Faith and Magic Traits
While feats are more dramatic, in a lot of ways I find gaining traits to be more exciting. It just doesn’t happen every day that you get to gain a benefit based on a defining feature of your character. Traits also give you some interesting ideas for ways to roleplay your character. This week I’ve decided to specifically talk about faith and magic traits, and give you some new ones to choose from. Each of these traits offers specific bonuses that won’t be forgotten, even as play progresses.
New Magic Traits
Alchemical Experimenter (Magic)
You have little love for tried and true formulae, preferring to constantly push the boundaries of your alchemical knowledge.
Benefit: You gain a +5 trait bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks made to use the Brew Potion feat to create a potion that you have never created before. If you use Craft (alchemy) to create a potion, but fail your skill check, then the resulting potion is cursed. You also gain the Brew Potion feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites.
Normal: You need to fail an appropriate skill check to craft a magic item by 5 or more to create a cursed item.
Blood Focus (Magic)
Your very blood longs for the glory of battle, and you become a focused force for destruction in a fight.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls made with bloodrager bloodline abilities, as well as on all attack rolls made with spells and spell-like abilities while in a bloodrage.
Deep Bond (Magic)
You have an unusually deep bond with your familiar and are rarely parted from it.
Benefit: You treat your level as being 2 higher than it actually is for the purposes of your familiar’s abilities that are dependent on its master’s level. Additionally, as long as both you and your familiar are within 10 feet of each other, you both gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against charm, emotion, and fear effects.
Expert Craftsman (Magic)
You have made a lifetime of study in the creation of magical artifacts.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on all Craft checks. Additionally, when you create a magic item using Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Rod, Craft Wondrous Item, or Forge Ring, you may use a spell of the same school and level in place of the required spell without increasing the DC to craft the item.
Eye for Items (Magic)
You are skilled in identifying the properties of magical items.
Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify items. Additionally, when you successfully identify a magic item, you gain a +2 trait bonus on Appraise checks to determine the item’s value, and a +2 bonus on Knowledge checks made about the items history or significance.
Hex Mage (Magic)
You use your magical talents to correct the scales by placing hexes on those that wrong you.
Benefit: Your level is considered to be 1 higher than it actually is for the purposes of hexes that target another character.
Otherworldly Insight (Magic)
You have seen or been to other planes of existence, and your time there has left its mark on you.
Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks, and Knowledge (planes) is always a class skill for you. Additionally, you can occasionally recall knowledge obtained from visits to other planes. Once each day, you can substitute a Knowledge (planes) check for any other Knowledge skill check.
Summoning Savant (Magic)
You have a deep connection to the spirits of creatures and share a close bond with entities you call from distant places.
Benefit: Creatures you summon with spells of the summoning subschool have 1 extra hit point per caster level you possess.
New Faith Traits
Healing Hands (Faith)
You have a background in healing and a reputation for handling the chronic and grievous wounds on the battlefield.
Benefit: Whenever you restore hit points to a character using a spell of the healing subschool, if you successfully used the Heal skill on that character within the last 24 hours, then that character regains a number of additional hit points equal to twice the level of the spell used to restore lost hit points.
Indoctrination (Faith)
You were indoctrinated into a faith and raised in a life which strictly follows a rigid creed or dogma.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus on Knowledge (religion) checks, and Knowledge (religion) is always a class skill for you. Additionally, due to your rigid adherence to your faith, you gain a +2 bonus on Will saves made to resist divine mind-affecting spells cast by characters who do not use a holy symbol of your faith as divine focus.
Special: A character with this trait must follow a single deity or religious philosophy.
Omen Reader (Faith)
You have faith in signs from beyond the mortal realm.
Benefit: You read signs and omens in everyday things and, to a limited extent, can determine their meaning, allowing you to be ready for whatever awaits you. Each day you note an omen of things to come, which has one of the following effects, determined randomly by the GM.
- You see a sign of danger and gain a +1 bonus on initiative checks for the rest of the day.
- You see a sign relating to a specific subject, granting you a +2 bonus on a single Knowledge check and allowing you to achieve results of higher than 10 even if you are untrained in that Knowledge skill.
- You receive an omen of fortune, allowing you to reroll any single d20 roll that resulted in a natural 1. You must take the new result, even if it is also a 1.
Street Preacher (Faith)
You have a background in missionary work in big cities and know how to spread the faith among the poor and downtrodden.
Benefit: As long as you display your holy symbol, you gain a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made in an urban environment. If the prevailing religion in the area worships the faith displayed in your holy symbol, you also gain a further +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to gather information.
True Conviction (Faith)
You have an intense and unshakable belief in your faith that comes from a place of absolute certainty.
Benefit: Once per day, you may add your Wisdom modifier to any Charisma check or any Diplomacy or Intimidate check by invoking the name of your deity.