D&D 5E Feat at 1st Level: How To Go About It?

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Trading 2 points from your attacking stat for a feat seems like a logical solution. Until you can't hit anything, or you are forced into the encounters where you can't get the full bonus of your feat.

Having played a feat heavy character, I would not recommend doing so if it costs you more stats.

Yes. Thank you for sharing your experience with that.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I was basing my estimations of a feat's worth compared to ability scores on the adjustments to the variant human, but if the Skilled feat gives that much of a bonus, the designers probably thought that a feat at first level was worth more than +2 to an ability score (since, the variant human loses 1 from each of four scores, but only gains one feat and one skill proficiency). This makes the variant human very interesting in the mix.

It's a little bit more complicated than that, because variant humans can pick one of the "half-feats" that give +1 to an ability score and also put one of their racial bonuses in that score, getting a net +2. If they do this, they essentially mimic the +2/+1 pattern of the other races, with the benefit of the feat and the skill proficiency being equivalent to the rest of the racial features. And they have a higher ability score than a standard human. So losing +1 to four ability scores isn't necessarily as big a sacrifice as you might think.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Hello, everyone.

I'm considering giving all the characters the option of having a feat at first level.

At first, I'd considered just letting all the characters have a feat for free. But, then I thought that I really didn't want to force all the players to pick a feat (as some wouldn't want to). Nor, did I want to really change the power level of the characters.

,

Best of both worlds. Just offer the players that want feats the option to take Flaws: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/d-d-flaws. That way the others don't have to do anything.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Best of both worlds. Just offer the players that want feats the option to take Flaws: http://connorscampaigns.wikidot.com/d-d-flaws. That way the others don't have to do anything.

Thanks! I like those. We used flaws in 3X to buy extra feats.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

It's a little bit more complicated than that, because variant humans can pick one of the "half-feats" that give +1 to an ability score and also put one of their racial bonuses in that score, getting a net +2. If they do this, they essentially mimic the +2/+1 pattern of the other races, with the benefit of the feat and the skill proficiency being equivalent to the rest of the racial features. And they have a higher ability score than a standard human. So losing +1 to four ability scores isn't necessarily as big a sacrifice as you might think.

Good explanation. Thank you.

 

[Warbringer]

Just let players pick a feat; it changes he power equation slightly at low level, but adds more flavor.

 

[ExploderWizard]

It's not about getting something for free, it's getting something you don't want. It would be like someone coming to my door and saying "Hey man! Would you like this squash I have? It's FREE! What do you mean you don't like squash. Did you not hear the FREE part?"

And yes, there are a lot of players out there who don't like feats. A lot.

Amen. I read your post and thought immediately of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm1GN-mEyvc

 

[Corpsetaker]

It's not about getting something for free, it's getting something you don't want. It would be like someone coming to my door and saying "Hey man! Would you like this squash I have? It's FREE! What do you mean you don't like squash. Did you not hear the FREE part?"

And yes, there are a lot of players out there who don't like feats. A lot.

We aren't talking about giving someone just any old thing. In your example you used an item that one can easily get or one that isn't readily used.

Why not try using something else as an example that is a bit more valuable? Let's say I was handing out €20.00. Would you be so quick to say the same thing.

Where are your statistics on these "lot's" of people who don't like feats?

 

[Sacrosanct]

We aren't talking about giving someone just any old thing. In your example you used an item that one can easily get or one that isn't readily used.

Why not try using something else as an example that is a bit more valuable? Let's say I was handing out €20.00. Would you be so quick to say the same thing.

Where are your statistics on these "lot's" of people who don't like feats?

Again, you're assuming that feats have value. They don't. Not to everyone. So my example is perfectly appropriate. Obviously I'm not the only one who thinks that judging by EW's post right above yours. And I don't have all of Mearl's tweets saved from the playtest process. But there's a reason why they made feats default as an optional rule, and not part of the base game. Why do you think that is? Go visit other forums, like TheRPGSite or Dragonsfoot, and you'll see lots of people who just don't like feats because they just don't prefer to use them.

I have nothing against feats in 5e, and have used them myself. But this weird attitude of "I like them/find them valuable, therefore everyone else must like them too" is just odd.

Like any other mechanic in any other game, feats is a personal preference issue. And surprise, but not everyone has the same preferences.

 

[Corpsetaker]

Again, you're assuming that feats have value. They don't. Not to everyone. So my example is perfectly appropriate. Obviously I'm not the only one who thinks that judging by EW's post right above yours. And I don't have all of Mearl's tweets saved from the playtest process. But there's a reason why they made feats default as an optional rule, and not part of the base game. Why do you think that is? Go visit other forums, like TheRPGSite or Dragonsfoot, and you'll see lots of people who just don't like feats because they just don't prefer to use them.

I have nothing against feats in 5e, and have used them myself. But this weird attitude of "I like them/find them valuable, therefore everyone else must like them too" is just odd.

Like any other mechanic in any other game, feats is a personal preference issue. And surprise, but not everyone has the same preferences.

Your example wasn't really appropriate because feats have a great value and a large impact in the game.

You are also trying to claim there is some widespread dislike of feats. I haven't seen that on these boards. A few people agreeing with you does not mean it's a shared dislike across the boards or even the gaming community.