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Story Feats

Description Source Ultimate Combat pg. 66
A story feat reflects a goal—often an all-consuming one—that shapes your life. Each story feat incorporates a trigger event (which comes from either a campaign occurrence or your background), an immediate benefit, a goal, and a further benefit for achieving that goal.

Story feats are marked with the story keyword. Each feat has at least two possible prerequisites, representing conditions most likely met during play or a background that fits the feat (see Backgrounds listed on pages 16– 51). You need to meet only one of these prerequisites. Anytime you gain a new feat, you may take a story feat, but you can have only one uncompleted story feat at a time. Story feats are designed for PCs, but can be taken by NPCs and monsters as well.

Unlike typical feats, story feats have nebulous prerequisites, and you should chose one only after talking with the GM. The GM should weave a story feat into the greater story of the campaign and even adjust it as needed to fit the campaign’s long-term goals and the specifics of your background. Story feats should work organically within the story of the campaign, rather than be chosen purely for their mechanical benefits.

Like the prerequisites, the completion conditions for a story feat might require GM adjudication. If the events of the campaign are not likely to resolve the story implied by the story feat, the GM should consider shifting the goal to something you can achieve. Establishing a meaningful story arc is more important than adhering to the letter of the feat.

Because a story feat represents both your motivation and character development, the GM should make an effort to incorporate elements related to the feat into the ongoing campaign. These can be direct elements, like the appearance of a villain or hated creature, or indirect elements, such as rumors of the fate of a lost relative or NPCs who are impressed by a PC’s artistic endeavors. A good rule of thumb is to work in a reference to each PC’s story feat once every three to five sessions.

In most cases, allies can assist in completing a story feat. At the GM’s discretion, if you do not take a leadership role in tasks or conflicts related to your own story feat, you might need to complete additional goals to resolve the story feat, or might even be denied completion altogether.

Common Rules

Many story feats share similar terminology in their prerequisites and completion conditions. The following terms have special meanings when used in story feats.

Appropriate Number: These are either creatures whose individual CRs add up to 20, or creatures whose individual CRs add up to 5 times your character level, whichever is greater. For example, if you’re at 6th level, an appropriate number of creatures have CRs that add up to 30. This calculation is based on your current character level, not the level at which you selected the story feat. Overly easy challenges (encounters with CRs of 3 or more below your character level) don’t count unless circumstances make them much more difficult to handle.

Challenging Foe: This is a foe or group of foes with a total CR of 10 or a CR of 3 plus your character level, whichever is higher. If this refers to a distinct individual, the foe’s CR is set when the feat is taken, but the foe advances in power as you do. Otherwise, it refers to your current level. A typical recurring foe advances in CR by 1 for every 1–2 levels you gain.

Character’s Level: Normally, this is your actual character level. If you’re a creature best represented by CR rather than character level (such as most monsters with more than 1 HD), use your calculated CR instead of your character level.

Decisively Defeat: You overcome a foe in some way, such as by killing the creature, knocking it unconscious, or causing it to be taken prisoner. You must be a significant participant in the conf lict to defeat the opponent, even if another strikes the final blow. Whether or not merely causing the enemy to flee qualifies is up to the GM. Generally, driving off an enemy while causing little actual harm does not qualify as a decisive defeat.

Slay: Slaying a foe includes killing it, destroying it, turning it to stone, banishing it to the Abyss, or otherwise eliminating it in a fashion reversible only by powerful magic. Unless otherwise noted, you must deal the final blow yourself to slay a creature.

Thwart: Distinct from defeating a foe, thwarting a foe involves disrupting its plans in a substantial and essentially permanent fashion. Deposing a lord, bringing down a priest’s temple, or banishing a sorcerer to the depths of Hell all qualify as thwarting. You keep any benefits gained by thwarting a foe even if it survives defeat and returns more powerful than before. You must be a significant participant in the events that lead to your foe being thwarted for your actions to count toward fulfilling a story requirement.

Story Feats and Stacking

Most story feat bonuses are untyped, and stack with almost any other bonus. However, if you have multiple story feats, their untyped bonuses do not stack with each other. For example, if two story feats gave you a bonus on saving throws, you would add only the higher bonus.

