Frayed Knights Manual: Feats, Part 1

Posted by Rampant Coyote on July 12, 2011

Frayed Knights is a pretty big, detailed game, and is gonna have a pretty substantial manual. My poor testers have been laboring without one, and have sometimes had trouble figuring out whether or not something is a bug with how certain things work. This means that, in addition to fixing lots of bugs, trying to get a new beta out every week-and-a-half or so, working 10-12 hour days on the day job, posting regular updates on this blog, and making sure my family knows that I still exist, I have to write the manual.

To hold on to what shreds of sanity I have remaining, I thought I’d combine a couple of tasks. Specifically, the blog and the manual. I know, reading manuals is not most people’s idea of fun (that’s why they’ve gone the way of the dodo in mainstream games), but for some RPG fans (like me) it can be part of the fun. If not, well, you can skim over it if you are interested, ignore the post entirely otherwise.

Today I thought I’d post part of the section on Feats. The more boring part, actually – it’s all attribute enhancements and proficiency skills. Boring, but very valuable to have. The more fun and interesting feats will be in part two, which I will post later this week. I wish to stress that while we’re pretty close to the end, none of this is 100% cast in stone. We might even add new feats or change things post-release, as far as I am concerned. But for now – this is how it is.

Enjoy, and please provide feedback or questions if you feel so inclined.

FEATS

In the world of Frayed Knights, adventurers typically fall into one of the four roles defined by the classes. But this doesn’t mean that they are all alike! You can customize your characters as they progress through the game to give them specializations, bonuses, additional skills, or even the abilities of another class. This is done by purchasing feats. Do you want Arianna to cast holy spells like a divine priestess? Do you want Chloe to be an expert archer? Make Benjamin less vulnerable to spells? This is all possible through feats and attribute enhancements.

Each level (and possibly at other times, such as a quest reward) characters receive one or more character points which can be used to buy feats or attribute enhancements. You can choose to spend the points immediately, or you can save them. Most feats cost only a single character point, but some cost two points. Feats are only purchased once.

Most feats give you passive situational bonuses, or unlock access to use certain items. Four spellcasting feats – Sorcery, Nature Magic, Divine Magic, and Dark Magic – unlock access to spells, allowing any character to use magic (though not as well as the class for whom those spells come automatically). Some grant enhanced functionality to actions like defending in combat. And some grant entirely new actions – particularly special attacks – that can be accessed from the spellcasting and feats menu.

Many feats have prerequisites. You must already have the prerequisites in order to purchase any feat. If you don’t have the prerequisites (or don’t have enough points to purchase it), the feat won’t even appear in the available list. In addition, the priest spellcasting feats (Nature Magic, Divine Magic, and Dark Magic) are mutually exclusive, as the gods are jealous. A character can have only one of these feats.

Feats are broken into five categories – mainly for convenience when choosing a new feat to purchase. These are: Attribute Enhancements, Proficiencies, Spellcasting, Enhancements, and Skills.

CATEGORY: Attribute Enhancements

Might, Reflexes, Brains, Charm, and Luck
Cost: 1 or 2 points
Description: These are treated as feats for the purpose of buying them, but they are really more of a general option a player can spend his character points on at any time. You can increase any of the character’s five attributes (Might, Brains, Charm, Reflexes, and Luck) by +1.

If the attribute is less than ten, the cost is one point. For attributes currently at ten or above, the cost doubles. There is no maximum value to any attributes.

CATEGORY: Proficiencies
The following feats allows the character to equip certain types of armor and weapons, or gives them additional attack and damage bonuses for extra skill.

Light Armor
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can wear light or medium armor.
Notes: Warriors, rogues, and priests automatically have this feat

Heavy Armor
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Light Armor
Description: Character can wear heavy armor.
Notes: Warriors and priests automatically have this feat

Weapon Competence: Blades
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can wield blade weapons (swords, daggers, etc.).
Notes: Warriors and rogues automatically have this feat

Weapon Competence: Bows
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can wield bows and crossbows.
Notes: Warriors and rogues automatically have this feat.

Weapon Competence: Spears
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can wield spears and pole arms.
Notes: Warriors and priests automatically have this feat

Weapon Competence: Bludgeons
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can wield bludgeons (clubs, staffs, maces, etc).
Notes: All classes have this feat automatically.

Weapon Competence: Throwing
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can wield thrown weapons.
Notes: All classes but sorcerers automatically have this feat.

Weapon Competence: Axes
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can wield axes.
Notes: Warriors automatically have this feat.

Shield Competence
Cost: 1 point
Description: Character can use shields.
Notes: Warriors automatically have this feat.

Weapon Expertise: Blades
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Competence: Blades
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with blade weapons.

Weapon Expertise: Bows
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Competence: Bows
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with bows.

Weapon Expertise: Spears
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Competence: Spears
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with spears and pole arms.

Weapon Expertise: Bludgeons
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Competence: Bludgeons
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with bludgeoning weapons.

