attack ¹
Point-Blank Shot Precise Shot
Power Attack Powerful Maneuvers
Precise Shot Point-Blank Shot
Stand Still Greater Hamstring
Throw Anything Catch Off-Guard or Improvised Weapon Mastery ²
Weapon Finesse Agile Combatant
1 Creatures who already possess Dodge and Spring Attack may instead choose Whirlwind Attack.
2 Creatures who already possess Catch Off-Guard may instead choose Improved Weapon Mastery.
Melee Weapons designation has been renamed to Finesse
Melee Weapons. A new special weapon feature called agile
has been added for melee weapons that are one-handed
or two-handed but can still be finessed, such as the rapier.
Finesse, One-Handed, and Two-Handed Melee
Weapons: is designation is a measure of how much
effort it takes to wield a weapon in combat. It indicates
whether a melee weapon, when wielded by a character of
the weapon’s size category, is considered a finesse weapon,
a one-handed weapon, or a two-handed weapon.
Finesse: A finesse weapon is used in one hand. It is
easier to use in one’s off hand than a one-handed weapon
is and can be used while grappling.
A wielder may choose to use their Dexterity modifier
instead of their Strength modifier on attack rolls with a
finesse weapon. In either case, add the wielder’s Strength
modifier to damage rolls for melee attacks if it is used in
the primary hand, or half the wielder’s Strength bonus
if it is used in the off hand. Using two hands to wield
a finesse weapon gives no advantage on damage; the
Strength bonus applies as though the weapon were held
in the wielder’s primary hand only.
Unarmed strikes and natural attacks are always
considered finesse weapons.
36
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Appendix V: Bestiary Errata
Bestiary Feat Rebuilding
Monster stat blocks have not been adjusted to account
for changes in the feat tree. Game masters have two
options when creating encounters for their players.
Method I: Quick Adjustment
Game masters may present monster stat blocks as they
are written in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary, while allowing
monsters the use of both Defensive Stance and Risky Strike.
Any defunct feats, such as Improved Trip and Stand
Still, are either disregarded or utilized according to their
original wording in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook.
Method II: Feat Swapping
Game masters may choose to re-assign a creature’s feats
using the monster builder in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary,
referencing the revised feat table.
Although there are no specific rules for feat swapping,
Table 2-3: Bestiary Feat Swapping can be used as a starting
point.
For monsters possessing Greater Weapon Focus,
Greater Weapon Specialization, Weapon Focus, and
Weapon Specialization, change the single weapon type
to the corresponding weapon group.
Monster Feats
Monster feats remain virtually unchanged, save for the
removal of Power Attack and Improved Bull Rush (now
replaced with Powerful Maneuvers) as prerequisites for
Awesome Blow. For the sake of completion, all monster
feats presented in the Pathfinder RPG Bestiary are
presented below.
Ability Focus
One of this creature’s special attacks is particularly
difficult to resist.
Prerequisite: Special attack.
Benefit: Choose one of the creature’s special attacks.
Add +2 to the DC for all saving throws against the
special attack on which the creature focuses.
Special: A creature can gain this feat multiple times.
Its effects do not stack. Each time the creature takes the
feat, it applies to a different special attack.
Awesome Blow (Combat)
is creature can send opponents flying.
Prerequisites: Str 25, Powerful Maneuvers, size Large
or larger.
Benefit: As a standard action, the creature may perform
an awesome blow combat maneuver. If the creature’s
maneuver succeeds against a corporeal opponent smaller
than itself, its opponent takes damage (typically slam
damage plus Strength bonus) and is knocked flying 10 feet
in a direction of the attacking creature’s choice and falls
prone. e attacking creature can only push the opponent
in a straight line, and the opponent can’t move closer to
the attacking creature than the square it started in. If an
obstacle prevents the completion of the opponent’s move,
the opponent and the obstacle each take 1d6 points of
damage, and the opponent is knocked prone in the space
adjacent to the obstacle.
Craft Construct (Item Creation)
You can create construct creatures like golems.
Prerequisites: Caster level 5th, Craft Magic Arms
and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item.
Benefit: You can create any construct whose
prerequisites you meet. e act of animating a construct
takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its market price. To
create a construct, you must use up raw materials costing
half of its base price, plus the full cost of the basic body
created for the construct. Each construct has a special
section that summarizes its costs and other prerequisites.
A newly created construct has average hit points for its
Hit Dice.
Empower Spell-Like Ability
One of this creature’s spell-like abilities is particularly
potent and powerful.
Prerequisite: Spell-like ability at caster level 6th or
higher.
Benefit: Choose one of the creature’s spell-like
abilities, subject to the restrictions below. e creature
can use that ability as an empowered spell-like ability
three times per day (or less, if the ability is normally
usable only once or twice per day).
