D&D 5E Adding Feats to the Existing Backgrounds

[Charlaquin]

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?

 

[HammerMan]

I don't think they need to be feats per say but close...

Off hand I would give Keen Mind to the Sage, and Martial Adept to the Soldier

 

[DEFCON 1]

Things like Actor to Charlatan, Keen Mind to Sage, that sort of thing.

What I find curious is that it seems like some people got a bit annoyed by Strixhaven giving a feat with its Backgrounds... and yet when Theros did ostensibly the same thing with their Supernatural Gifts at Level 1 it was seen as a cool new addition. Despite Gifts and Feats being practically the same thing.

Quite frankly... I always saw the Feature given with each Background as meant to be like a feat, or at least treated with the same emphasis. But because none of those Features had a game mechanic connected to it-- it was just a statement to DMs to let Acolytes get free healing at a temple for example-- I don't think many DMs and players ever treated those Features with the same gravitas they give to Feats in the game.

By giving out a Feat with a Background, there will now be a quantifiable mechanical rules bonus to a character sheet you gain for a Background besides two skills and languages/tools. Which is probably a good thing.

 

[jayoungr]

It came up in the Dragonlance UA thread that it seems likely backgrounds will be granting a feat moving forward.

I hope not. That would be not so much power creep as power leap, if every character now starts with a feat and variant humans get two.

What I find curious is that it seems like some people got a bit annoyed by Strixhaven giving a feat with its Backgrounds... and yet when Theros did ostensibly the same thing with their Supernatural Gifts at Level 1 it was seen as a cool new addition.

Theros is supposed to be heroic, mythic, and high-powered. That may not have been what everyone wanted from Strixhaven.

 

[TwoSix]

By giving out a Feat with a Background, there will now be a quantifiable bonus to a character sheet you gain for a Background besides two skills and languages/tools. Which is probably a good thing.

Agreed. I said this in the UA thread, but my expectation is that Feats in Backgrounds will be the '24 revision standard, but Backgrounds are still player customizable, which makes 1st level free feat the de facto standard. No more VHumans, humans will get another racial bonus instead.

 

[Charlaquin]

Here’s my guesses on the backgrounds.

Acolyte: I could see Healer, Inspiring Leader, or Ritual Caster working here.

Charlatan: Actor seems like an obvious choice.

Criminal/Spy: Skulker fits pretty well. Linguist could work for the spy variant specifically. Maybe observant?

Entertainer/Gladiator: Actor fits pretty perfectly here too. Maybe Martial Adept or Weapon Mastery for the Gladiator variant.

Folk Hero: I could see Chef, Inspiring Leader, maybe Tough, maybe Lucky…

Guild Artisan/Merchant: No clue on this one.

Hermit: Healer synergizes with the herbalism kit proficiency. Observant could make sense.

Noble/Knight: Defensive Duelist would fit with the fact that the Noble NPC stat block has the Parry reaction, which is functionally Defensive Duelist.

Outlander: I’m thinking maybe Athlete?

Sage: Keen Mind seems like an obvious choice.

Sailor/Pirate: Tavern Brawler, for sure.

Soldier: Weapon Master or Martial Adept.


Urchin: Not sure. Skulker? Observant?

 

[Charlaquin]

Quite frankly... I always saw the Feature given with each Background as meant to be like a feat, or at least treated with the same emphasis. But because none of those Features had a game mechanic connected to it-- it was just a statement to DMs to let Acolytes get free healing at a temple for example-- I don't think many DMs and players ever treated those Features with the same gravitas they give to Feats in the game.

That is a mechanical benefit if the DM is using the rules for downtime and charging for services (spellcasting services in this case). But, yeah, I think a lot of groups handwave that stuff. I doubt those features would be replaced with feats, I just think it would be in addition to them.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think it's a very bad idea if WotC makes this a standard. The game is much better with backgrounds granting lesser features that aren't directly useful in combat. It also makes sense because backgrounds represent what characters do/did when not adventuring. A feat is much more powerful than a PHB background feature, any sane player should pick one of the backgrounds that grant a feat even if it doesn't have the most useful proficiencies.

 

[HammerMan]

Here’s my guesses on the backgrounds.

Acolyte: I could see Healer, Inspiring Leader, or Ritual Caster working here.

Charlatan: Actor seems like an obvious choice.

Criminal/Spy: Skulker fits pretty well. Linguist could work for the spy variant specifically. Maybe observant?

Entertainer/Gladiator: Actor fits pretty perfectly here too. Maybe Martial Adept or Weapon Mastery for the Gladiator variant.

Folk Hero: I could see Chef, Inspiring Leader, maybe Tough, maybe Lucky…

Guild Artisan/Merchant: No clue on this one.

Hermit: Healer synergizes with the herbalism kit proficiency. Observant could make sense.

Noble/Knight: Defensive Duelist would fit with the fact that the Noble NPC stat block has the Parry reaction, which is functionally Defensive Duelist.

Outlander: I’m thinking maybe Athlete?

Sage: Keen Mind seems like an obvious choice.

Sailor/Pirate: Tavern Brawler, for sure.

Soldier: Weapon Master or Martial Adept.


Urchin: Not sure. Skulker? Observant?

i like your list

 

[TwoSix]

Soldier: Weapon Master or Martial Adept.

I think one issue with the Background/Feat alignment is making sure that feats are broadly applicable, such that picking fairly obvious Background/Class pairings (Soldier/Fighter; Sage/Wizard, etc.) doesn't cause redundancies or a "wasted" feat.

Obviously Weapon Master OR Martial Adept works well for any class, and I'm hopeful that WotC has the same foresight to make sure these new backgrounds give more than one option.