Flaws

Flaws are like the flip side of feats. Whereas a feat enables a character to be better than normal at performing a task (or even to do something that normal characters can’t), a flaw restricts a character’s capabilities or imposes a penalty of some sort.
A player may select up to two flaws when creating a character. After 1st level, a character cannot take on additional flaws unless the DM specifically allows it. For example; The DM might allow a player to assign a trait or flaw to her character after she has roleplayed the character in a manner consistent with the trait in question, or after a traumatic or lifechanging experience (after dying, a character might develop the Cautious trait or the Aggressive trait). If the DM includes this option, a character should gain a new trait or flaw no more frequently than once every five levels.
Each flaw a player selects entitles his character to a bonus feat. In other words, when you create a character, if you select two flaws, you can also take two bonus feats beyond those your character would be normally entitled to.
Unlike Player Traits, flaws are entirely negative in their impact on a character’s capabilities.

Creating Flaws

You can create new flaws but be careful; Flaws can unbalance your game. When creating flaws, keep a few issues in mind:

  • A flaw must have a numeric effect on a character's specific capabilities. Flaws with primarily roleplaying or story effects have unpredictable effects on game balance.
  • Flaws are generally bigger in magnitude than feats. That's because players always choose flaws that have the least impact on their characters, while taking feats that have the most. For example, while a feat affecting skills grants a +2 bonus on two skills, its counterpart flaw might impose a -4 penalty on two skills.
  • A flaw must have a meaningful effect regardless of character class or roles. That way, a player can't reduce the flaw's importance through multiclassing. For instance, a flaw that only affects spellcasters might seem reasonable - but for nonspellcaster characters, the flaw likely proves meaningless. Even if you restrict the selection of such feats to characters of specific classes, a player can easily select a spellcasting class at 1st level, choose two flaws that apply to spellcasters, gain the bonus feats and multiclass into a non-spellcasting class at 2nd level and proceed normally.
  • Similarly, a flaw that penalizes a character's Charisma-based skill checks only has a significant impact on the party spokesperson - the quiet fighter or barbarian likely won't feel any impact from the penalties.

Sources Used: Unearthed arcana, Complete Dragon Magazine 3.5 Feats, Flaws, & Styles – Flaws
On:Complete Dragon Magazine 3.5 Feats, Flaws, & Styles – Flaws Pg 116

