(Obsolete) Background Feats

Obsolete Content: Content in this article is outdated and has been replaced (or is due to be replaced) by its author. This version is posted only for posterity and is no longer considered current in this game or setting.

At 1st level, each character gains a Background feat, regardless of class or race. This feat can only be selected from those feats marked as Background feats. Background feats represent something about a character's lineage, upbringing, or an area they are particularly talented. For this reason, feats like Power Attack or Combat Expertise are not valid options for Background feats, as they are feats that represent and indicate expertise and training.

Background Feats and the PHB

The Guide To Cobrin'Seil isn't the only sourcebook with background feats in it. From the Player's Handbook, these are all possible background feat options: Acrobatic, Agile, Animal Affinity, Athletic, Deceitful, Deft Hands, Diligent, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Investigator, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Magical Aptitude, Negotiator, Nimble Fingers, Persuasive, Run, Self Sufficient, Skill Focus, Stealthy, and Toughness.

Bleakwinter's Finality

[Background]
You have a faint strain of Meylr Bleakwinter's blood in you. What you kill stays dead.
Benefit: You have +1 to attack and damage rolls against Evil Outsiders. Also, when you slay an evil outsider, not even Wish or Miracle can restore it to life. Only deities are immune to this inexplicable effect. This only functions against outsiders from other planes - native outsiders can be restored normally.

Bloodline of Wyrms

[Background]
Somewhere in your history, there was a faint trace of the draconic. Be it watered down over the generations, it is always there - such a thing can never be subjugated. It shows in your eyes, your stance, and in your dimensions - you are surprisingly distinctive in some fashion, not the least of which is that you are fantastically tall for your race.
Benefit: You are large enough that while you do not move up a size category, you are considered one size larger whenever that would be an advantage to you. You are able to wield weapons designed for a character one size category larger than you, and your natural weapons' damage is increased by one step. Your favoured class is Sorceror.
Special: You are considered a dragon for the purposes of determining if an Arrow of Dragon Slaying works on you, or if DragonBane weapons affect you, or similar supernatural and magical effects. A ranger's favoured enemy bonus does not apply to you.

Born of Ice and Fire

[Background]
Somewhere in your family line, or indeed, your spirit itself, has been the touch of Schwartzstrom, the goddess of storms and strength. You may worship Schwartzstrom, or may just fundamentally be a good person - but you are, ultimately, touched.
Prerequisite: Good alignment, Cha 13.
Benefit: When rolling for hit points, you may roll twice and take the better of the two rolls. You do not have to make Fortitude saves to avoid nonlethal damage from extremes of heat or cold.

Corrindale Defender

[Background]
The lands of Corrindale are prone to producing dangers unexpected, and it's typically the lot of the fearless grey elves to encounter it.
Benefit: You gain a +2 to Spot checks and a +2 to Initiative. Furthermore, once per day per point of Charisma modifier you have (minimum one), you can reroll a Spot or Initiative check. You must make this reroll before determining if the original check was successful.

Cryptic Soul

[Background]
Rheiltahn Ducoris has touched your soul in the womb, cursing and blessing you in his strange ways. You are now blessed by the grave.
Prerequisites: Nongood, nonlawful alignment.
Benefit: You may gain Vile feats without seeking a patron (Rheiltan Ducoris powers your Vile feats). If you ever become an undead through your own machinations (such as becoming a Lich), you gain 2 bonus hit points per Undead hit dice. You have a +4 to all saves vs Divinations.

Daredevil

[Background]
Somehow, when you really need it, you can go beyond expected limits. You can make the leap, avoid the fireball, catch the falling phial of tincture, and disable the trap just in time.
Benefit: Once per day per three levels, when performing a risky or dangerous manoeuvre, you may gain a competence bonus to a skill check or saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier plus half your character level.

Dunnelm

[Background]
You're touched by the Nimble One herself, and have that tiny touch of the divine.
Prerequisites: Halfling.
Benefit: As long as your alignment is chaotic, you gain a bonus to Sleight of Hand, Tumble, and Jump checks equal to your charisma modifier.

