Healer
You are an able physician, allowing you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:
- You gain proficiency in the Medicine skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, you gain advantage on checks you make with it.
- When you use a healer’s kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.
- As an action, you can spend one use of a healer’s kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature’s maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can’t regain hit points from this ability again until it finishes a short or long rest.
- On a turn when you do not harm an enemy and your action or bonus action is to restore HP or remove a condition or disease, as you run toward your target your speed is doubled and opportunity attacks against you have disadvantage.
- A friendly creature that is within 5 feet of you may add your proficiency bonus to its death saving throws.
- When you restore a creature's hit points or remove a condition or disease, make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, that creature gains additional hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
Hey Soraka
I feel like these multi-part feats are becoming too baroque. The Medicine Expertise seems fine to me, because it doesn't tread on anyone's toes. I'd perhaps cut the last two components. Trouble here is that Healer is already strong without the speed buff and AoO protection, which has the same narrative issue as Sentinel: how does the feat know when you take your move, that you will be healing someone later in your turn? What happens if a player chooses not to do that healing? Does the DM have to roll back the turn?
Mage Slayer
Prerequisite: Level 4 in one class
-- When a creature that you can target casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make an attack against that creature.
- Once per long rest, you may use your reaction to attack the magic of the spell itself. Make an ability check with your attack ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the creature’s spell fails and has no effect.
- When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration.
- You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within 5 feet of you.
Interesting idea to switch the check to the attacker. I had "
If you hit, it (the caster) makes a Constitution saving throw. The DC equals 10 or half the damage you inflicted, whichever number is higher. If it fails its saving throw, its spell fails and has no effect." It seems quite workable to make it the attacker, and more fun for the Mage Slayer. This might need to make clear that magic items won't buff the ability check (because there is no equivalent for buffing the Counterspell spellcasting ability check).
Magic Initiate - Normal
- Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class’s spell list.
- In addition, choose one 1st-level spell from that same list. You learn that spell and if it has the ritual tag, you can cast it as a ritual. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom (your choice).
- You gain a 1st-level spell slot that can be regained after a long rest. This spell slot can be used for any 1st-level spell you can cast.
So this challenges whether spells should be gated to abilities. I think they should be. RAW Magic Initiate is strong by itself. Changing to slot already makes it very flexible.
Magic Initiate - Scaling
- Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class’s spell list. In addition, as you increase in character level, you learn the following spells from this list:
-- At 4th level, one 1st-level spell.
-- At 8th level, one 2nd-level spell.
-- At 12th level, one 3rd-level spell.
-- At 16th level, one 4th-level spell.
- When you gain a level, you may replace a spell you know from this feat with another from the list of the same level. You may not change these spells otherwise.
- You also gain one spell slot which can be regained after a long rest. Its level changes to match the level of the highest spell you know from this feat, and it can be used for any spell you can cast of that level or lower.
- If these spells have the ritual tag, you may cast them as rituals.
- These spells are associated with the class of your choice--e.g. if you are a Barbarian, they are Barbarian spells for you. Your spellcasting ability for these spells is Charisma, Wisdom, or Intelligence (your choice).
This is an imaginative feat and I like the direction it is heading. It seems OP, but OTOH gives any class the chance to use magic. How does it compare with Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight? Does this feat make their whole archetype feel a bit like dunces?
Martial Adept
You have martial training that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers. You gain the following benefits:
- You learn two maneuvers of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype in the fighter class. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
- If you already have superiority dice, you gain one more; otherwise, you have one superiority die, which is a d6. This die is used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.
- In addition, you learn one Fighting Style from either the Fighter, Paladin, or Ranger class.
Don't give away class foundations (Fighting Style). That creates overshadowing opportunities for no good reason. Hmm... try listing your design pillars and constraints separately from your feat design work.
Mounted Combatant (includes
Charger) - @
vonklaude (Complete Revision of PHB Feats)
You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren’t incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
- You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
- If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
- When your mount uses its action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or ranged attack in close combat or to shove a creature. If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack’s damage roll (if you chose to make a melee or ranged attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed). You can make the roll to shove using either your own, or your mount’s ability.
- If you can communicate intelligently with your mount, you can control your mount to do anything it could do of its own accord.
The last part feels more like a clarification to me. I don't think rider should be given mind control of mount, just the ability to make reasonable requests. If they are friends, the mount will comply.
Savage Attacker
- Once per short rest you can maximize your damage. For the rest of your turn, all of your damage rolls are replaced with the maximum possible roll.
I spent a bit of time contemplating this. It is hard to balance because it allows strong damage spiking. Say you are a 5th Rogue - 1d8+3d6+4 on a Sneak Attack. This takes your expected 19 damage and makes it 30. So over a day you are gaining about 30 points. At 11th level you'd be maximising say 1d8+6d6+5, so taking an expected 31 and making it 49. Gaining about 60 points a day. A Fighter at 11th with Extra Attacks could be gaining say 70 a day. Maximising could be good, but once per short rest is too limiting. A possible issue is whether even a small damage buff here pushes GWM too far? That's part of why I think it should be once a turn.
