Legends and Lore: Uber Feats eat Prestige classes and Paragon Paths or give +1 to ability

[hbarsquared]

I do hope that if these feats are "tremendous" and "awesome," and if they do reflect class features somewhat, that there are not class prerequisites.

The barest of level prereqs I'm intuitively okay with, Level 10 and level 15, or somesuch. But if feats are going to be a mechanism to custom characters and really open the box, then I would prefer not to see only arcane casters have access to a familiar. Or only rogues access to a "sneaking suite." I have no idea what the design team is thinking or visualizing, but if these feats are akin to class features, I can see some creative characters coming out of the mixing and matching.

 

[tuxgeo]

Here's one possibility that I didn't see mentioned earlier in this thread: ability-boost "feat trees." I'm typing this up so we'll have it included in the discussion; but I really don't like it much:

1) "Stat Boost" feat: You gain +1 to an ability score of your choice, provided that this does not raise the ability score above 20. This feat can be taken multiple times, but each time you take it you must apply it to an ability score that you have not already boosted with this feat.

2) "Improved Stat Boost" feat [Prerequisite: 6th Level, "Stat Boost"]: You gain +1 to an ability score that you have already boosted with the "Stat Boost" feat, provided that this does not raise the ability score above 20. This feat can be taken multiple times, but each time you take it you must apply it to an ability score that you have not already boosted with this feat.

3) "Epic Stat Boost" feat [Prerequisite: 9th Level, "Improved Stat Boost"]: blah blah blah (I'm not even going to write it up)

They probably won't go this way because it's kludgey. So there's that. (Still, I would rather waste the time and effort to write out this scheme than to leave it out of the discussion, as this post make obvious).

 

[Cybit]

Feats are wholesale class abilities currently. Like, want to be able to detect traps similarly (But not as amazingly) as rogues? A feat. Want to be able to cast minor healing spells? A feat. Want to freaking RAISE PEOPLE FROM THE DEAD (admittedly 1 minute after battle limit)? Take the healing feat, and then take another feat. Extra attack? TWF feat.

The feats are already kind of reeeedonkulous when you take a look at a lot of them. Some weaker ones, but if the current higher power feats are any indication, there are going to be some very, very strong feats.

 

[Dausuul]

Here's one possibility that I didn't see mentioned earlier in this thread: ability-boost "feat trees." I'm typing this up so we'll have it included in the discussion; but I really don't like it much:

1) "Stat Boost" feat: You gain +1 to an ability score of your choice, provided that this does not raise the ability score above 20. This feat can be taken multiple times, but each time you take it you must apply it to an ability score that you have not already boosted with this feat.

2) "Improved Stat Boost" feat [Prerequisite: 6th Level, "Stat Boost"]: You gain +1 to an ability score that you have already boosted with the "Stat Boost" feat, provided that this does not raise the ability score above 20. This feat can be taken multiple times, but each time you take it you must apply it to an ability score that you have not already boosted with this feat.

3) "Epic Stat Boost" feat [Prerequisite: 9th Level, "Improved Stat Boost"]: blah blah blah (I'm not even going to write it up)

They probably won't go this way because it's kludgey. So there's that. (Still, I would rather waste the time and effort to write out this scheme than to leave it out of the discussion, as this post make obvious).

Simpler way of writing the same thing:

Stat Boost: Add +1 to any one ability score, to a maximum of 20. You can take this feat multiple times, as long as the total increase to any one ability score does not exceed 1/3 your level.

Myself, I don't think the extra restriction is worth the trouble. There's still a hard cap of 20; 1st-level characters can start with a 20 if they get lucky (roll an 18, race bonus, class bonus); and you're unlikely to get more than one feat per two levels; so why bother trying to rein in the rate of increase?

 

[GX.Sigma]

I do hope that if these feats are "tremendous" and "awesome," and if they do reflect class features somewhat, that there are not class prerequisites.

Mearls: feats are non-class specific.

I wonder if they are going to make feats "wider" i.e. grant multiple benefits at once, or just "heavier" i.e. bigger boost.

Give the bounded accuracy principle, I would be expecting rather the first, maybe they'll just merge existing feats 2-into-1 or something like that.

God, I hope it's the second. If it's the first, it has the same "oh, here's a bunch of tiny situational things you have to memorize from now on" problem that feats have always had. I'd much rather it be one big thing, like "you can fly" or "you can cast spells" or "you have a demon sidekick."

 

[Elodan]

Sounds better, I wonder why does he always spread panic with every L&L article and then has to put out the fire a bit with tweets...

I think it's a case of writing the paper due Monday very late on Sunday night.

I love feats and look forward to seeing how they implement this.

 

[dd.stevenson]

God, I hope it's the second. If it's the first, it has the same "oh, here's a bunch of tiny situational things you have to memorize from now on" problem that feats have always had. I'd much rather it be one big thing, like "you can fly" or "you can cast spells" or "you have a demon sidekick."

I don't believe I could have ever said it better myself.

 

[Warbringer]

I'd much rather it be one big thing, like "you can fly" or "you can cast spells" or "you have a demon sidekick."

I think it has to be this, basically a big "ON" switch for abilities... Gives customization and easy to remember in play

 

[Li Shenron]

God, I hope it's the second. If it's the first, it has the same "oh, here's a bunch of tiny situational things you have to memorize from now on" problem that feats have always had. I'd much rather it be one big thing, like "you can fly" or "you can cast spells" or "you have a demon sidekick."

Those are fine, but I was thinking about those few feats that currently grant a boost like advantage on something, how do you make them even bigger? You can widen the scenarios where advantage applies, but IMHO we already have too many cases of advantage in the game, I am worried that soon adv/disadv will be even more frequent than having neither.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I was thinking about those few feats that currently grant a boost like advantage on something, how do you make them even bigger?

I think the solution there is to just not have those feats.