Character Background Feats
Character background feats represent the various skills that people pick up through certain kinds of lives. While classes represent some of these skills, the fact is that a Fighter who spent his life in the swamps around the Dragon's Tongue may be better than a Ranger who has never been there at traversing the swamps. These feats are intended to help provide some direction for a character's history, and perhaps provide an in-game reward for having a character with a unique background.
While none of them have the actual requirement, most of these feats can only be taken at first level. This is because they represent a life style, and most games cover too short a period of time to attain a new lifestyle that is not just “adventuring”. If the game takes a break in which a great deal of time passes, and your character lives a different life than what he did before, your DM may allow you to take the feat. Either way, your DM determines if your character matches the requirement for the feat based on your character's history.
In addition, these feats cannot be taken after the fact. If your character grew up homeless in Caspia, but you did not take the Riff Raff feat at 1st level, then you may not take it later. You already lived the lifestyle that would have attained the feat for you, and you would have the bonus at 1st level if you were going to have it.
| Name | Prerequisite | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmopolitan | Well traveled | Automatic streetwise check on entering area for general knowledge |
| Dirt Poor | Spent most of life in extreme poverty | +3 Streetwise; switch Streetwise and Diplomacy with lower class |
| Filthy Rich | Spent most of life in high class society | +3 Diplomacy; switch Diplomacy and Streetwise with upper class |
| Forester | Spent most of life in a jungle or thick forest | Training in nature, and bonuses to foraging and knowledge in forests |
| Fringe Culture | Raised in an exclusive culture | +5 to Diplomacy with your culture, and reroll Diplomacy 1/day |
| Man About Town | Must have spent most of life in a single city | Cannot roll lower than 10 on History or Streetwise about your city |
| Military Veteren | Served at least one tour with military | +2 feat bonus to Fortitude defense |
| Mole | Spent most of life underground | Cannot roll lower than 10 on Dungeoneering |
| Nomad | Spent most of life on the road | Increase overland speed by 1/2; no Perception penalty while sleeping |
| Northerner | Spent most of life in the far north | Training in nature, and bonuses to foraging and knowledge in far north |
| Priestly Order | Belong to a priest order | +5 Diplomacy when interacting with the faithful |
| Riff Raff | Spent at least a year in the streets | Gain training in Streetwise, and a +3 bonus to stealth in urban environment |
| Survivalist | Raised in a harsh environment | Perception bonuses for following tracks |
| Swampie | Spent most of life in swamps | Training in nature, and bonuses to foraging and knowledge in swamps |
| University Education | Received a formal edcation | Training in knowledge skill, a dead language and a knowledge reroll |
| World Wise | Visited many foriegn cultures | Foreign cultures initial attitude is improved by 1 more step on Diplomacy |
| World of Darkness | Spent much of life in dim lighting | Gain low-light vision |
| Name | Prerequisite | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Defense | Gobber; Dexterity 15 | No opportunity attack after performing acrobatic stunt |
| Adaptive | Midlunder | Gain a multiclass feat, and you may paragon multiclass in the new class |
| Arcane Culture | Iosan; Intelligence 15 | Use Perception instead of Arcana to detect magic |
| Born Warrior | Umbrean | +2 Will while bloodied |
| Brutal Warrior | Skirov, Scharde | Bloodied foe that takes damage from you takes -1 penalty to saving throws |
| Brute | Ogrun, Pugilist, Power Attack | Two Weapon damage bonus from power attack when unarmed |
| Bully | Ogun, Trollkin | Constitution modifier bonus to Bull Rush attempts |
| Claws of Men | Kossite, Two Weapon Fighting | Increase two weapon damage bonus to +3 with off hand weapons |
