Past Life: Feedback and Suggestions

[zealous]

The post above sums up the largest problem of these feats: Fighters have plenty of room for extra feats, while few if any other builds do. They also tend to favor humans due to their bonus feat, which I am unsure is intended. Racial balance is a bit tougher, but class balance certainly shouldn't be that crippling to these feats.

The majority (but by no means all) of builds rely on three primary feat standbys: Two weapon fighting, Two handed fighting (aka melees) or Spellcasting (aka casters). Each of these has so many "must haves" that most of these feats are moot. To be honest, many of these feats fall short of dragonmarks - especially the halfling ones.

While I agree they can't be free without making True Reincarnation much more powerful, they need to be worth the feat investment. If anything, make them an improved version of an existing feat, allowing builds which choose that feat to gain a slight boost without trying to make them stand on their own. Trying for the latter is going to make them undesirable or simply too good to pass up, creating an unintended pressure on the "need" to True Reincarn (which it would seem you are trying to avoid).
...
Additionally, while I did not write it down here it's also possible to have a single and second tier of these feats - essentially doubling the benefit - if you take a class to 20 three times. I don't see any of these as game-breaking benefits, even if doubled, considering their costs. They certainly feel small enough to be along the same line of power as 2 more build points, while not engendering on feat territory too much. How the coding would go for these I am unsure, but I can't imagine it being too extra difficult to add duplicate feats and tweak them slightly. Just look at Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Focus and Superior Weapon Focus. The only catch here might be feats which are in turn modified by enhancements, such as Enraged Power attack.

Amen.

[Rhysem]

Really basic suggestion: the free versions of the past life feats should grant you a class skill that's "key" or "themed" to the past life class. Yes, I know, messy to implement possibly, but still. It'd give them a bit more flavor, and give something useful without being overpowering (as long as you don't do disable as the Rogue's skill pick).

[Aesop]

Really basic suggestion: the free versions of the past life feats should grant you a class skill that's "key" or "themed" to the past life class. Yes, I know, messy to implement possibly, but still. It'd give them a bit more flavor, and give something useful without being overpowering (as long as you don't do disable as the Rogue's skill pick).

That would be kinda neat...

You'd also probably want to keep UMD off that list



or even if the Passive Free feat granted a +2 to a skill... without having to take a feat slot... the other abilities... of which after rereading I think only the Sorc one is really useful... could still use some work.

[Aesop]

Past Life: Berserker's Fury
You recall more about your past life as a barbarian. You have +2 to your Intimidate skill and can enter a barbarian rage once per rest. Activate this barbarian ability to enter a bloodthirsty frenzy, granting you a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 Morale bonus to Will saves, and a -2 penalty to AC. When the rage ends, however, you will lose the hit points granted to you by increased Constitution and become fatigued. Your rage will last for 30 seconds.

Move: the +2 to Intimidate to the Free Feat

Make: the Rage Effect 30 sec +3 sec per level

Add: +1 HP per level and can access the Toughness Enhancements with this Feat

Past Life: Bardic Dilettante
You recall more about your past life as a bard. You have +1 to all Charisma based skills and can Inspire Courage three times per rest. Activate this bard ability to rally your companions, giving them a +1 morale bonus to saves against fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls before enhancements.

Add: +2 Diplomacy to Free Feat

Make: The Inspire Courage grant an extra Song to Bards that take it or at least let it stack with a bards Inspire Courage ability... and just rename it Inspiring Chant and have it grant a Walk on the Sun kind of Bonus.

Past Life: Initiate of the Faith
You recall more about your past life as a cleric. You have +2 to your Heal skill, and can produce a Healing Word effect three times per rest. Positive energy is channeled to heal light wounds of your target or damage undead for 1d4 hit points plus an additional 1d4 per two caster levels. Undead who make a successful Will save reduce the damage by half.

Move: +2 Heal to the Free Feat

Make: the Healing Effect do d6s instead of d4s

Increase: the uses per rest to 5

Let: this grat access to Conjuration Healing Wands

Past Life: Acolyte of Divine Secrets
You recall more about your past life as a favored soul. You have +2 to your Diplomacy skill and can call down the wrath of your former deity, producing an Avenging Light effect five times per rest. Activate this favored soul ability to cause a searing orb of radiant light to smite your target, dealing 1d8 hit points of light damage plus an additional 1d8 per three caster levels. A successful Fortitude save reduces the damage by half.

