General Feats
General feats represent broadly useful training and aptitude: skill bonuses, survival tricks, and character-building options not tied to combat, spellcasting, or item creation. This page covers all 49 core-rulebook General feats, alphabetized (including Leadership).
Acrobatic
General
You are skilled at leaping, jumping, and flying.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Acrobatics and Fly skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Acrobatic Steps
General
You can easily move over and through obstacles.
Prerequisites: Dex 15, Nimble Moves.
Benefits: Whenever you move, you may move through up to 15 feet of difficult terrain each round as if it were normal terrain. The effects of this feat stack with those provided by Nimble Moves (allowing you to move normally through a total of 20 feet of difficult terrain each round).
Alertness
General
You often notice things that others might miss.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on Perception and Sense Motive skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Alignment Channel
General
Choose chaos, evil, good, or law. You can channel divine energy to affect outsiders that possess this subtype.
Prerequisites: Ability to channel energy.
Benefits: Instead of its normal effect, you can choose to have your ability to channel energy heal or harm outsiders of the chosen alignment subtype. You must make this choice each time you channel energy. If you choose to heal or harm creatures of the chosen alignment subtype, your channel energy has no effect on other creatures. The amount of damage healed or dealt and the DC to halve the damage is otherwise unchanged.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a new alignment subtype. Whenever you channel energy, you must choose which type to effect.
Animal Affinity
General
You are skilled at working with animals and mounts.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Handle Animal and Ride skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Athletic
General
You possess inherent physical prowess.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on Climb and Swim skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Augment Summoning
General
Your summoned creatures are more powerful and robust.
Prerequisites: Spell Focus (conjuration).
Benefits: Each creature you conjure with any summon spell gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution for the duration of the spell that summoned it.
Combat Casting
General
You are adept at spellcasting when threatened or distracted.
Benefits: You get a +4 bonus on concentration checks made to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability when casting on the defensive or while grappled.
Command Undead
General
Using foul powers of necromancy, you can command undead creatures, making them into your servants.
Prerequisites: Channel negative energy class feature.
Benefits: As a standard action, you can use one of your uses of channel negative energy to enslave undead within 30 feet. Undead receive a Will save to negate the effect. The DC for this Will save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Charisma modifier. Undead that fail their saves fall under your control, obeying your commands to the best of their ability, as if under the effects of control undead. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each day to resist your command. You can control any number of undead, so long as their total Hit Dice do not exceed your cleric level. If you use channel energy in this way, it has no other effect (it does not heal or harm nearby creatures). If an undead creature is under the control of another creature, you must make an opposed Charisma check whenever your orders conflict.
Deceitful
General
You are skilled at deceiving others, both with the spoken word and with physical disguises.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Disguise skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Deft Hands
General
You have exceptional manual dexterity.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on Disable Device and Sleight of Hand skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Diehard
General
You are especially hard to kill. Not only do your wounds automatically stabilize when grievously injured, but you can remain conscious and continue to act even at death’s door.
Prerequisites: Endurance.
Benefits: When your hit point total is below 0, but you are not dead, you automatically stabilize. You do not need to make a Constitution check each round to avoid losing additional hit points. You may choose to act as if you were disabled, rather than dying. You must make this decision as soon as you are reduced to negative hit points (even if it isn’t your turn). If you do not choose to act as if you were disabled, you immediately fall unconscious.
When using this feat, you are staggered. You can take a move action without further injuring yourself, but if you perform any standard action (or any other action deemed as strenuous, including some swift actions, such as casting a quickened spell) you take 1 point of damage after completing the act. If your negative hit points are equal to or greater than your Constitution score, you immediately die.
Normal: A character without this feat who is reduced to negative hit points is unconscious and dying.
Elemental Channel
General
Choose one elemental subtype, such as air, earth, fire, or water. You can channel your divine energy to harm or heal outsiders that possess your chosen elemental subtype.
Prerequisites: Channel energy class feature.
Benefits: Instead of its normal effect, you can choose to have your ability to channel energy heal or harm outsiders of your chosen elemental subtype. You must make this choice each time you channel energy. If you choose to heal or harm creatures of your elemental subtype, your channel energy has no effect on other creatures. The amount of damage healed or dealt and the DC to halve the damage is otherwise unchanged.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a new elemental subtype.
Endurance
General
Harsh conditions or long exertions do not easily tire you.
Benefits: You gain a +4 bonus on the following checks and saves: Swim checks made to resist nonlethal damage from exhaustion; Constitution checks made to continue running; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march; Constitution checks made to hold your breath; Constitution checks made to avoid nonlethal damage from starvation or thirst; Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments; and Fortitude saves made to resist damage from suffocation.
You may sleep in light or medium armor without becoming fatigued.
Normal: A character without this feat who sleeps in medium or heavier armor is fatigued the next day.
Eschew Materials
General
You can cast many spells without needing to utilize minor material components.
Benefits: You can cast any spell with a material component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component. The casting of the spell still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal. If the spell requires a material component that costs more than 1 gp, you must have the material component on hand to cast the spell, as normal.