| Culturally Diverse | Caspian | Choose a non-caspian human racial feat |
| Cunning Diplomat | Tordoran; trained Diplomacy | Use Diplomacy instead of Bluff for non-combat uses |
| Deadly Trap | Morridane | Increase Ambush damage to d8's instead of d6's |
| Dune Hunter | Idrian | +2 to damage when attacking a grabbed creature |
| Dwarven Hunter | Rhulfolk | Gain weapon focus and +2 intiative with Warrior Racial ability weapon |
| Elven Agility | Iosan, Nyss | Use standard action to shift up to speed |
| Experienced Sailor | Thurian, Tordoran, Scharde; sailor | +5 to Athletics and Acrobatics on a ship |
| For The Motherland | Khard; must be a patriot | +2 to saving throws against Charm and Compulsion |
| High Class | Caspian, Tordoran, Ryn; upper class | +3 to Diplomacy with agencies and high class people |
| Honor Duel | Ryn; weapon focus with dueling weapon | +2 to attack and damage when fighting one-on-one |
| Keen Shot | Iosan; weapon focus with drawn bow | Ignore penalty for lightly obscured squares |
| Khardic Hunstman | Khard; Dexterity 15 | Weapon focus Khardic Spear, and increase short range by 5 |
| Might | Ogrun, Umbrean; Strength 18 | Gain power attack, and reduce penalty with one hand weapons |
| Natural Rider | Khard | Gain mounted combat, and +2 AC after a mounted charge |
| Natural Tracker | Idrian, Kossite, Morridane | Roll twice on Perception checks to follow tracks |
| Nyssor's Mark | Nyss | Deal 1 extra cold damage after successful Nyss Claymore attack |
| People of Morrdh | Morridane, Trollkin; must take at 1st level | Gain swampie background, and gain +3 to stealth in swamps |
| Powerful Allies | Ogrun, Rhulfolk | +1 to attack when with allied race |
| Quick To Learn | Gobber, Thurian | Gain training in 2 skills on class skills list |
| Silent Killer | Kossite, Morridane, Nyss | Move faster while moving silently |
| Small and Quick | Bogrin, Gobber | +2 to AC and Reflex when fighting large and larger foes |
| Sorcerous Blood | Thurian | Gain bard, gun mage,or sorcerer at-will as an encounter power |
| Staunch Defender | Midlunder, Rhulfolk | +2 to attack, +4 to Will when fighting near a dying ally |
| Stubborn Mule | Midlunder | Gain a +2 bonus to saving throw after a failed attempt |
| Student of The Canon | Sulese; student of the true law | +2 to Religion, and +3 feat bonus to inflience Menites |
| Superstitious | Skirov | +1 bonus to attack, and +3 insight agaisnt spellcasters |
| Sure Footing | Gobber, Idrian, Iosan; trained Acrobatics | Better at balancing while fighting |
| Swarm | Bogrin | When flanking foe, deal damage as if one size category larger |
| Swift Rider | Thurian, Tordoran | Gain mounted combat, and light warhorse gains great maneuverability |
| Sworn | Ogrun; must have Korune | +1 bonus to all defenses when fighting with Korune |
| Tales of Our Heroes | Trollkin, Umbrean; trained in History | +10 bonus to History knowledge checks about your own race |
| Terrortial Hunter | Nyss | Gain weapon focus with Nyss Claymore and the Longbow |
| Treacherous Politics | Ryn | Gain quick draw, and increase the initiative bonus to +4 |
| Troll Foe | Rhulfolk | +2 AC against large or larger trolls |
| Truth of the Law | Idrian, Sulese | +3 to Perception to notice disguised individuals |
| Unshakable | Skirov, Sulese; devoted to Menoth | +1 Will |
| Undead Allies | Scharde; must have fought with undead | +2 Will against attacks from Undead |
| Unwavering | Caspian, Midlunder, Sulese | Cannot roll lower than 10 to resist disease |
| Vicious | Bogrin, Scharde | Attacks against prone targets deal +2 damage |
| Warrior's Rage | Bogrin, Khard, Skirov | +2 Fortitude when bloodied |
| Wolven Tactics | Kossite | +3 to attack when flanking |
Acrobatic Defense
Prerequisite: Gobber, Dexterity 15
Benefit: Whenever you perform an acrobatic stunt to move you do not provoke opportunity attacks for moving through threatened squares.
Adaptive
Prerequisite: Midlunder
Benefit: You gain the benefit of any one multiclass feat that you qualify for, and you may advance in the new class rather than take a paragon path as if you had all three multiclass feats.
