Also, just to be clear, I am absolutely open to feedback on these.
1 wizard cantrip and +1 int seems weaker than 2 cantrips and a 1st level spell 1/day from any class.
Stout's poison resistance also seems weak.
Second, the variant human was often considered the strongest option for martial builds. To reproduce the pre-existing races I think you now need the base race, the feat, and a background?
Hriston said:
The game allows you to choose any feat you want (assuming you satisfy prerequisites) whenever a feat is available, so your issue is with the way feats are implemented, not with my proposal. My proposal isn’t intended to fix the problem you have with feats.
So, the problem with feats is bounded due to the difficulty of converting other resources to feats.
You either go variant human or you don't see it until level 4, then level 8. As you are gaining a pile of
other abilities over that many levels, the power gap you get from feat-based builds vs non-feat based builds is bounded.
With your option, you permit more feats, which means that the power imbalance
grows faster than it does in the base game. Hitting 3 feats at level 8 is already strong, but we are now comparing a spellcaster with polymorph an ally into a trex to an insanely high-damage output fighter (for the level). Getting those 3 feats at level 1 means we are comparing a now insanely high-damage-output fighter (for the level) to someone who can cast burning hands (gained little from the feats, like a +1 to DCs and that's it).
GWM sentinal polearm is getting 3 taps/round at level 1. On a low AC target they are tapping for ~15 damage per tap. It is an insane power up. The only thing that keeps that under control in the base game is the difficulty of getting feats, and how that boost is
smeared over many levels.
You are removing that thing that keeps this under control.