D&D (2024) Fighting Styles Are Not Worth a Whole Feat

[Maxperson]

we haven't rolled for abilities since 2003, I think...

From the polls that I've seen online here and elsewhere, it seems that a slightly higher percentage of people use point buy/arrays than roll for stats, which leave nearly half of groups rolling for stats. WotC knows this and rolling is a default method of stat generation, so while your group doesn't roll, WotC clearly isn't trying to avoid people starting with 18-20 in a stat, because they use rolling as a default method.

 

[Horwath]

From the polls that I've seen online here and elsewhere, it seems that a slightly higher percentage of people use point buy/arrays than roll for stats, which leave nearly half of groups rolling for stats. WotC knows this and rolling is a default method of stat generation, so while your group doesn't roll, WotC clearly isn't trying to avoid people starting with 18-20 in a stat, because they use rolling as a default method.

I think what percentage would have been if PHB was written for ability generation:

1. Default: ability array; 15,14,13,12,10,8

2. Variant 1; point buy

3. Variant 2; roll 4d6D1 six times. This method can produce wildly different characters in power level in your group.

 

[cbwjm]

we haven't rolled for abilities since 2003, I think...

All of my groups love to roll for stats, we like that randomness.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I agree. If they aren't intended to be something you would spend a feat on, then they should never have been converted from class abilities to feats. If that's the intent, then it wasted work.

More likely they are intended to be chosen as feats, but are just badly designed at this point. Either way it's just bad right now.

Right. They certainly aren't in Tasha's as a feat in order to not be taken.

Oh well, I will certainly tell them they're a mistake as-is when the survey is posted.

 

[Maxperson]

I think what percentage would have been if PHB was written for ability generation:

1. Default: ability array; 15,14,13,12,10,8

2. Variant 1; point buy

3. Variant 2; roll 4d6D1 six times. This method can produce wildly different characters in power level in your group.

Probably higher given the number of new people to D&D since 5e came out.

 

[Maxperson]

Right. They certainly aren't in Tasha's as a feat in order to not be taken.

Oh well, I will certainly tell them they're a mistake as-is when the survey is posted.

Same. They need to be improved or moved back to the classes.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

When Jeremy Crawford talks about the fighting styles he said they made them feats so any class could take them.

So much for that benefit of the doubt, then. It's a certain kind of a combo, to dismissively put class features as feats, while wildly over-estimating their actual value at the same time.

 

[Weiley31]

Also, Fighting Initiate IS a thing (at the moment) so that Feat technically covers all the Fighting Styles if you're going by learning them as a feat.

 

[Horwath]

Also, Fighting Initiate IS a thing (at the moment) so that Feat technically covers all the Fighting Styles if you're going by learning them as a feat.

it's a bad feat now, it will be a bad feat in 2024 if it stays a full feat, unless fighting styles get buffed a lot. Even archery.

 

[MoonSong]

I agree they're rarely worthwhile as feats, but putting all the descriptions together somewhere means they don't have to be repeated for multiple classes, and including that section in feats allows for the niche option of choosing them that way.

I don't see how putting all of them in the same place is a good thing. The extra content better be worth having to move pages back and fort during character creation.