Rework Background Trait Feats

[Blackman D]

Guild Thief grants a flat bonus at level 4(?), pretty sure the script already exists.

difference being you are comparing a PRC to something that has no prereqs and can be taken at lvl 1, its not the same

[Karond]

...

Artist wouldn't make you a bard, it would only give you the capacity to take PRCs (stormsinger and dissonant cord). Those PRCs, or the Bard base class, would make you a bard (or a dissonant cord, or a stormsinger) (although, the PRCs wouldn't give you inspirations or anything, just spellcasting and their specific songs).

20+7+5+2 (assuming you spent all your feats on int as a none-pure wizard, started with a +2 race, and buffed it)=26 HP. Still+Silence+Empower+Maximize+Quicken=15 HP. Total, that is 41 HP. That doesn't seem like too much to me (and who takes still/silence anyway!). Not sure is ASoC counts its improved metamagic and regular metamagic as two seperate feats (pretty sure it takes away the regular feats when it gives you the improved metamagic).

Guild Thief grants a flat bonus at level 4(?), pretty sure the script already exists.

Yeah, pretty sure nothing grants immunity to sickness (and its a pretty obscure effect anyway, only one or two things deal it out). Maybe immunity to shaken, instead? I figure that would fit with the feat's theme still. Shaken is still a lesser effect, but, it does add a little oomph to the feat with it. +Saves vs Disease is alright too though.

It's OP on artist. First off, you need to see that this circumvents normal class requirements. It's exactly the same as if a fighter can just pick a feat, and qualify for stormlord or hospitaler on the argument that "those classes then make him a divine spellcasting character". The class combinations you can pull off like that...no way, and it's no different with the bard prcs (especially since they erronously qualify you for requiem without pure bard levels).

Plus fox's cunning. My rejection stems from the fact that it will be paired with toughness (for free no less, too many items with it), covering up one of the weaknesses of such characters. It would be better if it could focus much less on HP, and more on something else in spirit of the feat's name.

That's true actually. Do we need more of it? The thing is that as a feat it's readily accessable. Some things should only belong to certain classes. As such, a similar effect could maybe be part of the rogue bonus feat list or such...if at all necessary.

Immunity to shaken also doesn't exist. Available immunities are rather limited. And yes, vs negative energy is extremely limited, but so much so that useless is not far off. Vs disease works, but since they're all coming with set DCs (and always low ones at that, max is 25 now) it's not overly useful either. Vs death is far better, it's likely part of what makes the original feat attractive to begin with.

[Ithilan]

I have to agree with karond on every point really.. these proposed changes would be way out line in terms of build possibilities, i approve of changing the feats but not to something that would impact so heavily as the artist suggestion.

Keep in mind not every little skill point or feat might necessarily be serving a purpose in a build.. but more so in a role playing perspective (true believer?).