*combat feat
^⊤armor mastery feat
^⊤⊤shield mastery feat
^⊤⊤⊤weapon mastery feat

Name	Prerequisite	Description
Accursed	You must carry a curse that can be lifted only by a quest or similar great undertaking, or have the Cursed Birth background.	Gain SR 5 + level, cannot be lowered
Agent of Purity	A friend or ally must have been significantly corrupted by a specific natural or supernatural blight, or you must have a regional background trait tied to a specific blight	Gain combat bonuses against blighted creatures
Apotheosis	You must have had direct contact with a deity or godlike being, or have been risen from the dead at the personal behest of a deity or godlike being.	Resist the call of death with greater ease, communications with your deity have a higher chance of succeeding
Arisen	You must have been slain and brought back from the dead, or have the Left to Die or Cursed Birth background.	Negative hit point threshold for death is increased
Artifact Hunter	You must have come within sight of a legendary artifact at some point in your past.	Coax more out of your magical items
Ascendant	You must have the Secret Shame drawback (page 7) or the Bastard-Born background^UCA, and you must also have no publicly known faults or made any indisputable mistakes that could humiliate or cast down a figure of high station	You and your apparent allies gain a +2 bonus on skill checks to gain influence or request a favor
Aspiring Noble	Must be a member of an established family that is yet unrecognized as nobility	Gain a bonus on Diplomacy or Intimidate in a certain settlement
Battlefield Healer	You must successfully cast a conjuration (healing) spell on an ally after being hit by an attack of opportunity, or have the Battle, Chaplain, or Healed background.	Reduce DC for casting defensively when taking damage
Betrayed	You must have had a valuable item (worth at least 1, 000 gp per character level) stolen by a former ally, have been left for dead by a former ally, or have the Wrong Enemy background	Avoid harmful effects from allies, better ignore their presence in combat
Blessed	You must have had friendly contact with a good outsider that would qualify as a challenging foe, be a sorcerer with the celestial bloodline, or have direct celestial ancestry (such as by being an aasimar).	Bonus to checks relating to good-aligned outsiders
Champion	You must have defeated a single challenging foe without any aid from another, or have the Champion of a God, Champion of the People, Competition Champion, or Gladiator background.	Gain bonuses on attack/AC with combat challenges
Child of Two Worlds	Whether through an elixir of two worlds (see page 62) or other means, one of your parents was aquatic and the other was a land-dweller. You are mostly a normal member of your race, except as stated in this feat. You must select this feat at 1st level, and you can’t have other feats, traits, or abilities that specify your bloodline such as Racial Heritage^APG. Thematically appropriate backgrounds include Adopted Outside Your Race, Bastard Born, Death in the Family, One of a Kind, and The Relative. These backgrounds are found in Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Intrigue.	See text
City-Locked	You must permanently dwell in a settlement at least as large as a large town. You must also have a fey ancestor somewhere in your family line, or have The Wanderer background (Ultimate Campaign 45)	See text
Concilator	Must have successfully requested that the opposing sides of a violent encounter pause for parley	You can make a Diplomacy check to parley with a hostile enemy
Crisis of Conscience	Lawful neutral, neutral, or chaotic neutral alignment. Your alignment must have shifted from either good or evil at least once since 1st level or the last time you completed this feat (see Special)	Hide your alignment and loyalties
Cursed Love	You must have a romantic interest who has fallen to some dark influence and rejects you out of shame or fear of newfound capabilities, or must have the Bad Romance or Temptation background	Bonus when dealing with certain creatures
Damned	You must have had friendly contact with an evil-aligned outsider that would qualify as a challenging foe, have a fiend-related sorcerous bloodline such as abyssal or infernal, have direct fiendish ancestry (such as being a tiefling or half-fiend), or have the Fiend Raised or The Fiend background (see Ultimate Campaign).	Bonus to checks relating to evil-aligned outsiders
Dead Inside	You must have failed your saving throws against at least five different emotion-manipulating spells or your saving throw against a supernatural creature’s fear effect (such as a dragon’s frightful presence), or you have the Sunless or Sole Survivor background	Handle emotion and fear spells/effects better
