MostlyHarmless42
Adventurer
From out tables, we seem to end up with players all seeking to take feats at level 4 and 8, though we tend to have players who consider extra abilities and the things that feats come with as more interesting than straight bonuses. A couple characters have been exceptions to this (most single stat class characters like the wizards/warlock or caster druid/cleric builds), though even when they did choose to increase ability scores it was often to even out odd scores, or to up a secondary or even tertiary stat (usually con) to 16.
The game's difficulty is tentatively balanced around a character having a 14 in their primary, and I actually think this to be a good thing, as it allows unorthodox builds to be viable or newer players who can't optimize to still function and enjoy themselves, and for those who do up their stats to feel more powerful.
Realistically, there isn't any sort of "requirement" to up your stats at all, as even with a 14 stat, an attack will hit targets with average ac about 50% of the time (give or take 10%), it is the higher ac monsters where having a higher stat can really be felt, or when using weapons you aren't proficient in, etc. That said, it is likely to be more fun for players who start with a primary stat of 16 if possible, or a 15 that gets bumped somehow to 16 at level 4. I'd wager the only time you'd *have* to increase this is around level 12, where monsters having AC higher than 15 start becoming more and more common, at which point you'll be fine with an 18 in your primary stat. Possessing a 20 is by no means "required" and in all honestly nearly every build will be improved by making another score a second 18, or taking another feat over maxing out a 20, though there may be a few exceptions, and that's a matter of opinion.
Personally, what I've found seems to make the game more entertaining and to help character growth is to give players a feat at first level, one which *must* be a feat. It should ideally fit their character's concept rather than just being mechanically best, but again, who's to say "hitting very hard" (i.e. Heavy Weapon Master) isn't core to your character's identity. We do this at our table and it tends to have a couple results:
1) The players are slightly more powerful in the long run, though far from being game breaking OP in the longrun, and most if the power boost is at low levels, where the game could stand to have a couple more options to diversify character builds.
2) I've found it helps encourage players to take options that help flesh out their character, whether that means:
2a) they take what are normally considered "lackluster" feats because the extra feat allows them to do so, especially for builds that are MAD.
2b) It is just one more instance that forces a player to put some thought into their character beyond just "I am a fighter" or "I am a rogue". Backgrounds having traits, flaws, etc. help with this, but it is always nice to have one more mechanical reason.
3) Maybe it's just my players, but I've found granting a starting feat seems to increase racial diversity among the characters created.
We had a LOT of varient humans for a number of builds before trying this just because some builds (like crossbow users or warcaster for sword/board clerics and paladins) really almost need some feats, and being "forced" to take one at 4th level or take human varient if you really want another feat that that is more flavorful every time really kind of feels sort of boring and stifles the creativity I like to see at my table. Though these are just my thoughts.
The game's difficulty is tentatively balanced around a character having a 14 in their primary, and I actually think this to be a good thing, as it allows unorthodox builds to be viable or newer players who can't optimize to still function and enjoy themselves, and for those who do up their stats to feel more powerful.
Realistically, there isn't any sort of "requirement" to up your stats at all, as even with a 14 stat, an attack will hit targets with average ac about 50% of the time (give or take 10%), it is the higher ac monsters where having a higher stat can really be felt, or when using weapons you aren't proficient in, etc. That said, it is likely to be more fun for players who start with a primary stat of 16 if possible, or a 15 that gets bumped somehow to 16 at level 4. I'd wager the only time you'd *have* to increase this is around level 12, where monsters having AC higher than 15 start becoming more and more common, at which point you'll be fine with an 18 in your primary stat. Possessing a 20 is by no means "required" and in all honestly nearly every build will be improved by making another score a second 18, or taking another feat over maxing out a 20, though there may be a few exceptions, and that's a matter of opinion.
Personally, what I've found seems to make the game more entertaining and to help character growth is to give players a feat at first level, one which *must* be a feat. It should ideally fit their character's concept rather than just being mechanically best, but again, who's to say "hitting very hard" (i.e. Heavy Weapon Master) isn't core to your character's identity. We do this at our table and it tends to have a couple results:
1) The players are slightly more powerful in the long run, though far from being game breaking OP in the longrun, and most if the power boost is at low levels, where the game could stand to have a couple more options to diversify character builds.
2) I've found it helps encourage players to take options that help flesh out their character, whether that means:
2a) they take what are normally considered "lackluster" feats because the extra feat allows them to do so, especially for builds that are MAD.
2b) It is just one more instance that forces a player to put some thought into their character beyond just "I am a fighter" or "I am a rogue". Backgrounds having traits, flaws, etc. help with this, but it is always nice to have one more mechanical reason.
3) Maybe it's just my players, but I've found granting a starting feat seems to increase racial diversity among the characters created.
We had a LOT of varient humans for a number of builds before trying this just because some builds (like crossbow users or warcaster for sword/board clerics and paladins) really almost need some feats, and being "forced" to take one at 4th level or take human varient if you really want another feat that that is more flavorful every time really kind of feels sort of boring and stifles the creativity I like to see at my table. Though these are just my thoughts.
