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Message: <blockquote data-quote="redrick" data-source="post: 6614802" data-attributes="member: 6777696">When I initially started 5e, I intended to ban feats, because I was looking for a more B/X influenced style of play. (Mainly because I was converting over all my old B/X modules.) However, I ended up wanting to let the players stretch out the whole system, so I allowed everything in the PHB. Even Dragonborn, a species I cannot imagine in my campaign worlds.At 7th level, feats haven't been a big problem. Some of them, like Toughness, are just hacks that give up some offensive power in order to get some more defensive power. Others, like mobility, open up a different approach to combat. Hell, there's a feat that just gives you more skills for the player who wants to be a skill-monkey. I might take that with my Thief in AL, because I enjoy doing all the weird skill-based stuff. These feats will definitely make your character better at something specific, but they won't force the player to completely give up their flexibility.Pole-arm master, GWM and Sharpshooter type feats will definitely make those weapons much more attractive to the player in question. When I first saw pole-arm master in action, I was a little shocked, because that feat definitely opens up a lot of possibilities for the halberd-wielder. (Though, as with any bonus-action attack, it doesn't scale much as the extra attacks start piling on.) On the other hand, all of my weapon-specialized warriors have put down their feat-supported weapon at some point for the situational benefit of another weapon. Is the pole-arm master fighting in a space too small to properly bring his pole-arm around? He'll pull out a smaller weapon. Is the GWM fighting against a creature with vulnerability to fire-damage? He has a flaming battle-axe as a backup weapon. Double damage on every attack is worth way more than +10/-5. -5 to hit is a big penalty. Obviously, at close range, the sharpshooter is pulling out her short swords.If you're worried about characters welding their hands to a certain weapon type, just increase the number of situational encounters where one weapon or another is at disadvantage. Don't do it all the time, but just every once in a while. I've also amended all the resistances in the monster manual so that resistances to a certain type of damage affect magical weapons as well as non-magical weapons. (For instance, if a creature is resistant to slashing damage from non-magical weapons, I'll extend that to all slashing damage. If a creature is immune to slashing damage from non-magical weapons, I might give resistance to slashing from magical. Werewolves are immune to damage from non-magical and non-silvered weapons, but I've made them resistant to damage from magical non-silvered weapons.) Your 7th level fighter will realize that he still kicks ass in those moments where he pulls out a longsword and a shield, even if he doesn't get his GWF bonuses.So. Feats are totally not necessary. But I use them and I haven't had any problems. That being said, the recommendation to not roll stats if you plan to use feats is a good one. Rolled stats almost always lead to a higher prime stat, and once you max your prime stat, the trade-off between feat or ability boost becomes much less interesting. (Or find a way to cap rolls at 15.)</blockquote>

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