D&D 5E (2014) Krynn's Free Feats: setting-specific or the future of the game?

[aco175]

Everyone wants it, regardless if they say it.

I can see where backgrounds can be better. Giving the less used feats as a bonus there for char-gen may be ok. I would not want to see veterans getting polearm mastery and another feat though. I would also like if there was a choice of a couple/few to choose from.

 

[James Gasik]

I mean, it was obviously intended for the Background Feature to matter in games, but it often is vestigial with no real benefit, especially in public play. I remember my noble getting zero benefit for being a noble, and then one time when we needed shelter, I announced I'd ask the local lord to put us up in his keep, using my feature, and the DM actually said "I mean, I guess, but I don't understand how that works, the guy has never heard of you."

When I get pushback on simply finding my party a place to sleep for the night, it's obvious (to me) that a component of backgrounds has failed to work as advertised.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I mean, it was obviously intended for the Background Feature to matter in games, but it often is vestigial with no real benefit, especially in public play. I remember my noble getting zero benefit for being a noble, and then one time when we needed shelter, I announced I'd ask the local lord to put us up in his keep, using my feature, and the DM actually said "I mean, I guess, but I don't understand how that works, the guy has never heard of you."

When I get pushback on simply finding my party a place to sleep for the night, it's obvious (to me) that a component of backgrounds has failed to work as advertised.

I HATE that thought process... I even hate the idea with him giving it to you, but you know there are some that don't evven let it work

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Yes and no. You are also allowed to create your own background with skills and such of your choice. If there are skills I envision for my PC and the Criminal background doesn't do it, my created Mafia background will. I still get to have a criminal background and it works for my character vision.

That allows backgrounds to be about RP and not just about what skills you get.

but is putting the toughness feat in there anydiffrent then picking the background featurre you want and mixing it with the skills

 

[overgeeked]

Increased options = power creep.
Inevitable really.

Not really. More options is just more options. If those new options are explicitly more powerful than the older options, that's power creep.

 

[bedir than]

That's not true at all. You get a limited selection, most of which are Knight of Solomnia orders or High Sorcery orders. The rest are a very limited set of caster or fighting feats that are appropriate for your 1st level choice. They all have a relationship to the background selected. You cannot for instance, select Observant as your 4th level feat.

For background feats I would expect that when you say take the Urchin background, you will be given a 1st level Urchin feat, and then a limited selection for your 4th level pick that are written into the Urchin background.

Nope. The document doesn't connect the options to a background at 4th level. There's no "if you were a Folk Hero you take YYY" suggestion. Even the knight and wizard ones aren't connected to background, only requiring a previous feat, something you might get by being human.

 

[overgeeked]

I HATE that thought process... I even hate the idea with him giving it to you, but you know there are some that don't evven let it work

It is a really weird one, noble. It's like you have this "I'm better than you" aura that all peasants the world over simply detect and they must grovel. Likewise, all other nobles can sense that same aura but read it as "you're better than everyone else, just like me" and will be your friends. It's a really strange permanent and global friendship & charm person spell. Most players think it works just like mind control. It's so weird.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Not really. More options is just more options. If those new options are explicitly more powerful than the older options, that's power creep.

Power creep is fine so long as it's controlled and doesn't mess up balance significantly. It's not inherently bad and literally every edition has had it.

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I'd actually like to see 5.5E flip it so that Feats were standard and ASIs were optional. Feats at 1, 4, 8, 12, etc. If you don't want a feat, you can add +1 to two ability scores. That's what I'm moving to in my home games.

But, that said, I do think Backgrounds should have more mechanical weight and feats seem like a reasonable way to do it.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

It is a really weird one, noble. It's like you have this "I'm better than you" aura that all peasants the world over simply detect and they must grovel. Likewise, all other nobles can sense that same aura but read it as "you're better than everyone else, just like me" and will be your friends. It's a really strange permanent and global friendship & charm person spell. Most players think it works just like mind control. It's so weird.

yes becuse getting a place to spend the night is the same as charm....

having things on your sheet should mean something