Do you like the name "Golden Wyvern Adept"?

[Scribble]

I like how everyone ignores the fact that out of the 4 feats we got... 3 of them were "normal."

Golden Wyvern Adept was probably just an example of the few that are specialized for certain groups. Like if they made a feat called "Expert Evoker."

4e seems to be not only doing away with GH as the default setting, but building its own.

 

[DM_Blake]

Its a name. They could call it "Feat for Wizards Number 32," and I'd be ok with it.

I disagree.

The name is fairly important.

For example, at this point in 3.5e, I have a feat list. I opened up MS Excel, and entered the name and sourcebook of every feat in all the books and splat I have. I can hand this list to my players, and I use it myself for NPCs.

This list has over 1200 feats on it.

Picture down the road 5+ years into 4e. How many feats will we have to choose from?

My concern is that when my feat list looks like the following, nobody, not even me, will know what they do:

Example:
Golden Wyvern Adept
Blue Basilisk Maneuver
Purple Penguin Master
Orange Orangutan Spell
Red Remorrhaz Requiem
etc.
etc.

I would much rather name the feat something somewhat descriptive. Try something like "Friendsafe Spell" or even "Golden Wyvern Friendsafe".

Yeah, that's just a name off the top of my head. I'm sure there are many names better than that.

But at least with a name like that, there is some indication of what it does. Once I learn the rule (exempt one square per WIS modifier), then I just mnemonically associate the rule with the descriptive name. Easy.

Much easier than making that association with a list of 1200+ flavor names.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

The names in 4e are one of the factors pushing me to switch to Mutants and Masterminds instead, where you have powers called "Damage." (In case you're wondering, this power damages people).

 

[Jinete]

Its a name. They could call it "Feat for Wizards Number 32," and I'd be ok with it.

Its not like the name is even going to get mentioned in combat.

"I cast fireball, targeted here. I leave Joe out of the blast radius."
"Oh, you mean like the last 80 times you cast fireball?"
"Yeah, like that."

What if that turns out to be:

"I cast 'Golden Wyvern flamedance', targeted here. I leave Joe out of the blast radius."?

 

[BryonD]

Its a name. They could call it "Feat for Wizards Number 32," and I'd be ok with it.

Its not like the name is even going to get mentioned in combat.

"I cast fireball, targeted here. I leave Joe out of the blast radius."
"Oh, you mean like the last 80 times you cast fireball?"
"Yeah, like that."

Ok.

And that is not exactly a ringing endorsement.

 

[billd91]

I seem to recall this came up with the 3.0 playtesting as well. I remember reading that, at least internally, some of the feats were named much more colorfully than they came out in the final rules. Names like "Sucks To Be You" or somesuch. They intentionally went with names that were a bit more accessible and related to what the feat was doing because the colorful names were not helpful in that regard. I hope they do that again.

 

[Scribble]

Everyone says the name is non descriptive, but here's a question:

What if the descriptive part is simply "adept."

They mentioned feats being tied closer to class abilities. So what if each class (or group within a class) has a number of levels of feats, called so far simply "adept" "master" "suckhead" etc...

So "Golden Wyvern Adept" would simply be the "adept" level feat in the golden wyvern list.

 

[Wormwood]

So "Golden Wyvern Adept" would simply be the "adept" level feat in the golden wyvern list.

Hmm. I just assumed that was the case.

If not, then I can see the point of some of these complaints.

 

[EricNoah]

I prefer functional feat names. When they appear on a character sheet or a stat block, it's very helpful as DM when I can just glance, get it, and apply it. Decoding it is a potentially painful step. I would even prefer "+2 to Spot & Listen" to "Alertness" actually. I know, I know. Needs more cowbell...

 

[Oldtimer]

It's a cool name... for an in-game title. For a game mechanic - not.

A feat name gets written on character sheets and in stat blocks. It's a handle for the actual mechanic. If the name doesn't connect in any way to the mechanic, it's a bad name - no matter how fancy and colourful it is.