HD&D: General Feats

Today we take a break from the grind of the combat system with a welcome look at some General Feats. This is a timely post, as many of these feats seek to augment, alter or improve many of the Actions in Combat that were presented in the most recent post.

There are 60 feats presented in the list below. This compares to the 97 feats that saw print in the third edition Player’s Handbook, the 151 feats from the fourth edition Player’s Handbook 1, and the 179 feats from Paizo’s Pathfinder RPG. So is HD&D a little feat-lite when compared to its forebears? No, not at all. HD&D isn’t finished yet, there will be plenty more before the end. Although it is interesting to note that the way the hybrid game is structured seems to lend itself to slightly fewer feats.

The feats in the list below are just general feats. These are the feats that I see as being open to all characters of any race or any class. Of course, I might change my mind. We might decide that Repetoire of Deceit is better suited as a rogue-only feat. Most of the class specific feats will appear in the descriptions of the character classes themselves – so expect to see a lot more when the Fighter debuts in the next week or so. At the end of this post is a section on What’s New and What’s Changed, which should help to explain why I’ve done some of the things I’ve done.

So without further ado…

Alertness (General Feat)
Some call you paranoid and jumpy, but you haven’t lived this long without paying close attention to your surroundings.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: None
Area of Effect: Personal
Benefit: You don’t grant enemies combat advantage during surprise rounds. You also gain a +2 inherent bonus to Perception checks.

Arcane Initiate (Multiclass Feat)
The chance of arcane majesty is too tempting to ignore. You extend your skills to embrace the mysteries of magic.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Int 13
Benefit: You multiclass into Wizard. Add Spellcraft (Arcane) to your list of Class Skills. If you are already trained in this skill, then you may select any other skill from the wizard’s list of favoured skills and add it to your class skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Wizard for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a wizard feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a wizard talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Attack on the Run (General Feat)
You can deftly move up to a foe, strike and then withdraw before he can attack.
At Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Combat Mobility feat
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You can split your Move action, enabling you to move both before and after your standard action. For example, a character moving 30 feet in a round, could choose to move 15 feet, take a standard action (such as an attack), and then move another 15 feet. Using the Attack on the Run feat to move away from an enemy you have just attacked in mêlée, does not provoke the opportunity attack usually associated with such movement. Making a ranged attack whille engaged in mêlée combat still provokes opportunity attacks as normal. Using Attack on the Run is not an action, rather it is part of the Move action you take during combat.
Special: If you attack a foe with the Combat Superiority talent, you are still vulnerable to opportunity attacks from that character – even if you have this feat.

Blind-Fighting (General Feat)
You have the “ear that sees”. You are able to fight effectively in mêlée combat against opponents you cannot see.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Permanent blindness, or 11th level
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: Foes battling you in a mêlée combat gain no benefit from concealment or total concealment even if you are blinded, the area is engulfed in magical darkness and they are invisible. Simply adjudicate combat as if the foe was visible to you. Enemies engaged in mêlée combat with you do not have bonuses to their Stealth skill and do not enjoy combat advantage over you. Likewise, you have no penalty to your skill checks or reflex defence against said enemies.
This area of awareness only extends to mêlée combat (approximately five feet around you). Enemies outside that range retain all the benefits of being unseen, and the rules governing how you perceive and interact with them are unchanged.

Combat Casting (General Feat)
Once you start casting a spell, it is very difficult to disrupt or distract you.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You gain a +5 bonus to your Will defence for the purpose of defending against attacks that try to disrupt your spellcasting.

Combat Mobility (General Feat)
You are used to racing through combat at speed, and you can do so without giving your enemies any advantage.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You can run or charge through combat without granting combat advantage to your enemies. You do not grant combat advantage when running, charging or attacking with the bull rush, over-run or trample manoeuvres.

Combat Reflexes (General Feat)
You move like a greased wippet to respond to sudden and unexpected threats.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: 11th Level
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You may take two Swift actions in the same round. This includes any immediate reactions or immediate interrupts that may tbe triggered by outside stimuli. Normally characters can only take one swift action per round.
Special: This feat doesn’t grant you any swift actions to take, they must come from another source. However, if cirumstances conspire to grant you two opportunities to take a swift action during the same combat round, then you may take them. For example, a fighter might make two opportunity attacks, a wizard might cast two quickened spells, or a swordmage might use her aegis power against two different opponents.

