New Feat idea: Racial Heritage feats. 

Goal: to help incorporate bloodlines/half-breeds/etc into the campaign to allow for a bit more customization of backstory and characters (both roleplay and build wise)

Idea: Character builds a character of a certain race, then at 1st level (only) can take a Heritage feat of another race.

The changes and abilities granted by this feat are as follows:

Description: Your ancestors blood (whether recent or ancient) runs thick in your veins. Even though you are not a full half-blood, you have manifested traits of one of your ancestors.

Example:

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Elven Heritage: For all intents and purposes, you are treated as an elf IN ADDITION to your current types and subtypes. Trade one of the +2 skill bonuses granted by your base rase for +2 to Listen, Search, OR Spot (elven bonuses).

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This feat can be adapted for each base rase (and even non-standard races, if so desired)

-Z

Proposed rewrite:

Racial Heritage:  Level 1 feet ONLY.  Gain an ability depending on your heritage race.

Table 1: races and abilities [unfinished]
Race                      Ability
Elf                           Elvan senses
Dwarf                     Stonecunning
Gnome                  Spell-like abilities
Halfling                  -----------
Half-Elf                  -----------
Half-Orc                 -----------

so what would you reccommend with a race like http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Elan ? have the gain be a pool of 1 power point and 1 of the supernatural abilities granted by the race?

I'd say either-or.  Either gain PSP's or get a (SU).  Unless you need 1 for the other.

yeah, all of the supernatural abilities require at least 1 power point.

I'd say do it on a case by case basis.  If a heritage feat is needed, then lets create it for each case that pops up.  One notion....

You cannot take racial heritage AND paragon.

That's no biggie for me... i never use the paragon classes the hard part about case by case is that if someone is going through character concepts and is cycling through builds and races, it's MUCH easier to have a standardized rule with a few exceptions than to have 100% unique rules for each race. Elan would be one of the exceptions. That's why i was suggesting the + to skills as the racial bonus rather than the racial abilities, since it's MUCH easier to standardize. If you're okay with people coming with a list of races and working through each one, that's fine, just a bit more work.

-Z

I'm fine with that actually.  We just have to record each race as they appear.  I guess I feel that for a feat restricted to level 1, you should get a little bit more than +2 to a couple of skills.  There are enough feats that dick ya, (Servant of the Heavens can kiss my ass) and I would like these feats to matter.  Have we thought about looking to the heritage feats for celestial and infernal sorcs?   Maybe we can use those as a basis?

Or maybe if someone wants to pursue their odd heritage, let them with continuing feat choices?

GAA!  I'm making things too complex!  It puts the lotion on its skin!!!!

I think you're missing just how good it is to have access to counting as another race for purposes of feats and PrC's and such. I'm too lazy to find examples from the lists right now, but the ones that come to mind are all the goliath racial req feats, bladesinger, and deepwarden classes, etc. the +2 skills was just kinda for shits and grins.

-Z

ooohooohoooh.  I think there is a 3 level PrC that gives you most or all of th abilities of a race...and lets you take racial feats and such.  Maybe we can draw inspiration from that?

ewwwwwwwwwww. i've never had any interest in any of the racial classes. but that's just me.

-Z