D&D 5E Does your group use feats?

[doctorbadwolf]

Personally I’d probably sooner rule only Feats at ASI levels than no Feats. +2 in your primary ability score is a very strong boost, and also pretty boring, which is a bad combination in my opinion.

We just give a +1 and a feat, effectively, bc no one in the group likes going without feats anyway, and we instituted a house rule that when you pick a feat rather than ASI, you get a +1.

 

[Seramus]

Absolutely. My players love them, and they can’t threaten the balance of my game.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I use them, but I've also completely re-written almost all of them so that they are more equal to each other for the type of game I run.

 

[S'mon]

Most of my campaigns allow them. I like them as they tend to favour Fighters & Rogues, who are not very strong in a Featless game.

 

[Dausuul]

We always allow feats. Variant human is the most popular race choice (fine by me since I prefer human-centric or humans-only).

 

[BlivetWidget]

Primary casters tend to avoid them until their spellcasting ability is at 20, since the desire to maximize save DC outweighs the benefits of most feats.

I'd put some very heavy caveats on this claim. I would put three feats on a wizard before I went for a single ASI. Most of the great wizard spells just happen. To name only a few: Shield, Misty Step, Tiny Hut, Polymorph as a buff, Animate Objects, Wall of Force, Simulacrum, Maze, ... you don't even have to pick up dice of any kind to successfully cast these amazing spells.

Given the choice between making the wizard's save DC just 5% better when it's not needed for most of the great spells anyway (in or out of combat)... or taking a feat, there are some very attractive options for feats. Resilient for those Con saves, Magic Initiate for more cantrips and an extra first level spell, etc. The opportunity cost is just so low.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'd put some very heavy caveats on this claim. I would put three feats on a wizard before I went for a single ASI. Most of the great wizard spells just happen. To name only a few: Shield, Misty Step, Tiny Hut, Polymorph as a buff, Animate Objects, Wall of Force, Simulacrum, Maze, ... you don't even have to pick up dice of any kind to successfully cast these amazing spells.

Strong point. Also, even if your spell does take a save, you may be able to target it against a victim who has a low bonus (or even penalty) to that save.

Your caster stat also improves you cantrips, though - or do you not find yourself stooping to cast cantrips often?

Resilient for those Con saves, Magic Initiate for more cantrips and an extra first level spell, etc. The opportunity cost is just so low.

Anything that helps with CONcentration, certainly.

 

[5atbu]

Yes

 

[Nebulous]

The only feats I alter at my table are GWM/Sharpshooter. Everything runs as-is and hasn't had any issues for our game play. My only change to those two is a pretty common switch from -5/+10 to -Prof. Bonus/+2x Prof. Bonus just to get a little of the "boom" and swinginess of it out of it at earlier levels.

I'm changing those as well.

 

[cmad1977]

Some players do, some don’t.
I haven’t found a significant difference in the efficacy of either group.