Deny the Reaper	You must have witnessed the death of a close companion in battle—a death that could have been prevented, such as from bleeding, failure to stabilize, or ongoing poison damage—or have the Death in the Family or The War background.	+2 bonus on Heal, apply first aid as move action
Dragon-Touched	You must have been knocked unconscious in an encounter with a challenging draconic foe or have a regional background tied to a specific dragon (such as those presented in this section or a similar trait).	+2 Reflex, +1 attack, +1 AC versus a specific kind of dragon
Dynasty Founder	You must have lived in the chosen city for at least 1 year or be the heir of a former city leader.	Exert your control over a city's policies and politics
Eldritch Researcher	You must have created a new spell, or have The Way Things Work background.	Gain bonuses with spells that you’ve created
Embrace of the Dark Fey	You must have an evil fey such as a quickling^B2 or redcap^B2 somewhere in your family line, or you must have the Shameful Heritage background (Ultimate Campaign 40)	See text
Enemy Cult	See text	Detect the cult’s alignment, and on completion, gain defenses against that alignment
Explorer	You must have crossed at least 30 miles of wilderness without map or guide.	Gain skills to aid getting along in the wild
Fascinated by the Mundane	You must have a fey ancestor somewhere in your family line, and you must have the Adopted by the Fey, Fey Meeting, or Met a Fantastic Creature background (Ultimate Campaign 21, 30, and 24, respectively)	See text
Fearless Zeal	You must be ordained as a sacred (or profane) champion of your faith by a high-ranking member of its clergy, or have the Devoted, Faith-Bringer, or Moral Debt background. Such an honor goes above and beyond the normal oaths required of a cleric or paladin.	Become a living symbol of your faith
Feral Heart	You must have reverted to savage behavior through a traumatic event or extended period in the wilderness, or have the Raised by Beasts background.	Embrace your savage behaivor for increased combat ability
Foeslayer	You must have been defeated and robbed of at least half your possessions by a particular group of humanoids or monstrous humanoids, or have the An Eye for an Eye, Hated Foe, Raiders, or Vengeance background (see Ultimate Campaign). You may choose a specific race, such as duergar, or a broader group, such as goblinoids. At the GM’s discretion, you may instead choose residents of a particular country, settlement, or tribe.	Improve your battle prowess against the chosen enemy
Forgotten Past	You must have suffered permanent memory loss or have the Reincarnated background.	Reduce the effectiveness of mind-affecting spells on you
Forward from Beneath	Be a member of House Kastner, be a good-aligned member of a family or organization whose secret evil has been publicly revealed, or have the Dishonored Family or Betrayal backgrounds	Gain a +2 bonus on Disguise checks and the ability to fake an evil alignment for detection spells
Ghost Guide	See text	Gain a bonus on social skills against spirits, and on completion, gain benefits with spirit-talking spells
Giant Vendetta	You must have been knocked unconscious in an encounter with a challenging giant foe or have a regional background trait tied to giants (such as those presented in this section)	Bonus against fighting and researching giants
Glimpse Beyond	You must have faced an undead, evil outsider, or aberration with a CR greater than your level +4, or have the Raised Among the Dead or The Dead One background.	Learn how to defend yourself against creatures of madness
Gruesome Butcher	You must have been rendered unconscious and left for dead on a battlefield between warring factions or have the Child Soldier or Drafted background	Gain ranger-like bonuses against a specific enemy group
Inerrant Justice	Must have witnessed or suffered a grave injustice that went unpunished, or have the An Eye for an Eye^UCA or the Raiders^UCA background. If the offender is not a challenging foe, it either advances to become one or allies with one or more creatures who are	Take minimum damage from an attack
Infiltrator	Must have adopted an assumed or secret identity associated with an enemy organization	Make a divination spell return false information
Innocent Blood	You must slay at least 50 intelligent noncombatants for either your own personal gain or for no cause at all, or have the Bloodthirsty, First Kill, or The Kill background.	Be more intimidating than ever before
Liberator	You must have been enslaved for at least 6 months, or have the Imprisoned or Kidnapped background (see Ultimate Campaign).	Inspire others to join your cause
