useful feats?

[Krysalyn]

and useless ones?

first off, is weapon specialization useful for fighters? and if so, do you plan according to what you know you will get in the game as quest rewards? or do you choose the highest damage weapon and just buy the best one you can find?


are the elemental spell mastery feats useful? are they worth the pts to get the minor resistance and additional damage? if so, which is the best one?


is armor proficiency worth it? if so, for which classes? I would guess that the spellcasters will be wearing robes if they are not backup tanks, and your monk probably wont be wearing much if any armor, and same for rogues...


if you only plan to put robes on your spellcasters, is armored arcana worth it?


which fighting skills are worth the pts?
arterial strike
blind fight
cleave
crippling strike
dirty fighting
hamstring
improved critical
maximized attacks
power attack
precise shot
rapid shot
stunning attack


is weapon finesse useful if you plan to dual-wield with shortswords?


what about defensive-type feats?
deflect arrows
dodge
expertise
great fortitude
improved evasion
iron will
lightning reflexes
resist poison
shield proficiency
slippery mind
snake blood


other combat-related feats?
combat casting
discipline
fiendslayer
heroic inspiration
improved intitiative
subvocal casting


diplomacy-type feats?
bullheaded
curteous magocracy


others?
dash
envenom weapon
forester
luck of heroes
mercantile background
spell focus (especially if you already choose to specialize in a particular school)
spell penetration
strong back


are any of the class specific feats useful, like extra rage, and extra wild shape? I could see someone who dual classes barb1/druidxx to choose these feats so that they could shapeshift while raged multiple times a day...


I know it is a long and lengthy question, I just hate getting halfway through a game only to find out that I have wasted some of my pts on feats that are useless, or something else would have been better...

[radicalrude]

Actually, it all depend on what kind of character you want to build.

First query: Is it going to be a tank, assassin, spell caster, etc....?
Second is to choose how you want to roleplay this character, I mean if you want to use a druid, are you going to focus on shape-changing, spell-casting or ranged weapons.
It is a lenghty challenge and experience to build and improve a character via use of the feats but that's the whole fun of it.
In addition you can always experiment and play the game again with different feats chosen.
I know it's not much of an answer, but if you need the info, check out 3e edition ad&d rules-book and you'll learn a lot from it....

[M_J]

I just wanna say this: never ever take armored arcana, it s*cks like you wouldn't believe and there is another reason wich you will find out for yourself if you just continue through the game.

[Wrath-Of-Egg]

well improved iniative... is a must if it works...(spell casters...)

and as for those +damage and +res. feats choose the one that benefits you most.. so if you use lot fire spells take spirit of fire...(or whatever it is..)

[Mirk]

well improved iniative... is a must if it works...(spell casters...)

unfortunately, it doesn't. pity.


here's my rundown on feats, by roles:

any melee char:
1. cleave (requires power attack, which isn't all that great by itself)
2. weapon specialisation (for two weapon types, one slashing and one blunt)
3. improved critical
4. blind fighting (to take later on in the game)

higher dex-based melee char:
all of the above and
1. ambidextriety + 2 weapon fighting (or ranger levels)
2. dirty fighting (especially for scimitar users)
3. dash

offensive spellcaster:
1. great spell focus, evocation (and maybe other shools)
2. 1-2 (or more, if you can afford) of the elemental feats, based on your choice
3. subvocal casting
4. combat casting
i also like to take Expertiese for all of my back-row chars (the spellcasters and snipers), as well as Rapid Shot.

other classes may have a usefull "class-only" feat, such as Lingering Song for bards.


these are what i consider "a must". everything else i take is just to fully develop a char, to emphesise his strengths and/or overcome his weaknesses, e.g. a ftr/pal would get extra specialisations and Toughness, while a ftr/barb would get Iron Will and Lightning Reflexes.