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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lord Pendragon" data-source="post: 1937623" data-attributes="member: 707">I try to build effective characters.  I consider a feat "must-have" when not taking it unjustifiably weakens the character.  Sure, nobody has to take any of the feats I mentioned, but not taking them means having a significantly weaker character to such a degree that I do everything possible to find room for the mentioned feat if possible.And they're the weaker for it.  Not all people build their character with power in mind.  There are an infinite number of roleplaying reasons not to take a particular feat.  But making that choice means choosing to be significantly weaker.  Which is all well and good.  I agree that if you're building a character with roleplaying as your only priority, there are no must-have feats.  Only when you're trying to build an efficient/powerful character do must-have feats exist.  For the druid, you must have Natural Spell to get the most out of the class.I didn't start out meaning to make a list of the core classes, just concepts that had must-have components. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />  It's funny that you mention Point-Blank but not Precise.  I only added Point-Blank because it's a prerequisite for Precise.  +1 isn't much, especially for an archer.  It's negating that -4 for firing into melee that's absolutely essential for any serious archer.By mid-levels, every fighter should have Iron Will.  No choice is better.  There are simply too many spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities that target Will and completely screw the Fighter.  I suppose an aberrant fighter with a very high Wisdom score might not need it, but nearly every fighter I've ever seen has had a low Wisdom, and of course Will is a weak save for fighters.  Iron Will is a must.I agree that if you never have the time to craft, a craft feat isn't going to be a must-have.  In a campaign that allows time for crafting, though, Craft Wondrous Item beats Spell Penetration, twice on Sundays.  Getting your items for half-price is insanely good, and there are dozens of Wondrous Items that a sly wizard will want.  Spell Penetration is no slouch, but if you have the time CWI cannot be passed up.Really...  I didn't know that.  Nice change.  I'd probably go with Energy Substitution: Cold, then.  Few things are resistant to both Fire and Cold...I disagree.  A cleric doesn't have to be a healer, or "forced into that role" for Augmented Healing to be a must have.  Clerics are going to cast healing spells fairly often, even if they're combat-oriented.  Augmented Healing is so powerful, especially when you have access to the Mass Cure spells, that it simply cannot be passed up.  A cleric will still have dozens of options, even after he's spent a feat to pick up Augmented Healing. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Do you know what Words of Creation does?!  A bard is going to have plenty of uses of bard song.  He gets one per day per level.  After 5th-level or so he's going to be good for the day most of the time.  Words of Creation doubles the effectiveness of Inspire Courage, as well as strengthening other abilities.  At 8th-level that means the bard can provide a +4 to attack and damage, for everyone, with any weapon.  At 20th-level it's +8!Not just nice.  Essential.Power Attack is listed only because it's a prereq for Divine Might.  A paladin will need it to do fair damage....I think the two of us are playing two completely different games.  Dodge is pretty much the farthest you can get from a must-have feat in my mind...</blockquote>

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