When a creature uses an empowered spell-like ability,
all variable, numeric effects of the spell-like ability are
increased by half (+50%). Saving throws and opposed
rolls are not affected. Spell-like abilities without random
variables are not affected.
Weapon Qualities
Agile: You can apply your Dexterity modifier instead
of your Strength modifier to attack rolls when wielding
an agile weapon sized for you, even though it isn’t a
finesse weapon.
Weapons with the Agile Special Feature: Elven curve
blade, rapier, spiked chain, and whip.
37
CHAPTER 2: APPENDICES
e creature can only select a spell-like ability
duplicating a spell with a level less than or equal to 1/2
its caster level (round down) -2. For a summary, see
the table in the description of the Quicken Spell-Like
Ability.
Special: is feat can be taken multiple times. Each
time it is taken, the creature can apply it to a different
spell-like ability.
Flyby Attack
is creature can make an attack before and after it
moves while flying.
Prerequisite: Fly speed.
Benefit: When flying, the creature can take a move
action and another standard action at any point during
the move. e creature cannot take a second move action
during a round when it makes a flyby attack.
Normal: Without this feat, the creature takes a
standard action either before or after its move.
Hover
is creature can hover in place with ease and can kick
up clouds of dust and debris.
Prerequisite: Fly speed.
Benefit: A creature with this feat can halt its
movement while flying, allowing it to hover without
needing to make a Fly skill check.
If a creature of size Large or larger with this feat hovers
within 20 feet of the ground in an area with lots of loose
debris, the draft from its wings creates a hemispherical
cloud with a radius of 60 feet. e winds generated can
snuff torches, small campfires, exposed lanterns, and
other small, open flames of non-magical origin. Clear
vision within the cloud is limited to 10 feet. Creatures
have concealment at 15 to 20 feet (20% miss chance). At
25 feet or more, creatures have total concealment (50%
miss chance, and opponents cannot use sight to locate
the creature).
Normal: Without this feat, a creature must make a
Fly skill check to hover and the creature does not create
a cloud of debris while hovering.
Improved Natural Armor
is creature’s hide is tougher than most.
Prerequisites: Natural armor, Con 13.
Benefit: e creature’s natural armor bonus increases
by +1.
Special: A creature can gain this feat multiple times.
Each time the creature takes the feat, its natural armor
bonus increases by another point.
Improved Natural Attack
Attacks made by one of this creature’s natural attacks
leave vicious wounds.
Prerequisite: Natural weapon, base attack bonus +4.
Benefit: Choose one of the creature’s natural attack
forms (not an unarmed strike). e damage for this
natural attack increases by one step on the following list,
as if the creature’s size had increased by one category.
Damage dice increase as follows: 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, 1d6,
1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 8d6, 12d6.
A weapon or attack that deals 1d10 points of damage
increases as follows: 1d10, 2d8, 3d8, 4d8, 6d8, 8d8, 12d8.
Special: is feat can be taken multiple times. Each
time it is taken, it applies to a different natural attack.
Multiattack (Combat)
is creature is particularly skilled at making attacks
with its natural weapons.
Prerequisite: ree or more natural attacks.
Benefit: e creature’s secondary attacks with natural
weapons take only a -2 penalty.
Normal: Without this feat, the creature’s secondary
attacks with natural weapons take a -5 penalty.
Multiweapon Fighting (Combat)
is multi-armed creature is skilled at making attacks
with multiple weapons.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, three or more hands.
Benefit: Penalties for fighting with multiple weapons
are reduced by -2 with the primary hand and by -6 with
off hands.
Normal: A creature without this feat takes a -6
penalty on attacks made with its primary hand and a
-10 penalty on attacks made with all of its off hands. (It
has one primary hand, and all the others are off hands.)
See Two-Weapon Fighting in the Pathfinder RPG Core
Rulebook.
Special: is feat replaces the Two-Weapon Fighting
feat for creatures with more than two arms.
Quicken Spell-Like Ability
is creature can use one of its spell-like abilities with
next to no effort.
Prerequisite: Spell-like ability at CL 10th or higher.
Benefit: Choose one of the creature’s spell-like
abilities, subject to the restrictions described in this
feat. e creature can use the chosen spell-like ability
as a quickened spell-like ability three times per day (or
less, if the ability is normally usable only once or twice
per day).
Using a quickened spell-like ability is a swift action
38
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. e
creature can perform another action—including the
use of another spell-like ability (but not another swift
action)—in the same round that it uses a quickened
spell-like ability. e creature may use only one
quickened spell-like ability per round.
e creature can only select a spell-like ability
duplicating a spell with a level less than or equal to 1/2
its caster level (round down) – 4. For a summary, see
the table below.
Spell Level
Caster Level
to Empower
Caster Level
to Quicken
0 4th 8th
1st 6th 10th
2nd 8th 12th
3rd 10th 14th
4th 12th 16th
5th 14th 18th
6th 16th 20th
7th 18th —
8th 20th —
9th — —
A spell-like ability that duplicates a spell with a casting
time greater than 1 full round cannot be quickened.