Arcane Culture
Prerequisite: Iosan, Intelligence 15
Benefit: You may use the Perception skill in place of Arcana to make checks related to the Detect Magic use of Arcana.
Born Warrior
Prerequisite: Umbrean
Benefit: When you are bloodied you gain a +2 bonus to your Will defense.
Brutal Warrior
Prerequisite: Skirov, Scharde
Benefit: When you deal damage to a bloodied foe the target takes a -1 penalty on all saving throws until the end of the encounter.
Brute
Prerequisite: Ogrun, Pugilist, Power Attack
Benefit: When fighting unarmed and using power attack you gain a bonus to damage as if you were using a two handed weapon.
Bully
Prerequisite: Ogrun or Trollkin
Benefit: You may add your Constitution modifier as a bonus to the attack roll to hit with a Bull Rush.
Claws of Men
Prerequisite: Kossite; Two Weapon Fighting feat
Benefit: When wielding two melee weapons with the off-hand property increase the damage bonus from Two Weapon Fighting to a +3.
Culturally Diverse
Prerequisite: Caspian
Benefit: When you take this feat, choose a racial feat for a human race other than Caspian. You must qualify for any non-racial requirements.
Cunning Diplomat
Prerequisite: Tordoran, trained in Diplomacy
Benefit: You may use Diplomacy instead of Bluff to lie or sow deceit. The Diplomacy check is treated as a Bluff, and Insight is the opposed skill. This does not allow you to use Diplomacy for the combat applications of Bluff.
Deadly Trap
Prerequisite: Morridane
Benefit: The extra damage dice from your Ambush racial power increase from d6s to d8s.
Dune Hunter
Prerequisite: Idrian
Benefit: You gain a +2 to damage rolls when attacking a creature you are grabbing.
Dwarven Warrior
Prerequisite: Rhulfolk
Benefit: You gain weapon focus with the weapon type you chose for your Warrior racial ability. In addition, you gain a +2 racial bonus to initiative when wielding that weapon type.
Elven Agility
Prerequisite: Iosan, Nyss
Benefit: You may use a standard action to shift a number of squares equal to your speed.
Experienced Sailor
Prerequisite: Thurian, Tordoran or Scharde, spent time on a ship's crew.
Benefit: You gain a +5 racial bonus on all Acrobatics and Athletics checks made on a ship.
For the Motherland
Prerequisite: Khard, devoted to Khador.
Benefit: +2 racial bonus on saving throws against charm and compulsion effects.
High Class
Prerequisite: Caspian, Tordoran or Ryn; raised in a noble or high class family
Benefit: Gain a +3 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks made to interact with official agencies (military officers, leaders of important organizations) and high class individuals (nobility, governmental figures).
Honor Duel
Prerequisite: Ryn, Weapon Focus with a light blade or pistol.
Benefit: You gain +2 to attack and damage when there are only two combatants in the encounter (including yourself).
Keen Shot
Prerequisite: Iosan, Weapon Focus with any drawn bow.
Benefit: You ignore the penalty to attack when firing into lightly obscured squares.
Khardic Huntsman
Prerequisite: Khadoran; Dexterity 15
Benefit: You gain weapon focus with the Khardic Spear and its short range is increased by 5 squares.
Might
Prerequisite: Umbrean or Ogrun; Strength 18
Benefit: You gain the power attack feat and decrease the penalty for using power attack with one handed weapons to a -1.
Natural Rider
Prerequisite: Khard
Benefit: You gain the mounted combat feat. In addition when you charge with any kind of warhorse, you gain a +2 bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.
Natural Tracker
Prerequisite: Kossite, Idrian, Morridane; trained in Perception
Benefit: You may roll twice and keep the better of the two results when making perception checks to follow tracks.
Nyssor's Mark
Prerequisite: Nyss
Benefit: Your attacks with a Nyss Claymore deal extra cold damage, equal to 1, once per round.
People of Morrdh
Prerequisite: Morridane, Trollkin; must be taken at 1st level
Benefit: You gain the Swampie background feat and a +3 to stealth checks while in swamplands environments.
