Feats from Beyond the Black Gate

2010
Characters of every class may select one feat at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 20th level. Single-
classed Fighting-Men may select an additional, combat-oriented, feat at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level.
Magic-Users gain an additional, magic-oriented, feat at 5th, 9th, and 12th level. Thieves gain one bonus
feat of their choice at 10th level.

Note that some feats have prerequisites that must be met, such as an ability score qualifier,

Acrobatic – The character is unusually acrobatic, and gains a bonus of 1 to the normal chance in 6 to
jump, tumble, walk a tight-rope, etc.

Alertness – The characters is unusually alert, and gets a bonus of 1 to the normal chance in six to be
surprised, detect traps, or notice secret and concealed doors.

Align Weapon – Clerics of third level or higher may select this feat. Any non-aligned weapon currently
held in their grasp is considered to be magically +1 to-hit and damage opponents of the opposite
alignment (Law vs. Chaos, Good vs. Evil, etc).

Arcane Apprentice – A magic user of at least first level may select this feat to cast each of the following
spells once per day as a spell-like ability: detect magic, read magic, and light.

Armored Caster – The character can cast spells when clad in armor no heavier than studded leather.
Must be 5th level or higher to take this feat.

Armored Caster, Greater – A character with the Armored Caster feat can cast spells when clad in armor
no heavier than chain mail. Must be 7th level or higher to take this feat.

Augment Summoning – Any creatures magically summoned by the character receive a bonus of 1 to
armor class, as well as a bonus of 1 per Hit Dice to the creatures’ hit points.

Blind Fighting – The character is able to fight while blind or in total darkness with a penalty of 2 to
attack rolls.

Cleave – Upon successfully dispatching an enemy with a melee attack, the character gets an immediate
attack against another adversary within reach.

Combat Casting – If damaged while casting a spell, the character is allowed a saving throw vs. spells to
avoid having the spell disrupted and lost.

Combat Expertise – While in melee combat, the character is allowed to take a penalty of 1 to melee
attacks in exchange for a bonus of 1 to armor class.

Combat Expertise, improved – Must have Combat Expertise to take this feat, and can increase the
armor class bonus to 2 (while still suffering only a penalty of 1 to attacks).

Dodge – The character is unusually adept at getting out of harm’s way, and gains a bonus of 1 to armor
class when wearing light or no armor.
Endurance – The character is unusually hardy, and can heal at twice the normal rate per day, as well as
being able to subsist on just half the daily food and water of a normal person for as long as a month.

Escape Artist – The character has a 2 in 6 chance to escape from bindings, webs, ensnarement, etc.

Eschew Materials – The character is able to cast spells without the need for material components of 1gp
or less value.

Extra Turning – This feat enable characters who can turn undead to use the ability an additional two
times per day.

Fisticuffs! - The character is a brawler, +1 to-hit and damage when fighting bare-handed, and
automatically knocks out humanoid opponents with a natural roll of “20”.

Great Fortitude - The character receives a bonus of 1 to saves against poisons and diseases.

Grenadier – The character has a knack for hurled items such as flaming flasks of oil, acid, holy water, etc,
and gains +1 to hit and damage with such items, as well as twice the normal throwing range.

Improved Critical – The character scores a critical hit on a natural roll of 19 or 20. The character must be
at least 9th level to take this feat.

Improved Initiative – The character receives a bonus of 1 to individual initiative checks, and always acts
first when group initiative results in a tie.

Iron Will – The character receives a bonus of 1 to saving throws against charms and compulsions.

Leadership – The character may take on double the normal number of followers allowed by his charisma
score, and receives double the maximum number of followers upon achieving “name” level. The
character must be at least 5th level to take this feat.

Lightning Reflexes – The character receives a bonus of 1 to saving throws against traps, breath
weapons, and targeted spells.

Loremaster – The character has a 1 in 6 chance of knowing a relevant fact about an item, person, place,
or historical event.

Lucky Bastard – Once per day, the character can reroll a failed saving throw with a +1 bonus.

Martial Weapon Proficiency – The character is proficient in a weapon not normally available in his class
weapon selection.

Mounted Combat – The character receives a +1 bonus to melee attacks made while mounted.

Mounted Archery – The character receives no penalty to ranged attacks made while mounted.