Danger Sense (General Feat)
Be it reflexes, instinct or simply galloping paranoia – you’re always ready for anything.
Contious Effect | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make an Initiative check you can roll twice and take the higher of the two rolls.

Daunting Skill (General Feat)
Your skill with your favoured weapons can be used to intimidate your enemies.
At-Will | Mundane
Standard Action
Prerequisite: Intimidate as a class skill; Skill Focus in the weapon you are using
Area of Effect: Close Burst 30 ft radius
Effect: You engage in an ostentatious display of weapon mastery that scares the bejesus out of your opponents. After spending a standard action bewildering everyone with your prowess you may make an Intimiate check to demoralise all enemies in a 30 ft radius of of you. Roll one check and compare the result to the Will defence of all your enemies. Any target you succeed against is Shaken until the end of your next turn.

Demoralising Stare (General Feat)
One look from your eyes is enough to loosen the bowels of even of the bravest men.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Intimidate as a class skill
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You may use the Intimidate skill to demoralise an opponent as a Move action instead of a Standard Action. From 11th level you may attempt to demoralise an opponent as a Free action instead of a Move Action. However, you may not attempt to demoralise an opponent more than once per round.
Special: This feat has no affect on the time it takes to perform the Daunting Skill feat.

Die Hard (General Feat)
You can remain conscious and fighting after attacks that would dismember others.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Second Wind talent
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you become bloodied, you do not fall unconscious. Instead you remain standing and you can continue to act normally with the exception that you can only take one Standard action per round, as opposed to one Standard and one Move action.
You still continue to make stabilisation checks as normal, and still die if you fail three of them. An attack that brings you down to below your Bloodied Value also kills you.

Empower Spell (Metamagic Feat)
You can cast spells to greater effect, allowing you to punch above your weight in combat.
At-Will | Magical
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 5th level or higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Empower it. You may only empower spells that are at least two levels lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is seventh level, then you can empower spells of fifth level or less.
All variable numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by one half. An empowered spell deals half as much damage as normal, cures half again as many hit points, affects half again as many targets. For example, an empowered magic missile deals 1½ times its normal damage (multiply the damage by 1.5 for each missile).
Attack rolls, opposed rolls and saving throws prompted by the spell are not affected by empowerment.

Enlarge Spell (Metamagic Feat)
You are able to cast your spells at a greater range than mere amatuer spellcasters. You sneer at them.
At-Will | Magical
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 3rd level of higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Enlarge it. You may only enlarge spells that are at least one level lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is third level, then you can only enlarge spells of second level or lower.
The indicated range of all Ranged and Far spells are doubled. For example, an enlaged fireball has a range of 800 feet + 80 feet per caster level. Mêlée and Close spells are not affected by the enlarge spell feat.

Eschew Materials (Metamagic Feat)
You can cast spells without relying on material components.
At-Will | Magic
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You can cast any spell without the need for the listed material components, unless that component is denoted as Rare. Rare components and foci must still be supplied normally.

Escapologist (General Feat)
You have the happy talent of being able to dislocate your shoulders, arms and other bodily appendages.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 15
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You are able to dislocate your shoulders and other joints, enabling you to squeeze through spaces that are only large enough to admit your head. You gain a +5 bonus on Escape Artist checks to squeeze through tight spaces (such as a thin chimney), as well as to wriggle free of ropes, mannicals and other restraints.

Extend Spell (Metamagic Feat)
You can extend the duration of most of your spells so that they last twice as long as normal.
At-Will | Magical
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 3rd level or higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Extend it. You may only extend spells that are at least one level lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is third level, then you can only enlarge spells of second level or lower.
Double the duration of a extended spell. Spells with a duration of “concentration”, “instantaneous” or “permanent” cannot be extended. If a concentrate spell persists for an additional number of rounds after concentration has ceased, then this portion of the spell can be extended.

