Feats of Heroism

by Steve Kenson

Feats are an important part of creating your own unique hero in Blue Rose, since feats define a hero's special capabilities, beyond the basic abilities granted by ability scores and skills. Blue Rose helps to ensure each hero is unique by providing a choice of different feats: the Blue Rose rulebook includes well over a hundred different feats!

Feats and Roles

Blue Rose divides feats into four categories: general, martial, arcane, and expert. General feats are available to heroes of all three roles; they include things like Armor Training, Distract, Favors, Heirloom, Pure-Hearted, Second Chance, Rhy-bonded, Talented, and Wealthy.

The other three types of feats are available only to heroes of a particular role: Martial feats are available only to warriors, arcane feats to adepts, and expert feats (naturally enough) to experts. These types of feats focus on abilities suited to those particular roles and are known as the role's "favored" feats.

Many backgrounds also come with favored feats, which are available to those of that background regardless of role. So, for example, although Rage is a martial feat (available only to warriors) it is also a favored feat of the riders of Rezea as well as the night people and rhy-wolves. Characters of those backgrounds can choose Rage as one of their feats even if they are not warriors. This associates certain backgrounds with certain abilities without forcing players to choose those abilities, if they don't want them (so not every Rezean or rhy-wolf has the Rage feat, but many do and it is potentially available to any of them).

Roles in Blue Rose do not have assigned special abilities. Instead, each role provides a selection of feats at 1st level and an additional feat each level thereafter. These feats can be general feats, ones from the role's favored list, or favored feats from the character's background, however the player chooses. Some feats have requirements you have to meet before you can choose that feat, effectively limiting them to only higher-level heroes. Working toward an advanced feat is a good reason to set your hero on a particular path.

Choosing a Path

A path is a series of feats, gained over the course of a hero's career, with a particular theme and often aimed toward a particular end. Paths help to further define the basic roles into the many different paths Blue Rose characters may follow. Paths are not pre-defined; you create your own to suit your particular vision of your character's abilities, both now and in the future. The Blue Rose rulebook provides some sample paths for inspiration, but you can mix and match feats, and even levels in different roles, to create whatever sort of path you want for your character.

Here are some examples of starting paths provided in Blue Rose:

Animist: Animists specialize in the Animism Talent and its arcana. Animists are often drawn to wild places and creatures. They feel a kinship for all living things. Some animists are fierce hunters while others eat only what is freely given from nature, typically fruits and grains harvested without killing the plants, and no animal flesh.

Role: Adept.

Starting Skills: Handle Animal, Survival.

Starting Feats: Animism Talent, Arcane Training (Beast Reading, Enhance Ability), Familiar, Wild Empathy.

Barbarian: Although the Old Kingdom coined the term "barbarian" to refer to the less civilized peoples on its outskirts, those selfsame people have adopted it as a badge of honor. Most barbarian warriors come from the Rezean plainsfolk, although they're found among the Islanders, in Kern, and in the great forest, anywhere on the edges of civilization.

Role: Warrior.

Starting Skills: Intimidate, Survival.

Starting Feats: Armor Training (all), Rage, Toughness. Weapon Training.

Crusader: The zeal of the Church of Pure Light has given rise to a new type of warrior, the Crusader, devoted to the cause of righteousness and cleansing the world of the taint of Shadow. Many young Jarzoni dream of becoming crusaders, and some are true to their oaths and ideals. Other crusaders are narrow-minded zealots, using their faith as little more than an excuse for violence.

Role: Warrior.

Starting Skills: Knowledge (religion), Intimidate.

Starting Feats: Armor Training (all), Favored Foe (choose one of darkfiend, shadowspawn, or unliving), Smite Foe, Weapon Training.

Healer: Among the most respected adepts, healers study all the secrets of life and how to restore health to the sick and injured. There are few places in Aldea where a healer is not welcome, even among those who normally mistrust the arcane arts. Although it's not often discussed, there is a dark side to the healing arts; some of the most corrupt sorcery involves the power to twist and bend life to suit the sorcerer's will.

