How do I gain extra feats outside of normal levelling?

Question

I'm new to D&D and new to version 3.5 particularly.

I'm creating a character using the PHB and need to know if there are any means for getting extra feats - perhaps some items or possibly quests?

This knowledge is very crucial for building characters, as two sets (for 7 feats and for 9 feats) differ dramatically.

We are adventuring through Faerun.

The DM says that for a novice, using PHB1, PHB2, Complete Arcana, Complete Divine, Complete Warrior, Complete Adventurer and DMG1 (prestige class section only) are sufficient, but he may for his own needs draw events, rewards and so on from additional sources.

I'm planing to breed Cleric lvl1, Wizard Lvl4, Dweomerkeeper lvl 10 (we agreed with DM to override experience cheat of this class) , Archmage lvl 5.

Three of my feats go towards archmage prereqs, eschew materials, and some metamagic. For others I may get more metamagic or get SLA from Archmage and use maximize SLA on it, or get extremely useful precise shot for not hitting my own companions that are all melee.

Answer 1

It's possible, but not with the resources you listed above.

Mirror move is a WotC web supplement, likely turned into the spell compendium's Heroics. Both feats will provide a leavening of "free" feats for your character. Enchanting them into a magic item using the custom magic item rules is technically possible, though may get dice thrown at you.

You may also find this thread useful:

If so, get Magical Training (PGtF) to meet the arcane casting prerequisite of Dweomerkeeper, ... Also be sure to pick up Initiate of Mystra (PGtF) at some point if possible, though it's typically delayed until around 9th level.

If you can use flaws, use one of the elf races, and later on you can (Su) Dark Chaos Shuffle your four racial marital weapon proficiency feats into four Extra Turning feats to power DMM: Persist. If you're doing this, you should also spend some starting gold on one or more bonus feats from visiting the special locations detailed in Complete Scoundrel, which can also be Dark Chaos Shuffled to something more useful.

Unfortunately, all of these suggestions rely on books outside your "allowed book" list. It also seems the class has been changed in the web edition versus the book edition, so your mileage may vary. Also, given that the thought bottle is in Complete Arcane, don't worry too much about supernatural spell. As the class doesn't grant dual casting, I would try to find a feat-replacement for that level of wizard.

Still, with the set above, I expect much of what you'll find is a function of negotiation with your DM. Having mirror move as a mantled spell is not a horrible idea and, as it costs you time and slots to cast, isn't absurdly broken (just mostly.)

Answer 2

Bonus Feats are usually a class feature

So to get some, you need to take classes that have them.

Major Exception: Humans, and some human subraces, get a free Bonus Feat. This is why Human is usually the best choice for pretty much everything.

The only other exceptions I’m aware of off the top of my head are the Elder Evil’s rules for worshiping an elder evil, which gets you some bonus feats, and then spells that temporarily mimic feats, including some like mirror move and heroics that allow you a lot of choice in the feats you get.

There’s also the Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle (DCFS), which involves casting embrace the dark chaos (switch any feat you have for any Abyssal heritor feat) and then casting shun the dark chaos (switch any Abyssal heritor feat you have for any other feat), both from Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss, but this doesn’t get you extra feats, just lets you trade useless feats for useful ones. For example, elves can technically trade away their Martial Weapon Proficiency feats. It’s also usually regarded as inappropriate for most tables.

Since Elder Evil, Fiendish Codex I, and Spell Compendium are not on your list, you’re not going to be able to use any of these anyway.

Useful class for you: Master Specialist

Sadly, there is a perfect class for you, but it’s in Complete Mage. The Master Specialist can be entered at level 4 by a specialist wizard who has the Spell Focus feat for their school, and gives Skill Focus (Spellcraft) as a bonus feat at 2nd level. So you could be Cleric 1/Wizard 3/Master Specialist 2, and have most of the feats you need for Archmage. That’s also 6 levels, so it’ll cost you a level of Archmage at the end, but that’s pretty minor.

Variants!

Many 3.5 games, as a houserule, as well as Pathfinder, as an official rule, give out feats every odd level, instead of every third level. Could ask your DM to consider it.

Unearthed Arcana, which is available free as part of the SRD, also has a number of options that are useful to you.

The Martial Wizard variant gets a Fighter Bonus Feat instead of Scribe Scroll. You may be able to pick up one of the feats you need from that list, perhaps.

Further, you might ask your DM to consider the Flaws variant, which allow you to get up to two extra feats by taking some drawbacks. These drawbacks don’t usually really deserve a feat, so in a lot of ways it is always a good trade to take flaws for feats, which is a problem with the system. On the other hand, many feel that 3.5 gives out too few feats as it is, especially at low levels, which the Flaw system does fix.

Answer 3

Unearthed Arcana introduces character flaws which you can take in exchange for an extra feat - I love to use them for both PCs and NPCs personally. Generally, these take the form of a penalty that is twice as harsh as another feat would add - for example taking a penalty of 10 ft/rnd movement speed whereas the non-epic feat to add movement speed only adds 5.

You also can have some magical items that allow you to have bonus feats while you wear them, even if you don't meet the requirements for that feat. From looking at the most basic ones it seems that such properties are a +10,000 gp enhancement to the magic item.

So, when you can afford it, you can, for example, buy a ring that grants a feat, and then when you can afford it add a second feat for 15,000 gp (25,000 total), and then when you can afford it add a third feat for 20,000 gp (45,000 total).

Answer 4

Another way to gain feats is through a Faustian Pact, as detailed in the Fiendish Codex 2 on page 24. A Feat is worth 4 Reward Points. You get those through either a Pact certain, worth 9 points (although you instantly are lawful evil by willingly selling your soul to one of the archdevils) or a Pact Insidious. There you have to do tasks for the devil in exchange for points. Torture, murder, all that fun evil stuff. Reward points handed out for tasks are in a table on Page 30.

This method has the small Drawback of selling your soul to a devil but who wouldn't do that for more power?

Secondly i found this resource (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?400840-List-of-Feat-Granting-Items-Locations-Grafts) which has a list of items granting feats, if you need something specific you might find that in here. One of the more well-know and cheaper ones is the Otyugh Hole.

Metamagic Rods (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rods.htm#metamagicRods) grant Metamagic Feats a certain amount of times per day.

Lastly, since i'm already making a list of all the ways to get feats: Racial Feats. Human is the obvious free feat, but certain races have some nice feats for certain builds, Midgard Dwarves get Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Wonderous Item and Forge Ring and bonus feats if you're going for a crafter type of character.

Answer 5

Role Play.

Remember that DMs are all-powerful, and usually eager to find ways to reward good role play. A feat is something your character can do because he devoted hours and years of practice to learning that ability. If you can role play that your character is devoting time into learning an extra feat, as well as encourage role play in other areas, you'll likely find your DM more than willing to grant this to you, perhaps earning the bonus after one or two levels of play.