- Type of feat
- General
- Prerequisite
- Int 13+, Combat Expertise
- Required for
- Class:Invisible Blade
- Specifics
The Feint feat can be used to deny your opponent their DEX bonus to AC for a combat round. In order for it to succeed you make a Bluff check with a target DC of the target's Base Attack Bonus plus their Spot skill. Regardless of whether their DEX bonus is removed, you only get a single attack that round (but Haste does stack with it). This feat is especially useful for rogues who can Sneak Attack with it. Any non-humanoid gets a +4 bonus to its DC. And against anything with a 1 or 2 intelligence it gets a +8 bonus to its DC. You can't feint against a non-intelligent creature.
A cleric with the Trickery domain receives this feat for free, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
- Use
- Selected
Implementation
To lay out the check and DC, they are (roughly):
Feint user: d20 + total modifed Bluff skill Target DC: d20 + Base Attack Bonus + total modified Spot skill Other bonuses: +4 for non-humanoid +8 if unintelligent (1 or 2 intelligence) or Impossible if 0 intelligence.
The formula listed above for the target's DC is an educated guess, though it seems to be consistent with the results of this feat. There is a stochastic component to the target's DC, modified by their spot and BAB; it is unknown as to whether the "other bonuses" are added or not. This formula is consistent with the PnP target DC except that spot has been substituted for sense motive.
| (Feint user:total modifed Bluff skill)-(Target:Base Attack Bonus + total modified Spot skill) | Success Rate |
| <=-20 | 0 |
| =-19 | 0.0025 |
| =-18 | 0.0075 |
| =-17 | 0.015 |
| =-16 | 0.025 |
| =-15 | 0.0375 |
| =-14 | 0.0525 |
| =-13 | 0.07 |
| =-12 | 0.09 |
| =-11 | 0.1125 |
| =-10 | 0.1375 |
| =-9 | 0.165 |
| =-8 | 0.195 |
| =-7 | 0.2275 |
| =-6 | 0.2625 |
| =-5 | 0.3 |
| =-4 | 0.34 |
| =-3 | 0.3825 |
| =-2 | 0.4275 |
| =-1 | 0.475 |
| =0 | 0.525 |
| =1 | 0.5725 |
| =2 | 0.6175 |
| =3 | 0.66 |
| =4 | 0.7 |
| =5 | 0.7375 |
| =6 | 0.7725 |
| =7 | 0.805 |
| =8 | 0.835 |
| =9 | 0.8625 |
| =10 | 0.8875 |
| =11 | 0.91 |
| =12 | 0.93 |
| =13 | 0.9475 |
| =14 | 0.9625 |
| =15 | 0.975 |
| =16 | 0.985 |
| =17 | 0.9925 |
| =18 | 0.9975 |
| >=19 | 1 |
Gameplay notes
- The in-game description for this feat is, at best, incomplete and arguably more powerful that it may appear. This is because, if the feint check passes, it will essentially render the target flat-footed for the remainder of the combat round. Further, aside from zero (0) intelligence opponents indicated above, this effect cannot be resisted by any spells, feats or effects such as Uncanny Dodge, Barbarian Rage or Death Ward. If the target's dexterity bonus is 0 or less and they have no dodge AC, then there is little point in using this feat, unless the user is a Rogue, Assassin or Invisible Blade (or any combination of those three), as the target would meet the conditions necessary for a Sneak Attack.
- Since successful use of this feat effectively strips the target of its dodge/dexterity bonuses (or penalties) for the remainder of the combat round, any of your allies attacking a successfully feinted target will also benefit from the reduced AC and sneak attack susceptibility.
- Contrary to this feat's description, you do not lose any attacks using this ability other than the attack you sacrifice to make the feint attempt. Specifically, each feint attempt will take one attack, with as many attempts possible as attacks per round.
- Assuming the above listed formula is accurate, the skill check required to feint a target is unusual in that it also includes their base attack bonus (i.e. Spot, d20 and BAB), making it more difficult to overcome - perhaps due to feint's potentially significant combat implications. It follows, then, that effective use of this feat encourages the user to invest highly in the bluff skill and its possible modifiers, some among them being:
- skill focus
- skill affinity
- character history
- background traits
- charisma ability modifiers
- the warlock invocation beguiling influence
- the bardic inspiration inspire competence
- certain spells such as heroism
- magic items
- general feats
- class feats
- However, in light of points two (2) three (3) and four (4), even users with low ranks in bluff may find feint useful, since the bluff skill can be significantly enhanced, all the user's allies may benefit and the user is free to sacrifice as many attacks as they are willing to part with to achieve success. It follows then, that feint remains most attractive when the user:
- has a high number of attacks per round, to make multiple attempts if needed
- has a high (modified) bluff skill, for a greater chance of of success and finally -
- succeeds with the feint early in the combat round, when she & her allies may make more use of it
- An attempted feint requires a melee weapon be equipped and within melee range of the target. You cannot feint with a ranged weapon (although a target that has lost its dodge/dexterity bonuses from a successful feint may be considerably easier to hit with one). Good party tactical use could involve a melee combatant feinting a target while ranged-attacking allies take advantage - preferably while flanking.
D & D note
This feat works somewhat different than in D&D. These deviations are necessary to adapt to a computer role-playing game.