Far Shot (General Feat)
You are able to hit even more distant foes when you use a ranged weapon.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you use a projectile weapon such as a bow or a crossbow, its range increment increases by one half (multiply the increment by 1.5). When you use a thrown weapon, such as a dagger or a hammer, its range increment is doubled. For example, a longbow usually has a range increment of 100 feet. In the hands of someone with this feat, the range increment would be 150 feet.

Fleet of Foot (General Feet)
You are extremely light on your feet, and can move at considerable speed when you want to. Whether you use this extra speed to avoid combat or throw yourself into danger is up to your conscience.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You receive a +5 inherent bonus to your Speed score. This increase in Speed applies in all circumstances, and is used to calculate your overland movement rate as well as your tactical speed while in combat. A human with this feat would have a speed of 35 (not 30). If he double-moved he could cover 70 feet as part of one move action (not 60 feet).
Special: If you are trained in Athletics, then the bonus conferred by this feat is +10, not +5.

Great Fortitude (General Feat)
You have the constitution of an adamantine ox, and find it much easier to throw of effects and afflictions than your weak-bladdered companions.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
Move Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You gain a +1 inherent bonus to your Fortitude Defence and Fortitude Saving throws. The bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 11th level, +4 at 16th level, +5 at 21st level and +6 at 26th level.

Improved Bull Rush (General Feat)
You are adept at pushing your foes around around the battefield, over the side of battlements and into the path of ongoing dragons.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Str 13
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make a Bull Rush attempt you may roll two attack rolls, and take the higher result. Additionally, the target of a successful Bull Rush always falls prone regardless of your degree of success on the attack roll. Using this feat is not an action in and of itself, rather it is part of the standard action you use to initiate a bull rush.

Improved Counterspell (General Feat)
You understand the nuances of magic to such an extent that you can counter your opponent’s spells with greater efficiency.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You gain a +5 bonus to identify spells being cast by other spellcasters. This bonus applies regardless of whether you try to couterspell other casters or not.
If you do ready an action to counterspell, you may use any spell of the same school as long as that spell is the same or higher level as the spell the enemy is casting. Without this feat, you may only counter a spell only with the same spell, or a spell specifically designated as countering the target spell (such as dispel magic).

Improved Critical (General Feat)
Attacks made with a particular skill have a greater chance of scoring a critical hit.
Continous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: 11th Level
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: Choose any skill you can use to make an attack roll. You may choose any Weapon Group skill, Spellcraft, Unarmed Strike or any other skill with the GM’s consent. Attack rolls made with your chosen skill score a critical hit on a natural 19 or 20, instead of just a natural 20.
Special: You can select this feat more than once. Each time you apply its effects to a different skill.

Improved Disarm (General Feat)
With a flick of your wrist you can send your enemy’s weapon to any point you desire.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make a Disarm attempt you may roll two attack rolls, and take the higher result. Additionally, disarmed items now land at any point you choose within a 15 foot radius of the target. If a companion with an empty hand readies an action, then he can catch the weapon or item that you disarm. An enemy retrieving an item that is sent 15 feet still grants combat advantage while he does so, but must spend two move actions to retrieve his item rather than one. Using Improved Disarm is not an action, rather it is part of the standard action you take to make a disarm attempt.

Improved Feint (General Feat)
You are adept at fooling your opponents, and taking advantage of the misdirection.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Cha 13
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make a Feint attempt you may roll two Bluff checks, and take the higher result. In addition, you may make a feint attempt as a Move action instead of a Standard Action.

Improved Grapple (General Feat)
You are highly skilled and grabbing and restraining your opponents.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make a Grapple attempt you may roll two attack rolls, and take the higher result. Additionally, you make grapple attempts as a Move action instead of a Standard action, meaning that you can make two grapple attempts per round if you desire.

Improved Initiative (General Feat)
When danger threatens you react like greased lightning.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You gain a +4 inherent bonus to your initiative check. This bonus increases to +6 at 11th level, and +8 at 21st level.

Improved Over-run (General Feat)
You are highly skilled at pushing past people to reach your destination.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Str 13
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make an Over-run attempt you may roll two attack rolls, and take the higher result. Targets of your over-run may not choose to get out of the way, unless you allow them to. Additionally, the target(s) of a successful over-run always falls prone regardless of your degree of success on the attack roll.