Extra Channel
General
You can channel divine energy more often.
Prerequisites: Channel energy class feature.
Benefits: You can channel energy two additional times per day.
Special: If a paladin with the ability to channel positive energy takes this feat, she can use lay on hands four additional times a day, but only to channel positive energy.
Extra Ki
General
You can use your ki pool more times per day than most.
Prerequisites: Ki pool class feature.
Benefits: Your ki pool increases by 2.
Special: You can gain Extra Ki multiple times. Its effects stack.
Extra Lay On Hands
General
You can use your lay on hands ability more often.
Prerequisites: Lay on hands class feature.
Benefits: You can use your lay on hands ability two additional times per day.
Special: You can gain Extra Lay On Hands multiple times. Its effects stack.
Extra Mercy
General
Your lay on hands ability adds an additional mercy.
Prerequisites: Lay on hands class feature, mercy class feature.
Benefits: Select one additional mercy for which you qualify. When you use lay on hands to heal damage to one target, it also receives the additional effects of this mercy.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, select a new mercy.
Extra Performance
General
You can use your bardic performance ability more often than normal.
Prerequisites: Bardic performance class feature.
Benefits: You can use bardic performance for 6 additional rounds per day.
Special: You can gain Extra Performance multiple times. Its effects stack.
Extra Rage
General
You can use your rage ability more than normal.
Prerequisites: Rage class feature.
Benefits: You can rage for 6 additional rounds per day.
Special: You can gain Extra Rage multiple times. Its effects stack.
Fleet
General
You are faster than most.
Benefits: While you are wearing light or no armor, your base speed increases by 5 feet. You lose the benefits of this feat if you carry a medium or heavy load.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. The effects stack.
Great Fortitude
General
You are resistant to poisons, diseases, and other maladies.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Fortitude saving throws.
Greater Spell Focus
General
Choose a school of magic to which you have already applied the Spell Focus feat. Any spells you cast of this school are very hard to resist.
Prerequisites: Spell Focus.
Benefits: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against spells from the school of magic you select. This bonus stacks with the bonus from Spell Focus.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new school to which you already have applied the Spell Focus feat.
Greater Spell Penetration
General
Your spells break through spell resistance much more easily than most.
Prerequisites: Spell Penetration.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature’s spell resistance. This bonus stacks with the one from Spell Penetration.
Improved Channel
General
Your channeled energy is harder to resist.
Prerequisites: Channel energy class feature.
Benefits: Add 2 to the DC of saving throws made to resist the effects of your channel energy ability.
Improved Counterspell
General
You are skilled at countering the spells of others using similar spells.
Benefits: When counterspelling, you may use a spell of the same school that is one or more spell levels higher than the target spell.
Normal: Without this feat, you may counter a spell only with the same spell or with a spell specifically designated as countering the target spell.
Improved Familiar
General
This feat allows you to acquire a powerful familiar, but only when you could normally acquire a new familiar.
Prerequisites: Ability to acquire a new familiar, compatible alignment, sufficiently high level (see below).
Benefits: When choosing a familiar, the creatures listed below are also available to you. You may choose a familiar with an alignment up to one step away on each alignment axis (lawful through chaotic, good through evil).
Improved Great Fortitude
General
You can draw upon an inner reserve to resist diseases, poisons, and other grievous harm.
Prerequisites: Great Fortitude.
Benefits: Once per day, you may reroll a Fortitude save. You must decide to use this ability before the results are revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it is worse.
Improved Iron Will
General
Your clarity of thought allows you to resist mental attacks.
Prerequisites: Iron Will.
Benefits: Once per day, you may reroll a Will save. You must decide to use this ability before the results are revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it is worse.
Improved Lightning Reflexes
General
You have a knack for avoiding danger all around you.
Prerequisites: Lightning Reflexes.
Benefits: Once per day, you may reroll a Reflex save. You must decide to use this ability before the results are revealed. You must take the second roll, even if it is worse.
Iron Will
General
You are more resistant to mental effects.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.
Leadership
General
You attract followers to your cause and a companion to join you on your adventures.
Table: Leadership
| Leadership Score | Cohort Level | Number of Followers by Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1 or lower | – | – |
| 2 | 1st | – |
| 3 | 2nd | – |
| 4 | 3rd | – |
| 5 | 3rd | – |
| 6 | 4th | – |
| 7 | 5th | – |
| 8 | 5th | – |
| 9 | 6th | – |
| 10 | 7th | 5 |
| 11 | 7th | 6 |
| 12 | 8th | 8 |
| 13 | 9th | 10 |
| 14 | 10th | 15 |
| 15 | 10th | 20 |
| 16 | 11th | 25 |
| 17 | 12th | 30 |
| 18 | 12th | 35 |
| 19 | 13th | 40 |
| 20 | 14th | 50 |
| 21 | 15th | 60 |
| 22 | 15th | 75 |
| 23 | 16th | 90 |
| 24 | 17th | 110 |
| 25 or higher | 17th | 135 |
Prerequisites: Character level 7th.
