Revised Traits for Pathfinder 1e: Combat Traits, Pt 1 (Patron Version) (Patreon)

Further work on the kind of redesign I’d do in a Revised Path version of the Pathfinder RPG (1st ed). You can see the general thoughts and first set of Universal traits here. This is the version for paying Patrons, the free version offers only half of these.

Part One covers the general Combat Trait rules, and the traits themselves through the 'D's.

COMBAT TRAITS

Combat traits generally affect your effectiveness in combat. These are often a result of your upbringing—either as intentional training, or a knack gained by growing up in the environment you did. But they can also represent an element of your destiny, or strange mystic forces that swirl around you. For example, you might have the Stranger Happenings trait because you grew up on a farm constantly under attack by bizarre monsters, or because you trained in a mercenary company that specialized in weird foes, or because your birth was marked by the alignment of a Strange Star with your birth sign and your life has always been filled with odd occurrences.

Most characters can only take one Combat Trait. A character that has one of each kind of trait (Universal, Background, Combat, Faith, Magic, Nature, and Social) and gains access to another trait (such as with the Extra Traits feat) may take one additional combat trait. Additionally, characters that take their first character level in antipaladin, bloodrager, cavalier, gunslinger, hunter, magus, ninja, paladin, ranger, samurai, shifter, skald, swashbuckler, vigilante, or warpriest can begin play with two combat traits, and those that take their first character level in barbarian, brawler, fighter, hunter, monk, or slayer can begin play with up to three combat traits.

(Art by warmtail)

Absolute Loyalty

You gain the one-time-ever ability to immediately cast atonementupon yourself as a spell-like ability upon performing an act or being subjected to an effect that the atonement spell affects. This ability can only be used while you are acting in the service of your liege (an individual of higher social standing chosen when you take this feat).

Accelerated Drinker

You know how to drink a potion efficiently, such as by not using your hands, tossing it in the air and catching it in your mouth, or opening it with your teeth. You may drink a potion as a move action instead of a standard as long as you start your turn with the potion in your hand, or have the Quick Draw feat, a free hand, and take this as your first action during your turn.

Ambush Training

You’ve learned that taking an enemy by surprise can end a combat before it begins. You gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative checks and a +1 trait bonus on weapon damage rolls during any surprise round in which you act.

Anatomist

You know where to aim your blows to strike vital organs. You gain a +1 trait bonus on all rolls made to confirm critical hits.

Ancient Weapon Training

You know largely-lost fighting techniques. Select one simple or martial weapon from a fighter weapon group. You are proficient with the weapon. If you also gain proficiency with this weapon from a different source, you gain a +1 trait bonus on attacks of opportunity with the weapon.

Special: If the weapon selected is the preferred weapon of your patron deity, you may instead take this as a religious trait. You may do this even if you also take it as a combat trait, but in that case the two traits must apply to different weapons.

Angled Armor

A combination of armor and technique protects you from deadly attacks. When wearing armor and fighting defensively or using Combat Expertise, you receive a +2 trait bonus to your AC against attack rolls to confirm a critical threat.

Armor Expert

Whether as a result of extensive training or a natural affinity, you move in armor with surprising grace. When you wear armor of any sort, reduce that suit’s armor check penalty by 1, to a minimum check penalty of 0.

Armored Rider

You gain a +1 trait bonus on Ride checks, and Ride is a class skill for you. You don’t take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while wearing light or medium armor.

Armored Soul

When wearing armor or using a shield, you gain a +1 trait bonus on saving throws against divine spells that deal damage.

Axe to Grind

There is a fire in your heart that can’t be quenched. You gain a +1 trait bonus on damage against foes who are threatened by only you.

Back for More

Anytime an opponent confirms a critical hit against you, you gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against that foe until the end of your next turn.

Battle Aid

You gain a +2 trait bonus on attack rolls to perform the aid another action.

Special: If you have the battle mystery, tactics inquisition, war blessing, or war domain, you may instead take this as a religious trait. You may do this even if you also take it as a combat trait, in which case the two traits’ benefits stack.

Battlefield Disciple

You are skilled at supporting your allies in the heat of battle. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Heal checks made to stabilize a dying creature. In addition, when you successfully use the aid another action in combat to grant an ally a bonus on her next attack roll, the bonus you grant increases by 1.

Special: If you have the battle mystery, tactics inquisition, war blessing, or war domain, you may instead take this as a religious trait. You may do this even if you also take it as a combat trait, in which case the two traits’ benefits stack.

Berserker’s Fury

If you have the rage class feature, you may use your rage ability for 3 additional rounds per day.

Black Powder Bravado

You are particularly successful when using deeds. Once per day, when you perform a deed that requires an attack roll and you miss with that roll, you can reroll it. You must take the second result even if it is worse.

Black Powder Interjection

Your confidence rises when you foil spellcasting. Once per day, when you interrupt the casting of a spell with a firearm attack, you may regain 1 grit point.

Black Powder Valor

You know little to fear when there’s a gun in your hand. As long as you are wielding a firearm, you gain a +2 trait bonus on all saving throws against fear and emotion effects, and the DC to demoralize you with the Intimidate skill is 2 higher than normal.

Blight's Bane

You are trained in the destruction of blights. You gain a +2 trait bonus to confirm critical hits against a creature that has a template affiliated with some kind of communicable condition, such as a blighted fey or a fungal creature.