Improved Precise Shot (General Feat)
Your ranged attacks are able to ignore the effects of cover and concealment.
At Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: 11th level, Precise Shot feat
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make a ranged attack with a thrown or a missile weapon you ignore the bonus granted to the Reflex Defence of targets that have cover, superior cover or concealment. Total cover and total concealment provide their normal benefit against your attacks.

Improved Second Wind (General Feat)
It is extremely hard to kill you. You have reserves of determination and vitality that make most barbarians look as weak as watered wine.
Recharge (special) | Mundane
Move Action
Prerequisite: Second Wind Talent
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You can use your Second Wind talent twice per day instead of once. You may not use it more than once per round.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take it you gain one additional use of your Second Wind each day.

Improved Sunder (General Feat)
You can damage inanimate objects more effectively than your companions.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Master talent; You must be wielding a two-handed weapon, or a versatile weapon in two hands.
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make a Sunder attempt you may roll two attack rolls, and take the higher result. Additionally, you ignore the first 5 points of the item’s AC. At 11th level you ignore the first 10 points of the items’s AC. At 21st level you ignore the first 15 points of the item’s AC.

Improved Trample (General Feat)
You use your size and bulk to its greatest advantage when wading into combat and stepping on the little people.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Str 15
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You receive a bonus on Over-Run and Trample attempts depending on the difference in size between you and your targets. For each difference in size category between you and your target, you receive a +5 bonus to your trample check. For example, a Colossal Red Dragon trampling through a hobbit jamboree receives a +25 bonus on its trample check.

Improved Trip (General Feat)
You are particularly skilled at knocking opponents to the ground, and taking advantage of their prone condition.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make a Trip attempt you may roll two attack rolls, and take the higher result. Additionally, you may use the Trip manoeuvre in place of any single mêlée attack, instead of it taking up a whole Standard Action.
Normally, if you make a Trip attempt it is the only thing you can do in the round unless you spend an action point or take a Swift action. Your standard action is spent making the Trip attempt. With this feat, the Trip attempt can replace a single mêlée attack, so if you are able to make multiple attacks as part of a standard action (from the Double Attack or Two Weapon Fighting talents, for example) then you can make a Trip attempt and attack as part of the same standard action. You can even make multiple Trip attempts if you like.
For example, Syrah Pendragon has the Two-Weapon Fighing and Improved Two-Weapon Fighting talents. She can attack four times as part of one standard action: twice with her axe, and twice with her shield bash. On her turn she decides to use one of her shield attacks as a Trip attempt. She fails. She then decides to use her second shield attack as a Trip attempt. This time she succeeds and her enemy is knocked prone. She can then use her two remaining attacks with her axe to attack a prone foe that is granting her combat advantage.

Improved Unarmed Strike (General Feat)
Your hands and feet are deadly weapons. You don’t need to resort to anything as clumsy as a sword to subdue your opponents.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You are considered armed even when you are not carrying weapons. Your unarmed strikes (kicks, punches, head butts and the like) can inflict nromal lethal damage, or subdual damage at your choice. The damage inflicted by your unarmed strike does not change.
Special: This feat is useful for characters who do not have formidable natural defences. Races armed with claws, barbs or bites already inflict lethal damage with their natural attacks and do not require this feat. Characters with the Martial Artist talent do not also need this feat.

Initiate of the Faith (Multiclass Feat)
Your piety has required you to take up holy order in addition to your more godless profession.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Wis 13
Benefit: Choose a particular deity or pantheon. You multiclass into a cleric of that faith. Add Knowledge (Religion) to your list of Class Skills. If you are already trained in this skill, then you may select any other skill from the cleric’s list of favoured skills and add it to your class skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Cleric for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a cleric feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a cleric talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Iron Will (General Feat)
You are exceptionally resist to attempts to control or influence your behaviour.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
Move Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You gain a +1 inherent bonus to your Will Defence and Will Saving throws. The bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 11th level, +4 at 16th level, +5 at 21st level and +6 at 26th level.

Jack of All Trades (General Feat)
You have picked up a smattering of even the most obscure skills.
Continuous effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Int 13, 7th level
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you make an untrained skill check with a Trained Only skill, the maximum result you can roll is not limited to 10. This feat has no effect on your known languages or scripts.

