D&D 5E Feats: Toughness, Inspiring Leader, Healer, and Magic Initiate

[Sacrosanct]

Magic Initiate is already pretty powerful. Making it scaling with higher level spells (it already scales cantrips), is like a subclass-lite. And if one feat can replicate a good chunk of an entire subclass (like EK or Trickster), then it's way too powerful and everyone and their grandma's dog would choose that feat right off.

 

[Azzy]

Toughness has been chosen by the EK Fighter (played by me) and the Sun Soul Monk in my party as we're both in the front lines and the extra hp helps me be extra tanky, and the monk a bit more survivable. I have no complaints about the feat at all.

I think you're looking at Magic Initiate solely as a combat option (and, as one, that's been addressed by others), but it's also excellent for non-combat spells, to. I've taken the Magic Initiate feat for my EK for extra cantrips (mostly non-combat ones, as I've already stocked up on combat one) and Find Familiar (because extra scouting is good).

No one in my group has taken Inspiring Leader nor Healer, so I can't really comment on those.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I think you're looking at Magic Initiate solely as a combat option (and, as one, that's been addressed by others), but it's also excellent for non-combat spells, to.

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Yep. In the Ravenloft campaign, my acolyte fighter chose magic initiate at level 1 (human variant) with guidance and mending as my cantrips, and bless as my spell. Extremely useful. Well, until I got ripped in half by a shambling mound...

 

[Xeviat]

Magic Initiate is already pretty powerful. Making it scaling with higher level spells (it already scales cantrips), is like a subclass-lite. And if one feat can replicate a good chunk of an entire subclass (like EK or Trickster), then it's way too powerful and everyone and their grandma's dog would choose that feat right off.

On a primary spellcaster, their odd levels generally don’t have a class ability, so the spellcasting of that level is arguably with a feat. That’s 4 1st level spells, 3 2nd-4th Level spells ...

There are a few spells I’d think about taking it for. I’ve suggested players take Magic Initiate for Mage Armor since it lasts 8 hours, though that would get traded out once they could get some Elven Chain.

If all spells are supposed to be equal to all other spells of the same level, as the spell slot system treats them (aside from ritual spells), then magic Initiate (cure wounds) should be half as good as the Healer feat. At least that’s how I see it.


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[ro]

If all spells are supposed to be equal to all other spells of the same level, as the spell slot system treats them (aside from ritual spells), then magic Initiate (cure wounds) should be half as good as the Healer feat. At least that’s how I see it.

Maybe Magic Initiate (Resistance, Spare the Dying, Cure Wounds) would be a comparable pick to Healer? It does seem that Healer is more powerful than that. Magic Initiate is flexible, of course.

 

[ro]

Magic Initiate is already pretty powerful. Making it scaling with higher level spells (it already scales cantrips), is like a subclass-lite. And if one feat can replicate a good chunk of an entire subclass (like EK or Trickster), then it's way too powerful and everyone and their grandma's dog would choose that feat right off.

Magic Initiate is a great feat, for sure, but it does lose potency at later levels: V. Humans aside, if you don't take it at 4th level, you probably never take it.

My proposition for expanding it does not make it subclass-lite in that it only provides one spell slot. Yes, you gain three additional spells as you reach higher levels, but you still only have that single spell slot the whole time. And it isn't a Warlock slot: it comes back after a long rest like everybody else. For a non-caster, at level 20 you would know 2 cantrips and 4 spells, but you can only cast one of those spells per day. Casters, on the other hand, can use their other spell slots to cast those spells, but they still only ever gain one spell slot.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Magic Initiate is a great feat, for sure, but it does lose potency at later levels: V. Humans aside, if you don't take it at 4th level, you probably never take it.

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I don't know. With BA, things like bless and guidance never lose their potency. Neither does mending, or thaumaturgy, or feather fall, or shield, or any number of spells. And cantrips are total class level, so they scale as well. I had a shadow monk with eldritch blast and hex, and they were just as useful at level 10 as they were at level 1.

 

[ro]

I don't know. With BA, things like bless and guidance never lose their potency. Neither does mending, or thaumaturgy, or feather fall, or shield, or any number of spells. And cantrips are total class level, so they scale as well. I had a shadow monk with eldritch blast and hex, and they were just as useful at level 10 as they were at level 1.

You have a good point.

 

[Mistwell]

@Mistwell, you mention Healer not being much use in combat. My proposition is to add a benefit to encourage its use, such as extending the range of healing spells when you run toward your allies to help them.

Healer as a feat is amazing in the hands of a Rogue (Thief) with the Fast Hands ability.

Healer Feat: "As an action, you can spend one use of a healer’s kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature’s maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can’t regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a short or long rest."

Healer's Kit: "This kit is a leather pouch containing bandages, salves, and splints. The kit has ten uses. As an action, you can expend one use of the kit to stabilize a creature that has 0 hit points, without needing to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check."

Fast Hands: "Starting at 3rd level, you can use the Bonus Action granted by your Cunning Action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action." (the object being the Healer's Kit to spend one use of it to tend to one creature as a bonus action).

I believe it's gotten affirmation from one of Mike Mearls or Jeremy Crawford, but apparently using Fast Hands with the Healer feat, you can in fact restore 1d6 + 4 +HD hit points to an ally with a bonus action during combat, once per short rest. That's pretty darn powerful.

 

[ro]

Healer as a feat is amazing in the hands of a Rogue (Thief) with the Fast Hands ability.

Healer Feat: "As an action, you can spend one use of a healer’s kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature’s maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can’t regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a short or long rest."

Healer's Kit: "This kit is a leather pouch containing bandages, salves, and splints. The kit has ten uses. As an action, you can expend one use of the kit to stabilize a creature that has 0 hit points, without needing to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check."

Fast Hands: "Starting at 3rd level, you can use the Bonus Action granted by your Cunning Action to make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an Object action." (the object being the Healer's Kit to spend one use of it to tend to one creature as a bonus action).

I believe it's gotten affirmation from one of Mike Mearls or Jeremy Crawford, but apparently using Fast Hands with the Healer feat, you can in fact restore 1d6 + 4 +HD hit points to an ally with a bonus action during combat, once per short rest. That's pretty darn powerful.

That's awesome!