Here Are The Most Popular D&D Feats (War Caster Leads The Pack!)

It's time for some more D&D Beyond stats! This time we take a look at the most popular feats! War Caster, Tough, Lucky, and Sharpshooter lead the pack. We recently looked at stats for adventures, classes by tier, subclasses, and multi class combinations.

The last time DDB looked at this, the number of characters using feats was lower than it is now. Once feats come in properly at levels 4-7, over a third of characters choose a feat. By the time they reach 8th level, half of characters are using feats.

These are the most popular feats across all classes. A year ago, the dev says that Great Weapon Master was in the top four.

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And here we have the top feats broken down by class.

See the full dev video here.

 

[FrogReaver]

@FrogReaver I just want to say I appropriate you actually trying to argue the point even half side ways where others have devolved into personal attacks trying to devalue people instead of debate the information we know. On the point of the question asked. Why are people personally offended by the idea they don't need warcaster to cast a vary small niche of spells instead of considering something like multi-classing and low level paladins getting a better consecration save than resilient(con) for games that are not expected to go higher than 7 and that might inflate those numbers as you pointed out?

I don't think that's what they are offended by. There are some that get offended any time it's said some part of D&D Beyond data doesn't make sense, even when that's done in an attempt to gain greater understanding. There are others that get offended any time optimization is mentioned. I think your question just caught enough of them at the same time. I couldn't begin to tell you why those ideas seems to offend such people though.

 

[FrogReaver]

It isn't RAW, and if it's not RAW it's a house rule...

Sigh. Is it a rule that your level 1 Barbarian PC can't walk on thin air? If it is can you point me to the rule? If it's not then disallowing the Barbarian PC from walking on thin air is a house rule??? WTH

 

[5ekyu]

Scouts, spotting, one round prep, typically vs always back and forth - in the better games I have played in tmost pcs and some NPCs try scouts, recon, stealth, familiars, etc etc etc to get some advance idea and use watches, alarms, etc to watch perimeters to make sudden cold start fights unlikely.

In the better games I have played in a sub-set of the NPCs are large and ponderous and only rarely sneak up. Often these are heard before they are seen.

In the better games I have played in creatures in a locale are not in a numberedcdpot 24/7 so signs of them being around are often detected before the encounter - often prompting specific actions.

This all boils down to - its gonna be a mix of scenarios from ambush to cold start to quick prep to planned assault - so any feat or permanent investments which depend on a specific pic one get chosen or passed on with that knowledge in mind.

Had my fill of ninja ogres and basilisk that always pop-up at the edge of your light with no prior sign.

As for the dropping et al discussion, I have a simple ruling in games I run - picking up an unattended item (not in your conttol) while an enemy is engaging you (able to AO that spot or your spot) counts as an obstacle or extra care and requires an action - per the PHB interaction rule. This applies to anything - not just dropped weapons - like book on table.

"Tethers" and other dodge arounds dont matter, barring magic, if you dont spend the interaction to secure the item you drop for easy recovery, the obstacle applies because while you try and regain control of the item and pull it into usable status, the enemy us not being cooperative and counts as an obstacle.

So, dropping might save you an interaction at the moment but might cost you an action later, if they dont act with it first.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

I hope you comprehend the hypocrisy in this statement of yours:

See there you go criticizing another playstyle...

To wit:
Due to "my" playstyle, I have a...

terribly underpowered character

Due to "my" playstyle, if another character should die, especially one that is optimized, then my PC...

will be the one to be blamed and probably rightfully so.

and finally, a not so subtle jab that my "fun" is impinging on others "fun" at the table:

Fun for you is always right unless it overly impacts someone elses fun.

Look, there are several DPR chasers and optimizers at the various tables where I DM, including a Tiefling Swashbuckler/Hexblade and a Half-Elf Celestial Warlock. There are also those that pay no heed to the color coded optimization tables online and pick options for feats they find fun such as:
A Half-Orc Vengeance Paladin who picked Athlete over GWM
A Half-Elf Druid who picked Skilled over Warcaster
A Forest Gnome Enchanter who picked Actor over Warcaster

I'll tell you what the optimizers, and everyone else for that matter, at our tables don't do. They don't tell each other how to build and play their characters. And they don't point fingers at each other when things go horribly, terrifically wrong. They all work together with all the myriad abilities they have to attempt to overcome challenges and create a fun and memorable experience. IME, the game is about way more than just DPR and optimal build guides. Clearly, if that is the only fun way for your table to play, then YMMV.

 

[jgsugden]

I wish the class data only showed the data for characters that had at least 50% of their character levels in that class. The metrics might change a lot if we remove the dipping characters.

I have a feeling they'd also change a lot if we separate out characters that originated with no access to paid content and characters buit with access to most books.

 

[FrogReaver]

I wish the class data only showed the data for characters that had at least 50% of their character levels in that class. The metrics might change a lot if we remove the dipping characters.

I have a feeling they'd also change a lot if we separate out characters that originated with no access to paid content and characters buit with access to most books.

I just realized the issue with their methodology on the class feat graph. I didn't catch it initially. Multiclassing potentially causes feats like warcaster to be counted twice. It potentially causes all feats to be counted twice but I'm sure that certain feats are more prevalent in multiclass combinations. I wonder if what we are seeing with warcaster popularity is simply that it's one of the most popular feats for multiclassed characters.

It also makes me wonder whether they could have had the data broken down by class already when they compiled the first graphs and double counted multiclassed characters feats there as well.

 

[Satyrn]

Um, I suggest you take a heavy hammer, mallet or some other fairly heavy tool, tie a leather loop into the a hole in its base (if it has one) or otherwise afix the loop into a strap. Then put the loop around your wrist. Then hold the tool. Then let it go from your grasp. Wow! You can do this in the real world—some tools or devices already come with straps. It's like as if this is easily a thing.

Clearly, you were more proficient with the Wiimote than I was.

 

[Dessert Nomad]

Sigh. Is it a rule that your level 1 Barbarian PC can't walk on thin air? If it is can you point me to the rule? If it's not then disallowing the Barbarian PC from walking on thin air is a house rule??? WTH

If you're having that hard of a time following the conversation, nothing I can post is going to make sense to you.

 

[FrogReaver]

If you're having that hard of a time following the conversation, nothing I can post is going to make sense to you.

I think it’s you not following what I’m saying. There are more categories of rules than raw and house rules.

 

[Hussar]

Looking at the graphs, the only thing that really kinda stands out as sort of worrying to me is the ranger with 30% sharpshooter.

The other classes, even the most popular feats are around 20%. High, but, not so high that it becomes almost the default setting for the class. And, as was mentioned earlier, multi classing might have some impact here as well.

But, with SS being at 30% for rangers, that means that the feat is pretty much the default for rangers. That probably means that it should have been a class feature rather than make it a feat tax. That, or there just aren't enough other feats for rangers that would be as valuable.

Either way, it speaks to a balance issue.