Past Life: Feedback and Suggestions

[GhostNull]

Making this thread in hope that others will come here and post their thoughts on the "Past Life" feats. This could also help the developers read feedback and suggestions instead of trying to read through the growing pit that is the True Reincarnation thread.

For starters, here's a couple posts that were made that have little feedback and suggestions...

Correct, you gain the Past Life of your dominant class. If you True Reincarnate again, you keep your old Past Life feat from your first incarnation, and add a second from your dominant class from this life (if it was different).

Here's the current list of Past Life feats:

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.
Just weak, 30 secs really?

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.
Not bad, like having a bard level 1 around on shrines, questions, does stack with a bard inspire courage?

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.
Hmm... a CMW wand does more and cost LESS than a feat!

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.
not game breaking, just meh...

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.
It will depends how much it last, but 3 times per rest is just too few IMO

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.
ONCE per rest? how much does it last, 10 mins, 30 secs?

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.
not even a comment

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?

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..
can you make this one instead like multishot?, you know, with a decent cooldown and some huge dps for short period of time?

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.
What would i want to spend a Mental toughness with another name that "can produce" random elemental effects? if this were free, I'll shut up

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.
As bad as the cleric one, well, maybe not that bad.

Edit:

Caster Level is considered to be equal to your character level.

My two cents

Ok. The biggest flaw I can see in these is that they do nothing if you take the same class again. This is a pretty big thing, because the characters we have now, we have because we like them. No one in DDO rolled up a ranger because he wanted to reroll him into a melee wizard on down the road. Little surprised these were approved like this, but here are a couple suggestions:

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.

So... no benefit to a barbarian? How about gives you the rage once/rest. If you already have rage as a class feat, it gives your rage an additional +2 str/con.

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.

Again... no use for bards. If you have Inspire Courage as a class feat, it will give you +1 damage.

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.

This is at least... usable by clerics... but not useful. Maybe cure spells will give an additional +2 hit points when used?

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.

These types of abilities are rarely useful in DDO. I would nuke it from orbit and start over. Unless you just see a ton of Dragonmarked Dwarves running around.

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.

Awesome for arcanes and rogues, almost useless for fighters, barbs and rangers. This one misses the mark in a bad way.

+2-3% attack speed boost per times taken.

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.

Another one that is completely worthless if you keep the same class. How about adding, if you have evasion, this becomes a clickie of Improved Evasion. If you have Improved Evasion, this becomes a clickie of Superior Evasion.

Superior Evasion allows you to have a chance to evade incoming melee damage for a short time. The DC is equal to the amount of incoming damage before damage reduction. If the feat is taken twice, it's equal to the amount of incoming damage after damage reduction (giving 20th monks an effective +10 to this roll)

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.

Blah... Be better if it was a divine might clickie. +2 divine damage on melee attacks or upgrading your existing divine might by +1-2.

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... useless if you take Ranger again. Such a horrible theme. Don't even know what to do with it, but I'd lean towards +2% increase to dual wielding or ranged attack speed.

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..

This one is actually cool for rogues to take again... just not twice. I'd probably just have the second one count for 50% over. So +15 sneak attack damage clickie instead of +10.

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.

Pretty Lame, and doesn't do a lot to entice Sorcerers to stay the faith. I would, instead, allow them to choose one of their level 1-3 spells to either use as a clickie 10/ a day in a future life... or let them keep an extra low level spell slot and use it off SP.

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.

About as useless the sorcerer one without the passive SP bonus. The irony is that it doesn't even fit what wizards do best, versatility. It gives you a single spell. What about Past Life : Arcane Familiarity -- You recall more about your past life as a wizard giving you an almost intuitive feel for magic. You gain +10% spell casting speed.

So there's some suggestions, now let's see some more from other forum members. Some of mine...

Past Life: Berserker's Fury New Proposal
You recall more about your past life as a barbarian. You have +2 to your Intimidate skill and can enter a barbarian rage twice 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 character also gains a passive DR 1/- at level 1 with an increase of 1 per 6 levels for a maximum of DR 4/-. Your rage will last for 24 seconds + 6 per character level. This rage ability acts aa Barbarian rage and will the block the character out of casting spells for the duration.

If you reincarnate into the Barbarian class, your character recieves a +2 to the Intimidate skill and the number of rages per rest will increase by 1. When using Rage, you gain an additional +2 bonus to Strength and Constitution, +1 Morale Bonus to Will saves and a -1 penalty to AC on top of other Rage abilities and enhancements.

Past Life: Soldier of the Faith New Proposal
You recall more about your past life as a paladin. You have +2 to your Diplomacy skill, and can Smite Evil three times per rest. Unlike a Paladin's Smite Evil where damage is based on the number levels of Paladin a character has, Smite Evil granted from Soldier of the Faith is based on total character level. Attack bonus based on Charisma modifier remains.

If the player decides to reincarnate into a Paladin, their Smite Evil will gain an extra damage bonus to Smite Evil. Half-character level will be additionally applied to the standard Paladin's Smite Evil damage bonus.

Past Life: Warrior of the Wild New Proposal
You recall more about your past life as a ranger. You have +2 to your Spot skill and can choose a single Favored Enemy. Your character gains a +2 bonus to damage to their chosen Favored Enemy. This bonus increases by +1 per 6 levels.

Reincarnating into Ranger, Favored Enemy damage bonus is increased by +1 and gains an additional +1 bonus to damage every 5 levels. This bonus is applied to all the Ranger's Favored Enemies.

Past Life: Arcane Initiate New Proposal
You recall more about your past life as a wizard. You have +2 to your Concentration skill and are more efficient with metamagics. Starting at level 1, your spell point cost through the use of metamagic feats is reduced by 1. Every 8 levels thereafter the reduction is increased by 1 for a total reduction of 3 spell points. This bonus stacks with other metamagic reductions.

Just some of my thoughts...