Lighting the Way	Be a member of House Zespire, or have the Devoted, Exemplar, Marked by the Gods, or Righteous Mentor background	Once per day, grant your allies a +1 bonus on attack rolls and saving throws against mind-affecting effects
Lost Legacy	Your family must have claim to an inherited title or position that no longer belongs to them, or have the Dishonored Family background. You can take this feat even if you have no knowledge of this lost family title.	Gain bonuses to Charisma and Wisdom based checks
Magical Enigma	Bloodline, eidolon, mystery, phantom, spirit animal, or witch’s familiar class feature and you must have an unknown secret about your magic or family history (even if you do not yet know the topic of the secret) or have the One of a Kind^UCA, the Outsider’s Lineage^UCA, or the Unknown^UCA background	Increase your class level or ability modifier for the purpose of your selected class feature
Magnum Opus	You must either have sold five or more self-created works of art worth a total of at least 5, 000 gp, have performed at least five performances for audiences of 50 or more while achieving a great performance result or better on your Perform check, or have the Virtuoso background.	Enhance your abilities with Craft and Perform checks
Monument Builder	Knowledge (engineering) 1 rank, and you must have built a structure worth at least 5, 000 gp.	Increase the value of your constructions and gain bonuses to Knowledge (engineering)
Nation Builder	You must have explored and claimed an area of at least 100 square miles.	Bonus to various skills while in unclaimed wilderness or your own land
Nemesis	You must have at least one enemy who wishes to cause you great harm. If you have multiple enemies, the GM may keep the specific nemesis secret, or have many of your enemies work together against you. If your nemesis is not already a challenging foe, it either advances in strength to become a challenging foe or allies with others to achieve a higher challenge rating.	Gain extra benefits when leveling in your favored class
Never Conquered, Forever Feared	Be a member of House Heskillar, or have the Adopted by Dragons, Path of Righteous Rage, or Proud Heritage background	Gain a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks and on saving throws against paralysis and sleep
Noble Impostor	Must not be a member of an established family or a member of nobility	Gain a +2 bonus on Bluff and Knowledge (nobility)
Object of Legend	You must have some highly personal stake in attaining the object of your quest as determined collectively by you and the GM—such as needing an ancestral weapon to exact your revenge against a known betrayer, seeking to destroy the artifact that caused your family’s downfall generations ago, or attempting to behead a monster that ravaged your homeland during your youth.	Acquire great power and skill
Otherworldly Influence	You must have refused an evil creature with at least 15 Hit Dice who offered gifts or assistance, have refused an evil creature offering to cast a spell of 7th-level or higher on your behalf, or have the Planar Offering background	Bonus on negotiations with evil outsiders
Our Bounty, Our Glory	Be a member of House Denzarni, or have the Bloodthirsty, Omen, Tree Tender, or Unsuspecting Master background	You can go longer without food and water
Overachiever	You must have been defeated by the same individual, organization, or creature type at least four times, or have the Boarding School or Humiliated background	Take less penalties from exhaustion, forgo rest to improve skills
Planar Traveler	You must be related to an outsider or have been born on a plane other than the Material Plane.	Enhance your survival outside of your home plane
Prophet	Ability to cast divine spells, and you must either have received a vision from your god (or another appropriate supernatural entity) or have the Marked by the Gods background (see Ultimate Campaign).	Increase your defenses when buffing allies
Prosperity and Pride	Be a member of House Corcina, or have the Craftsperson, Inheritance, Well-Connected Friend, or Worldshaker background	Gain a +2 bonus on Appraise and Diplomacy checks in large cities
Protector of the People	See text	Gain the ability to make a golem protector, and on completion, gain Craft Construct at a conditional 10% discount
Puppet Master	You must have survived an encounter with a challenging foe without suffering significant harm by striking a deal (regardless of whether the deal was with the challenging foe or not), or have the Boss^UCA, the Liege Lord^UCA, or the Well-Connected Friend^UCA background	Make successive Diplomacy checks more easily.
