[Feat] Burrowing

Here’s my idea for a feat, similar to swimming and climbing, but for burrowing, as the name suggests.

Burrowing

Cost: 1 2 points

Prerequisites:

  • Tier 1: None
  • Tier 2: Might 3, or Alteration 3

Description:
Whether you use your claws or some kind of tool, you gain the ability to borrow through the ground

Effect:

  • Tier 1: You gain the ability to burrow through soft ground such as dirt or sand at half your regular speed
  • Tier 2: You gain the ability to borrow through hard ground such as rock at half your regular speed

Alternatively, the following version can be used:

Burrowing

Cost: 3 points

Prerequisites:

  • Tier 1: Might 3, or Alteration 3

Description:
Whether you use your claws or some kind of tool, you gain the ability to borrow through the ground

Effect:

  • Tier 1: You gain the ability to burrow through the ground. This goes at various speeds, depending on the material. The base speed for this is your regular movement speed.

If you have anything to critique or any suggestions, feel free to leave them down below.

EDIT: Pumped up the cost to 2 per tier
EDIT 2: Added an alternative version of this feat with only one tier

3 Likes

I like the idea of Tiers for soft and hard material.

However, I would probably price it higher, at least 2 but leaning towards 3.
My reasoning is that a character could become virtually invisible and untargetable while burrowed.

Mentioning that no Attacks should be possible and that the surface is not perceivable while burrowed might be a good idea, maybe that starting to burrow takes a Focus Action as well.
Adding a clause about wether burrowing straight up or down or taking people with you is possible might make sense, but that can be left to flavour without problem imo.

3 Likes

well, it all comes down to the campaign setting I’d say to a point, but I do agree that it should probably be a little more expensive than just 1 feat point.

I understand the reasoning was b/c you based it off of swimming and climbing, but you should have looked at flying instead.

This is a little more powerful, and thus, closer to flying as a feat rather than swimming or climbing.

Not sure on the end cost, with it having 2 tiers.

However, you would have to have other senses to be able to burrow effectively, such as tremor sense, etc, so I think it being 2 point cost might be reasonable.

2 Likes

So, another reason to increase the cost of this feat. For swimming and for climbing, there are already rules in place for them default, that you move at half speed. The feats allow you to go from half to full speed.

With Flying, this is giving you a type of movement you don’t have by default, and thus the increase in cost.

The same is true here with burrowing. So, that means I would either have a lower cost but allow it to be half movement at first, and then full movement at tier 2, or just have a straight 1 tier and cost 3.

As far as the harder materials, it is nice, but you can just include an information clause that some materials may be more difficult or impossible to burrow through. The GM may decide half movement through some substances, or no movement allowed.


EDIT:

To further clarify, and this is more a point for any setting, you could play in a campaign where a type of movement might be more the norm for all peoples in the world. For that, a GM mgiht decide to reduce the cost of such a feat, but default, it should be more.

4 Likes

I am currently making a NPC creature that Borrows, but it can also hide under the ground waiting for a target to attack. I liked what the OP had for a feat, but i also wanted to build on it to allow the hide under the ground.

Burrowing
Cost: 3 points

Prerequisites:

Tier 1: Might 3, or Alteration 3
Tier 2: Might 5, or Alteration 5
Description:
Whether you use your claws or teeth or some kind of tool or even pure force, you gain the ability to borrow through the ground. This is typically used by those who have a general tremor sense.

Effect:

Tier 1: You gain the ability to burrow through the ground. This goes at various speeds, depending on the material. The base speed for this is your regular movement speed. To enter the ground and exit the ground it takes a major action to burrow into the ground and out of the ground.
Tier 2: You can now borrow lower or quiter. You gain a advantage 2 to hide under the ground. This is tipically used to staying under the ground waiting to trap your foe. Normally you can be seen as you move under the ground.

Special: You cannot make a attack while borrowing and no one can attack you while borrowing. you can use the charge action to burst out of the ground and make an attack.

1 Like