D&D 5E [5e] Feats, what gives?

[Satyrn]

In M:UA one of my players played a robot (base armor 4 points) who got lucky on one of his rolls for robot special abilities and gained the Armor ability (another 4 points), and who wore fairly strong armor on top of that (an additional 4-5 points). So this guy reduces the damage done by every hit by 12 points - and this is in a system where a typical breech-loaded gun deals 2D8 damage.

I wonder if that would be fun for me - I could wade into every fight knowing I'm not gonna suffer more than a scratch - or if that would be boring. I mean, I'd be wading into every fight knowing I'm not gonna suffer more than a scratch!

I would have to use that near-invulnerability to do something other than just fight. Maybe walk right up to the guy with the breech-loader, giving him every chance to shoot me, so I could grab the gun out of his hands and bend it into uselessness. That kind of thing. Ideally, you wouldn't have to use uber-weapons to challenge me, I'd find some way to challenge myself.

 

[jasper]

Indeed.

You played with jerks, but labelled them powergamers. I guess that's where I got confused.

No I played with jerks who were power gamers. I also played with jerks who were cheaters. I also played with jerks who wanted to tell the rest of us about their bed room happenings. I also played with jerks who want to get back at each other for what happen during Math class last Tuesday. I have played with jerks who should stayed home and went to bed instead of falling asleep at the table.
I have played with optimizers who were not jerks and understood to limit their build, to let others have fun.
So again.
All the power gamers I have met were jerks.
Power gaming is NOT a problem if the table and dm are happy with it.
I will not homebrew for power gamers as I dislike the extra work I have put in to balance encounters.
I will dm for power gamers during Adventure league. Because the PHB +1 limits the amount you can do so. And I am old and tired enough to tell a pg not to hog all the encounters.

 

[Jake Hamilton]

So the consensus is feats aren't really the issue its certain play styles. And by removing feats it makes it harder but not impossible to optimizethough its mostly done to repel certain players?

 

[Tony Vargas]

So the consensus is feats aren't really the issue its certain play styles. And by removing feats it makes it harder but not impossible to optimizethough its mostly done to repel certain players?

That may be an uncomfortable truth you just spoke there. On some level, a lot of what makes a variant or a ruleset worth adopting could be the players it'll attract or repel.

 

[Jake Hamilton]

Kinda makes me feel slimy.

 

[Uchawi]

Players use, abuse, and optimize the same spells, feats, races, equipment, magic, etc. over and over. One is not the root cause to optimizing, power gaming or cheating. It is simply PEBCAR or the problem exists between the chair and rulebook.

 

[Jake Hamilton]

Players use, abuse, and optimize the same spells, feats, races, equipment, magic, etc. over and over. One is not the root cause to optimizing, power gaming or cheating. It is simply PEBCAR or the problem exists between the chair and rulebook.

Yes and were saying that people make their games a certain way to repel those "problems". Which in itself kinda toxic in its own way.

 

[Yunru]

It totally depends on the dm and group. If the group is a majority PGs or have no problems with PGs, and the DM is okay with PGs; then the DM can up scale combat encounters.
In a mixed group or DM with has problems with PGs, then up scaling the combat encounters will hurt the roleplayer flavor builds.
The big fight comes to the following.
Some power gamers think if you don't power game then you having badwrongfun. Some power gamers demand all dms must allow PGs at their table.
Some DMs hate power gamers but will allow pgs to sit at their table. Then do things to tick off pgs.
Some DMS dislike power gamers and will ban pgs from their table. This ticks off PGS who think the DMs are their slaves.
I dislike power gamers and will not allow them in my homebrew. I just tired of the drama they bring to my table. However I will allow power gamers to play at my AL table because, in which every column they are pging in, they will be weak elsewhere.

Oh boy you'd hate me. 20 Cha, Disguise Self, proficiency in a disguise kit, Actor, Charlatan background, expertise in Deception and Persuasion...

Why attempt something if you're not going to try to be the best at it?

 

[mflayermonk]

Yes and were saying that people make their games a certain way to repel those "problems". Which in itself kinda toxic in its own way.

Some people just want to play different styles of the game. I played with feats last time, now I don't want to play with them this campaign. Maybe next campaign I want to add them back in.

 

[Jake Hamilton]

Some people just want to play different styles of the game. I played with feats last time, now I don't want to play with them this campaign. Maybe next campaign I want to add them back in.

I'm not saying every person chooses no feats for the same reason. I'm just saying that commonly the reasons given are superfluous or are made to repel certain play styles or people. This can be said for more than just feats of course could also be UA etc.