D&D 5E 2106/2017 Workshop Feats Review

[CapnZapp]

The time has come for the next (final?) step of a long process of salvaging the feats subsystem of D&D 5th edition.

This thread builds upon the following two threads:
* 2016 Feats Review
* Feat Workshop

Therein, with your help I examined ways to improve the feats most in need of an overhaul. Now I intend to look at the state of progress from the other angle - a new review, as it were. After all, even if a new feat design fixes every issue, it's still useless if its no fun. As before, each feat is rated on three criteria on the usual scale - from best to worst: gold, blue, black, purple, and red:

Are they well designed?
Are they fun to use?
Are they truly useful?

And just as before, let me remind y'all this review is done assuming play focused on the combat pillar of the game (if your game focuses on the other two pillars, maybe this review just isn't for you - please simply do not respond if that's the case. Thanks).

Other threads of interest include:
* Crossbows and Dual-Wielding
* Alternative mechanics to the -5/+10 mechanism
* Helping melee combat to be more competitive to ranged
* Reducing dominance of ranged: cantrips
I'm sure there are others. Don't hesitate suggesting a thread.

Okay, intro over!

 

[CapnZapp]

(This will eventually present the reworked feats in order, but for now, we begin with a biggie)

CROSSBOW EXPERT
* You ignore the loading property of crossbows with which you are proficient.
* When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed melee weapon, you can use a bonus action to load and attack with a hand crossbow you are holding. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on this ranged attack roll.
* You can use ammunition as finesse light melee weapons you are proficient with. They use a d4 for damage. They remain ammunition, which means you draw them as part of an attack, and they are expended as usual.

Design: I'm quite pleased with the two first bullet points - the rules text is much the same as in the original feat, only rearranged. Yet, all three chief problems of that feat have been resolved: now the feat no longer prohibit the presumed use case; no longer is the hand crossbow turned into a semi-autonomic gun (what they promised!); and no longer can ranged combatants keep firing even when monsters join them in melee. The third bullet point is by comparison much more provisional, serving as my attempt to appease the Legolas fans. And of course, the alternative was to scrap the feat altogether.
Fun: Being able to use crossbows as freely as bows is fun (though of course not a power play). Finally being able to play the rapier + hand crossbow archetype is even more fun. But stabbing Orcs in the eye is apparently the must fun in all of history!
Power: Powers-wise this is now on par with Dual-wielding. In return for sticking to a d6 weapon, you gain a little range (30/120 feet).

 

[jaelis]

When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed melee weapon, you can use a bonus action to load and attack with a hand crossbow you are holding. Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on this ranged attack roll.

Is it that you still need a free hand to load the hand crossbow?