D&D 5E Adding Feats to the Existing Backgrounds

[HammerMan]

For all we know they might very well actually be prepping for a combat/non-combat split with feats..

I proposed during the playtest useing the Star Wars D20 classes (I think it was saga) as an idea. There could be Combat Feats and Non combat Talents, and classes could get them at diffrent levels, you have a small list of 'general' for both but then you also have a class list (or maybe class and power source) to choose from.

so example a fighter would at 2nd 4th 6th 8th 10th 12th 14th 16th 18th get combat feats, but then also get at 3rd 6th 9th 12th 15th 18th get a non combat talent.... while the rogue gets the reverse 2nd 4th 6th 8th 10th 12th 14th 16th 18th get non combat talent and 3rd 6th 9th 12th 15th 18th get combat feats.

today I would modify it (so to include ASI) and say overlap levels 6,12,&18 you can give up 1 to up a stat by 2 or 2 stats by 1, or give up BOTH to up all your stats by 1.

although this could also work with my 'everyone uses the warlock' chasie idea.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I proposed during the playtest useing the Star Wars D20 classes (I think it was saga) as an idea. There could be Combat Feats and Non combat Talents, and classes could get them at diffrent levels, you have a small list of 'general' for both but then you also have a class list (or maybe class and power source) to choose from.

so example a fighter would at 2nd 4th 6th 8th 10th 12th 14th 16th 18th get combat feats, but then also get at 3rd 6th 9th 12th 15th 18th get a non combat talent.... while the rogue gets the reverse 2nd 4th 6th 8th 10th 12th 14th 16th 18th get non combat talent and 3rd 6th 9th 12th 15th 18th get combat feats.

today I would modify it (so to include ASI) and say overlap levels 6,12,&18 you can give up 1 to up a stat by 2 or 2 stats by 1, or give up BOTH to up all your stats by 1.

although this could also work with my 'everyone uses the warlock' chasie idea.

Isn't this similar to 4E's split between combat and utility powers (I believe SW Saga was test bed for a lot of 4E ideas)? Not super familiar with Pathfinder 2E, but I think it has a similar split.

 

[HammerMan]

Isn't this similar to 4E's split between combat and utility powers (I believe SW Saga was test bed for a lot of 4E ideas)? Not super familiar with Pathfinder 2E, but I think it has a similar split.

yes it is. I actually would want it more life 4e then I said... take every spell and turn it into a feat or talent (with the keyword spell) and just give them a level prereq.

 

[jmartkdr2]

That is interesting. You could still use existing feats or new feats duplicating features


I see no reason why backgrounds would not be built in and feats still be optional. as such you can have the one feat that is your background, but not able to take more... or you can take the optional rules and be able to take feats as you level.

If they had phrased it as a background feature, and added a feat that grants a new, second background feature - there would be less complaining. Not none, these would still be OP background features compared to the PHB, but less.

 

[Weiley31]

Yeah, Half-Feats should be the way to go in regard to 5E feats. Those plus Supernatural Gifts/Backgrounds with Feats.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Honestly I think the default "background feat" should be expertise in one of their background associated skills. Spending years doing a thing as your job or otherwise key to your survival should make you better at it than using it as part of your skill repertoire during a few weeks of adventuring. Some backgrounds with "more powerful" feats should perhaps miss a tool/language proficiency or some such.

Give everyone a background feat at level 1, and lock the several, usual suspect, powergaming feats behind level 4 or 8 or 12 prerequisites. Most feats are not terribly high powered, but 5e is stingy with them because a few of them are or were feared to be. We now have the years of experience to know which ones we need to be careful of, and I'd like the next iteration of the game to be more generous with the others so we actually get to use them.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I don't it radical discourages taking feats.

Only for some. We are all feats, no asi

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Background feats also solves the biggest problem with just letting everyone have a level 1 feat (other than the handful of high-powered feats), which is not that feats are super powerful, but that feats are a whole system of content we don't want new players to have to think about when they roll up their first character (or first few characters). If your background just assigned you one, or a choice among a couple, (and if none of the backgrounds gave any that was particularly powerful for any type of build out of the gate such that there was wan't much relevance in terms of optimizing) then we could have the flavor of feats at level one without making the game vastly more complicated for beginning players.

 

[jgsugden]

It came up in the Dragonlance UA thread that it seems likely backgrounds will be granting a feat moving forward. If so, presumably the 2024 revision will update the core backgrounds to match this standard. So, of the currently existing feats, which, if any, do you think might get added to which of the currently existing backgrounds?

I think they'll revise the idea of backgrounds to make them more impacted ful the big anniversary, but when they do so, I think we'll see a 3E vs 3.5 level of overhaul across the board. So, asking what they'll add to what may not be the right question... instead the right question may be how will they rebuild them overall.

Also, I do not expect they'll all get feats when they're rebuilt - instead some will get abilities not contained within a feat.

 

[Charlaquin]

I think they'll revise the idea of backgrounds to make them more impacted ful the big anniversary, but when they do so, I think we'll see a 3E vs 3.5 level of overhaul across the board. So, asking what they'll add to what may not be the right question... instead the right question may be how will they rebuild them overall.

Also, I do not expect they'll all get feats when they're rebuilt - instead some will get abilities not contained within a feat.

That’s certainly possible. I’m predicting that the change won’t be quite as big as that, but we’ll see.