Move: Diplomacy to Free Feat

Add: Energy Resistance 2 to all Energy types

Past Life: Student of the Sword
You recall more about your past life as a fighter. You have +2 to your Intimidate skill and can remember your martial prowess three times per rest, increasing your base attack bonus to your level and granting +4 to hit.

Move: Intimidate to Free Feat

Add: a Focus like effect that grants a +1 to hit with a weapon group

Past Life: Disciple of the Fist
You recall more about your past life as a monk. You have +2 to your Concentration skill and can enter an evasive trance once per rest, granting the evasion feat for a short period of time.
Note: You must meet normal evasion requirements for this one. No medium or heavy armor, no heavy encumbrance.

Move: Concentration to Free Feat

Add: +2 Dodge Bonus to AC while Tumbling

Past Life: Soldier of the Faith
You recall more about your past life as a paladin. You have +2 to your Heal skill, and can recall your bravery three times per rest, casting the Lionheart spell on yourself or an ally. Activate this paladin ability to imbue yourself or a single ally with great bravery, making them immune to fear.

Change and Move: Heal to anything else... maybe Diplomacy... add to Free Feat

Remove: Lionheart thingy

Add: 1 Smite Evil

Past Life: Warrior of the Wild
You recall more about your past life as a ranger. You have +2 to your Spot skill and can produce a Ram's Might effect once per rest. Activate this ranger ability to cause your hands increase in size, granting a +2 size bonus to Strength and damage.
again, one per rest; duration?

Move: Spot to Free Feat

Change: Ram's Might to 1 Favored Enemy

Past Life: Sneak of Shadows
You recall more about your past life as a rogue. You have +1 to all skills and three times per rest you can skulk with the skill of your past life, gaining bonuses equal to your level to your hide and move silently skills, a +1 bonus to sneak attack damage for every two character levels, and a +1 bonus to hit with sneak attacks for every four levels..

Maybe: instead of a clicky ability just have it a flat +1 to Hit and +2 to SA Damage

Past Life: Arcane Prodigy
You recall more about your past life as a sorcerer. Your maximum spell points are increased by 10 at first level, and 5 spell points for each additional level and can produce random elemental damage spells ten times per rest.

Add: +2 Concentration to Free Feat

Instead: of Random Elemental Spells give a Choice and make them alll look like Burning Hands... ala a Breathe Weapon

Past Life: Arcane Initiate
You recall more about your past life as a wizard. You have +2 to your Concentration skill and can cast the magic missile spell ten times per rest, creating a missile of magical energy that darts forth and unerringly strikes its target inflicting 1d4+1 force damage. For every 2 caster levels beyond first you gain an additional missile, maximum 10 missiles.

Move: Concentration to Free Feat


I don't know what else

Aesop

[Velexia]

The list of Past Life Feats quoted above are not free, you have to spend a normal feat slot to take them. The free Past Life Feats are the ones that these use as prerequisites (that don't do anything on their own, other than granting access to these).

Thus, even the nice Rogue and Sorcerer ones are essentially useless because they require a feat slot. I have no feat slots to spare on any character except my monk.

Some of these past life feats are so useless that taking Skill Focus: Listen would be less wasteful. If these are not free you might as well just remove them from the game, seriously. Isn't the true reincarnation itself enough of a punch in the face? I think the hit that a character takes for doing the true reincarnation is enough to justify a free special feat for each one.

[Natashaelle]

The list of Past Life Feats quoted above are not free, you have to spend a normal feat slot to take them.

Which is unfairly advantageous to some character classes and disadvantageous to others. It will be relatively easier for a Fighter to take one of these ; relatively harder for a Ranger aiming to be Tempest or other builds with similar Feat prerequisites.

Both D&D 4E and Pathfinder have moved towards increasing the Feats per level ratio -- shouldn't DDO go down the same path ?

[Natashaelle]

Just FYI there is a thread at the European forums asking whether Halfling size should be REDUCED after TR instead of increased

http://community.codemasters.com/for...d.php?t=388620

[Aesop]

ya know after reconsidering a few more times maybe more generalized Feats would be better.

Armsman: Your Past Life as a heavy combat character (Fighter/Pally/Barb) has been reflected in your current incarnation in your hardiness and martial prowess. You gain 1 extra hp per level and can choose a single Martial Weapon to be proficient with. If you are already Proficient with Martial Weapons you instead gain a +1 to hit with said Martial Weapon.


