D&D 5E How many feats is a 5e level worth?

[greg kaye]

The only really important ASIs are those in your primary stat. And it's never wrong to spend your L4 and L8 feats on ASIs. Which is the boring way of doing it but power-wise unless you're a martial character or something like an illusionist (Silent Image At Will is such a good thing for a specialist illusionist) it's almost always the best choice. Dex, Wis, and Con (and their associated saves) are almost always useful with the other three saves being a lot less important - and every single class (sit down L14 monk) is proficient in one high priority save and one low priority save.

So how many ASI +2s/feats would one level be worth if, for instance, your highest roll was 14 and your strongest racial mod was +2?

Would getting to 20 in your primary stat be worth a level or would you also want something more?

 

[Neonchameleon]

So how many ASI +2s/feats would one level be worth if, for instance, your highest roll was 14 and your strongest racial mod was +2?

Would getting to 20 in your primary stat be worth a level or would you also want something more?

A lot depends by class and playstyle. A healing and buffing focused cleric for example can get by with a very low primary stat (no matter whether you think it's Wis or Str) because no one expects them to really bring the damage and they aren't forcing saving throws.

 

[nevin]

problem is 5e feats have no relativity in power to each other. It really depends on the feat/feats selected.

 

[ECMO3]

(Another way to ask it could be, how many offered feats would it take for a feat-hungry character to sacrifice a level?)

I'm thinking of starting a 5e campaign perhaps at level two but thought I might give an option to start at level one but with one or more free feats.
How would you relate the value of a level in terms of feats?
How would you relate the value of a level in terms of points on abilities point buy?
I'd also considered letting players sacrifice, say, three points in point buy for a feat.

Per response to a comment by ad hoc below, the idea might be that, after taking the feats in lew of a level, the character would then permanently remain one level behind other characters, It would be like they'd taken a one-level dip in another class, but just for the acquisition of feats.

It depends entirely on level and class. For example no feat is worth a level if you are talking about 4th/8th/12th etc as you get a level AND a feat at those levels. Few feats are worth 5th level on a martial, but a lot are worth 6th level on a Barbarian or Paladin.

 

[Flamestrike]

A feat is a level worth of class features (less a fractional increase in PB, and HP/ HD plus maybe slots).

 

[Micah Sweet]

I was thinking two as a guess. 1 for HP and 1 for things like a couple spells. Level matters though, going to 5th level is a big bump in power, like 11th level.

On the other hand, people multiclass often, which delays the big level bump.

So the community has agreed to the concept in principle, and now we're just dickering over price.

 

[greg kaye]

A feat is a level worth of class features (less a fractional increase in PB, and HP/ HD plus maybe slots).

Different class features (even without considerations of PB, and HP/ HD plus spell caster slots) vary in value. For instance, Fighter 2 gives Action Surge but later on, there's just the less valued indomitable.

 

[Flamestrike]

Different class features (even without considerations of PB, and HP/ HD plus spell caster slots) vary in value. For instance, Fighter 2 gives Action Surge but later on, there's just the less valued indomitable.

Feats largely sit in the middle of the spectrum or class features between 'ribbons' and 'potent class features' though.

You're always happy to reach a level where you get one.

 

[Shardstone]

Two wizard spells, two feats. Easy math.

 

[greg kaye]

Two wizard spells, two feats. Easy math.

Looking into that in a bit more detail, a one-level, multiclass dip into wizard would give:
3 cantrips,
(acquisition of a spellbook containing 6 spells written in magical ink?)
2 1st-level spell slots (or one level's worth of full caster progression in spell slots),
Ritual Casting ability,
Arcane Recovery ability,
1/4 of the way to a +1 in proficiency bonus,
a d6 hit dice.