Bloodied Knuckles

You are skilled at fighting with your fists. You can make attacks of opportunity with unarmed strikes, and gain a +1 trait bonus on such attacks of opportunity. If you have the Improved Unarmed Attack feat, you also gain a +1 bonus to damage with unarmed attacks.

Bloodthirsty

Whenever you make an attack that reduces a foe to 0 hit points or fewer or you confirm a critical hit, your attack gains a +1 trait bonus to damage. On a critical hit, the additional damage is multiplied by your attack’s critical hit multiplier.

Bloody-Minded

You gain a +1 trait bonus on initiative and Intimidate checks.

Bouncer

When you make an attack that deals nonlethal damage with an unarmed strike, you gain a +1 bonus on your damage roll.

Broken, Not Beaten

You automatically stabilize when reduced below 0 hit points. Once per day when brought below 0 hit points, you can accept 1 point of damage to regain consciousness for 1 round, though you remain staggered.

Careful Combatant

You have a strong sense of self-preservation. When using the withdraw action, both the first and second squares of your movement are not considered threatened by any opponents you can see, rather than just the first square.

Cautious Fighter

You gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to Armor Class while you fight defensively or use Combat Expertise or the total defense action.

Coherent Rage

Your determination allows you to hold onto a shred of your rational mind at all times. Select one of the following skills: Bluff, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, or Stealth. You may use this skill normally while raging.

Cold and Calculating

You are adept at tricking creatures that share your ancestry. You gain a +1 trait bonus on all Bluff checks against creatures that share your type (and your subtype, if you have one). You also gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls made against such foes during the surprise round.

Combat Engineer

You have a knack for taking things apart with extreme prejudice. You gain a +2 trait bonus on damage rolls against objects and creatures of the construct type.

Courageous

No matter how hard things get, no matter how frightened you are, you can keep a level head and decide to act. When you have the cowering, frightened, or panicked condition, rather than suffer the normal effects of the condition you may choose for the duration of the condition to take a –4 penalty to armor class and on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks and be staggered. You can otherwise act normally. Normal immunity to these penalties or being shaken does not prevent you from taking these penalties if you opt to do this.

Crowd Dodger

You spent much of your youth on crowded streets, dodging quickly around and under others. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Acrobatics checks to move through another creature’s space and to avoid attacks of opportunity for leaving a threatened square.

Deadly Blade

If you make an attack that adds damage from sneak attack dice, you gain a +1 trait bonus on the damage roll.

Dedicated Defender

When a companion is down, you fight harder. You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls and on checks made to overcome spell resistance while you are adjacent to a dying or disabled ally, animal companion, eidolon, familiar, or mount. As long as you are conscious and adjacent to the downed creature, it cannot be targeted by a coup de gras.

Defender

You have extraordinary defensive skills while wearing armor. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Armor Class when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Deft

Your honed senses help you avoid explosions and similar dangers. You gain a +1 trait bonus on Reflex saves.

Demon Slayer

By studying a demonic opponent, you can sense and target its weak spots. You can attempt a Knowledge (planes) check to find the weak spot of a creature of the demon subtype. (DC 10 + the demon’s CR). If you succeed, you gain a +3 trait bonus on rolls to confirm critical hits against that demon until the end of the battle. Additionally, once per day you can grant yourself a +4 trait bonus on a single attack roll against a demon.

A GM may create similar traits that function against other subtypes of chaotic outsiders.

Devil Fighter

You know how devils think, which helps you resist their trickery. You gain a +1 trait bonus to your AC against attacks made by creatures of the devil subtype and to saving throws against spells and effects created by devils.

A GM may create similar traits that function against other subtypes of lawful outsiders.

Dirty Fighter

You’re good at fighting dirty. When you hit a foe you are flanking, you gain a +1 trait bonus to damage dealt (this bonus damage is added to your base damage, and is multiplied on a critical hit). This additional damage is a trait bonus.

Dirty Trickster

You know there’s no point in fighting fair when you’re fighting for your life. You can take the Improved Dirty Trick feat without meeting its prerequisites, and you gain a +1 trait bonus on combat maneuver checks to attempt a dirty trick.

Disillusioned

When you need to, you can reflexively suppress all emotion. You gain a +2 trait bonus on Will saving throws against emotion and fear effects.

Dormant Defense

Your body never lets down its defenses, even when you rest. The DC for Perception checks you attempt while asleep increases only by 7 (instead of the normal +10 increase). While you are dazed, stunned, or helpless, each critical hit or sneak attack scored against you has a 25% chance of being negated; when a critical hit or sneak attack is negated, roll its damage normally. You may roll this chance after checking other abilities that may negate a critical hit, such as the fortification armor special ability.

Dragon Armor

You know how to deflect energy attacks. Choose an energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) when you acquire this trait. When you are wearing medium or heavy armor, or using a shield that grants a +2 or greater bonus to armor class, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Reflex saves against spells with that descriptor and effects that deal the chosen energy type.

Dueling Cloak Adept

You can use your cloak to disguise your body and deceive your enemies. While wearing a cloak and using a light or finesse weapon, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Bluff checks made to feint. Additionally, every time you successfully feint while wearing a cloak, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class until your next turn.

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