Kip Up (General Feat)
You might be caught flat on your back, but you’re never caught napping.
At-Will | Mundane
Free Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You can stand up from a prone position as a free action instead of a move action.

Lightning Reflexes (General Feat)
You are remarkably agile, and adept at putting yourself just out of the reach of danger.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
Move Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You gain a +1 inherent bonus to your Relfex Defence and Reflex Saving throws. The bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 11th level, +4 at 16th level, +5 at 21st level and +6 at 26th level.

Maximise Spell (Metamagic Feat)
You can reliable and consistantly cast spells to their maximum possible effect.
At-Will | Magical
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 7th level or higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Maximise it. You may only maximise spells that are at least tthree levels lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is ninth level, then you can maximise spells of sixth level or less.
All variable, numeric effects of a spell modified by this feat at maximised. A maximised spell deals maximum damage (as if you had rolled a critical hit), cures the maximum number of hit points, affects the maximum number of targets and so on. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without random variables.

Pact Initiate (Multiclass Feat)
The power offered by entities beyond your understanding is too much of a temptation. You do your best to dabble in an overwhelming pursuit.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Cha 13
Benefit: Choose a particular warlock pact. You multiclass into a warlock of that pact. Add Spellcraft to your list of Class Skills. If you are already trained in this skill, then you may select any other skill from the warlock’s list of favoured skills and add it to your class skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Warlock for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a warlock feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a warlock talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Precise Shot (General Feat)
You are skilled at timing and aiming ranged attacks.
At Will | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you shoot or throw ranged weapons at a foe engaged in mêlée combat, that foe enjoys no cover from its enemies. They do not gain the +4 bonus to Reflex Defence that they usually would in these circumstances. If you miss the foe, there is no chance that you accidentally hit the wrong target.

Quick Draw (General Feat)
You can draw your weapon with startling speed.
At-Will | Mundane
Free Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You can draw and sheathe a weapon as a Free action instead of a Move action.

Quicken Spell (Metamagic Feat)
You can cast two spells in the amount of time it takes most wizards to cast one.
At-Will | Magical
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 9th level or higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Quicken it. You may only quicken spells that are at least four levels lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is eighth level, then you can empower spells of fourth level or less.
Only spells with a casting time of one standard action can be quickened. Quickened spells are cast as Swift actions instead of Standard actions, meaning that it is possible for a spellcaster to cast more than one spell in the same combat round. You may not take more than one swift action in a round. This includes any immediate reactions or interrupts.

Rapid Withdraw (General Feat)
When you back away from combat, you really back away from combat.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 15
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you take the Withdraw action in combat, you may back away a number of feet equal to 5 × your Dexterity Modifier, instead of just 5 feet. For example, a character with a Dexterity of 16 could back away 15 feet. Regardless of your Dexterity score, you cannot withdraw a greater distance than you could walk with one Move action (i.e. your Speed in feet). Using Rapid Withdraw is a not an action, rather it is part of the Move Action you use when you take the Withdraw manoeuvre.

Repetoire of Deceit (General Feat)
You are a devious, under-handed and dirty fighter… and proud of it. Your repertoire of bluffs, sucker punches and distracting double-talk are second to none.
At-Will | Mundane
Move Action
Prerequisite: 11th level, Improved Feint feat
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You may make multiple Feint attempts against the same opponent during the course of one encounter or battle.

Silence Spell (Metamagic Feat)
You are able to cast spells without uttering a sound.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 3rd level or higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Silence it. You may only silence spells that are at least one level lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is third level, then you can only silence spells of second level or lower.
A silenced spell can be cast with no verbal components. All spells have verbal components unless the text of the spell expressly states otherwise.

Skill Focus (General Feat)
Your proficiency in a chosen skill eclipses the abilities of your peers. Truly, you are the master.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Selected skill must be a Class Skill
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: Select one of your class skills. You gain a +1 inherent bonus to any check or attack you make using that skill. The bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 11th level, +4 at 16th level, +5 at 21st level and +6 at 26th level.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new skill.

