Powerful (generally considered OP by themselves)
- Great Weapon Master
- Sharpshooter
Useful (any character can benefit from)
- Alert
- Lucky
- Resilient
- Skilled
- Tough
- Elven Accuracy (added as example)
Defining (specializes a character)
- Crossbow Expert
- Dual Wielder
- Elemental Adept
- Healer
- Heavy Armor Master
- Inspiring Leader
- Mobile
- Mounted Combatant
- Observant
- Polearm Master (often also placed in Powerful)
- Sentinel
- Shield Master
- Spell Sniper
- War Caster
Garbage (generally trap options)
- Athlete
- Actor
- Charger
- Defensive Duelist (could be defining, but weak)
- Dungeon Delver (could be defining, but weak)
- Durable
- Grappler (could be defining, but weak)
- Heavily Armored
- Keen Mind
- Lightly Armored
- Linguist
- Mage Slayer (could be defining, but weak)
- Magic Initiate
- Martial Adept
- Medium Armor Master
- Moderately Armored
- Ritual Caster
- Savage Attacker
- Skulker (could be defining, but weak)
- Tavern Brawler (could be defining, but weak)
- Weapon Master
80% of this list with a twist.
Reclassify into two tiers: Full Feat and Semi Feat.
Feats classified as Full Feats work exactly the same as Feats work now and can only be picked up replacing an ASI.
(Note: Powerful 5E Half Feats like Elven Accuracy will keep their +1 ASI and get classified as Full Feats.)
Feats classified as Semi Feats can be picked up instead of a +1 from an ASI.
- Semi Feats lose their current +1 ASI if they were "Half Feats"
- Up to one Semi Feat can be picked up during Chargen instead of a +1ASI from your Race (or reducing a +2 to a +1)
- you can spend your regular ASI at level LVL4, 8,12... to pick up two Semi Feats or a +1 ASI and a Semi Feat
VHuman counts as having a full +2 ASI available at lvl1:
- Can't exceed a +2 from racial bonus to a single stat.
- Can trade the ASI for a Full Feat (as is)
- Can trade the ASI for 2 Semi Feats
- Can pick up a flexible +1 ASI and a Semi Feat at chargen.
Leaves you with all existing Options, makes the truly garbage Feats half as expensive and gives you the option to pick one up early. Not much of a fan of the free Feat at level 1 and banning VHuman "fix" that seems popular. It basically just encourages the VHuman problem for everyone.
But it allows builds that take forever to come online and opens up Armor/Weapon options to whoever wants them without having to resort to Multiclass dip. Want a Swashbuckler in Medium Armor? Level 4 gets you Moderately Armored and Medium Armor Master if you want it.
The Full Feat/Semi Feat cut is pretty subjective and this is obviously homebrew, YMMV on what you want on each side. Either way it opens up the completely useless Perks to make a flavorful Lvl 1 character at minor convenience cost, combined with some of the weak Racial Feats this frontloads the options to make low level characters more diverse and fun to play.
It's still not going to compete with the DPR of an Elven Accuracy, Sharpshooter build. But having the option to pick up 4-5 utility Semi Feats instead of an 18 in a Mainstat + damage Full Feat gives the alternative some ammunition.
/edit: Pretty much ninjaed by
@GlassJaw ;D
