An ambitious rogue attempts to rob a group of bandits, but things go sour. The bandit leader grabs the rogue and tries to put a dagger to his throat.
In response, the rogue dances away nimbly, dodging his opponent’s blade. He draws his dagger as a second bandit appears.
Scowling, the bandit slashes widely with a rapier. The rogue skillfully dodges the strike and hurls his dagger. It strikes true, and the bandit leader collapses.
“You’re next,” the rogue says through gritted teeth.
The look of shock on the bandit’s face is priceless! The rogue has just demonstrated the power of two class feats: You’re Next and Nimble Dodge.
In any roleplaying game, feats are a key component. They allow players to customize their characters and make them unique. In Pathfinder 2nd edition, there are dozens of amazing feats to choose from. But which ones are the best?
In this article, we will discuss the seven most powerful, most commonly used, and most impactful combat-based feats in the Pathfinder RPG. Choosing these feats will keep your party balanced and well-prepared for the danger that awaits you in Golarion.
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7 Best Combat Feats in Pathfinder
Golarion is a dangerous place. It’s common for travelers to run into trouble. An ill-equipped party won’t last a week. Travelers are well-advised to seek the aid of experienced adventures.
With Pathfinder, players can create unique and powerful characters. Because Pathfinder’s character creation system is customizable, players can select from a range of abilities and feats when creating new characters.
When it comes to choosing the best feats in Pathfinder 2nd edition, there is no simple answer. Every character is different, and every player has their own preferences.
However, there are a few feats that stand out as being particularly powerful and useful.
For example, Twin Takedown lets rangers make two attacks with one action. And with the You’re Next feat, rogues can strike fear into their opponents after killing an enemy.
Here are some tips on choosing the best feats for your character:
- Choose feats that match your character’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Choose feats that fit your playstyle.
- Choose feats that are relevant to the type of combat you expect to encounter most often.
When used correctly, feats can turn the tide of battle in your favor. So choose your feats wisely and crush your enemies beneath your feet.
Some of the best combat feats in Pathfinder 2nd edition include:
- Battle Medicine
- Incredible Initiative
- Armor Proficiency
- Toughness
- Point-Blank Shot
- Double Slice
- You’re Next
1. Battle Medicine
Healing allies in combat plays a vital role in Pathfinder. Whether you’re a cleric, paladin, or druid, your healing abilities can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
With Battle Medicine, you can use your healing skills to help your allies during combat. This allows you to stay in the fight longer and potentially survive a battle you might not have otherwise.
Battle Medicine is a must-have ability for any healer looking to keep their allies alive in combat.
You can’t win a fight if you’re unconscious. And no matter how fast or how tough you are, it’s only a matter of time before someone一or something一knocks you down. Some wounds can be fatal, so every party needs a healer.
Those trained in Medicine can heal wounds with the aid of Healer’s Tools. Characters can take this training further with Battle Medicine. Having combat experience, these healers have exceptional abilities and can heal wounds in the middle of the fray.
2. Incredible Initiative
Combat in Pathfinder revolves around the initiative roll. Having the first turn in an encounter is a major advantage. You’ll almost always roll initiative at the beginning of a battle, so having a good score is important.
In order to make the most of the turn order, players need to understand how initiative works.
Those with talent will usually get the jump on slower opponents who lack awareness of their surroundings. The Incredible Initiative feat will improve the character’s reaction time, giving them a +2 circumstance bonus to their initiative rolls.
Because initiative rolls are ranked, a bad roll can be costly. Having to go last in combat will limit your options. When you have the initiative, it’s easier to take enemies by surprise and force them into a defense position.
3. Armor Proficiency
In Pathfinder, armor allows you to protect yourself from harm. Armor comes in a variety of types, each with its own benefits and drawbacks. Wearing armor can help you survive in a fight, but it can also slow you down and make it difficult to move.
Armor proficiency is rare in Pathfinder, so you should use this feat wisely. It can help you increase the AC of an already high-AC character or make a low-AC character able to wear heavier armor without penalty.
In Pathfinder, there are three types of armor: light, medium, and heavy. Light armor is the most versatile type of armor. It’s the lightest and offers the least protection, but it doesn’t restrict your movement as much as medium or heavy armor. Medium armor offers more protection than light armor, but it restricts your movement.
Heavy armor offers the greatest protection of all, but it also severely limits your agility and speed. Improving your character’s Proficiency in Armor will ensure they are combat-ready.
Some characters start the game with armor proficiency. Other characters, however, will have to choose between wearing armor or other abilities.
4. Toughness
Characters with Toughness can take more punishment than most. Taking this feat will give a character a boost to their hit points. Additionally, this feat reduces the DC of recovery checks, making your character harder to kill.
Toughness is a must-have for any player looking to survive in a combat-based game. The extra hit points can mean the difference between life and death, and the reduced DC can make it easier for your party to recover from a devastating battle.
