Feats as Rewards

[Umbran]

I'd say there's a big, "it depends" on this one.

Not all Feats are created equal, so it depends upon what Feat you're giving. It also depends on how frequently you give them out. Even the most feat-heavy core class doesn't get one feat per level, so they ought to be used only sparingly, IMHO.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

It's a good idea for feats that are very rarely taken, because players feel they aren't powerful enough. Skill boosting feats, for example.

I sometimes have given out feats, be it from training with a certain master, or finding a magical tome (pretty much like a tome that grants an inherent bonus to stats, but gives a feat instead)

AR

 

[BSF]

I have used Feats as awards in the past. Though, I generally choose a few "flavor" feats and allow a player to choose one for the character. Stuff like "Hardened Drinker" from Tournaments, Fairs and Taverns.

I have also used feats as an "instead of" award once. The player appreciated the uniqueness since I chose a feat from the Book of Hallowed Might that he had never seen before. It is not something I would do regularly, but for special circumstances, it could be quite interesting.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

It strikes me that AUs ceremonial feats are particularly good cadidates for this. The ceremony gives a reasonable way for the PC to get the feat, as some feats might concievably take much more than a few weeks to learn.

 

[Dragon Mage]

I used this in a situation where the party saved an entire country. Not only were they given land grants, but I also gave every character the option of obtaining the leadership feat also (as a bonus). It just made perfect sense.

 

[Wolv0rine]

Not being a DM myself, I can only chime in about what DMs have done with me. Currently the only game I'm in is a d20 Modern game based off of Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead. Pretty freaky stuff. But the DM has granted a feat here and there as a 'bennie' And at the beginning of the game, he promised the enture group the Teamwork feat IF, in the unlikely event, we LIVED to see 8th level. My character is currently Fast 4/Gunslinger 4, and we all (save the newer, lower level charcters) got the feat. It's been handy.
Now, the 'bennies' he passes out aren't usually instead of XP (no magic items of course, and what equipment we do find tends to get blown up a lot, to it's horribly transitory), but I like the addition of "And I think you earned this over the past few sessions". That's how I finally got Guns Akimbo.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I have never give out feats as a reward (although I am not opposed to it) but I very often give out ranks in skills.

I ran a very short lived eastern-feel campaign where the elemental planes were tied directly with the clan structure that was built up. Since the players didn't know much at all about the planes, I ran them through a "temple of the elements" to familiarize them with what it was all about.

After it was over, I gave them their XP as per usual, but substituted in 4 ranks of "Knowledge: Planes" instead of the monetary treasure they would have gotten in "real world" adventure.

Similarly, whenever the players pitch in and help on a long sea voyage they always get a rank or two of "Profession: Sailor"

That way you can get some background/detail skill for the characters without them having to spend vital skillpoints.

DS

 

[Trainz]

Similarly, whenever the players pitch in and help on a long sea voyage they always get a rank or two of "Profession: Sailor"

That is brilliant. This way PC's can have access to skills they wouldn't normally spend points on.

 

[Impeesa]

Flavor feats and things like that, I can see. What you should be very wary of, though, is allowing them to 'buy' a feat of their choice with xp. What happens then is you have one fighter who works his way up to 20th the hard way, and another who stays at 5th level killing orcs and burning xp on feats. 200000 xp later, guess who's got more feats, plus a whole adventuring career in front of him? How do you maintain a consistant measure of ECL in that kind of situation? It can get ugly.

--Impeesa--

 

[Believer]

Flavor feats and things like that, I can see. What you should be very wary of, though, is allowing them to 'buy' a feat of their choice with xp. What happens then is you have one fighter who works his way up to 20th the hard way, and another who stays at 5th level killing orcs and burning xp on feats. 200000 xp later, guess who's got more feats, plus a whole adventuring career in front of him? How do you maintain a consistant measure of ECL in that kind of situation? It can get ugly.

--Impeesa--

I don't know... it has a similar aspect to some of the 'Craft' feats in which you spend XP to make items to enhance yourself, seems more like an extension of that into the regular RP. Tough I'd make people justify it with something.... like 'Why do you have Iron Will? How did you get to be so strong willed?