Paizo's New 'Achievement' Feats

Ganbare Gincun · Post by **Ganbare Gincun** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:29 am

Mister_Sinister wrote:
Ganbare Gincun wrote:This is a joke, right?

God. What book are these turds culled from?
Welcome to the fail that is Pathfinder. Don't trip on the shitpile on your way out.

Alas, I am familiar with their shitpile. But is this part of their core rules, or from one of their sourcebooks? Either way, it makes my head hurt.

zeruslord · Post by **zeruslord** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:31 am

These are apparently from one of the Adventure Paths, so the gnoll one kinda makes sense. The rest of them are too much bookkeeping or complete bullshit.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:10 am

yeah, this is utter fail the way they did it... Maybe if you didn't have to spend a feat and they were actual accomplishments (and the benefit was more tied to the requirement) they'd be better.

So maybe:

Death to Hyena-kind
Prerequisite: Slay 20 or more Gnolls, Hyenas, Dire Hyenas, or priests of Yeenoghu(or other Gnoll diety) in the course of a mission and harvest a trophy symbolic of this (necklace of ears, a head, belt of paws, whatever)
Benefit: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus to social skill checks made against gnolls, as your savage slaughter of their kind both frightens and awes them, as well as a +4 bonus to your leadership score forthe purpose of gnoll followers and cohorts. You also gain a +2 to attack rolls and damage rolls made against gnolls, hyenas and clergy of gnoll gods (this does stack for creatures that are both gnolls and clergy of a gnoll god).

Flame Scarred Survivor
Prerequisite: Survive the loss of of half or more of your hit points dealt by fire in the course of a single mission or test.
Benefit: You have attracted the attention of a minor elemental spirit. This spirit has chosen to inhabit your body in a symbiotic relationship. It is nourished by your energy and in turn it's elemental nature begins to change your body. You gain Fire Resistance equal to half your character level, minimum 5, a bonus to will saves against anything related to fire or flame equal to 1/4th your character level, minimum 1, and one other minor benefit dependent upon the type of elemental that is now living in your body and subject to dm approval. for example, you've attracted a minor water spirit which allows you to extinguish fires by touch as the following chart:

Code: Select all

Cha Mod  Size of flame
1-      Tiny or smaller
2-3     Small
4-5     Medium
6-7     Large
8-9     Huge
10+     Gargantuan and larger

shau · Post by **shau** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:44 am

Don't feats like flamescarred just encourage players to become masochists in their downtime? If I were playing in a game that had these the first thing I would do would be to deliberately drop myself face first on the camp fire, relying on my teamates to pull me out and give me a quick heal after I stopped moving. I don't even want fire resistance 5, put its free except for some pain I won't actually be feeling.

Edit: Oh, I see they included a 4e "don't even attempt to treat the rules of the game like physics so no bag of rats" clause. I think giving players an incentive to spend actions in combat attempting to be set on fire is worse through.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:05 am

shau wrote:Don't feats like flamescarred just encourage players to become masochists in their downtime? If I were playing in a game that had these the first thing I would do would be to deliberately drop myself face first on the camp fire, relying on my teamates to pull me out and give me a quick heal after I stopped moving. I don't even want fire resistance 5, put its free except for some pain I won't actually be feeling.

Edit: Oh, I see they included a 4e "don't even attempt to treat the rules of the game like physics so no bag of rats" clause. I think giving players an incentive to spend actions in combat attempting to be set on fire is worse through.

The gm could disqualify such attempts. I wouldn't because people actually do subject their bodies to terrible pain and damage to improve them, such as punching steel plates repeatedly to strengthen the bones and skin.

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 5:29 am

Prak_Anima wrote:I wouldn't because people actually do subject their bodies to terrible pain and damage to improve them, such as punching steel plates repeatedly to strengthen the bones and skin.

Or develop large swollen knots of scar tissue around their tendons, which make punching more painful and less effective...

Count Arioch the 28th · Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:39 am

Well, I've heard stories about Chinese martial arts masters breaking their knuckles repeatedly until they heal as a solid bone across the knuckles.

I don't know if anyone actually did that, but in a fantasy game, why not? I require less suspension of disbelief for that then a skinny nerd throwing around fireballs.

Psychic Robot · Post by **Psychic Robot** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:17 am

That sounds mildly awesome.

Absentminded_Wizard · Post by **Absentminded_Wizard** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 7:22 am

shau wrote:Edit: Oh, I see they included a 4e "don't even attempt to treat the rules of the game like physics so no bag of rats" clause. I think giving players an incentive to spend actions in combat attempting to be set on fire is worse through.

The worst thing about the "no cheating" clause is that it helps ensure that, unless your campaign is "Attack of the Lava People" or something similar, that fire resistance 5 is going to be even more meaningless by the time you qualify for it.