Jack of All Trades: Your Past Life as a skilled scout or tactician (Rogue/Bard/Ranger) has been reflected in your current incarnation through your cerebral ability. You gain +1 to all skills and have learned to stick sharp pointy things into soft squishy things that scream and bleed (+1 to Hit and +2 Dame with SA)


Magic in the Blood: Your Past Life etc etc (Sorceror/Wizard) etc etc. +10 SP at first level and +5 SP per level thereafter. Additionally you gain a Cantrip that does 1d4 force damage and an additional 1d4 damage per 3 character levels. This cantrip costs 5 SP to cast


Blessing of Divinity: blah blah (Cleric/Favored Soul) blah blah. +10 SP at first level and +5 SP per level thereafter. Additionally you gain an Orison that heals 1d4 damage and an additional 1d4 damage per 3 character levels. This orison costs 5 SP to cast


stick monk either in Martial or Skilled section and be done with it... stick those original Skill bonuses into the free feat if ya want

let the Magic in the blood count as the prereq for Arcane Archer

let the Martial one count as Toughness for the Enhancement

Aesop

[FluffyCalico]

Suggestion: Skill Remembrance
You may take a past life feat allowing any one skill that was a class skill for a previous life (in the case of MC characters, majority level, as per Eladrin's post) to count as a class skill for your character. If taken after 1st level, any previous skill points spent as half ranks still count as half ranks (just to save devs time writing retcon code)

Gets you a clear benefit, although it is slanted towards rogue/bard previous lives.
Makes for some interesting build options, such as a full intimidate pure paladin.

I'd suggest that UMD not be included in this, as it has had a history of being treated differently from other skills to keep it from being too easily cranked up. UMD seems the most likely skill to create a "broken" build.

This does NOT solve the issue. It still ONLY gives people a reason to roll their character into SOMETHING else. We need something that lets people benifit who want to stay mostly the same thing and not change what they are entirely.

[zealous]

ya know after reconsidering a few more times maybe more generalized Feats would be better.

Armsman: Your Past Life as a heavy combat character (Fighter/Pally/Barb) has been reflected in your current incarnation in your hardiness and martial prowess. You gain 1 extra hp per level and can choose a single Martial Weapon to be proficient with. If you are already Proficient with Martial Weapons you instead gain a +1 to hit with said Martial Weapon.


Jack of All Trades: Your Past Life as a skilled scout or tactician (Rogue/Bard/Ranger) has been reflected in your current incarnation through your cerebral ability. You gain +1 to all skills and have learned to stick sharp pointy things into soft squishy things that scream and bleed (+1 to Hit and +2 Dame with SA)


Magic in the Blood: Your Past Life etc etc (Sorceror/Wizard) etc etc. +10 SP at first level and +5 SP per level thereafter. Additionally you gain a Cantrip that does 1d4 force damage and an additional 1d4 damage per 3 character levels. This cantrip costs 5 SP to cast


Blessing of Divinity: blah blah (Cleric/Favored Soul) blah blah. +10 SP at first level and +5 SP per level thereafter. Additionally you gain an Orison that heals 1d4 damage and an additional 1d4 damage per 3 character levels. This orison costs 5 SP to cast


stick monk either in Martial or Skilled section and be done with it... stick those original Skill bonuses into the free feat if ya want

let the Magic in the blood count as the prereq for Arcane Archer

let the Martial one count as Toughness for the Enhancement
Aesop

Not overpowering but still neat. Think you could remove the SP cost on the cantrips though, I guess they would stack for multiple reincarnations?

6d4 for free would be approx cmw and 12d4 slightly better than csw, could be balanced with a increased cd though.

[Samiusbot]

Would it be so hard to instead of a Magic Missile clicky. Leting us pick from all first level arcane spells?
Many spells would be better as clicky then Magic Missile. As a fighter it would be worth my wild to be a Wiz → fgt to have a shield clicky that was worth something!

Or better even give us a different tab for past life spell slots that we can scribe spells to and memorize spells from. It might be worth it to be a Wiz → Wiz → Wiz to have 7 first level spells.

And I can see other classes loving this idea also. In a past life I was a casting class and now I am casting class again, having options are good!

[Aesop]

Not overpowering but still neat. Think you could remove the SP cost on the cantrips though, I guess they would stack for multiple reincarnations?

6d4 for free would be approx cmw and 12d4 slightly better than csw, could be balanced with a increased cd though.

well the SP requirements were there for those that went cleric and then say Fighter

what's the point of the SP if you have nothing to spend it on right

Aesop

[Duskslayer]

For multiclass players, please give people the CHOICE which past life to get.

People may wish to leave their past lives in the past....