Skill Training (General Feat)
You possess a greater breadth of knowledge and skills than is usually found in one of your vocation.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: Add one skill to your list of class skills. You gain additional skill points equal to the number of ranks you already had in the chosen skill. These skill points must be spent immediately. If you had zero ranks in the chosen skill, then you gain no additional skill points.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time your take the feat, add another skill to your list of class skills.

Slippery Customer (General Feat)
Opponents find it very hard to a get a grip on you. You are adept and twisting and wriggling out of even the most tenacious grip.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: If you are grappled, and make an attempt to break the grapple, then may make two attack rolls and take the higher result. In addition, you make attempts to break out of a grapple as a Move action instead of a Standard action.

Sneak of Shadows (Multiclass Feat)
Regardless of how well-respected you have become, you still have a darker side of stealth, treachery and violence.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Dex 13
Benefit: You multiclass into Rogue. Take any skill from the rogue’s list of favoured skills and add it to your class skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Rogue for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a rogue feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a rogue talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Soldier of Faith (Multiclass Feat)
You have found your god, and you believe that faith is best expressed with the point of a sword.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Str 13 or Cha 13
Benefit: Choose a particular deity or pantheon. You multiclass into a paladin of that faith. Add Knowledge (Religion) to your list of Class Skills. If you are already trained in this skill, then you may select any other skill from the paladin’s list of favoured skills and add it to your class skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Paladin for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a paladin feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a paladin talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Still Spell (Metamagic Feat)
You are able to cast spells imperceptibly.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 3rd level or higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Still it. You may only still spells that are at least one level lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is third level, then you can only still spells of second level or lower.
A stilled spell can be cast with no somatic components. All spells have verbal components unless the text of the spell expressly states otherwise.

Student of Battle (Multiclass Feat)
Tactics and strategy has always fascinated you. Now you intend to put your hobby into good use – or perhaps you just like shouting at people.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Str 13
Benefit: You multiclass into Warlord. Add either Knowledge (History) or Knowledge (Nobility) to your your list of Class Skills. If you are already trained in these skill, then you may select any other skill from the warlord’s list of favoured skills and add it to your class skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Warlord for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a warlord feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a warlord talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Soldier of the Sword (Multiclass Feat)
Although you don’t regret your chosen vocation, you are beginning to appreciate how useful it is to know how to swing a sword.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Str 13
Benefit: You multiclass into Fighter. Add any one Weapon Group Skill to your list of Class Skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Fighter for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a fighter feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a fighter talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Sure Climber (General Feat)
You can climb walls like a monkey.
At-Will | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Climb as a class skill
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: A successful climb check allows you to climb at your normal speed rather than half your speed. Note this feat does not give you a specific Climb Speed. You still cannot Take 10 on climb checks.

Tavern Brawler (General Feat)
You live for the violence, the blood and the broken glass of a good old-fashioned tavern brawl.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: You do not take the penalty to hit from using improvised weapons in combat. Whether you attack with a flawlessly manufactured morningstar, or a broken floorboard with a rusty nail in it, the effects are the same.
You also gain a +10 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks to spill the drink of another patron and blame someone else.

Toughness (General Feat)
You are significantly tougher than an average member of your race and profession.
Continuous Effect | Mudane
No Action
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you take this feat you gain additional hit points. You gain a number of additional hit points equal to your level +3. Every level from now on, you gain 1 additional hit point.

Weapon Specialisation (General Feat)
In your hands, a weapon can do significantly more damage.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Skill Focus in weapon
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: Choose a weapon group (including unarmed strike) to which you have applied the Skill Focus feat. Whenever you hit with a weapon from that group you gain a +1 inherent bonus to the damage you inflict. The bonus increases to +2 at 6th level, +3 at 11th level, +4 at 16th level, +5 at 21st level and +6 at 26th level.

Warrior of the Wild (Multiclass Feat)
Despite your chosen profession, you have always had an affinity for the wild.
Continuous Effect | Mundane
No Action
Prerequisite: Str 13 or Dex 13
Benefit: You multiclass into Ranger. Take any skill from the ranger’s list of favoured skills, and add it to your list of Class Skills.
If you already have the chosen skill as a cross-class skill, and you have spent skill points in it, then you gain a rebate of skill points equal to your ranks in the skill. See the description of the Skill Training feat for more information.
From this point on you are considered a Ranger for purpose of qualifying for feats, talents and prestige classes. Whenever you choose a new feat you may choose a ranger feat, whenever you choose a new talent you may choose a ranger talent. See the rules on multiclassing for further details.