Elusive Destiny

[Background]
For whatever reason, you have the attention of El, the great Force Dragon. At some point in your life - early or late - you were (or will be) approached by El, the Force Dragon, in a human form, who requests your services. Upon accepting this position, the colour steadily bleaches from your hair and eyes, colouring your hair anywhere between ice blue and white, and your eyes anywhere from irisless pupil to the red eyes of an albino.
Prerequisite: Chaotic Good alignment, character cannot be a cleric of another god.
Benefit: You may become a Cleric or Adherent of El. You may always take 10 on Bluff or Diplomacy checks.
Special: A character does not need to be Chaotic Good to take this feat, but they do not gain its benefits until they become Chaotic Good. El will not approach a character until they are Chaotic Good, and going to remain that way; El is a god of destiny and time, and he has a deeper perception of what will truly come to pass than some might think. El does not ask those that would say no. A character who would not want to become a cleric or adherent of El cannot take this feat. El knows the perfect time to approach the character, as well. A character with this feat can take Exalted feats without any other divine connection.

Errant Felbraug

[Background]
The reincarnationalist Felbraug are a curious race, and some of their number have been known to travel from their homes, seeking an 'Errant Felbraug'. These seekers are known as the Soul Guides amongst their society. The Errant Felbraug they seek is a person who they feel was a Felbraug in a previous life and has - by accident, or for some higher purpose - become reincarnated as some other race. Upon finding this individual, the Soul Guide will do what he can to aid and assist the Errant.
Prerequisites: Human or part-human.
Benefit: You receive a +4 to charisma checks with Felbraug, who may recognise you as an Errant Felbraug if they succeed at a DC 15 wisdom check. At 6th level, you acquire a Felbraug cohort, as if from the Leadership feat. You don't gain any followers.
Special: See the Soul Seeker feat in the Racial feats section for rules governing your Felbraug cohort.

Heart of Ice

[Background]
Your development has been marked by a strange inability to care overmuch about others and an unstoppable talent for battle. Your very nature has won the appeal of Adeblen, the Reveller In War, and you have been rewarded, if only in subtly increasing your selfinterest.
Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus +1, Evil alignment.
Benefit: You are immune to morale effects, including morale penalties from fear. You still feel fear and will flee if appropriately afraid - but you do not suffer the normal -2 morale penalty to saves, checks, and attacks that being Shaken imposes.

Intuitive

[Background]
Your ability to learn is so excellent that it can absolve you of the need for study, and occasionally even overcome racial barriers.
Benefit: You may ignore any prestige class or feat requirements that are limited by race, gender, background or training. For example, a character with Intuitive could become an Assassin without training under a master, or a halfling could become a bladesinger. You can't use this feat to take feats with the Racial subtype.
Special: If a class very obviously needs a particular gross physical quality or similar in order for a character to take levels in it - such as a prestige class based on flight which is normally only available to dragons, then a character with Intuitive can only ignore the racial requirements if he or she can somehow emulate this natural ability.

Magical Attunement

[Background]
You have some extrasensory perception of the magical. For whatever reason, the use of magic catches your attention, like smoke from a flame.
Prerequisites: Base Will Save 2+, Wis 13.
Benefit: Whenever a spell is cast within one hundred feet of your position, the DM secretly rolls a Will saving throw for you character as though you were the target of the spell (even if the spell does not target or require a Will save). If you succeed, your character is immediately aware that magic was used, and knows the location of the caster.
Special: This feat grants only the briefest flash of insight as to the position of the caster within 100 feet of you at the time the spell is cast. If the caster moves or is concealed in some manner, you may not be able to identify them, or even see them.

Prince of Planning

[Background]
You have a connection with the will of Palescai. It may not be direct, it may not even be particularly strong, but there is something to your will that mirrors in some way the God of War. You are inclined to be cautious rather than hasty, and can put your mind to tasks requiring great patience.
Prerequisite: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, or Lawful Neutral alignment.
Benefit: Your favoured class is considered both Adherent and Sorceror, and you may multiclass between the two freely. You may add your Adherent caster level to your Sorceror levels to determine your Sorceror caster level, and you may add your Sorceror level to your Adherent caster level to determine your Adherent caster level. You gain a +2 bonus to Spellcraft checks, and always treat Spellcraft as a class skill.

Quick Learner

[Background]
You learn faster than most people expect, and can improve your skills more readily.
Benefit: You gain an additional 2 skill points every level. These extra skill points are multiplied at first level, just like normal skill points.

Resolute

[Background]
You're a stubborn cuss, through and through. Some say it's in the family, possibly a legacy from a great and powerful forebear, others still claim it's just due to you being ornery.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Will Saves. Whenever an effect would Stun you for one round, it instead dazes you. If an effect would stun you for more than one round, each round you may make a will saving throw against the effect's original DC to become Dazed instead of Stunned for the remaining duration of the effect.