Powerful Allies
Prerequisite: Dwarf or Ogrun; must have lived among Rhulic culture for a significant period
Benefit: When fighting within 2 squares of an Ogrun (if you're Rhulic) or Rhulfolk (if you're Ogrun) with this feat, you gain a +1 to attack.
Quick to Learn
Prerequisite: Thurian or Gobber
Benefit: You gain training in two skills on your class skills list.
Silent Killer
Prerequisite: Nyss, Morridane, Kossite
Benefit: You may move up to five squares a round while using the Stealth skill without penalty. If you take the secret stride feat the penalty to stealth when you are running is decreased to a -5.
Small and Quick
Prerequisite: Gobber or Bogrin
Benefit: You gain a +2 racial bonus to AC and Reflex defense against large and larger foes.
Sorcerous Blood
Prerequisite: Thurian
Benefit: Choose a bard, gun mage or sorcerer at-will. You gain that power as an encounter power.
Staunch Defender
Prerequisite: Midlunder or Rhulfolk
Benefit: When fighting within 5 squares of a dying ally you gain a +2 to attack and a +4 to will defense.
Stubborn Mule
Prerequisite: Midlunder
Benefit: Any time you fail a saving throw you gain a +2 bonus on your next attempt to make that saving throw. This bonus continues to add up until you succeed.
Student of the Canon
Prerequisite: Sulese, studied the True Law in depth
Benefit: Gain a +2 to Religion and a +3 to Diplomacy checks made to influence other Menites.
Superstitious
Prerequisite: Skirov
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to attack creatues that have powers with the Arcane keyword, as well as a +3 to insight checks against them.
Sure Footing
Prerequisite: Gobber, Idrian, Iosan; trained in Athletics
Benefit: While balancing on a small or unstable surface you do not grant combat advantage, and in addition you do not have to make a new Athletics check to remain stable if you take damage while balancing.
Swarm
Prerequisite: Bogrin
Benefit: If you are flanking a foe, you deal damage as if your weapon were one size category larger.
Swift Rider
Prerequisite: Thurian or Tordoran
Benefit: You gain the mounted combat feat. In addition, any light warhorse you ride does not provoke opportunity attacks for moving through an opponent's threatened squares (but not through the opponent's square) while running.
Sworn
Prerequisite: Ogrun; must have sworn fealty by designating an individual as his Korune.
Benefit: You gain a +1 racial bonus to all defenses when fighting within sight of your Korune.
Tales of Our Heroes
Prerequisite: Umbrean or Trollkin; trained in History
Benefit: You gain a +10 racial modifier on History checks regarding your own people.
Territorial Hunter
Prerequisite: Nyss
Benefit: You gain weapon focus with the Nyss Claymore and Longbow.
Treacherous Politics
Prerequisite: Ryn
Benefit: You gain the Quick Draw feat and the bonus to initiative from the feat becomes +4 instead of +2.
Troll Foe
Prerequisite: Rhulfolk
Benefit: You gain a +2 to AC and Reflex defense against Trolls of large size or larger.
Truth of the Law
Prerequisite: Sulese, Idrian
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to Perception and Insight checks to identify someone disguising themselves as another individual, and you may always roll on such checks rather than use your passive skill modifier.
Unshakable
Prerequisite: Sulese or Skirov; devoted to Menoth
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to your will defense.
Undead Allies
Prerequisite: Scharde
Benefit: You gain a +2 to Will Defense against attacks from undead.
Unwavering
Prerequisite: Caspian, Midlunder, Sulese
Benefit: Any roll lower than a 10 on an Endurance check to resist disease is automatically considered a 10.
Vicious
Prerequisite: Bogrin, Scharde
Benefit: Attacks against prone foes deal +2 damage
Warrior's Rage
Prerequisite: Khadoran, Skirov or Bogrin
Benefit: When bloodied you gain a +2 to your fortitude defense.
Wolven Tactics
Prerequisite: Kossite
Benefit: You gain +3 to attack instead of +2 from combat advantage when flanking an enemy.
| Name | Prerequisite | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Precision | Gun Mage | +2 bonus to Arcana checks on Cast Rune Bullet |
| Deadly Aim | Gunslinger | +3 bonus to expertise checks |
| Elemental Mastery | Gun Mage | +1 damage with chosen element |
| Locked and Loaded | Gunslinger | Reload one barrel after using a second wind |
| Magelock Affinity | Gun Mage | Implement and Weapon expertise with Magelocks |
| Off Guard | Gunslinger | Upon acting first in an encounter, all foes are considered surprised |
Arcane Precision
Prerequisite: Gun Mage
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Arcana checks made when using your Cast Rune Bullet class feature.