Widen Spell (General Feat)
Your spells can spread over a greater area of effect.
At-Will | Magical
No Action
Prerequisite: Spellcaster of 7th level or higher
Area of Effect: Personal
Effect: When you cast a spell, you may choose to Widen it. You may only widen spells that are at least three levels lower than the maximum level you can cast. For example, if the most powerful spell you can cast is ninth level, then you can widen spells of sixth level or less.
Widened spells affect an increased area. Any numeric measurement of the spell’s area increase its area increase by 100%. For example, a fireball spell normally affects creatures in a 20-ft radius of the origin point; if it is widened it instead fills a 40-ft radius area.

What’s New and What’s Changed?

Almost all the feats above were adapted from the third edition PHB and the open gaming licence. I dabbled a little in 4e and Pathfinder, but our feat selection is heavily grounded in the third edition. Which is probably where it should be grounded. There are some obvious omissions and changes in the feats. I’ll quickly go through them:

Muticlass Feats: As previously stated in the rules on Multiclassing, you need select a multiclass feat in order to multiclass. The feats presented here are the same as the ones from fourth edition and present options for mulitclassing into the wizard, cleric, warlock, rogue, paladin, warlord, fighter and ranger. We can introduce more depending on how many classes are available when we start play-testing.

Note that multiclass feats are brought in line with the Skill Training feat. Unlike 4e I didn’t want a multiclassing feat to be a more attractive option to players that just wanted access to a specific skill, than picking up the Skill Training feat. Hopefully, the ability score requirements on the multiclass feats will succeed in doing that.

Metamagic Feats: These have survived into HD&D (at least so far). I think it’s easier to describe and understand metamagic feats in the hybrid game than it was in third edition. You can apply more than one metamagic feat to a spell, but the difficulty of doing so stacks. So if a quickened spell must be at least four lowers level than the maximum level you can cast, and a maximised spell must be at least three levels lower than the maximum level you can cast, then a quickened and maximised spell must be at least seven levels lower than the maximum level you can cast.

On the whole, metamagic will be more common in HD&D. A character with the Still Spell feat who can cast second level spells, can apply still spells to all his first level spells continuously and without limitation.

Item Creation Feats: There aren’t any. All the craft, forge and brew type feats have been moved into the spell system. So there’s no Brew Potion feat, but there might be a brew healing potion spell, and a brew potion of growth and so on and so forth.

Feats that are now talents: Some feats are missing from the above list because they are so quintessentially tied to a character class that they have become Talents. These include: Armour Proficiencies, Cleave, Manyshot, Mounted Combat, Shield Bash, Shield Proficiency, Stunning Fist, Summon Familiar, Two Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Defence, Whirlwind Attack

Feats called something else: Endurance (Skill Focus: Athletics), Ride-by-Attack & Spring Attack & Shot on the Run (all folded into Attack on the Run), Run (Fleet of Foot), Spell Focus (Skill Focus: Spellcraft), Trample (Improved Trample), Weapon Focus (Skill Focus: Weapon Group)

Feats that just don’t exist in HD&D: Great Cleave (folded into Cleave), Combat Expertise (has become the Parry talent), Deflect Arrow & Snatch Arrows (folded into a Monk talent), Heighten Spell (there’s no point in HD&D), Leadership (this isn’t covered by the feat or talent system), Rapid Shot (use Double Attack talent), Scribe Scroll (something any spellcaster can do), Spell Mastery (although something smiliar will exist), Spell Penetration (there’s no spell resistance in HD&D), Track (now a skill),

And the feats I don’t know what to do with yet: I’m still trying to work out rules for these feats. The most common reason for this is the magic system isn’t set in stone just yet. These problem feats include Augment Summoning, Extra Turning and Point Blank Shot.

Which is all I have to say. Have a look through the feats. In your critiques, please pay particular attention to a feat’s prerequisites: I haven’t given those as much thought as I should. Also challenge my assumption that all these should be general feats. You may think that some should not.