How to improve Dragonborn Senses Feat?

[Sitara]

@Zurai: What exactly do you mean here? I am not saying they are STRONG feats, I am saying they are stronger than dragonborn senses and as such dborn senses needs an overhaul. Also, they are some of the more useful feats at the heroic tier, compared to dborn senses. FOr example:

Enlarged dragon breath can let you kill 2 more minions in the same round. This benefit lasts from level 1-30. Thats pretty big. Wapon focus gives you a penalty, but combined with a feat such as action suge it can be increadibly useful at low levels and weilding a 2-H weapon. And eladrin soldier is a fantastic feat for an eladrin who uses longswords. No idea why you would consider otherwise.

 

[ValhallaGH]

Enlarged dragon breath can let you kill 2 more minions in the same round. This benefit lasts from level 1-30. Thats pretty big.

16, actually, since you just added 16 squares to your area (5x5 = 25, rather than 3x3 = 9).

Wapon focus gives you a penalty, but combined with a feat such as action suge it can be increadibly useful at low levels and weilding a 2-H weapon.

I'll assume you meant Power Attack. And action surge is a human-only feat that you'll use every other encounter, at most.
That said, Power Attack can be useful at any level (it scales well), and combined with Action Surge it becomes very nice.

And eladrin soldier is a fantastic feat for an eladrin who uses longswords. No idea why you would consider otherwise.

This one is true, and it works well with spears too. It's the Eladrin version of Dwarven Weapon Training. I.e. a bundle of proficiencies and a paragon-tier weapon focus all in one feat. The only reason for a respective character not to take either one is because they are epic and could take Weapon Focus, and that's still a debatable choice.

Honestly, Dragonborn Senses is a great racial feat. Strong enough that you won't regret taking it, but weak enough that you don't feel you have to take it. Much like Dragonborn Frenzy, any of the Elf feats, any of the Human feats, the Half-Elf feat, and any of the Halfling feats. The rest of the racial feats (except Enlarged Dragon Breath) are either fairly marginal in the games I've seen so far, or very strong.
Enlarged Dragon Breath is a double-edged blade, since that wider area makes it easier to include your allies as well as your enemies, and you attack everyone within the blast.
If anything, Eladrin Soldier and Dwarven Weapon Training are both a bit too strong. They're clearly better than Weapon Focus as long as you stick with your race's stereotypical weapons.
Similarly, Hellfire Blood is amazing; it makes me want to play a Tiefling fire-Wizard.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

If anything, Eladrin Soldier and Dwarven Weapon Training are both a bit too strong. They're clearly better than Weapon Focus as long as you stick with your race's stereotypical weapons.

Only at the heroic tier, or if your class isn't already proficient in the additional weapons granted by the feat (if you're a dwarf cleric or wizard, say, and want to use an axe). Otherwise, the racial feats are equal to Weapon Focus at the paragon tier, and inferior to Weapon Focus at the epic tier.

ES or DWT, for melee classes, should be retrained to Weapon Focus by the end of the paragon tier.

 

[Zurai]

If anything, Eladrin Soldier and Dwarven Weapon Training are both a bit too strong. They're clearly better than Weapon Focus as long as you stick with your race's stereotypical weapons.

How is a +2 feat bonus "clearly better" than a +3 feat bonus?

 

[ValhallaGH]

How is a +2 feat bonus "clearly better" than a +3 feat bonus?

When it's combined with 3 or 7 proficiency feats, and works across multiple weapon groups. Also when it's available 20 levels earlier than that +3 bonus.

By Paragon tier, Eladrin and Dwarven characters should consider retraining those feats for Weapon Focus, but even at Epic tier the combination of multiple proficiencies (and those are the only feats that grant more than 1 proficiency) and bonus damage make those two feats worth thinking about.

 

[theNater]

So yeah, dborn senses is underpowered, unless you are playing your entire campaign in a world that is perpetually shrouded in twilight.

My campaign world is shrouded in twilight for at least a couple of hours out of every day. Most nights qualify as dim light, as well.

Admittedly it's not perpetual, but there are certain parts of the Feywild...

 

[Mengu]

Generally people who think these types of feats suck are people who pay no attention to lighting. If lighting is irrelevant in your game, then yeah, replace low-light with something else.

2gp Sunrods make lighting irrelevant, lighting up just about everything you can possibly see.

I have to agree, Dragonborn Senses is one of the weaker feats, looking at how infrequently it will come into play. Perhaps a Dragonborn Rogue or Ranger could make some use of it, but even then, I think Alertness or Skill Focus Perception would have a wider application.

I'm considering the following heroic (maybe paragon) tier feat in place of (or in addition to) Dragonborn Senses:

Dragonborn Danger Sense [Dragonborn]
Prerequisite: Dragonborn
Benefit: You gain a +1 feat bonus to Perception and Insight checks. You may use an additional minor action in a surprise round where you were not surprised.

 

[theNater]

By Paragon tier, Eladrin and Dwarven characters should consider retraining those feats for Weapon Focus, but even at Epic tier the combination of multiple proficiencies (and those are the only feats that grant more than 1 proficiency) and bonus damage make those two feats worth thinking about.

Y'know, this is something I hadn't considered. There are situations where it's reasonable to have Weapon Focus and the racial weapon feat.

 

[Fedifensor]

I think you're either underestimating low light vision or overestimating the power of heroic-tier feats.

Being able to negate one of the most common causes of concealment (a -2 to hit, plus ability to use stealth) is no small matter.

Or you could use a torch. Or a lantern. Or have the wizard use his at-will light cantrip...

Plus, if you want to boost Perception, then Alertness or Skill Focus: Perception won't stack with Dragonborn Senses.

 

[chaotix42]

Yup, since pretty much everyone in my party bought an adventurer's kit they have a bunch of sunrods. Illuminating out to 20 squares? Who needs low-light vision!