Unlike skills, feats are not bought with points. A player simply
chooses them for his or her character. Each character gets one feat
upon creation. At 3rd level and every three levels thereafter (6th,
9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th), he or she gains another feat (see Table 3–
2: Experience and Level-Dependent Benefits, page 22). Feats are
gained according to character level, regardless of individual class
levels.
Additionally, members of some classes get bonus feats as class
features. These feats may be chosen from special lists (see Fighter
Bonus Feats, below, and the individual class descriptions in Chapter
3 for details).
A human character also gets a bonus feat at 1st level, chosen by
the player. This feat can be of any feat for which the character
qualifies.
PREREQUISITES
Some feats have prerequisites. Your character must have the
indicated ability score, class feature, feat, skill, base attack bonus,
or other quality designated in order to select or use that feat. A
character can gain a feat at the same level at which he or she
gains the prerequisite. For example, at 3rd level, Krusk, the halforc
barbarian, could spend 1 skill point on the Ride skill
(gaining his first rank in Ride) and select the Mounted Combat
feat at the same time.
A character can’t use a feat if he or she has lost a prerequisite.
For example, if your character’s Strength drops below 13
because a ray of enfeeblement spell, he or she can’t use the Power
Attack feat until the prerequisite is once again met.
TYPES OF FEATS
Some feats are general, meaning that no special rules govern
them as a group. Others are item creation feats, which allow
spellcasters to create magic items of all sorts. A metamagic
feat lets a spellcaster prepare and cast a spell with greater
effect, albeit as if the spell were a higher level than it
actually is.
FIGHTER BONUS FEATS
Fighters gain bonus feats selected from a subset of the
feat list presented in Table 5–1 (page 90). Any feat
designated as a fighter feat can be selected as a fighter’s
bonus feat. This designation does not restrict characters of
other classes from selecting these feats, assuming that they
meet any prerequisites.
~I took out the item creation because that WILL overcomplicate things!~
METAMAGIC FEATS
As a spellcaster’s knowledge of magic grows, she can learn to cast
spells in ways slightly different from the ways in which the spells
were originally designed or learned. For example, a spellcaster can
learn to cast a spell without having to say its verbal component, to
cast a spell for greater effect, or even to cast it with nothing but a
moment’s thought. Preparing and casting a spell in such a way is
harder than normal but, thanks to metamagic feats, at least it is
possible.
For instance, at 3rd level, Mialee chooses to gain Silent Spell, the
feat that allows her to cast a spell without its verbal component. The
cost of doing so, however, is that in preparing the spell, she must use
up a spell slot one spell level higher than the spell actually is. Thus,
if she prepares charm person as a silent spell, it takes up one of her
2nd-level slots. It is still only a 1st-level spell, so the DC for the Will
save against it does not go up. Mialee cannot prepare a 2nd-level
spell as a silent spell because she would have to prepare it as a 3rdlevel
spell, and she can’t use 3rd-level spell slots until she reaches
5th level.
Wizards and Divine Spellcasters: Wizards and divine spellcasters
(clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) must prepare their
spells in advance. During preparation, the character chooses which
spells to prepare with metamagic feats (and thus which ones take up
higher-level spell slots than normal).
Sorcerers and Bards: Sorcerers and bards choose spells as they
cast them. They can choose when they cast their spells whether to
apply their metamagic feats to improve them. As with other
spellcasters, the improved spell uses up a higher-level spell slot. But
because the sorcerer or bard has not prepared the spell in a
metamagic form in advance, he must apply the metamagic feat on
the spot. Therefore, such a character must also take more time to
cast a metamagic spell (one enhanced by a metamagic feat) than he
does to cast a regular spell. If the spell’s normal casting time is 1
action, casting a metamagic version is a full-round action for a
sorcerer or bard. (This isn’t the same as a 1-round casting time, as
described under Cast a Spell, page 143.) For a spell with a longer
casting time, it takes an extra full-round action to cast the spell.
Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats: A cleric spontaneously
casting a cure or inflict spell can cast a metamagic version
of it instead. For instance, an 11th-level cleric can swap out a
prepared 6th-level spell to cast an empowered cure critical wounds
spell. Extra time is also required in this case. Casting a 1-action
metamagic spell spontaneously is a full-round action, and a spell
with a longer casting time takes an extra full-round action to cast.
Effects of Metamagic Feats on a Spell: In all ways, a metamagic
spell operates at its original spell level, even though it is prepared
and cast as a higher-level spell. Saving throw modifications are not
changed unless stated otherwise in the feat description. The
modifications made by these feats only apply to spells cast directly
by the feat user. A spellcaster can’t use a metamagic feat to alter a
spell being cast from a wand, scroll, or other device.
Metamagic feats that eliminate components of a spell (such as
Silent Spell and Still Spell) don’t eliminate the attack of opportunity
provoked by casting a spell while threatened. However, casting a
spell modified by Quicken Spell does not provoke an attack of
opportunity.
Metamagic feats cannot be used with all spells. See the specific
feat descriptions for the spells that a particular feat can’t modify.
Multiple Metamagic Feats on a Spell: A spellcaster can apply
multiple metamagic feats to a single spell. Changes to its level are
cumulative. A silent, stilled version of charm person, for example,
would be prepared and cast as a 3rd-level spell (a 1st-level spell,
increased by one spell level for each of the metamagic feats). You
can’t apply the same metamagic feat more than once to a single spell
(for instance, you can’t cast a twice-empowered magic missile to get
+100% damage).
Magic Items and Metamagic Spells: With the right item creation
feat, you can store a metamagic version of a spell in a scroll,
potion, or wand. Level limits for potions and wands apply to the
spell’s higher spell level (after the application of the metamagic feat).
A character doesn’t need the metamagic feat to activate an item
storing a metamagic version of a spell.
Counterspelling Metamagic Spells: Whether or not a spell has
been enhanced by a metamagic feat does not affect its vulnerability
to counterspelling or its ability to counterspell another spell (see
Counterspells, page 170).