Deadly Aim
Prerequisite: Gunslinger
Benefit: Gain a +3 feat bonus to expertise checks.
Elemental Specialist
Prerequisite: Gun Mage
Benefit: Choose fire, cold or lightning. When making attacks with Gun Mage powers that have that keyword, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls.
Locked and Loaded
Prerequisite: Gunslinger
Benefit: When you use your second wind, you may reload one barrel of a small arm as an immediate reaction, as long your reload time for the weapon is not longer than a standard action.
Off Guard
Prerequisite: Gunslinger
Benefit: At the start of an encounter, if you are the first to act all foes are considered surprised until the end of your turn.
Magelock Affinity
Prerequisite: Gun Mage
Benefit: You gain the Implement Expertise and Weapon Expertise feats with your Bonded Magelock weapons.
| Name | Prerequisite | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatic Combatant | Trained in Acrobatics | Gain +1 to attack and damage after an acrobatic stunt. |
| Gunfighter | Quick Draw, Proficient with Pistols | Sacrifice some accuracy for a higher initiative |
| Heroic Focus | Wisdom 13 | +2 to saving throws against dazed conditions |
| Pugilist | Strength 13 | Deal unarmed damage as if one size category larger |
| Quick Load | Dexterity 15, Proficient with a Firearm | Decrease the load time of a type of small arm by one step |
| Small Arms Proficiency | You gain proficiency in a type of Small Arms | |
| Strong Grip | Strength 14, Proficient with Carbine | You may wield Carbines one handed |
| Torment | Trained in Intimidate | Make foes shaky and worse at intelligence based checks |
| Witch Hound | Wis 16, Trained in Arcana | Can sense the presence of Sorcerers |
Acrobatic Combatant
Prerequisite: Trained in Acrobatics
Benefit: If you successfully perform an Acrobatic Stunt before attacking a foe, you gain a +1 to the subsequent attack and damage roll.
Gunfighter
Prerequisite: Quick Draw, Proficient with Pistol
Benefit: When rolling for initiative you may choose to take a -2 penalty to your first attack roll this encounter in order to gain a +2 to your initiative roll. This bonus increases by 1 for each tier above Heroic.
Heroic Focus
Prerequisite: Wis 13
Benefit: You gain a +2 feat bonus on saving throws to shake off a dazed condition.
Pugilist
Prerequisite: Str 13
Benefit: Increase your unarmed damage as if you were a size category larger, and you gain a +2 proficiency bonus with unarmed attacks.
Quick Load
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Proficiency in a firearm
Benefit: You move the load time down one step for a specific type of small arm (carbines, pistols or rifles). If the load time is listed in terms of full round actions, reduce one of the full round actions to a standard and move action. If it is listed in terms of standard actions, reduce one of the standard actions to a move action. If it is listed in terms of a combination of standard and move actions, remove one of the move actions. A firearm cannot be loaded more quickly than a move action.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time it applies to a different firearm.
Small Arms Proficiency
Benefit: You gain proficiency in the use of Simple and Military Firearms.
Strong Grip
Prerequisite: 14 Str, Proficiency with weapon
Benefit: You may wield carbines as if they were one handed weapons.
Torment
Prerequisite: Trained in Intimidate
Benefit: You can make Intimidate check as a move action against a foe in melee combat, and instead of the normal effects you can make them nervous. This causes the foe to take a -2 penalty on all Intelligence based skills and attacks until they make a saving throw. You may only attempt this use of intimidate once per encounter.. Enemies immune to fear are immune to this attack.
Witch Hound
Prerequisite: Wis 16, trained in Arcana
Benefit: By standing near and observing a creature for five minutes you make an Arcana roll against the creature's will defense. A success allows you to know if the creature has any arcane ability. This roll should be made secretly by the DM.