Normal: e use of a spell-like ability normally
requires a standard action (at the very least) and provokes
an attack of opportunity.
Special: is feat can be taken multiple times. Each
time it is taken, the creature can apply it to a different
one of its spell-like abilities.
Snatch
is creature can grab other creatures with ease.
Prerequisite: Size Huge or larger.
Benefits: e creature can start a grapple when it
hits with a claw or bite attack, as though it had the
grab ability. If it grapples a creature three or more
sizes smaller, it squeezes each round for automatic
bite or claw damage with a successful grapple check.
A snatched opponent held in the creature’s mouth is
not allowed a Reflex save against the creature’s breath
weapon, if it has one.
e creature can drop a creature it has snatched as a
free action or use a standard action to fling it aside. A
flung creature travels 1d6 × 10 feet, and takes 1d6 points
of damage per 10 feet traveled. If the creature flings a
snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this
amount or falling damage, whichever is greater.
Wingover
is creature can make turns with ease while flying.
Prerequisite: Fly speed.
Benefits: Once each round, a creature with this feat
can turn up to 180 degrees as a free action without
making a Fly skill check. is free turn does not consume
any additional movement from the creature.
Normal: A flying creature can turn up to 90 degrees by
making a DC 15 Fly skill check and expending 5 feet of
movement. A flying creature can turn up to 180 degrees
by making a DC 20 Fly skill check and expending 10
feet of movement.
Appendix VI: Original Article
Copied below is the original e Elephant in the Room:
Feat Taxes in Pathfinder article, published on September 5,
2012. Although many of the rules outlined in the article
have been tweaked over time, it is still an excellent starting
point for understanding this entire rules revision.
e Elephant in the Room: Feat Taxes in
Pathfinder
By all metrics, Pathfinder is the most satisfying pen-
and-paper game I’ve ever played. e class balance feels
good, the math isn’t overwhelming, and the community
support is outstanding. However, it suffers from
one syndrome that haunts the creation of every new
character: feat taxes.
Many veteran players lament that you need three feats
to go to the bathroom in Pathfinder. It’s a cheeky musing,
but one rooted in truth. Pathfinder’s feats are arranged in
sprawling tiers, often requiring an investment of three or
more feats to unlock a single more advanced one. While
it’s satisfying to work towards a goal, many rungs on the
feat ladder are considered either undesirable or overtly
mundane. ese are feat taxes.
Below I’ve highlighted a number of revisions to
Pathfinder’s feat tree to help ease the situation. I’ve
focused mainly on combat feats, arguably the worst
offenders. Feel free to incorporate these changes into
your own house rules or make your own suggestions in
the comments.
Martial Mastery
Gone. Combat feats like Weapon Focus now apply to
weapon groups instead of a specific weapon by default.
Pathfinder frequently forces a player to invest heavily in
a single weapon. For instance, two-weapon fighting rogues
39
CHAPTER 2: APPENDICES
are stuck with mirrored weapons so their Weapon Finesse
and Weapon Focus benefits apply to both their attacks.
Expanding these feats to cover the weapon groups mentioned
under the fighter’s Weapon Training would make things
much more flexible. We might finally see a samurai wielding
a daisho.
Weapon Finesse
Gone. e “light weapons” category has been renamed
to “finesse weapons.” Characters can choose to use either
their dexterity bonus or their strength bonus to hit with
these weapons, no feat required. “Finesse” is also now a
weapon attribute like “brace” or “trip,” allowing a weapon
in another category to be finessed (like the rapier).
Weapon Finesse is the ultimate feat tax. It’s begrudgingly
mandatory for most rogues, specifically two-weapon fighting
builds. I understand Paizo worries that dexterity might
become an uber stat, but weapon finesse still doesn’t grant
a damage bonus. It’s really the only thing rogue’s have to
compensate for their lackluster BAB.
Agile Maneuvers
Gone. A character adds their dexterity to the CMB if
they’re wielding a finesse weapon and their strength
otherwise.
is goes hand and hand with the previous change.
Making combat maneuvers more accessible will be a
recurring theme of this article.
Combat Expertise
Gone. Now simply a combat option for any class with
at least +1 BAB.
e most heinous feat tax next to Weapon Finesse.
Combat Expertise is taken to progress to better feats then
promptly forgotten about. I like it as an option, but it’s not
worth spending a feat on.
Improved Trip, Improved Disarm, Improved Dirty
Trick, Improved Feint, Improved Reposition,
Improved Steal
Gone. Replaced with Deft Maneuvers.
Deft Maneuvers
New. You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when
performing a trip, disarm, dirty trick, feint, reposition,
or steal combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2
bonus on checks with these combat maneuvers. Now a
prerequisite for the relevant greater combat maneuver
feats.
