eriktheguy
First Post
Alright, but what about the case player that really, really wants to make a "Quick Draw" character, mostly for reasons of Role-playing (or other feat-covered possible aspect of a character, such as dual-wielding Wands or having an off-hand Shortsword). Is it a "Feat Tax" because he feels it necessary to spend a feat on a choice to do something specific, and that it is better than all other feats?
Because that is what the Expertise-class feats are- a choice to be pretty darn good at a certain aspect of your character. The single feat "tax" isn't out-and-out better to choose for a character that mixes-and-matches power selection, such as a Cleric or Bard or even a Dragonborn Bullrush specialist.
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A feat being necessary to specialize in something doesn't seem like a feat tax to me. It seems like customization. Feat taxes like expertise are applied across the board and do not have any visible difference in gameplay. A player that hits because of the +1 from expertise doesn't feel special, because it was not 'their idea' to take the feat, and they are no different than anyone else. A player that is more prepared because of 'quick draw', blocks an attack because of 'two weapon defense', or lands a blow because of 'anger unleashed' feels special, because an ability specific to their character made them more successful. And although expertise isn't the best choice for all character builds, it is the best choice for the vast majority.