D&D (2024) 75 Feats -- not nearly enough

[Neonchameleon]

Of the playtest level 1 feats, Lucky, Magic Initiate, and Alert should all stay competitive, esp. with that adjustment.

Also Lightly Armoured for Arcane Casters.

 

[Neonchameleon]

no full feat from Tasha's is worth full feat, some are half-feats at best.

Eldritch Adept. Especially with the invocations getting a glow-up.

 

[TwoSix]

The issue of course is if higher level feats are strictly better, then people will never select weaker ones again.

I don't think people will pick level 1 feats once level 4 feats are unlocked. If there are level 8 feats, no one will pick a level 4 feat because they will gravitate to the more powerful choices, even if a level 4 feat fits their concept more. (I see that in spell choices on leveling; people always pick their new spell from the highest list tier available, even if the spells of that level are less interesting than other spells a level lower, because perceived power of being the highest level they can cast.)

It's a design with tradeoffs, for sure.

I can think of some games where spells aren't tiered, and instead are a flat pool of abilities. It's compelling because it's very different from standard D&D, for sure. But I don't know if it's better.

The general design of warlock invocations is probably what I'd like to see feats look like. A broad pool at the start, and then a few compelling options added on, often more specific, at each level tier.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Also Lightly Armoured for Arcane Casters.

Good call -- I was looking at the list in Character Origins for this. You're totally right.

 

[Remathilis]

So ... what you are saying is that non-casters will get some actual scaling beyond level 5?

And what's wrong with my suggestion of "wrapper feats" that won't fix this?

I'm just pointing out that if you make the levels 4 and 8, most people will pick a 8th level feat over a 4th because the perception that any 8th level feat is better than any 4th and picking two 4ths when you could have had an 8th is screwing yourself, regardless if that is mathematically true.

Fomo is a hard mindset to change.

 

[Maxperson]

Taking spotlight from their teammates because they're "better gamers" is a problem.

The game is built as a cooperative storytelling dice system. It should continue that.

Sure, but it's not a game problem. It's a people problem. Powergaming isn't a game problem. It's no different than if 3 players want to be good heroes and 1 player wants to be an evil bastard. It's no different than if 3 players want to make sure to stay together, but 1 guy is constantly wandering off alone. It's no different than if 3 players want to move things along at a good pace and 1 guy is constantly stopping to roleplay with every NPC and every piece of scenery. It's no different than if 3 players want to powergame, but one player builds a roleplay oriented PC and can't keep up.

That's why it's so important for all the players to be on the same page. The players can wander around the page a bit, so they don't have to all be the same in all regards, but if you cross over the edge and leave the page, you are a problem.

Oh, and the game was built to handle many different playstyles, including powergaming. It should continue THAT, not be constrained to your one true way.

 

[tetrasodium]

not really a fan of tier3&4 exclusive feats.

Scaling feats feel better, Like extra HPs or Temp HP based on level or power based on prof bonus.

tier 3★ feats would serve an important role if done right. Feats restricted to tier3 or close allow balanced "S tier" type feats to exist without becoming the only valid nonchoices at lower levels. Those tier3 feats need more than "level 11" because if they require one or more feats from earlier tiers they fill the niche of making a high level character better at the stuff they are already good☆ at doing. When S tier feats do not have suitable entry requirements like that you wind up with generalist superheroes who can do so much they no longer need to actually work as a group & the game starts to break down as the GM quickly becomes incapable of challenging the group as a whole. In shgort, tier3 feats should require two or three feats and depending on the feat perhaps N levels in specific classses.

★and perhaps tier4 ones too. The same points apply but tier4 play is less common outside oneshots and there's no need to complicate this post
☆There's no reason to be concerned about or waste any design resources on self sabotage that comes in the form of a player taking feats in order to still be bad at something they are bad at

 

[MuhVerisimilitude]

You can avoid the problem if you allow feats to scale with level.

Instead of having x-billion feats. Cut them down to, say, 20 or 30, and then have each feat automatically upgrade at certain points. This allows you to have gated feats in the sense that the full ability of the feat isn't available until you have reached a particular level.

 

[Maxperson]

you cannot break the game without knowing the game.

The math is only a part of the game. It's not the game. It best you can say that power gamers know one aspect of the game better, but as @FitzTheRuke said, many of us know the game just as well as they do, but choose not to power game.

 

[Maxperson]

117 FEATS INCLUDING THIRD PARTY
108 WOTC FEATS
88 AL LEGAL
108 -75 = 33 feats which did not make the cut but will be coming out in 2026.

Assuming that there are no new feats. If there are, then more than 33 existing feats didn't make the cut.