Sharpshooter - v2 - Hunter
- Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
- Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover.
- You learn the spell Hunter's Mark and can cast it without expending a spell slot. You regain this ability when you finish a short or long rest. If you already know Hunter's Mark, its damage and range are doubled and it no longer requires Concentration.
Let Rangers keep Hunters Mark to themselves. They don't have much anyway.
Sharpshooter - v3 - Sniper
- Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
- Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover.
- Sniper Shot: At the start of your turn you may expend a bonus action and forgo your movement except to stand up or fall prone. The first time you hit each target with a ranged weapon attack on this turn, your target gains one level of exhaustion rather than taking damage and is immune to further levels of exhaustion until the start of your next turn.
Narratively hard to understand.
Skulker (includes UA Stealthy and Observant) (Removed prerequisite)
You are expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits:
- You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill. If you are already proficient in the skill, you gain advantage on checks you make with it.
- Dim light doesn’t impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.
- If you can see a creature’s mouth while it is speaking a language you understand, you can interpret what it’s saying by reading its lips.
- You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding.
- If you are hidden, you can move up to 10 feet in the open without revealing yourself if you end the move in a position where you’re not clearly visible.
- When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with an attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position.
I dislike giving away Expertise in Stealth! Makes the feat perversely not help the class it should help, and gives away that class' crown jewels to other classes. Holy overshadowing.
Spell Sniper - v1
Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
You have learned techniques to enhance your attacks with certain kinds of spells, gaining the following benefits:
- Your spells ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
- When you cast a spell, your spell’s range is doubled.
- You learn one cantrip that requires an attack roll or saving throw. You add your spellcasting ability modifier to one damage roll of this cantrip. Your spellcasting ability for this cantrip is Charisma, Wisdom, or Intelligence (your choice).
I dislike the "your choice" part. One reason is it makes the uber-abilities (Dexterity!) even more uber.
Spell Sniper - v2
Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
You have learned techniques to enhance your attacks with certain kinds of spells, gaining the following benefits:
- Increase your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your spells ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
- Once per short rest, when you cast a spell, it may be cast with advantage or disadvantage on the ability checks, attacks, and saving throws.
I'm less and less liking giving characters fiat advantage/disadvantage the longer I play 5e.
Cantrip Master
Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one cantrip
- You learn one cantrip of your choice, or two if neither deals damage. Choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability for these cantrips.
- When you cast a cantrip with one damage roll, you may add your proficiency bonus to that damage roll.
- When you cast a non-scaling cantrip with a damage roll dX, the damage increases by 1dX at each of 5th, 11th, and 17th levels if its benefit is not used during the same action as Extra Attack.
- For any cantrip that does not deal damage, impose conditions, or give (dis)advantage or resistance:
-- You may ignore the Concentration requirements of one such active cantrip.
-- You may cast it as a bonus action or reaction.
-- Starting at 11th level, when you cast it, you may cast it twice, doubling limits on simultaneous effects.
Evokers everywhere wonder why they suddenly feel less special? Also, non-scaling cantrips generally do not scale for a reason!
Dabbler
Prerequisite: Level 8 in one class.
You find yourself particularly interested in one feature of another class. Choose one class and subclass. You gain this subclass's 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level features. If your choice would give you Spellcasting, you gain instead Magic Initiate for that subclass, but with only one cantrip. If your choice functions only with an earlier class benefit, you gain that benefit as well, with your DM’s consent. A few clarifications:
- Bard: If needed, gains half Bardic Inspiration dice, using your spellcasting ability.
- Barbarian: If Rage is needed, you gain 1 use of Rage.
- Cleric: You gain only Channel Divinity. Life Domain gains one always-prepared 1st level healing spell.
- Druid: Circle of the Moon gains Wild Shape instead of Circle Forms.
- Monk: If Ki points are needed, you gain 3 Ki points.
- Mystic: If Psi points are needed, you gain 4 Psi points.
- Rogue: You gain the bonus action from Cunning Action if needed.
- Warlock: You may select a Pact Boon instead.
- Sorcerer: You may select Metamagic instead, with 3 Sorcery points.
You use your own spellcasting modifier (or your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma if you don't have one), class levels, and class spells for these features.
The ability to deconstruct the classes is a balancing nightmare! Being able to surgically extract the crown jewels of multiple classes! You might say - well it's level 8 so few characters will have it - it breaks only those that do! Three exclamations marks worth of instinctive this is
disgusting. There should be some kind of prize
Favored Item
You have become unusually attached to a particular item that belongs to you. You gain the following benefits:
- You become a proficient fighter with this item.
- You add +1 to your attack and damage rolls with this item.
- You add +1 to your AC and saving throws while using this item.
- You add +1 to ability checks made with this item.