Why is it so hard to pull off combat maneuvers in this
game? It seems like you need three feats before you can
attempt to trip someone without impaling yourself on
your own polearm. Eliminating Combat Expertise as a
prerequisite and wrapping up all these improved combat
maneuver feats into a single package simplifies things. It
would prevent fighters from being stonewalled if a monster
is immune to their combat maneuver of choice and make
the feats much more attractive to feat-starved classes.
Power Attack
Gone. Now simply a combat option for any class with
at least +1 BAB.
Power Attack is too useful to be a feat. It’s the first feat
taken by any character with the strength and BAB to
abuse it and likely ranks as the single most popular feat in
Pathfinder. Turning it into a combat option available to
anyone with at least +1 BAB is a reasonable change and
still stalls caster and hybrid classes from grabbing specialized
combat feats too early.
Improved Bull Rush, Improved Drag, Improved
Overrun, Improved Sunder
Gone. Replaced with Powerful Maneuvers.
Powerful Maneuvers
New. You do not provoke an attack of opportunity
when performing a bull rush, drag, overrun, or sunder
combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +2 bonus
on checks with these combat maneuvers. Now a
prerequisite for the relevant greater combat maneuver
feats.
e same deal as Deft Maneuvers. More combat
maneuvers at a lower feat investment is just a good idea
all around.
Point-Blank Shot
Gone. Precise Shot replaces it as a prerequisite for further
archery feats.
I like Point-Blank Shot, but Precise Shot is the real
breadwinner for any ranged build. It’s the one trick
every archer wants out of the gate and the one combat
feat many wizards and sorcerers would love to cherry pick
to aid their ray spells. e loss of Point-Blank Shot can
easily be compensated for by Weapon Focus or Weapon
Specialization, but it’s not like archery builds are hurting
anyhow.
40
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: FEAT TAXES IN PATHFINDER
Deadly Aim
Gone. Now simply a combat option for any class with
at least +1 BAB.
Like Power Attack, Deadly Aim is another mandatory
feat that should be available to everyone. It takes a high
BAB to abuse Deadly Aim, so I’m not overly concerned
about the change throwing a wrench into class balance.
Mobility
Gone. Merged with Dodge.
Dodge
Revised. You gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC. is
bonus increases to +4 against attacks of opportunity
caused when you move out of or within a threatened
tile. A condition that makes you lose your Dex bonus to
AC also makes you lose the benefits of this feat.
Spring Attack isn’t a great feat, but it lends itself to
interesting builds. Unfortunately, the prerequisites of Dodge
and Mobility are often too much for a player to stomach.
Merging these feats makes Spring Attack more accessible
and subsequently transforms two mediocre feats into a single
spectacular one.
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
Gone. Merged with Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
Revised. Prerequisites now Dex 17, Two-Weapon
Fighting, BAB +6. In addition to the standard single
extra attack you get with an off-hand weapon, you get a
second attack with it, albeit at a –5 penalty. Once your
BAB reaches +11, you also gain a third attack with your
off-hand weapon, albeit at a –10 penalty.
Two-weapon fighting isn’t as good as Paizo seems to think
it is. Pathfinder Society scenarios are seemingly designed to
prevent full-attacks; I’ve rarely encountered one without
difficult terrain, magical entanglement, or some other
battlefield hindrance. e massive feat investment only adds
insult to injury. Coupled with the Weapon Finesse change,
this feat merger puts two-weapon fighting more in line with
the generally much stronger two-handed weapon builds.
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Join the open beta test for free at www.mammothisland.com
Soft Chaos is seeking playtesters for our project, Strangers on the ‘Net. Strangers is a role-playing game played
entirely over a Discord server. Players are invited to play teenagers roleplaying characters in their favourite
fandoms. Get ready to gossip, roleplay, flirt, fight, fall in love, confess your secrets, explore your identity,
and confront what it meant to be a teenager online in the nineties.
To playtest, contact us at [email protected] or on Twitter at @soft_chaos!
Make 5th Edition monsters more awesome with 10 synergistic templates from Monster Perks! Boss templates
synergize powers with foot soldiers, granting new options and powers. Templates work for all creatures, from
goblin to balor! Easy to apply and incredibly flavourful, templates enliven all encounters: astral, undead, tailed,
preternatural illusionists, and more! An indispensable tool that raises your combat to the next level.
Get yours on www.dmsguild.com now!
Dave is a writer, cartographer, and graphic designer with 20 years experience in the RPG industry. He is
currently working on Fateless, a compelling setting built for 5th Edition wherein players take on the roles of
heroes freed from the shackles of fate whose unique status can alter the destiny of a world of dying magic
and burgeoning technology perched on the precipice of all-out war.
www.dave.teambrohlson.ca