Weapon Expertise: Thrown
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Competence: Throwing
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with thrown weapons.

Weapon Expertise: Axes
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Competence: Axes
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with axes.

Shield Expertise
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Shield Competence
Description: Character gains +2 defensive bonus when using a shield (on top of the shield’s own defensive bonus).

Weapon Mastery: Blades
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Expertise: Blades
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with blade weapons (in addition to the Expertise bonus).

Weapon Mastery: Bows
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Expertise: Bows
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with bows (in addition to the Expertise bonus).

Weapon Mastery: Spears
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Expertise: Spears
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with spears and pole arms (in addition to the Expertise bonus).

Weapon Mastery: Bludgeons
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Expertise: Bludgeons
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with bludgeoning weapons (in addition to the Expertise bonus).

Weapon Mastery: Thrown
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Expertise: Thrown
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with thrown weapons (in addition to the Expertise bonus).

Weapon Mastery: Bludgeons
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Weapon Expertise: Axes
Description: Character gains +2 to attacks with axes (in addition to the Expertise bonus).

Shield Mastery
Cost: 1 point
Prerequisite: Shield Expertise
Description: Character gains +2 defensive bonus when using a shield (in addition to the Expertise bonus).

Filed Under: Frayed Knights - Comments: 11 Comments to Read

skavenhorde said,

Blades mastery is a must for my guys. I guess I could have chosen a different weapon type for Arianna and Dirk, but I just like blades.

I think for the next playthrough I’ll have Dirk specialize in thrown weapons and Benjamin in bows. You have quite a few thrown and bow weapons available.
Rampant Coyote said,

Some brand-new feats will be available next build too. Especially appropriate for Dirk, actually. Decided to make a couple of changes based on feedback from some testers.
GhanBuriGhan said,

My, your priests seem to be of the robust kind, huh? No “let god be my armor” for these guys, I guess 😉

“Do you feel the love of God?” “No? And if I poke you with this?” *THWACK!* “Do you feel it now?”
Charles said,

I got the same feeling when I saw priests have heavy armor by default. Mine are wusses, and some complaints did arise from that, but I just can’t bring myself to making warrior priests. I might be able to bend that more next time… maybe.
Rampant Coyote said,

Technically anybody can use heavy armor pretty cheaply, too. It’s only a 1-point feat. But the real trick is the spellcasting penalty for wearing heavy armor: It’s -6 for priest spells, and effectively makes sorcerer spellcasting impossible. You can still cast the spells so long as your attribute + level is greater than the penalty, but getting offensive spells to stick is very difficult.

However, this would still make it a reasonable option for a “paladin type”, if you wanted to turn Benjamin into more of a front-line fighter. Or for Arianna, for that matter. Or… another priest class character who may be joining you temporarily in the next game. Said character would be more for defensive spells and buffs than attack, but still workable.
Modran said,

The next big question is: are there enough magic items of each kind to not make those choices no-brainers?
I remember a Wizardry playthrough that had a character use a newbie axe for quite a few levels? Would you look at that, it is you: http://www.rampantgames.com/blog/2008/10/wizardry-8-desperately-seeking-marten.html ! And for 19 levels !
Don’t make this a No Twinkie for You ;).
Rampant Coyote said,

Heh – great point, and the answer is: I think so. I think I do have a problem with a particularly cool spear being available somewhat early in the game and never really getting an upgrade, but I’ve been going over the item list making sure that there are adequate upgrades for all weapons. The trick, however, is that they are not all necessarily on the “critical path” to the end game… you get rewarded for poking around in optional dungeons & stuff.
Modran said,

That’s perfectly fine with me. As long as upgrades are available, it’s up to the player to find them. 😀
Have your beta testers been through different builds?
Rampant Coyote said,

Not so much with the latest betas (which finally *have* almost everything). DGM was pretty superheroic during alpha experimenting with different builds. He had some crazy stuff like Chloe and Benjamin dual-wielding thrown weapons from the back rank and stuff like that.
Frayed Knights Manual: Feats, Part 2 said,

[…] CommentsRampant Coyote on Frayed Knights Manual: Feats, Part 1Modran on Frayed Knights Manual: Feats, Part 1Delve on What Does “Old School RPG” Mean […]
Calibrator said,

If a special object is given the player (by a person or a plot event) – think the shards of Narsil given to Aragorn and in LotR – the player expects having to use it in order to succeed, especially when being instructed. Nothing wrong with that.

However, if the player simply finds a very special item like this on his own (!) he will probably feel obligated to use it – or even confused: “I just found this ‘Ring of clairvoyance’ at the end of this dungeon I had to enter – it must be of some use! Or isn’t it?”

Stuff clearly found aside the main plot path can be cool for exact this reason: The player doesn’t feel intimidated (to use it) and can get creative: “How about using the ‘Axe of Gertrud’ to mow down the hoardes of chauvinistic orks?”.