SunTzuWarmaster · Post by **SunTzuWarmaster** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:31 am

Prak_Anima wrote: Death to Hyena-kind
Prerequisite: Slay 20 or more Gnolls, Hyenas, Dire Hyenas, or priests of Yeenoghu(or other Gnoll diety) in the course of a mission and harvest a trophy symbolic of this (necklace of ears, a head, belt of paws, whatever)
Benefit: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus to all skill checks made against gnolls, as your savage slaughter of their kind both frightens and awes them and allows you to know their most intimate weaknesses, as well as a +4 bonus to your leadership score for the purpose of gnoll followers and cohorts. You also gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and your character level as a bonus to damage rolls made against gnolls, hyenas and clergy of gnoll gods (this does stack for creatures that are both gnolls and clergy of a gnoll god). You gain a gnoll follower of your level -4 that follows you out of shear terror. It may not have levels in any spellcasting class, it is your squire/stableboy

Flame Scarred Survivor
Prerequisite: Survive the loss of of half or more of your hit points dealt by fire in the course of a single mission or test. Lighting yourself on fire until you are more than 1/2 dead counts as a test.
Benefit: You have attracted the attention of a minor elemental spirit. This spirit has chosen to inhabit your body in a symbiotic relationship. It is nourished by your energy and in turn it's elemental nature begins to change your body. You gain Fire Resistance equal to your character level, minimum 5, a bonus to all saves against anything related to fire or flame equal to 1/3th your character level, minimum 1. Fire Resistance 15 is Fire Immunity. Also you get one other minor benefit dependent upon the type of elemental that is now living in your body and subject to dm approval. for example, you've attracted a minor water spirit which allows you to extinguish fires by touch (an attack action) as the following chart:
Code: Select all
Level  Size of flame
1      Medium &#40;Fireplace or person sized&#41;
5      Large &#40;Bonfire sized&#41;
10     Huge &#40;City block sized&#41;
15     Gigantic &#40;Any fire you can see, excluding the sun&#41;

Fixed that for you. At least make me care.

Roy · Post by **Roy** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:33 pm

I like the bit where you're supposed to set yourself on fire. After all, that's exactly the sort of stupidity the Paizils are renowned for, so trying to convince you burning actions to nearly kill yourself, so you can waste resources on piddly shit is solidly within their MO.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:44 pm

SunTzuWarmaster wrote:
Prak_Anima wrote: Death to Hyena-kind
Prerequisite: Slay 20 or more Gnolls, Hyenas, Dire Hyenas, or priests of Yeenoghu(or other Gnoll diety) in the course of a mission and harvest a trophy symbolic of this (necklace of ears, a head, belt of paws, whatever)
Benefit: You gain a +4 circumstance bonus to all skill checks made against gnolls, as your savage slaughter of their kind both frightens and awes them and allows you to know their most intimate weaknesses, as well as a +4 bonus to your leadership score for the purpose of gnoll followers and cohorts. You also gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and your character level as a bonus to damage rolls made against gnolls, hyenas and clergy of gnoll gods (this does stack for creatures that are both gnolls and clergy of a gnoll god). You gain a gnoll follower of your level -4 that follows you out of shear terror. It may not have levels in any spellcasting class, it is your squire/stableboy

Flame Scarred Survivor
Prerequisite: Survive the loss of of half or more of your hit points dealt by fire in the course of a single mission or test. Lighting yourself on fire until you are more than 1/2 dead counts as a test.
Benefit: You have attracted the attention of a minor elemental spirit. This spirit has chosen to inhabit your body in a symbiotic relationship. It is nourished by your energy and in turn it's elemental nature begins to change your body. You gain Fire Resistance equal to your character level, minimum 5, a bonus to all saves against anything related to fire or flame equal to 1/3th your character level, minimum 1. Fire Resistance 15 is Fire Immunity. Also you get one other minor benefit dependent upon the type of elemental that is now living in your body and subject to dm approval. for example, you've attracted a minor water spirit which allows you to extinguish fires by touch (an attack action) as the following chart:
Code: Select all
Level  Size of flame
1      Medium &#40;Fireplace or person sized&#41;
5      Large &#40;Bonfire sized&#41;
10     Huge &#40;City block sized&#41;
15     Gigantic &#40;Any fire you can see, excluding the sun&#41;
Fixed that for you. At least make me care.

were you fixing 'em as feats? because like I said, I like them as just random little things you pick up without having to spend resources like feat slots.

@Roy: meh, again, people would seriously do damaging shit to their bodies to toughen them. getting the achievement is the work of an afternoon which benefits you the rest of your career. Which is a lot more than can be said for the real life version.

Roy · Post by **Roy** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:50 pm

Of course, it still costs resources and the benefits are piddly shit, so mostly it's just tricking you into thinking doing stupid shit is a good idea.

See also: Paizils wanking over the Cleave line and Whirlwind attack, both of which encourage you to get surrounded, and flail away for piddly shit instead of focusing fire to get some CEFs, then get auto attacked back and die violently in one round.

Psychic Robot · Post by **Psychic Robot** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 8:54 pm

Combat Expertise, Roy! You're forgetting about Combat Expertise!

On a side note, it would be much better if these were written for a specific adventure module (i.e., FLAME SCARRED SURVIVOR: You have defeated Flamesear Heatburn, lord of the fire elementals, so you can take this feat).