Flaw Prerequisite Effect Source
Aligned Devotion Ability to Spontaneously cast Cure Spells Healing has less effect on differing alignment Dragon 326
Arcane Conundrum Gnome, Cha 10+ May never use your spell-like abilities, -2 saving throw vs Illusions Dragon 328
Arcane Fatigue Ability to cast Arcane Spells Must make fortitude save after every spell cast or be fatigued Dragon 333
Arcane Parasites Ability to cast Arcane Spells Every Arcane Spell has a -1 to Save DC Dragon 333
Arcane Performer Ability to cast arcane spells without preparation, perform 1 rank In order to cast any spell, must succeed at a perform check Dragon 324
Beady Eyes Darkvision Have low-light vision instead, -2 search, spot Dragon 328
Beastly Wild Empathy Vulnerable to certain spells which affect animals Dragon 329
Bestail Instinct -2 to hit with anything other than unarmed strikes or natural weapons Dragon 324
Blind Rage Rage Ability May not end rage voluntarily, must attack a creature every round, if able; if not able, must attack nearest breakable object. Dragon 325
Brash -6 to Armor Class vs Attacks of Oppurtunity Dragon 324
Bravado Don't gain any kind of dodge bonuses to your Armor Class Dragon 328
Cautious Take twice as long to perform any skill which requires an action, -2 to initiative Dragon 328
Chivalrous Courtesy Good or Lawful Alignment -4 on all attack rolls to hit a creature you can tell is of opposite gender Dragon 324
City Slicker Survival as Class Skill -4 on Handle Animal, Knowledge(Nature) and Survival Checks Dragon 324
Claustrophobia Become Shaken in enclosed spaces Dragon 324
Code of arms Good or Lawful Alignment -4 on attack rolls against enemy not armed with a melee weapon Dragon 324
Cold-Blooded Automatically fail Fort Saves to overcome effects of high temperature, Fire effects deal +2 points of fire damage to you Dragon 324
Coward Automatically fail saves against fear effects Dragon 324
Curious -2 Listen and Spot, -2 Initiative Dragon 328
Divine Gestures Ability to cast divine spells Suffer a spell failure chance just like Arcane Spell Failure Dragon 326
Domain Devotion Access to domains Have access to only one of your deity's domains Dragon 326
Elven Pride of Arms Elven Blood -4 on attack rolls with anything other than a longsword, rapier or bow Dragon 328
Exhausting Rage Rage Ability When rage ends you become exhausted instead of fatigued Dragon 325
Feeble -2 on all str, dex and con based checks Unearthed Arcana
Foe Specialist Favored Enemy -1 on all attack rolls, bluff, sense motive, spot and survival checks made against creatures that are not your favored enemy Dragon 329
Fool Bardic Music Lose the inspire courage, inspire competence, inspire greatness, and inspire heroics bardic music abilities. Dragon 324
Forlorn Ability to call familiar Lose ability to call a familiar Dragon 333
Forlorn of Men Become shaken id more than one humanoid is within 30 feet of you Dragon 324
Frail Immune System Constitution 11 or lower Whenever you fail a fortitude save you become fatigued Dragon 328
Frail -1 hitpoint per per level Unearthed Arcana
Free-Spirited Chaotic Alignment Weight of any carried gear is doubled for purpose of determining load, Armor check penalties are also doubled Dragon 328
Frivolous Performer Bardic Knowledge -10 on all Bardic Knowledge checks, except those relating to your perform skill Dragon 324
Fussy Become Sickened after drinking any potion Dragon 328
Glory-Hound Base attack Bonus +1 -2 to AC during combat until you drop an opponent Dragon 328
Grudge Keeper If damaged in combat you suffer a -2 penalty on attacks rolls, skill checks, saving throws, and ability checks until you damage the foe who caused you harm. Dragon 328
Gullible -2 Saving throw vs Enchantment and Illusions, -4 Sense Motive Dragon 325
Half-Blood Outcast Half-Elf or Half-Orc Suffer -2 on all attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks when in sight of a full blood Dragon 328
Hatred Favored Enemy -4 to AC, Attack rolls and Skill Checks whenever you are in presence of a favored enemy and not fighting it Dragon 329
Haunted Ability to cast spells Noises surround you for no reason, -4 listen and move silently Dragon 327
Honor of the Duel Good or Lawful Alignment You must make a Will save (DC 10 + your level) to attack a creature in a square threatened by one of its other foes. Dragon 324
Honorable Challenge Good or Lawful Alignment -4 on attack rolls against any creature that has not explicitly challenged you or made an attack against you Dragon 324
Hot-Blooded Automatically fail any fort saves against low temperature, +2 extra cold damage from cold effects Dragon 324
Implacable Base Attack Bonus +1 If you move out of Melee Combat, -2 on all attack rolls, skill checks and saving throws for 1 hour Dragon 328
Inattentive -4 Listen, Spot Unearthed Arcana