Role: Adept.

Starting Skills: Concentration, Heal.

Starting Feats: Arcane Training (Body Control, Psychic Shield), Arcane Training (Cure, Mind Touch), Healing Talent, Psychic Talent.

Noble: Nobles range from the chosen nobility administering to the provinces of Aldis to the clan chiefs of the Rezea, the hearth-heads of the Islanders, the ecclesiastical lords of Jarzon, and the Lich King's loyal governors. Some nobles are worthy of the name, with the best interests of their people at heart. Others are corrupted, either by greed and power, or by the touch of Shadow. Nobles navigate the often-dangerous waters of Aldea society with greater skill than anyone.

Role: Expert.

Starting Skills: Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (nobility), Notice, Sense Motive, Ride.

Starting Feats: Armor Training (light), Favors, Inspire Confidence, Inspire Valor.

Psychic: Psychic adepts plumb the depths of the psychic arts, the hidden powers of the mind and soul. Theirs are among the most subtle and complex of arcana, but also some of the most dangerous and tempting. Psychics facilitate communication across Aldis and often serve as envoys of the Sovereign, but other nations, particularly Jarzon, mistrust them, never knowing what insights a psychic may have.

Role: Adept.

Starting Skills: Concentration, Sense Motive.

Starting Feats: Arcane Training (Mind Touch, Psychic Shield), Arcane Training (Mind Reading, Illusion), Iron Will, Psychic Talent.

Scout: Although the Scouts of the Sovereign's Finest in Aldis are the best known, scouts are found in many lands. They're known for a combination of wilderness lore and social skills, making them excellent envoys and messengers. Scouts also blaze new trails, help establish treaties and alliances, and spy on enemies, gathering valuable information. Aldin scouts often have some talent for psychic arcana, something other nations find disconcerting.

Role: Expert.

Starting Skills: Gather Information, Notice, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sneak, Survival.

Starting Feats: Armor Training (light), Fortune's Favor, Track, plus one of Arcanum (Mind Touch), Arcanum (Second Sight), or Wild Empathy.

Spirit Dancer: The Spirit Dancers follow an ancient and noble tradition rooted in the meditative arts. In the Old Kingdom, Spirit Dancers were renowned for their artistry and mastery over the body. Their Halls were widespread, and students came from every land to study the Great Dance. The Spirit Dancers were persecuted during the rule of the Sorcerer Kings, driving their tradition underground. It survived hidden in folk dances and harvest celebrations, part of the rebellion that eventually overthrew the Sorcerer Kings. In the time since, the Spirit Dancer tradition has slowly grown again in Aldis.

Role: Expert.

Starting Skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Concentration, Escape Artist, Perform (dance), Sneak.

Starting Feats: Armor Training (light), Arcanum (Battle Dance), Arcanum (Body Control), Improved Strike.

Sample Feats

Here's just a sample of the many feats available to heroes in Blue Rose. The game's rulebook holds over a hundred, with more planned for the upcoming Blue Rose Companion, giving you a wide freedom of choice for creating heroes of your own.

Arcanum (General)

You can use one arcanum without any need for the corresponding talent. This feat replaces both the required Arcane Talent feat and the Arcane Training feat for that arcanum. Note that since Arcanum is a general feat, any character can acquire it (as opposed to Arcane Training and the Arcane Talent feats, which are available only to adepts).

Your "adept level" in the arcanum is equal to you total level (even if you have no adept levels at all). Your Arcanum fulfills prerequisites requiring a certain rank of training in the arcanum, but not prerequisites involving a particular arcane talent (since you don't actually have the talent). You do not gain the benefits of the arcanum's underlying talent (including untrained use of certain arcana). You can take this feat more than once. Each time, it grants a different arcanum. Body Control and Psychic Shield in particular are fairly common arcanum in Aldis.

Beloved (General)

You are one of the fortunate few to have found true love in this life. Work with the narrator to define who this person is; your beloved may be another hero or a supporting character controlled by the Narrator. In either case, you should properly roleplay your hero's feelings!

