Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Feats for Races

I find this line mystifying: "These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign."

What are they trying to say here? Do these feats become unbalanced when combined with multiclassing?

Also, some of the feats significantly alter a character's body. Barbed Hide, for example, endows a Tiefling with a barbed hide. That's not the sort of thing that you can acquire through training. Which gives rise to the question, "Why couldn't the Tiefling do this at level 1?" It's not like Pole Arm Master, where you can explain the acquisition of the new ability through practice and training. Either you were born with a barbed hide or you weren't.

Same with Dragon Wings: "You sprout draconic wings." I'm not well-versed in Dragonborn lore, but is that really something that just... happens during their adult life?

 

[Xeviat]

On the surface, these are pretty cool. The more I see them, though, the more I'm disliking "half feats" and wishing we just had feats AND ASIs. But that's just me. I liked the customization that feats allowed in 3E and 4E. Half feats are weak in one person's hands and more powerful in another's.


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[jgsugden]

These are not well balanced against each other in terms of benefit, and the benefits of some need to be thought out more. Further, it punishes players that selected non-PHB races if they do not have access to feats when other races do. If they're going this route, all races in WotC published resources (including online free resources like Elemental Evil) need to have options.

What is to prevent a dwarf with Dwarf Resilience from entering combat with a butterfly and dodging every round to heal up outside of real combat? Do they not want that to be available? Why not allow them to use unlimited healing dice one per action outside combat explicitly if they want to allow it?

Elven Accuracy - Use the best of 3 dice, effectively, when you have advantage on an attack. Holy Shutterbug - that is strong. Wood Elf Barbarian is certainly interesting as an option now. Champion fighters too - up to 27% of attacks being crits at level 3? Reckless Attack, Great Weapon Master and Elven Accuracy - who cares if you need a 16 to hit when you get 3 chances! 14% chance to crit, 44% chance to hit without crit, 42% chance of a miss.

Dragonborn can get +1 AC (if unarmored)? Or a fly speed? Those are pretty solid benefits for a feat.

Halflings can, as a reaction, allow others to reroll 1s - once per round? Very leadery ability.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Here we go!

http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/RJSJC2017_04UASkillFeats_24v10.pdf

"This document introduces new feats to playtest. As explained in chapter 6 of the Player’s Handbook, feats, like multiclassing, are an optional part of the game, usable only if your DM permits them. These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign, and they don’t assume the existence of the skill feats that were released in a previous installment of Unearthed Arcana.

"Each of these feats is associated with a race from the Player’s Handbook..."

Aha. One of the few UA that I've really liked enough to consider inclusion at my table. Orcish Aggression makes me particularly happy. The Dragonborn feats likewise do quite a lot to differentiate this hitherto-weak-and-boring race in interesting ways.

I'd be very open to just adding this UA to my campaign and only disallowing on a case-by-case basis. (So far I haven't seen any that I'd disallow, but I've only skimmed about ten entries.)

 

[bmfrosty]

I'm a big proponent of the idea that the customization options are the enemy of combat balance.

They definitely need to there to be categorization of feats when they add them to official sources.

I'd also prefer that the PHG have a paragraph on the first page of Chapter 6 (2nd paragraph) that states that the customization options are allowed at option the DM or organized play organizing body.

 

[phantomK9]

What is to prevent a dwarf with Dwarf Resilience from entering combat with a butterfly and dodging every round to heal up outside of real combat?

Perhaps a DM with a small amount of sense? Also that one is self-limiting as you only have so many Hit Dice for healing. And once you are outside of combat you can just claim a short rest and heal up normally anyway.

 

[Mistwell]

Still waiting on the re-balance of existing feats...

Don't hold your breath. I really don't see that happening, ever. I think WOTC feels they are balanced enough and it's not an issue even on their radar.

 

[Mistwell]

Elven Accuracy - like double advantage for rogues to pile on the sneak attack dice. Interesting that it doesn't require a ranged attack or even a weapon attack. Half elf warlocks can work the faerie fire/eldritch blast combo for big damage.

I've never considered an Elven or Half-Elven barbarian before. But an Elven barbarian attacking with Advantage every round to power their Great Weapon Fighting -5/+10 could be an interesting character with essentially double advantage. I mean, I suppose +2 Dex, +1 Wis for Wood Elf, or +2 Chr, +1 Str and +1 Wis or Dex for Half-Elf, both could work well for such a character.

 

[Li Shenron]

Either you were born with a barbed hide or you weren't.

Same with Dragon Wings: "You sprout draconic wings." I'm not well-versed in Dragonborn lore, but is that really something that just... happens during their adult life?

I don't think so. Maybe humans, but devil/demon blooded people or dragon descendants in a fantasy world could pretty much evolve or undergo some metamorphosis during their life.

Or maybe they always had wings and spikes but had to learn how to use them.

 

[Li Shenron]

The more feats which grant +1 ability score we get, and the more it sounds like their "bigger feats" concept in 5e was a failure.

 

[jgsugden]

Perhaps a DM with a small amount of sense? Also that one is self-limiting as you only have so many Hit Dice for healing. And once you are outside of combat you can just claim a short rest and heal up normally anyway.

... if you have an hour of free time.