Regimented

[Background]
You respond well to combat training, and develop more swiftly under a combative regime.
Benefit: Whenever you gain a feat marked as a Fighter bonus feat, you also gain 2 bonus hit points.

Secret Hunter

[Background]
Growing up, you had an affinity for acquiring knowledge - especially knowledge deemed beyond you. You constantly rail against conventional boundaries of what should and should not be known, even as you study ancient tomes.
Benefit: You always consider Knowledge skills to be class skills. Your propensity for ferreting out the truth has given you a +4 to Sense Motive checks and Intelligence checks made to figure things out.

Spirited

[Background]
You've never let size hinder you in the field of combat - the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Benefit: You gain a +1 morale bonus on fortitude and will saving throws. You receive a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +1 damage rolls made against opponents at least one size category larger than yourself.

Trace Blood

[Background]
Your heritage can be traced back to the few LeShay that interbred with the Elves of Cobrin'Seil - and that blood has not been purged by Erallabein Delfae. Whether from Correlon, Erallabein, or indeed, possibly even Khei'Szeiya, there is an interface of the True Fey in you.
Prerequisite: Elf.
Benefit: The magic that pulses through the veins of a LeShay flows somewhat more gently through yours. You gain a +2 competence bonus to Spellcraft checks and a +2 bonus to your caster level. Your caster level cannot exceed your character level.

Unflinching

[Background]
You fear nothing.
Benefit: You are immune to fear. Allies within 30 feet of you gain a +2 morale bonus to saving throws against fear.

Unshackled by Death

[Background]
The Purge of Hell, Kheleb Cravat himself, sired but one son, but that son went on to sire a good many more, shaming his longdead father. However, a bit of the true Cravat blood runs through your veins, and you share your forerunner's unstoppable thirst for justice.
Prerequisite: Lawful alignment, human or part-human.
Benefit: Any time you are exposed to a death effect, or an effect that requires you to succeed at a Fortitude or Will Save or die, you may make two rolls, and take the better of the two.

Warrior's Anticipation

[Background, Fighter, General]
There's always some sign combat is about to break out. Even in a surprise situation, there's something that can keep you informed - and once combat is joined, survival often hangs on not being caught by surprise. You've learned, or perhaps have a natural gift, for reacting to things quickly and competently.
Benefit: You may add your Intelligence modifier (if positive) to initiative checks as well as your Dexterity modifier.

Windswept

[Background]
Be it Atelier, Roam, or Serein, you have attracted the attentions of one of the more artistic half of Schwartzstrom's children. You are marked in the most subtle of ways - your hair blows to a breeze that is not there, or your eyes are coloured as the sky above.
Prerequisite: Good alignment.
Benefit: You are constantly buoyed by feelings of happiness and general goodwill. You have a +2 sacred bonus on all Craft or > Perform checks involving a work of art +4 if this is work of art is not being made for the sake of making money or as a gift, and you receive a +2 sacred bonus on saves against negative morale effects.

Willowby's Innocence

[Background]
Cayden Willowby was described at times as the warrior of a thousand virtues, a somewhat risqué pun that is typically misunderstood. Despite being a human, Cayden was as close to a halfling as a tallfellow could be, and so, his line has touched even the simple folk. The love in your heart is pure - none can falsify it in any way.
Benefit: You are immune to charm spells.

Versatile

[General, Background]
You've learned how to improve skills that may not be directly related to how people of your path advance.
Benefit: You may select any two skills. These skills are now always considered class skills for you.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time it is taken, you may select another two skills.

Yshtar-touched

[Background]
Yshtar the Fourwinged, Lord of the Sixth, expelled everything that was good in himself in order to become a true Baatezu. In doing so, he cast out what little goodness was in him to the four corners of the planes - and a tiny portion of it has trickled down to you, be it a spiritual or blood connection with one of the Slivers of Yshtar. Yshtar did not have much good in him - but the tiny fragment of goodness that remains in a Dragon, when pure and distilled, is an immense thing indeed.
Benefit: Your soul yearns to the way of Good. Your favoured class becomes Adherent. Your caster level for Adherent spells is increased by 2.
Special: The benefits granted by this feat are removed if the character ever assumes a nongood alignment.


Partial Open Gaming Content: Content in highlighted boxes is derived from, and in turn designated as, OGL material. Other content in this article is copyright © Talen Lee 2007-2008 unless otherwise noted. Character names, likenesses and backgrounds are not included in OGL content.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 License