You have a +4 on saving throws and checks against effects that would sway you against your beloved in any way. Whenever you spend a Conviction point to enhance a die roll directly concerning your beloved, the roll is treated as a 20 (but not a natural 20). The Narrator decides when you can appropriately enhance a die-roll, but things like efforts to find a kidnapped or lost beloved, to fight your way to your beloved's side, or to defend your beloved from a threat are all appropriate.

If your relationship with your beloved ends, for any reason, you lose the benefits of this feat. You can only regain them by renewing your relationship. You can take this feat more than once, if the Narrator so allows. Each time, it applies to a different person.

Note your relationship with your beloved does not have to be romantic (although it often is). It could be any close personal relationship: parent and child, mentor and student, siblings, or boon companions as well as lovers.

Cure Disease (Arcane)

Prerequisite: Healing Talent, trained in the Cure arcanum.

You can use the Cure arcanum to cure a subject of disease. The Difficulty of the Cure check is the disease's saving throw Difficulty. Curing disease is fatiguing and you get only one attempt to cure any given patient of a particular disease. If you fail, you must spend a point of Conviction to try again.

Fortune's Favor (General)

Prerequisite: One or more arcane talent feats (including Arcanum or Wild Talent), Charisma +1 or higher.

Through subliminal arcane influence over the whims of chance, you add your Charisma score as a bonus to all your saving throws.

Immunity to Disease (General)

Prerequisites: Body Control rank 5 or higher.

Your control over your body is such that you are immune to all diseases and automatically succeed on your saving throws against them.

Inspire (Expert)

Prerequisite: Charisma +1 or higher.

You can inspire others with your presence. Using any inspire ability requires a standard action and is considered a use of an interaction skill, even though no skill check is required. So your subjects have to be able to hear and understand you, for example.

You can affect a number of subjects equal to half your level and the effects last for a number of rounds equal to your level. Unwilling targets make a Will saving throw (Difficulty 10 + half your level + your Charisma). You can use any combination of Inspire effects a total of once per day per two levels (so a 6th-level hero can Inspire three times a day). Each time you take this feat, choose one of the following effects:

Awe: The subjects are overcome with your presence. They suffer a –2 penalty on Reflex saving throws and a –1 penalty to Defense.

Complacency: The subjects let down their guard. They suffer a –2 penalty on Notice and Sense Motive checks.

Confidence: Subjects steel their resolve. They gain a +1 bonus on attack rolls and saving throws.

Fear: Subjects are overcome with fear and anxiety. They suffer a –1 penalty to attack rolls and saving throws.

Valor: The subjects overcome fear and doubt. They gain a +2 bonus on Will saves and an additional +1 bonus on saves against fear.

Zeal: The subjects throw all their fury behind their attacks, gaining a +2 bonus on damage with all melee attacks.

You can take this feat multiple times, each time, you acquire a new type of inspiration.

Pure-Hearted (General)

You are difficult to corrupt. You get a +4 bonus on saving throws to resist any attempt to corrupt, bribe, or otherwise turn you from the right and proper path. This includes corruption checks. You do not get this bonus if you voluntarily indulge in corrupt activities without a very good reason. So you might be able to use sorcery, for example, for a very good cause, and stave off its corruption, but the Narrator should feel free to tempt you with opportunities to stray off the straight and narrow. Also, if your Shadow Nature ever becomes dominant, you lose the benefits of this feat during that time.

Smite Foe (Martial)

Prerequisite: Favored Foe.

You can charge a blow with considerable power. You can use Smite Foe once per day per four total levels. When you attack a favored foe in melee, you can activate this feat: add your Charisma bonus to your attack roll and half your total level to your damage. If you accidentally smite an opponent that is not actually a favored foe, there is no additional effect, and the smite use is wasted.

In my next Blue Rose Visions we'll begin looking at the three heroic roles and game systems related to them, starting with skills and the Experts who master them.