Individualist -2 on all attack rolls with weapons that you have not personally create, and +1 Armor Check penalty with any armor you did not craft Dragon 329
Insomniac Must succeed on a fortitude save to get a full night's rest. Dragon 328
Light Sensitivity Darkvision Become Dazzled in Bright sunlight Dragon 328
Lightweight Constitution 13 or lower, many not be Obese Half base weight, -4 penalty to resist bull rushes, grapples overruns and trips. No attack bonus when charge. Dragon 328
Living Faith Ability to turn or rebuke undead Lose the ability to turn or rebuke undead Dragon 326
Loner Ability to summon familiar or Animal Companion Lose ability to summon familiar or animal companion Dragon 327
Loudmouth -4 penalty to diplomacy and move silently Dragon 324
Love of Nature Must succeed on will save to attack animal, plant or vermin Dragon 324
Magical Fascination -2 on attack rolls and skill checks when in sight of a visible magical effect with a duration Dragon 328
Magical Overlord Ability to cast spells Exchange one of your highest level spell slots for a lower level one Dragon 327
Material Devotion Access to Domains May only use spell trigger items that cast spells on your domain spell lists Dragon 316
Meager Fortitude -3 Fort Saves Unearthed Arcana
Metal Intolerance Take one additional point of damage whenever struck by metal Dragon 324
Methodical Magical Methods Ability to cast spells You are considered flat-footed in any round you cast a spell Dragon 333
Meticulous Performer Bardic Music Initiating or maintaining bardic music is a full-round action Dragon 324
Mounted Warrior Ride 1 rank -2 to attack rolls when not mounted Dragon 324
Murky-Eyed Additional miss chance when in Concealment Unearthed Arcana
No Time For Book Learning You are illiterate, and can never learn to read, plus -2 on all knowledge checks except knowledge (nature) Dragon 324
Noncombatant -2 Melee attack Rolls Unearthed Arcana
Obese Small size, Dex 13 or lower, May not be Lightweight Have double base weight, lose +1 size bonus to AC and attack, and the +4 hide bonus. Pay double for armor. Dragon 328
Pathetic Reduce 1 Ability Score by 2 Unearthed Arcana
Phantom Sparks Ability to Cast Spells Spontaneously emit bursts of colored light, -4 penalty on hide and spot Dragon 327
Poor Reflexes -3 Reflex Saves Unearthed Arcana
Ponderous Spellcaster Ability to cast spells Casting times are doubled Dragon 326
Pride of Arms Proficiency in all Martial Weapons -4 Penalty on attack rolls with exotic or simple weapons, unarmed and touch attacks Dragon 324
Quarter Elf Half-Elf Not immune to sleep spells, don't have elven blood Dragon 328
Quick Burning Rage Rage ability Rage only lasts as long as your new con modifier Dragon 325
Restricted Sorcery Ability to cast spells without preperation Two schools of magic are your restricted schools Dragon 327
Shaky -2 Ranged Attack Rolls Unearthed Arcana
Short Attention Span -2 on all skill checks to retry a failed check, can't take 20 Dragon 328
Short of Breath Con 13 or lower Whenever you make a strength or constitution to run, climb, jump or swim, make fort save or be fatigued Dragon 333
Short Temper If you suffer any damage during combat, make a will save or be enraged Dragon 328
Skulker Must make a Will save or become shaken whenever a foe engages you in combat Dragon 328
Slow Half Land Speed Unearthed Arcana
Slow Healing Con 13 or lower Don't recover hp naturally Dragon 328
Slow to Anger Rage Ability Entering a rage is a full-round action Dragon 325
Solitary Paragon -4 to attack rolls made against a foe you flank Dragon 324
Stubby Fingers Dwarf, Gnome or Halfling -4 on attack rolls with light or 1handed weapons, -4 to disable device, open lock, sleight of hand, and use rope checks. Dragon 328
Superstitious Inability to cast spells Whenever you see an item, effect or location obviously created by magic you become frightened. Dragon 325
Terrain Specialist Track, Wild Empathy Choose terrain as home terrain, take -2 on wild empathy checks in all other terrain, as well as to search and survival checks made to track. Dragon 329
Test Subject Choose three magic schools, take -2 penalty to saving throws vs spells of those categories Dragon 333
Trivial Performer Bardic Music Save DC against your fascinate, suggestion abilities is halved and bardic music abilities benefits end when music ends. Dragon 324
Uncontrollable Rage Rage Ability Cannot enter rage voluntarily Dragon 325
Unreactive -6 Initiative Unearthed Arcana
Vulnerable -1 Armor Class Unearthed Arcana
Warrior of the Phalanx -4 to attack rolls when not adjacent to an ally Dragon 324
Weak Will -3 Will Saves Unearthed Arcana
Weapon Bound Devotion to a Specific Deity Lose proficiency in all weapons except deity's favored Dragon 326
Wild Survival 1 rank Whenever entangled, pinned or bound, immediately become panicked. Dragon 329
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