>From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
>But the rule isn't "can't cement own cult's feats without help". It's
>"can't cement own cult's feats".
Yeah. This is the key issue. Not what the abilities are rated at, but why and how. It seems that an initiate may take a feat as long as, and only if, it's in another's cult. He can improvise his own, but can't learn them.
I totally agree that it makes no sense to allow an initiate character to buy feats from their own affinities, because then there's no mechanical difference between them and Devotees, other than what the abilities start at. Consider also that when a person becomes an Initiate, they join with one affinity at 13. This means that they improvise their feats at 8 to start. But they can purchase a feat from a sub-cult at 13? How does that make any sense? I can buy the "work" idea about HP, but with the same work you should get about the same thing - and more in your own area than anywhere else would seem reasonable.
Here's what I'd do (what I have done with the character in question), simplify it. Initiates can only buy affinities, period. They can, therefore, buy an affinity from the sub-cult at 13, just as though joining any other cult - although actually joining the sub-cult is another, more expensive and involved, option. This affinity can be used to improvise the feats at 8.
This absolutely balances all feats against each other. Then the only consideration is getting the sub-cult to give them to you. One of the nice things about this is that it makes being an initiate of a sub-cult a reasonable option to start the character. Give them the one affinity from the subcult, and let them take two others from other cults to fill in evenly.
Mike
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