- Your attacks with this item count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
- You may use this item as a spellcasting focus. If you do so, you may add +1 to your spell attack rolls and spell save DC while using this item.
- Your DM will determine the relevant ability modifier, damage dice, and damage type for this item, minimum 1d4.
- Compared to duplicate items, you always know which item is yours.
- If you lose this item, you go through a period of mourning. You may choose another item to gain these benefits after 1d4 + 1 long rests.
- If this item is stolen from you, you gain advantage on all rolls to track your item and against the thief or current possessor of your item, and such creatures have disadvantage on saving throws you inflict.
- At your DM's discretion, your item may gain additional bonuses and abilities in the future, but it cannot become cursed.
- You may take this feat more than once, but you must select a different item each time.
Make it a boon, not a feat, and let the DM award it when merited.
Magic Manipulation
Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
You have mastered the art of modifying magic on the fly. Once per short rest you may change a spell you cast in one of the following ways. Starting at level 6, you can use this ability twice, and at level 18, three times, per short rest.
- Increase your DC or attack bonus by 2.
- Change the saving throw ability. (This ability is limited to once per rest even at higher levels.)
- Change the damage types.
- Double the range (Touch spells become 10 feet, Self spells become Touch).
Change the save! Increase DC by 2! Bounded accuracy cries tears of blood.
Magical Weapon
Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell
When you create a magical effect that targets another creature, you may make an illusory magical weapon appear in your hand(s). Your appearance, including of items you are carrying, changes to fit this illusion. It is a complete sensory effect, but everyone knows it is an illusion. This effect lasts until the end of your turn or until you dismiss it. You gain the following benefit:
- When you cast a spell or use another racial or class feature that causes one or more creatures to make a saving throw, you may instead make a spell attack against each target. A hit is a saving throw failure, and a miss is a saving throw success. Critical hits and misses are automatic hits and misses but do not give extra damage, benefits, or penalties.
- If your target could have used Legendary Resistance against your saving throw, it may use it to force you to make the roll with disadvantage, even if your roll would have had advantage otherwise.
This feels like a concept for one of the basic features of a new archetype. Not a feat.
Trained (replaces Heavily Armored, Lightly Armored, Linguist, Moderately Armored, Skilled, and Weapon Master)
You may take this feat more than once.
You gain any combination of the following benefits, adding up to 10 points:
- 5 points: Increase one ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- 4 points: Learn a cantrip(1), or gain proficiency in light armor, medium armor(2) and shields, or heavy armor(3).
- 3 points: Gain proficiency in shields or a class of weapons (simple, martial(4), melee, ranged, firearms).
- 2 points: Gain proficiency in a skill or advantage(5, 6) on an existing skill or tool proficiency.
- 1 point: Gain proficiency in a tool(6) or language.
(1) If you learn a cantrip, you may choose Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma as the spellcasting ability modifier for that cantrip.
(2) You must be proficient in simple weapons before gaining proficiency in martial weapons.
(3) You must be proficient in light armor before gaining proficiency in medium armor.
(4) You must be proficient in medium armor before gaining proficiency in heavy armor.
(5) You may gain this benefit at most twice when you select this feat.
(6) At the DM's discretion, tool proficiency or skill or tool advantage may cost an extra point for a particularly useful tool or skill.
* You may gain both a proficiency and its prerequisite through one use of this feat.
While I like that changing to giving advantage means it also boosts Bards and Rogues (who can add it to Expertise) I couldn't in clear conscience as a DM ever let my players get their hands on this feat!
Weapon Mastery
- Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Choose one of the following properties or damage types: finesse, light, range, reach, special, thrown, two-handed, versatile, improvised, piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning.
- Your attacks with a weapon using this property or damage type count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
- When you select this feat, choose two of the following benefits; however, if you choose the first or second benefit, you cannot also choose the third or fourth benefit. When you attack with such a weapon with which you are proficient:
-- Add +1 to your attack rolls.
-- Add +1 to your damage rolls.
-- Subtract 1 from your attack rolls, but add +2 to your damage rolls.
-- Add +2 to your attack rolls, but subtract 1 from your damage rolls.
-- Reroll 1s on your attack rolls. If you already reroll 1s, you may reroll 2s, etc.
-- Add +1 to your AC until the start of your next turn.
-- Add +1 to saving throws until the start of your next turn.
-- Add +1 to ability checks until the end of your next turn.
-- Add +1 to save DCs until the end of your next turn.
- You may take this feat more than once.
Ditto, but twice as much.
CANTRIP FIXES
=============
True Strike: 1 bonus action, range of Sight, Concentration on True Strike does not prohibit other Concentration, and cannot be cast on a turn when you attack or force a saving throw
Blade Ward: 1 bonus action, but cannot be cast on a turn when you attack or force a saving throw
How about changing these. Keep them as actions. Keep them as Concentration. Let them run 2 rounds or until expended. I suggest that because I'm coming to understand this design space and we can't really let players have easy access to fiat advantage. Blade Ward is less of an issue of course.