Additionally, this feat reduces the DC of recovery checks, making your character harder to kill.
When your character is dying, you’ll need to make a recovery check at the beginning of each turn. The DC of the check is equal to 10 + your current dying value.
With Toughness, you can reduce this DC by 1, increasing your chances of recovering from fatal attacks.
5. Point-Blank Shot
Not all fighters use a sword. Some prefer to keep their opponents at a distance. If you’re planning on using ranged weapons as a fighter, the Point-Blank Shot feat is essential.
With this combat feat, fighters will gain a +2 circumstance bonus to their attack rolls with a ranged weapon when targeting nearby enemies.
As an archer, using Point-Blank Shot will be your best bet for dealing with close-quarters situations. Point-Blank Shot has the open trait, meaning you have to use it at the beginning of your turn.
Characters also have to enter a stance to use Point-Blank Shot, which takes an action. Once they’ve entered the stance, fighters can use Point-Blank Shot at the beginning of each turn, quickly picking off foes.
Point-Blank Shot works with volley weapons as well, such as the longbow. These weapons aren’t very effective at close range. Attacks against targets that are within a volley weapon’s first range increment take a -2 penalty.
Taking Point-Blank Shot, however, eliminates this penalty so your character can effectively use longbows in close-quarters.
6. Twin Takedown
Rangers are famous for their duel-wielding abilities. After years of training, they’ve learned to take full advantage of fighting with weapons in both hands.
Skilled with simple and martial weapons, rangers are a great choice for players looking to make an ambidextrous weapon’s master.
With Twin Takedown, rangers can take their two-weapon fighting skills to the next level. Characters can use Twin Takedown to make two Strikes with a single action!
These attacks must be made against the ranger’s Hunted Prey. If both attacks hit the same target, their damage is combined.
Twin Takedown is a flourish and can only be used once per turn. Even though your multiple attack penalty still applies, this is a major advantage. Combined with Hunter’s Edge, rangers can make multiple devastating attacks every round.
With Hunter’s Edge, rangers can use a flurry attack to reduce their multiple attack penalty. And Twin Takedown lets rangers make two attacks with one action. By using agile weapons, rangers can make this fighting style even more potent.
For example, a ranger can use Twin Takedown against an adjacent opponent. Multiple attack penalties are applied normally. So the ranger’s first strike has no penalty.
The second attack has a -2 penalty because of flurry and because the ranger is wielding agile weapons. The third and fourth strikes will be made with a -4 penalty.
7. You’re Next
Rogues are one of the most popular classes in Pathfinder, and for a good reason. They’re versatile and deadly, capable of dealing massive damage with a single strike.
At level 1, rogues have several feats to choose from, but the best is probably You’re Next. Not only does this feat provide the rogue with a useful combat maneuver, but it’s also fun to roleplay.
The You’re Next feat is a reaction that requires training in Intimidation. After killing an enemy, rogues can use You’re Next to strike fear into the heart of an opponent by attempting to Demoralize their opponent.
With a successful check, your opponent will be frightened, and their checks will be penalized.
Honorary Mentions
Pathfinder has plenty of great feats to choose from. And at the end of the day, the best feat is the one that’s right for your characters. There are many different types of feats available to choose from.
And while the feats available to your character largely depend on their class, ancestry, and background, Pathfinder allows for customization as well.
Combat in Pathfinder 2e is a complex dance of strategy and tactics. Players must use their abilities and feats to their best advantage in order to survive. There are many different ways to approach combat, so you’ll need to be flexible.
While we can’t include every great feat in the game, we do have a couple of honorary mentions.
Nimble Dodge
Learning to dodge attacks is a crucial skill if you want to survive the dangers of Golarion. With Nimble Dodge, rogues can use a reaction to deftly avoid damage, gaining a +2 circumstance bonus against attacks.
Rogues don’t have much use for their reaction, so this feat can prove especially useful in the right hands. Your attacker needs to be visible before you can use Nimble Dodge.
Power Attack
Power Attack is a classic feat that allows you to deal more damage at the cost of stamina. This can be a risky proposition, but for characters looking to deal as much damage as possible, Power Attack is a must-have.
Power Attack costs two actions, but you’ll deal an extra die of weapon damage if your strike hits. This damage increases as you level up, becoming two extra dice when you reach level 10.
While Power Attack is a great way to clobber villains with a single blow, it’s not always effective. To get the most out of Power Attack, you’ll need to be using a two-handed weapon that deals maximum damage.
Summary
Pathfinder 2e features a variety of combat feats. It can be difficult to know which to choose.
Some of the most powerful and commonly used feats include Toughness, which allows players to reduce the DC of their dying value, and Point-Blank Shot, which gives a +2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls with ranged weapons.
Combat feats are an important part of any Pathfinder RPG character. These seven feats are some of the best available, and they can make a huge difference in the outcome of a battle.
Whether you’re looking for extra damage or more flexibility in your attacks, these feats will help you achieve victory.
