Number of Feats?

[Sines314]

So, just starting chapter 3, and with roles coming up, I'm wondering what the total number of feats I get are. Some Power Feats look nice, but not good enough to spend feats on. Unless I have enough to spare.

Ditto with Skill and Card feats as well. While not quite as important, it'd be nice to know how much I had to work with.

[Ripe]

What you get:

- 6 Skill feats

- 7 Power feats (3 of those are before you get a role card)

- 8 Card feats but two of those only came after completing 6-5 (one for completing AD6 and one for completing AP)... there is currently a bug that gives a card feat following 6-1

[Sines314]

Is that 8 card feats WITH the bug, or is that 8 card feats, +1 Bug Feat?

 

Anyway, this puts things into perspective with regards to build. In particular, 7 Power Feats puts things like Amiris Berserker Rage into perspective. If you want to invest fully into that, it's 5 feats. And considering her starting hand size is 4, you'll probably want to put the other two feats into that. While some automatic options like Animal Trick and Teamwork are fine with just +1 per rank, I think something like Rage, which requires burying a card, should add +2 or even +3 at higher ranks. Going all into the Rage tree isn't at all tempting right now, but if it gave me +6 or 7 at the end, instead of +4, I'd be much more tempted.

 

This also encourages some characters to do AD3 first before getting their AD1 or AD2 Power Feat, as a few characters have sub-optimal choices for their final pre-role power feat. In the case of Sajan, I'd rather spare a few more Card Feats on weapons than take Magic Fist, even when playing Drunken Master.

Overall, it seems that skill feats are generic and half-pre-chosen for you (+4 main stat, +2 off stat or a +3/+3 split), with only characters lacking a secondary stat having a real personal customization choice. It's largely a non-choice, and basically function as a 'level up' to get stronger without new options. Power Feats are the defining aspect of your build, as you could make 2 or 3 power feat set choices even for a character with the same role. Card Feats are the area with the most personal choice, as you seem to get enough of them to complete a build, and still have some to spare for a bit of customization (say, max out items and blessings on DM Sajan, and still have a few points to spare for personal choice). A fairly nice spread of choices all round, apart from many powers feeling too situational to ever be taken as part of a serious build.

 

Two more questions, by the way. The "Roll d12 when using a blessing" powers (Our Lord in Iron's Favor, for example). I assume that means that when that player plays an appropriate blessing, a d12 gets added regardless of whom it is played on. So if Meri is trying to make an Int check, she'll get an additional d12 when Amiri uses a Blessing of Gorum on her? And what about something like Linis Miraculous Wisdom, which reads "When you play a blessing to add to your wisdom check, add d12 instead of the normal die"? Is this only when Lini plays a blessing on herself? Using it to give Valeros a d12 on a Wisdom check sounds worth it, but if it only works on Lini, it seems like a terrible waste of a Power Feat.

[Ripe]

8, not counting bug... and I don't know if bug was fixed in last patch or not since I didn't have time to play since then. Not to mention that I avoided playing AD6 due to Morgiv bug.

 

As far as I know, you can't get a role card without completing AD1, AD2 and AD3 first since that is reward for completing AD3 (which require you to complete AD1 and AD2 to unlock). Besides, the only one who you could make an argument of having sub-optimal choice for final feat is Lini... who will get use out of that Weapon Proficiency feat once you give her Ordikon's Staff...

 

For Amiri you pretty much "have" to take two damage reduction feats... it make your life through later AD's much simpler. And you should consider taking damage reduction feats for both Sajan and Seoni. And don't waste your card feat on weapons for Sajan... that is a waste of card feat (especially if you play Drunken Master) since there is no good weapons for him (Temple Swords and especially Acrobatics weapons would be great but we don't have any of those). In fact, you should give him both Magic AND Fire feats since in later AD's you have several monsters that are undefeated unless check to defeat have fire trait.