Point Blank Shot – The character receives a bonus of 1 to attacks and damage against targets within
thirty feet range.
Power Attack – The character can take a penalty of 1 to melee attacks in exchange for a bonus of 2 to
damage inflicted.

Precise Shot – The character can fire into melee combat without risk of hitting an ally.

Quick Draw – The character can pull a weapon or change weapons before initiative is rolled without
penalty.

Rapid Reload – The character can reload crossbows and other mechanical ranged weapons at twice the
normal rate.

Run – The character can run at 50% greater than normal running speed for up to 2d6 rounds.

Shield Bash – The character, if equipped with a shield, can elect to forgo the armor class benefit (must
state the intention to do so before initiative is checked) in exchange for gaining a second attack at -1 to-
hit for 1d4 points of damage (plus any strength bonus).

Spell Enhancement: Empower – A magic user may prepare one damaging spell, using a memorization
slot one higher level than normal. When cast, the spell does 50% more damage than normal.

Spell Enhancement: Enlarge – This feat doubles the range or area-of-effect of a spell, and uses a slot
one level higher than normal.

Spell Enhancement: Extend – This feat doubles the duration of a spell, and requires a slot one level
higher to memorize.

Spell Enhancement: Maximize – This feat causes a damaging spell to automatically inflict maximum
damage, and uses a slot two levels higher than normal.

Spell Enhancement: Quicken – This spell allows a magic user to cast a spell before initiative is rolled, and
uses a slot two levels higher than normal.

Spell Enhancement: Stealthy – This spell allows a magic user to cast a spell with no motion or
verbalization, and uses a slot two levels higher than normal.

Spell Focus – Opponents receive a penalty of 1 to saving throws against spells from the character. Upon
taking this feat, the character selects one of the following spell types to apply the penalty to: charms
and compulsions, blasts and rays, or curses and enchantments. The feat may be taken up to three times
to cover all three spell types.

Spell Focus, improved – Increases the penalty of one of the above, previously taken, spell focus feats to
2.

Spell Mastery – A spell-casting character can choose three known spells he can cast. The character no
longer needs to study a spellbook to prepare these spells. This feat can be taken multiple times.
Spell Penetration – A spell casting character gets a 25% bonus to overcome an opponent’s spell
resistance against his spells.

Spell Penetration, Greater – Increases the benefit of the Spell Penetration feat to 50%.

Stealthy – The character receives a bonus of 1 to the normal chance in six to sneak or hide in shadows.

Surprise Attack – Thieves of at least 1st level may take this feat, allowing them to do backstab damage
with a successful attack if they win initiative on the first round of combat.

Toughness – The character is unnaturally resistant to pain and receives a bonus of +2 to hit points. This
feat can be taken multiple times.

Tracking – The character receives a bonus of 1 to the normal chance in six to follow, trail, or track a
creature or group of creatures.

Two-handed Defense – The character, when wielding a two-handed weapon, gains a bonus of 1 to
armor class.

Two-weapon Fighting – A character with a minimum Dex of 13 may use a weapon in each hand,
provided one is of smaller size. The character so equipped does not receive any additional attacks, but
receives a bonus of +1 to melee attacks and damage.

Two-weapon Defense – A character with the Two-weapon fighting feat receives a bonus of +1 to armor
class when wielding two weapons.

Weapon Finesse – A character may use his Dex bonus, rather than Str bonus, when fighting with light
melee weapons.

Weapon Focus – A character may select one weapon he can normally use to apply a +1 bonus to-hit
with. This feat can be taken multiple times, each time for a different weapon.

Weapon Specialization – Fighting men of fourth level or higher may apply this feat to a weapon they
have Weapon Focus with and apply a +2 bonus to damage rolls.

Weapon Specialization, Greater – Fighting men of seventh level or higher may apply this feat to a
weapon they have specialized in to gain an extra attack with that weapon every other round of combat.

Weapon Mastery – Fighting men of at least ninth level may apply this feat to a weapon they have
Greater Weapon Specialization with. The bonus to-hit and damage increases to +3, and they may make
two attacks per round.

Will-to-live – The character is entitled to a saving throw vs. death magic to resist attacks that would
normally drain one or more levels.

Al Krombach – www.beyondtheblackgate.blogspot.com