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:03 pm

Psychic Robot wrote:FLAME SCARRED SURVIVOR: You have defeated Flamesear Heatburn, lord of the fire elementals, so you can take this feat.

ironically this would probably involve lossing a lot of hp to fire damage...

Roy · Post by **Roy** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:23 pm

Psychic Robot wrote:Combat Expertise, Roy! You're forgetting about Combat Expertise!

On a side note, it would be much better if these were written for a specific adventure module (i.e., FLAME SCARRED SURVIVOR: You have defeated Flamesear Heatburn, lord of the fire elementals, so you can take this feat).

What the fuck does Turtle Fail have to do with this?

Psychic Robot · Post by **Psychic Robot** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:33 pm

then get auto attacked back and die violently in one round.

If you use Combat Expertise, they won't be able to hit you.

Roy · Post by **Roy** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:42 pm

Psychic Robot wrote:
then get auto attacked back and die violently in one round.
If you use Combat Expertise, they won't be able to hit you.

Epic Fail is Epic.

Psychic Robot · Post by **Psychic Robot** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:54 pm

Paizil Satire is Paizil.

Roy · Post by **Roy** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:22 am

Psychic Robot wrote:Paizil Satire is Paizil.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:58 am

Do they actually have feats that require you to count up to over nine thousand total damage points or is that just biting satire?

-Username17

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:27 pm

Nope, unless they're using a level of dry wit and subtle sarcasm that none of us would actually attribute...

Healer’s Touch [Achievement]
The magic of life flows through your body like a river.
Requirement: Cure a cumulative total of 1,000 points of damage for other creatures using healing spells. Dealing damage slows progress toward this goal achievement; for every 1 point of damage you deal to another creature, reduce your cumulative healing total by 2.
Benefit: When you cast a healing spell to heal a target other than yourself, the spell is maximized as though using the Maximize Spell effect. This does not increase your casting time for the spell. When you cast a healing spell to damage a target, the spell is not maximized but its saving throw DC increases by +4.
Note: There may be an opposite version of this feat allowing casters using negative energy to heal undead.

History of Scars [Achievement]
Your scars bear witness to countless battles.
Requirement: Take a cumulative total of 1,000 points of damage. Magical healing offsets this running total; for every 5 points of magical healing you receive, reduce your cumulative damage total by 1.
Benefit: Your thick scars impart a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks, but increase your natural armor bonus by +2.

Caedrus · Post by **Caedrus** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:29 pm

virgileso wrote:Nope, the two feats where you track 1000 cumulative healing and 1000 damage suffered (with points lost if you deal damage or get magically healed respectively) are actual feats.

Dear sweet jebus.

And a Paizil was just going on to me about how Pathfinder is so great because it eliminates so much bookkeeping. (Talking to these people makes me feel physically ill...)

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:39 pm

But wait, there's more than just achievement feats, they're introducing something called traits. Players get to start with two of them, and this is in place of the occasional adventure path that would provide a campaign specific list of feats and suggest that the DM give the party a free feat from said list, and each trait is worth half a feat (in their eyes). Examples below...

Anatomist: You have studied the workings of anatomy,
either as a student at university or as an apprentice mortician or necromancer. You know where to aim your blows to strike vital organs and you gain a +1 trait bonus on all rolls made to confirm critical hits.
Child of the Temple: You have long served at a temple in a city, and not only did you pick up on many of the nobility’s customs, you spent much time in the temple libraries studying your faith. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (nobility and royalty) and Knowledge (religion)
checks, and one of these skills (your choice) is always a class skill for you.
Bully: You grew up in an environment where the meek were ignored and you often had to resort to threats or violence to be heard. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Intimidate checks, and Intimidate is always a class skill for you.
Rich Parents: You were born into a rich family, perhaps even the nobility, and even though you turned to a life of adventure anyway, you enjoyed a one-time benefit to your initial finances and your starting cash increases to 900 gp.

Y'know, tiny little BS bonuses that clutter up your character sheet that screw up the RNG (the magic ones are the most powerful, of course).

Roy · Post by **Roy** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:01 pm

Caedrus wrote:
virgileso wrote:Nope, the two feats where you track 1000 cumulative healing and 1000 damage suffered (with points lost if you deal damage or get magically healed respectively) are actual feats.
Dear sweet jebus.

And a Paizil was just going on to me about how Pathfinder is so great because it eliminates so much bookkeeping. (Talking to these people makes me feel physically ill...)

Welcome to the club. I'm smiting the shit out of them over on Fael of the Coast. Also, Dog O War is back serial trolling and stalking me.

As for the traits, while they do suck, normally getting a new skill as an always class skill costs a full feat. So getting it for half a feat is actually better, but we can chalk that one up to Broken Clock Syndrome.

There actually is one valid use there, where you make a Knowledge Devotion gish, and use that to get Knowledge: Religion for free, so you can get insight bonuses vs undead.

Otherwise, Total Fail is Total.