 

You got those feats right, Amiri, Lem and Seoni get to add d12's to any check made by any character when playing a required blessing (which make it great!), while Harsk, Lini and Valeros only get to improve their own die to d12 when they (and only they) play a blessing on a check using that skill. Making it a waste of feat for Lini and Valeros and somewhat useful for Harsk who do get to replace his d6 Wisdom (Tracker) or d8 Dexterity (Sniper) with d12's.

[Sines314]

Perhaps I'll change my mind later, but I rather like a weapon for Sajan. All I have to do is keep a single crossbow in my hand, and I get a rather impressive boost to his damage output. Recharging blessings still works when I use it. It provides a fairly healthy amount of additional damage considering I've only invested a single card feat in it. And it can carry Magic or Fire or whatever I feel I might need it to.

And while I agree somewhat with Lini, I find that I like her having weapon proficiency (or I will). There aren't many divine attack spells, and her ability to recycle animals for extra searches means a reliable source of damage has it's value. Then you can compare a Longspear with a Greatsword, and the damage improvement is rather substantial.

[Ripe]

Not impressive enough... don't forget that Venomous Heavy Crossbow require a weapon proficiency so it's no good for Sajan. There is really not that many good non-proficiency Dexterity based weapons available. Light Crossbow +1 and Deathbane Crossbow which are probably best of them before you get to AD6 and while they're great when you get them in hand, since Sajan's favored card type is Item that is no guarantee. And having to rely on getting that 1 card out of 21 in your deck (by the time you reach AD6) is not something you want. Not to mention that with Lem in party those weapons will go to him first due to him being guaranteed to start the game with them in hand.

 

Also, most weapons require you to discard them in order to add Fire trait and you will need Fire trait in combat often once you reach AD5. If you're going Zen Archer path then it's OK to give Sajan weapon card feat (in fact, you'll probably give him all 3 weapon card feats!) but as Drunken Master it's pretty much a waste of Card feat. You're much better off giving him additional Item feat and then filling that slot with Amulet of xxxx fists since that also give you boost to combat in addition to giving you other useful traits...

Edited January 1, 2017 by Ripe

[Sines314]

Well we'll see I suppose on how I feel about Sajan and weapons as I continue to play.

And I haven't tried it yet, but I see no reason why I couldn't skip the Power Feat fights in AD1/2 with a character. Alternatively, once I've got AD3 unlocked, I could conceivably replay the earlier levels with a fresh character, skipping a power feat battle, and then playing that once I get the role card. Sure, I'll have to play AD3 with a character with -1 Card/Power feat, but if I did that with a party of 3-4 other characters who had completed AD6, I doubt that would be a huge issue. Especially since, if the 3rd power feat isn't something super valuable anyway, lacking it for those fights isn't going to be a big deal.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Sines314

[TheWagonBaron]

Well we'll see I suppose on how I feel about Sajan and weapons as I continue to play.

 

And I haven't tried it yet, but I see no reason why I couldn't skip the Power Feat fights in AD1/2 with a character. Alternatively, once I've got AD3 unlocked, I could conceivably replay the earlier levels with a fresh character, skipping a power feat battle, and then playing that once I get the role card. Sure, I'll have to play AD3 with a character with -1 Card/Power feat, but if I did that with a party of 3-4 other characters who had completed AD6, I doubt that would be a huge issue. Especially since, if the 3rd power feat isn't something super valuable anyway, lacking it for those fights isn't going to be a big deal.

 

I don't think that will work the way you want it to. I had a character die during one of the adventures in AD3. When I finished the entire Adventure Deck, everyone but that one character got their role. I had to go back and redo the one that was missing before her role card would unlock. There's a tracker in the character overview that shows what you have and haven't completed with that particular character.

[Ripe]

You might find this useful for your Sajan (and other characters) builds:

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2qmqz?Rise-of-the-Runelords-We-Need-a-Snapshot-of

http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2r81m?Rise-of-the-Runelords-We-Need-A-Snapshot-of

 

First page is snapshot of characters at the end of AD3, the second is at the end of AD6 in Rise of the Runelords.