[BlackSteel]

how about slightly improved versions of already existing feats, that a person would take anyway even if they reincarnated into the same class?

barb could have an option to choose a Power attack that does -6/+6 instead of -5/+5

fighters could take weapon spec for +3 instead of +2(a fighter turned ranger would still have to take weapon focus, but the weapon spec would be available afterward) or have an improved combat expertise

sorc gets the improved mental toughness

wizards could get +3 from one of the spell pen feats or choose one school to get an additional DC when taking the mastery.

choose a favored enemy for rangers

well you get the idea

[Ereshkigal]

Trenchcoat brings up a good point.

The best of these feats is basically the Sorcerer ones because they are a "better version" of an existing feat. The Sorceror is basically Mental Toughness on steroids: 105 extra SP with 10 random casts of Elemental Damage spells.

I would love to see more Past Life Feats to work this way.

Barbarian: Gain Toughness Feat. Gain +10 HP
HP is a Barbarian Mainstay. +10 HP is a 1AP level 1 Enhancement.

Bard: Gain Force of Personality Feat. Gain +1 to all Charisma skill checks except for UMD.
Charisma is a Bard's calling card. I figure we can really sell this guy as a slick charismatic fellow. +1 to Diplomacy, Haggle, Perform, Imtimidate, and Bluff checks. This is 5APs worth of level 1 enhancements. And you don't get UMD, which is the one that everyone wants

Cleric: Gain Empower Healing Feat. Gain 5 uses of Cure Moderate Wounds.
Cleric is known for healing. 5 uses of CMW is effectively 16-26 hp healed averaging 21. Empowered, it heals another 10.5 hp for a total of 31.5. With 5 uses it heals averages 157.5 HP. Of course, this can get jacked up with Ardor and other heal enhancement abilities.

Favored Soul: Gain Empower Feat. All empowered spells do 3% more damage (calculated after the Empower).
Blade Barrier averages 48 damage/hit. Empowered it averages 72 damage/hit. With the bonus, it averages 74.16 damage a hit. Of course, you can stack Maximize and all that stuff with it to make the number bigger.

Fighter: Gain Weapon Focus Feat. Gain +1 damage to the chosen weapon type.
Fighters are the masters of their weapons! +1 damage is half of a level 4 feat (which is usually considered worse than the Weapon Focus Feat) and is important only as a stepping stone to Superior Weapon Focus and the Kensai PrC. Which you don't get with this ability.

Monk: Gain Dodge Feat. Gain +3 to Concentration.
Concentration is really something Monks rely on. +3 to concentration is a 6 point AP. But that's okay.

Paladin: Gain Luck of Heroes Feat. Gain +1 to Will Saves.
Paladins are known for their saves. +1 Will save is half of the Iron Will Feat.

Ranger: Gain Two-Weapon Fighting Feat. 3% attack speed boost while dual wielding.
Attack speed really is what Dual Wielding is about. 3% emphasizes that.

Rogue: Gain Weapon Finesse Feat. Gain +1 to saves/AC versus traps.
Rogues are known for being the "anti-trap". +1 versus saves is their Level 3 ability.

Sorcerer: Gain Mental Toughness Feat. Gain 10 uses of random elemental damage spells.
Yes this is the template that I am basing things off of.

Wizard: Gain Heighten Spell Feat. Heightened spells work at an additional +1 DC.
I really wanted to sell the "High DC" aspect of a Wizard versus the "Lots of SP" aspect of the Sorc.

All of these are 'upgraded' versions of existing feats that I think would make the flavor of each class really shine, yet not be overpowered.

I like this idea. If possible having 2 or 3 choices per class would be even better, but this is already superior to the current plan imo.

[assamite]

I'm just gona leave the devs alone with this one and run with my 36 points and ginormous dwarf

[Eladrin]

We've made a number of changes to the Past Life feats based on feedback from this and the other threads. We're adding some stacking (up to three times) passive benefits to the "free" Past Life feats and made some modifications to the purchased ones.

We'll be sharing the new versions soon.

[alcmaeon]

/sign me to the list of folks who won't spend a feat slot on these "bonus" past life feats if they go live as is. They read more like single enhancements, not feats.

[Borror0]

We're adding some stacking (up to three times) passive benefits to the "free" Past Life feats and made some modifications to the purchased ones.

I don't see why you'd want them stacking at all...

[bobbryan2]

I don't see why you'd want them stacking at all...

Uh... don't you?

There's no reason to take the same class over if they don't stack.