Benefits: This feat enables you to attract a loyal cohort and a number of devoted subordinates who assist you. A cohort is generally an NPC with class levels, while followers are typically lower level NPCs. See Table: Leadership for what level of cohort and how many followers you can recruit.
Leadership Modifiers
Several factors can affect your Leadership score, causing it to vary from the base score (character level + Cha modifier). Your reputation (from the point of view of the cohort or follower you are trying to attract) raises or lowers your Leadership score:
Lightning Reflexes
General
You have faster reflexes than normal.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Reflex saving throws.
Magical Aptitude
General
You are skilled at spellcasting and using magic items.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Spellcraft checks and Use Magic Device checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Master Craftsman
General
Your superior crafting skills allow you to create simple magic items.
Prerequisites: 5 ranks in any Craft or Profession skill.
Benefits: Choose one Craft or Profession skill in which you possess at least 5 ranks. You receive a +2 bonus on your chosen Craft or Profession skill. Ranks in your chosen skill count as your caster level for the purposes of qualifying for the Craft Magic Arms and Armor and Craft Wondrous Item feats. You can create magic items using these feats, substituting your ranks in the chosen skill for your total caster level. You must use the chosen skill for the check to create the item. The DC to create the item still increases for any necessary spell requirements (see the magic item creation rules in Magic Items). You cannot use this feat to create any spell-trigger or spell-activation item.
Normal: Only spellcasters can qualify for the Craft Magic Arms and Armor and Craft Wondrous Item feats.
Natural Spell
General
You can cast spells even while in a form that cannot normally cast spells.
Prerequisites: Wis 13, wild shape class feature.
Benefits: You can complete the verbal and somatic components of spells while using wild shape. You substitute various noises and gestures for the normal verbal and somatic components of a spell.
You can also use any material components or focuses you possess, even if such items are melded within your current form. This feat does not permit the use of magic items while you are in a form that could not ordinarily use them, and you do not gain the ability to speak while using wild shape.
Nimble Moves
General
You can move across a single obstacle with ease.
Prerequisites: Dex 13.
Benefits: Whenever you move, you may move through 5 feet of difficult terrain each round as if it were normal terrain. This feat allows you to take a 5-foot step into difficult terrain.
Persuasive
General
You are skilled at swaying attitudes and intimidating others into your way of thinking.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Run
General
You are swift of foot.
Benefits: When running, you move five times your normal speed (if wearing medium, light, or no armor and carrying no more than a medium load) or four times your speed (if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load). If you make a jump after a running start (see the Acrobatics skill description), you gain a +4 bonus on your Acrobatics check. While running, you retain your Dexterity bonus to your Armor Class.
Normal: You move four times your speed while running (if wearing medium, light, or no armor and carrying no more than a medium load) or three times your speed (if wearing heavy armor or carrying a heavy load), and you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC.
Selective Channeling
General
You can choose whom to affect when you channel energy.
Prerequisites: Cha 13, channel energy class feature.
Benefits: When you channel energy, you can choose a number of targets in the area up to your Charisma modifier. These targets are not affected by your channeled energy.
Normal: All targets in a 30-foot burst are affected when you channel energy. You can only choose whether or not you are affected.
Self-Sufficient
General
You know how to get along in the wild and how to effectively treat wounds.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Heal checks and Survival checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Skill Focus
General
Choose a skill. You are particularly adept at that skill.
Benefits: You get a +3 bonus on all checks involving the chosen skill. If you have 10 or more ranks in that skill, this bonus increases to +6.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new skill.
Spell Focus
General
Choose a school of magic. Any spells you cast of that school are more difficult to resist.
Benefits: Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against spells from the school of magic you select.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new school of magic.
Spell Mastery
General
You have mastered a small handful of spells, and can prepare these spells without referencing your spellbooks at all.
Prerequisites: 1st-level wizard
Benefits: Each time you take this feat, choose a number of spells that you already know equal to your Intelligence modifier. From that point on, you can prepare these spells without referring to a spellbook.
Normal: Without this feat, you must use a spellbook to prepare all your spells, except read magic.
Spell Penetration
General
Your spells break through spell resistance more easily than most.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) made to overcome a creature’s spell resistance.
Stealthy
General
You are good at avoiding unwanted attention and slipping out of bonds.
Benefits: You get a +2 bonus on all Escape Artist and Stealth skill checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in one of these skills, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.
Toughness
General
You have enhanced physical stamina.
Benefits: You gain +3 hit points. For every Hit Die you possess beyond 3, you gain an additional +1 hit point. If you have more than 3 Hit Dice, you gain +1 hit points whenever you gain a Hit Die (such as when you gain a level).
Turn Undead
General
Calling upon higher powers, you cause undead to flee from the might of your unleashed divine energy.
Prerequisites: Channel positive energy class feature.
Benefits: You can, as a standard action, use one of your uses of channel positive energy to cause all undead within 30 feet of you to flee, as if panicked. Undead receive a Will save to negate the effect. The DC for this Will save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your cleric level + your Charisma modifier. Undead that fail their save flee for 1 minute. Intelligent undead receive a new saving throw each round to end the effect. If you use channel energy in this way, it has no other effect (it does not heal or harm nearby creatures).