D&D 5E (2014) New Feats Survey!

[UngainlyTitan]

I'm in one of the younger cohorts, myself, just on the edge of no longer being taken seriously by Hollywood.

I think Feats will remain in the game as an option, since a sizeable minority use them, but we might see them retool the options available somewhat significantly.

I would love a retool myself, at least to make more feats viable or DM advice for a flat/slow levelling game with more feat use as a reward mechanic beside levels.

 

[ART!]

I have a fighter in a game that houserules bonus feats:

Charger is useless, the situations where it looks like it might be useful are exteremly narrow. Definitely not worth a feat. There's a few other with similar issues; Athlete, Great Weapon Master (the cleave part, not the power attack par. That's necessary to play an effective heavy weapon fighter.)

The best feats let you do stuff outside your normal class progression: Ritual Caster is great for this.

This is very much how I feel about feats. ASIs are too rare to skip raising an ability score for a feat that seems cool but winds up being only occasionally useful, if that. This is especially a trap for less-experienced players.

I get the impression that POTC is retooling 5E for less experienced players, so I expect feats to get a good going-over.

I would love a retool myself, at least to make more feats viable or DM advice for a flat/slow levelling game with more feat use as a reward mechanic beside levels.

Yeah, I think many feats - and components of certain feats - should be available by means other that sacrificing an ASI.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Yeah, I think many feats - and components of certain feats - should be available by means other that sacrificing an ASI.

My own thoughts on this:

Feats that replace ASIs should be for getting stuff outside of your normal class progression: dabbling in other classes, for example. Ritual Caster is a great feat for this sort of thing. Most racial feats would fit here as well.

Feats that improve your combat ability should be a part of martial class progression, linked to Fighting Style. If you're a fighter with the Great Weapon Fighting Style, you should get the benefits of Great Weapon Master at later levels simply because your a level X fighter (maybe spread out, and the power attack bonus damage should scale.)

The feats that relate to skills should just be things you can try. Inspiring Leader should be available anyone with Performance proficiency. (otherwise the feats are subtractive, which I really don't like in 5e).

 

[abirdcall]

I'm part way through it now, and so far I'm just rating each feat on what is basically a 7-point scale, with the mid-point inappropriately named "slightly satisfied" - the mid-point should be neutral, otherwise the survey is skewing respondents to favor things.

I don't think you should have to spend an ASI on a feat to get a proficiency, and I told them as much.

There's a lot of feats I've never chosen for a character because they have features that are very hit-or-miss, and I feel weird blowing an ASI on something that might be helpful sometimes.

They have said before than anything short of 'satisifed' isn't good enough.

They probably want to see the people who are lukewarm on a feat and not have them check satisfied to show they they are okay with it when they don't really like it.

 

[TerraDave]

i also believe that ENWorld is such a minority of players these day and skews particularly old that little notice is taken of what we say.

This is why people don’t vote…everyone should take the survey!

(and they probably still follow the boards)

 

[UngainlyTitan]

This is why people don’t vote…everyone should take the survey!

(and they probably still follow the boards)

Totally agree, on taking the surveys. I was mainly discounting the relativeness of topics here that generate a lot of noise.

 

[Scott Christian]

I am always a bit curious about the surveys that feel they must know your gender and age. I understand wanting to segregate data, but what is it actually used for? Once it's separated, how is it used after that?

 

[jmartkdr2]

I am always a bit curious about the surveys that feel they must know your gender and age. I understand wanting to segregate data, but what is it actually used for? Once it's separated, how is it used after that?

They want to know if they're attracting female players and young people. These are lucrative, untapped markets.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

They want to know if they're attracting female players and young people. These are lucrative, untapped markets.

Errrr, the majority of players are "young people" right now, if we define "young people" as 29 and under, which seems reasonable. I would not say "young people" are an untapped market. Female players aren't entirely untapped either but also aren't something WotC had really "gone after" (though I'd say stuff like Strixhaven is consciously intended to appeal to a more gender-balanced market).

They definitely want to keep an eye on their demographics though, in particular they don't want to see a slip in the number of young people playing, because that's not good for the long-term health of a product.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I have a fighter in a game that houserules bonus feats:

Charger is useless, the situations where it looks like it might be useful are exteremly narrow.

Charger is disappointing as hell. It’s entire benefit could just be a general rule.

Combine the optional “overrun” special attack in the dmg, with a benefit of being able to make an attack as part of the same action when you dash as an action, for the feat, and maybe a +1 strength and/or +5ft speed, and you’ve got a feat. Still not top tier, but worth taking for some characters.

Definitely not worth a feat. There's a few other with similar issues; Athlete, Great Weapon Master (the cleave part, not the power attack par. That's necessary to play an effective heavy weapon fighter.)

Eh, I see athlete taken a decent amount.

And great weapon master definitely isn’t required to play an effective heavy weapon fighter.

The best feats let you do stuff outside your normal class progression: Ritual Caster is great for this.

I love ritual caster, but diving deeper into your existing specialty is just as valid a use for feats.