12.1 Gaining Feats
There are two main ways the GM can use feats in their game. Regardless of how you gain feats, you can never gain the same feat twice.
Species Feat Only: One simple option is that characters gain a single feat at 1st level based on their species, and no other feats. This makes your choice of species more significant without dramatically increasing character complexity.
Feat Progression: If the GM wants characters to be more complex and to have more powerful abilities, they can also use a feat progression system. For example, you could gain a feat from your species at 1st level, and an additional feat at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level. Alternately, you could gain feats based on the completion of major story events. In general, it is inadvisable to gain more than four feats total, or to gain feats after about 10th level.
12.1.1 Species Bonus Feats
If you use this rule, each species grants a bonus feat at 1st level. Most species can only choose from a small group of feats. The specific feats for each species are listed below. A character must meet any prerequisites for these bonus feats, as normal.
Human: Any feat.
Dwarf: Any from the following list: Battle Armory, Blindfighter, Craft Specialization and Endurance Specialization, Iron Will, Martial Training, or Toughness.
Elf: Any Casting feat (see Casting Feats), or any from the following list: Awareness Specialization and Balance Specialization, Sniper, or Rapid Reaction.
Gnome: Any Casting feat (see Casting Feats), or any from the following list: Blindfighter, Craft Specialization and Stealth Specialization, Telepath, or Toughness.
Half-Elf: Any Skill feat (see Skill Feats).
Half-Orc: Any Combat feat (see Combat Feats), or any from the following list: Endurance Specialization and Intimidate Specialization, or Toughness.
Halfling: Any from the following list: Balance Specialization, Stealth Specialization, Climb Specialization, Iron Will, or Rapid Reaction.
Uncommon Species
If you are using uncommon species, the feat lists for each uncommon species are given below. Note that uncommon species are normally ineligible for any Ancestry feats.
Animal Hybrid: Any feat strongly associated with the chosen animal. For example, a hybrid shark might choose from Awareness Specialization, Survival Specialization, Swiftrunner, or Swim Specialization. A hybrid wolf might choose from Awareness Specialization, Rapid Reaction, Stealth Specialization, Survival Specialization, or Swiftrunner.
Awakened Animal: Any feat strongly associated with the chosen animal. For example, an awakened cat might choose from Awareness Specialization, Climb Specialization, Flexibility Specialization, Rapid Reaction, Stealth Specialization, or Swiftrunner.
Changeling: Any feat.
Dragon: Iron Will, Toughness, or any Casting feat (see Casting Feats).
Drakkenfel: Draconic Ancestry. The type of dragon chosen for the drakkenfel’s draconic ancestry must match its draconic essence.
Dryaidi: Mental Magic, Regenerator, Sphere Focus: Toxicology, Sphere Focus: Verdamancy, or Toughness.
Eladrin: Boongiver, Chameleon, Combat Style Versatility, Deception Specialization and Persuasion Specialization, or Spellwarped.
Kit: Balance Specialization and Stealth Specialization, Deception Specialization and Social Insight Specialization, or Swiftrunner.
Naiadi: Boongiver, Leadership, Mental Magic, Persuasion Specialization and Swim Specialization, or Sphere Focus: Aquamancy.
Orc: Any Combat feat (see Combat Feats), or any from the following list: Endurance Specialization and Intimidate Specialization, or Toughness.
Oozeborn: Blindfighter, Chameleon, Climb Specialization and Flexibility Specialization, Juggernaut, Regenerator, Sphere Focus: Toxicology, or Toughness.
Tiefling: Deception Specialization and Intimidate Specialization, Executioner, Spellwarped, or Sphere Focus: Pyromancy.
Changing Species
In extraordinary cases, a creature may change its species. For example, the reincarnation ritual returns a creature to life as a different species. Regardless of its new species, the creature keeps its original species bonus feat.