Creation & leveling mistakes

WilliamCQ · May 12, 2017

Resilient is my favorite feat as what I experienced, the higher level a PC get, the more damage is followed by a save (rather failure to). For a long time I've been putting in 2nd rank increasing the abilities ones would expect for a class for getting more proficiencies in saving throw. Recently, after so long in behaving this way in "front" of so many GMs thinking it was appropriate, I've been questioned by a GM and it ensued I could only have 1 instance of Resilient.

This is a serious issue for me as so many PCs incorrectly have more than 1 instance of Resilient (all on different previously non-proficient abilities, never stacking). I've also made builds especially for that, ending up with an odd ability (during point buy) knowing I'd later become proficient in it therefore bringing up the potential by increasing the modifier (to an even #).

Did I waste all those Ability Score Improvements that mistakenly made the Resilient feat count > 1 ? Is there a way to rectify the situation? Perhaps there's an AL rules just for such cases? I made all these mistakes in good faith.

Thank you kindly

Update 1:

s/GMs incorrectly/PCs incorrectly/

Redthistle · May 12, 2017

I made the same mistake in taking Resilient more than once in the first months after 5e debuted.

The majority of feats are limited to being taken just once; only Elemental Adept can be taken more often.

It wasn't just Resilient that I had to back-up on: I'd also taken Magic Initiate more than once on a couple of PCs I'd created.

We all want to play by the rules because we don't want anyone else to get away with skirting them, either.

It hurts, but I re-worked those PCs. My new rule-of-thumb is that if a PC is a caster and does not already have proficiency with Constitution, that's the ability that gets the Resilient feat because those concentration saves can be so important.

thethain · May 12, 2017

If you didn't spend the ability score increase legally, you should reallocate it to be legal. I would say replace any resilient feat (AFTER THE FIRST) with legal feat or ability score improvements.

However, that doesn't mean you get to reset your ability scores you assigned at level 1. Your reasoning for setting up the character that way may have been flawed, but setting up your initial scores was entirely legal and can't be changed later because you realize you should have planned differently.