Feat: Toughness

[jgerman]

This feat reads as if you only get 15 hit points total (5 per tier). That seems rather insignificant. Is there a misprint here?

 

[Surgoshan]

For many characters, that's about a 10% bump at level 30. For a fighter, it's about an 8% bump. No typo, you just need to think of it in terms of 4e numbers, not 3.x.

 

[Victim]

Adding to HP also adds to healing surge values. Depending on how your character sits on the rounding breakpoints, that can be a significant bonus.

For example, I made a fighter character who has 115 HP at level 15. His healing surge value is 28. If he had toughness, his HP would increase to 125 for a surge of 31. Improved Second Wind is a paragon tier feat that adds 5 to second wind value. So that's +2 HP on a second wind, versus +3 HP added to almost all other healing effects and 10 more overall HP.

 

[jgerman]

For many characters, that's about a 10% bump at level 30. For a fighter, it's about an 8% bump. No typo, you just need to think of it in terms of 4e numbers, not 3.x.

I skipped 3e

It just seems like a waste of a feat choice for 5 total extra hit points from 1-9, though I haven't run the numbers.

 

[Surgoshan]

Think about it this way; the PCs get ~5 HP per level. That's an additional level's worth of HP at each tier.

 

[Cadfan]

I think its a worthwhile feat. Remember, it not only improves your basic hit points, it improves your healing surge value. Your functional "daily" hit points go up by 5+1.25*surges per day at heroic tier.

At level 30, a fighter will have

15+6*29+con score = 189+con. That means that Toughness counts as about a 7% hit point boost.

At level 30, a wizard will have... I forget exactly, but about 126+con score. Toughness is more than a 10% boost for him.

If you don't like it, skip it, but some people find it worthwhile.

 

[Palladion]

Each level, a character gains a maximum of 6 hit points (defenders), the average is 5 hit points per level. Gaining 5.5 hit points a level (10% as Surgoshan said) is a significant boost. Average hit points are 157 plus Constitution score, so 15 hit points from Toughness is not shabby.

 

[frankthedm]

While a starting PC gets much more HP, they don't get as much as they level. The bump is modest, but not all characters will feel the need to take it, fitting with the 4E feat power structure.

 

[runnerXL]

For many characters, that's about a 10% bump at level 30. For a fighter, it's about an 8% bump. No typo, you just need to think of it in terms of 4e numbers, not 3.x.

In 3.x all you got for toughness was 3 hp (disregarding improved/superior/mega-toughness feats from various crunch books). This is an improvement!

 

[Blackbrrd]

Toughness gives you on average 1.25hp extra every time somebody heals you at level 1-9.

Let us say you are a ranger with 15 con. Some monster is hitting the living crap out of you, and you get healed:
2x healing word (surge+1d6+4)
1x paladin lay on hands (surge)
1x second wind (surge)
Total healing: 4xsurge +7 (2d6) +8

HP with toughness: 32, hp healed: 4x8 +7 +8 = 47
HP without toughness 27: 4x6 +7 +8 = 39

Let us say you have take 70 damage.
Hp with toughness: 32(initial hp)+47(healing)-70(damage) = 9
Hp without toughness: 27(initial hp)+39(healing)-70(damage) = -4 (dying)

If I went with 1.25 extra hp healed when using a healing surge instead of 2, the numbers are:
Hp with "toughness": 32(initial hp)+43(healing)-70(damage) = 5

If you want to make a fighter/paladin with high str and don't want to spend many points in con, taking the toughness feat is a distinct possibility.

I think toughness is a feat that is a viable alternative in 4e. It is not a GREAT feat, but it works. The reason for its added value is that your healing surge value is based on 1/4 of your hp.