Revised Path: Thoughts on the Fighter’s Bonus Feats Class Feature

“Revised Fighter Week” continues, looking at how to revise the fighter class for a potential Revised version of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 1st edition. You can read about my design goals for such a project, and see an index of articles about it, here.

Yesterday we looked at revising some fighter-only feats. While we’re at it, here’s a revision I have been playing with for the fighter’s bonus feat class feature itself. If I ended up turning “bonus feats” into “fighter talents” (as discussed yesterday) much of this language would just be adapted to the “Combat Feat” entry for fighter talents.

(art by lombard)

Bonus Feats: At 1st level, and at every even level thereafter, a fighter gains a bonus feat. These bonus feats must be selected from those listed as combat feats. When meeting the prerequisites for their bonus combat feats, fighters can ignore ability score prerequisites for any ability score equal to the fighter’s class level +10, or less. For example, a 3rd-level fighter with an 11 Intelligence can select Combat Expertise as a bonus feat despite its prerequisite of “Int 13+.”

Upon reaching 4th level, and every even level thereafter (6th, 8th, and so on), a fighter can choose to learn a new bonus feat in place of a combat feat they have already learned (even if it was not selected as a fighter bonus feat). In effect, the fighter loses the combat feat in exchange for the new one. The old feat cannot be one that was used as a prerequisite for another feat, prestige class, or other ability. A fighter can only change one feat at any given level and must choose whether or not to swap the feat at the time they gain a new bonus feat for the level.

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