Redemption	You must have lost class features by violating the code of conduct of a class that possesses such a code, or have the Dishonored Family background.	Face fear in order to gain bonuses
Rival	You must have at least one enemy who wishes to outdo you. If you have multiple rivals, the GM may keep the specific rival secret, or have many of your enemies work together against you. If your rival is not already a challenging foe, it either advances to become one or allies itself with others one or more creatures who are	Gain extra skill points or Fame.
Self-Exiled Noble	You must have intentionally left your noble family and changed your name or appearance afterward	Gain a +2 bonus on Disguise and a +1 bonus on attack and damage against family members
Shamed	You must have been publicly embarrassed, or must have the Bastard Born background. If the embarrassment didn’t cause significant harm to your personal honor or social standing, it does not qualify for the feat prerequisites. The humiliation doesn’t need to have been unjustified.	Get bonuses in combat when observed by others
Standing Tall	Be a member of House Fahlspar, or have the Hunter, Nature, or Tree Tender background	Once per day, gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against mind-affecting effects
Stronghold	You must have the Leadership feat and must lead at least 10 combat-capable followers (such as fighters or rangers).	Enhance troops under your command
Supernatural Spy	Alchemist discovery, arcane discovery, arcanist exploit, or magus arcana class feature and you must either have observed a created magical effect you could not understand or have the Master Craftsman^UCA or the Unquenchable Hunger for Knowledge^UCA background	Increase your ability modifier for calculating the effects and save DCs of one of your class features.
Thief of Legend	You must have stolen at least 1, 000 gp worth of treasure without being caught and kept mementos of these thefts worth at least 500 gp, or have the Greed background.	Master the ability to handle traps and locks
Town Tamer	You must have 5 ranks in Intimidate and a personal motivation to clean up a particular town (such as an old friend calling in a favor, or seeking a place to settle down), or you must have the Bounty Hunter or Champion of the People background.	Become more intimidating in specific settlements
True Love	You must have found love with a person you can’t be with, have a current lover, or have the Current Lover, For Love, or The Lover background. Possible complications include distance, your love being with another, your feelings being unrequited, or your relationship being forbidden.	Increase your skill with emotion spells and Sense Motive
Truth-Seeker	You must have visited a ruin or forgotten place that has been abandoned for at least five times as long as you’ve been alive.	Learn more about history, find secret doors with ease
Twisted Love	See text	Gain a +2 bonus vs. enchantments and bonuses to influence your obsessed foe, and on completion, you can pretend to be affected by enchantments
Unforgotten	You must have a close relative, spouse, or other person dear to your heart who never returned from a journey, was captured, or otherwise vanished with little trace, or you have the Major Disaster background.	Reduce nonlethal damage you take, increase your saving throw bonuses
Vengeance	You must have a close family member or other loved one slain by a specific challenging foe or that foe’s minions, or have the Raiders or Vengeance background.	Receive a bonus against a specific foe and its minions
Vengeful Banisher	You witnessed at least one family member or a close friend being killed by demons or demonic cultists, or you have the Hated Foe or An Eye for an Eye background (see Ultimate Campaign).	+2 save vs. spells/effects from demons and their worshipers
Victory Through Unity	You must have a familiar, and you must either be a member of House Merrosett or have the Initiated or Storied Lineage background	Grant your familiar one of the hunter's animal aspects
We are the Wall	Be a member of House Darahan, or have the Champion of the People, Duty, or Raider background	3 times per day, you can declare a creature to be your quarry
Wily Warrior	Bluff 1 rank, Sense Motive 1 rank, base attack bonus +1, or you must have the Military Strategist background (page 5)	Use your ranks in Sense Motive in place of your Will save.
Wretched Curator	You must have purchased a scroll or spellbook containing a spell with the evil descriptor in a place where such dealings are illegal, or must have the Secret Society Inductee or Diabolical Upbringing background	Purchase evil items cheaper, bonus to checks to understand evil items

Archives of Nethys

Story Feats

Common Rules

Story Feats and Stacking