Point-based Feat System

[GlassJaw]

Overall, I like the idea of feats. They allow for additional character customization and are a nice reward for players to look forward to. That said, I'm not all that satisfied with how they are implemented in 5E. First off, there are some massive balance issues. Additionally, since they compete with ability score increases, most of the feats are never even considered, never mind actually taken. That's a shame because there are some that have a lot of flavor.

So one of my long-term homebrew goals was to rebalance the feat system, which ultimately led me to a point-based system. Unearthed Arcana: Feats for Skills offered a lot of insight into how the developers "cost" feats. In that article, each feat granted a +1 ASI, proficiency in a skill (or double proficiency in that skill), and an additional ability.

Goals:

• To balance the feats without rewriting the feats themselves.
• To make certain feats more enticing.
• To create a more modular system that allows for more customization.

System Basics:

• Characters get 1 feat point per level (fighters get 2 every other level starting at level 4).
• Feat points may be saved.
• Feat points may be spent when gaining a level.

Note:

• ASIs have been removed from feats in all cases. ASI is now its own feat. In the only way to increase an ability score is with the Ability Score Increase feat (which grants a +1).
• I separated some of the feats into multiple feats that I felt weren't all that related (like Dungeon Delver). It should be fairly easy to figure out since I didn't want to write out all the feats here.
• Yes this makes the feat system more "complicated". It also gives the players more choice and versatility. For my goals, I'm ok with this.
• This is a first pass! It hasn't been playtested but I'm definitely looking for feedback, especially with regards to costing.
• Since it is an underused stat, I've considered using Intelligence as a limiter on certain feats. For example, a player may choose Linguist, Skilled, or Skill Expert a number of times equal to their Int mod.

[table="width: 300"]
[tr]
[td]Ability Score Increase +1[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Alert[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Athlete[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]- Climber[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Actor[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]- Mimicry[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Charger[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Crossbow Expert[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]- Hand Crossbow Expert[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Defensive Duelist[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Dual Wielder[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Dungeon Delver[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]- Trap Expert[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Durable[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Elemental Adept[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Grappler[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Great Weapon Master[/td]
[td]6[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Healer[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Heavily Armored[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Heavy Armor Master[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Inspiring Leader[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Keen Mind[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Lightly Armored[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Linguist (2 languages)[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]- Cryptographer[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Lucky[/td]
[td]4[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Mage Slayer[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Magic Initiate[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Martial Adept[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Medium Armor Master[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Mobile[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Moderately Armored[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Mounted Combat[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Observant[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]- Lip-Reader[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Polearm Master[/td]
[td]4[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Resilient[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Ritual Caster[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Savage Attacker[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Sentinel[/td]
[td]4[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Sharpshooter[/td]
[td]6[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Shield Master[/td]
[td]4[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Skilled (1 new skill/tool prof)[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Skill Expert (prof x2)[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Skulker[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Spell Sniper[/td]
[td]3[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Tavern Brawler[/td]
[td]2[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Tough[/td]
[td]4[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]War Caster[/td]
[td]4[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Weapon Master (2 weapons)[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[/tr]
[/table]

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Is the ASI feat limited to one take? Or can I just keep taking it, every other level? Because that's almost certainly how I would go, if I was playing in this system.

Very few of these feats were ever more valuable than +2 to Con, to begin with, but you have many of them set up as more expensive. Unless your version of ASI only gives +1 to a stat (which would push the cost up to four points, for +2 to a stat), I would strongly recommend increasing the cost to three points. At that price point, a lot of your feat values make more sense.

You could also scale the cost of the ASI, depending on the current value of the stat. Maybe it could cost one point to raise something from 8 to 10, but two points to go from 12 to 14, all the way up to four points to go from 18 to 20. I'm not sure how to work that with splitting the bonus between ability scores, though, since it's likely that they'd each be in different brackets to begin with. Maybe just stipulate that the +2 must go to the same stat, and in the odd case where you wind up with a 19, it would cost three points to make that a 20.

Edit: You've clarified that the ASI is just +1, so now it feels like most of the feats are under-priced. Resilient, at the very least, should be at least four points under this system.

 

[Draegn]

For my game I use improvement points. Improvement points are earned at a rate of 1 per 1000 experience points.

Improvement points are used to increase attributes, skills or purchase a quality (feat).

Attributes 5x the new rating
Skills 2x the new level
Qualities variable 5-30

There are four groups of attributes, physical, mental, social and special.

Skills correspond to physical, mental or social attributes. The highest skill level cannot exceed the lowest attribute rating. (This is my way of ending dump stats.)

 

[GlassJaw]

Edit: You've clarified that the ASI is just +1, so now it feels like most of the feats are under-priced. Resilient, at the very least, should be at least four points under this system.

Perhaps I wasn't clear in my explanation. You comments certainly allude to that being the case:

"ASIs have been removed from feats in all cases. ASI is now its own feat."

In other words, no feat gives an ASI. Ability Score Increase is its own feat, and it grants a +1 to one ability score of your choice. So Resilient now only grants proficiency in the saving throw you choose; it doesn't also grant a +1 to the corresponding ability.

Thanks for the feedback though - I hope that explanation clears it up.

 

[GlassJaw]

For my game I use improvement points. Improvement points are earned at a rate of 1 per 1000 experience points.

Improvement points are used to increase attributes, skills or purchase a quality (feat).

Attributes 5x the new rating
Skills 2x the new level
Qualities variable 5-30

There are four groups of attributes, physical, mental, social and special.

Skills correspond to physical, mental or social attributes. The highest skill level cannot exceed the lowest attribute rating. (This is my way of ending dump stats.)

Interesting system, although I wanted to keep the cost scale similar to what already exists and not introduce something new. That said, I am interested in how you costed the feats.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

In other words, no feat gives an ASI. Ability Score Increase is its own feat, and it grants a +1 to one ability score of your choice. So Resilient now only grants proficiency in the saving throw you choose; it doesn't also grant a +1 to the corresponding ability.

No, I got that. Even without the +1 to a stat, though, Resilient is still roughly worth +2 to Con. It's one of the few feats that was really worthwhile, before, since it was the only real way to improve one of your saves. (I like to use +2 to Con as the balance point for a feat, because it's a given that everyone will max out their attack stat, and Con is the default alternative if you aren't using feats.) Tough is another one that is definitely worth +2 to Con.

I'm not happy with the values listed, when ASI+1 costs two points, but I can't really explain it. Maybe it's an aesthetic thing? GWM or Sharpshooter are definitely worth more than +2 to Con, but you currently have them budgeted at +3 to Con, which is a difficult value for me to parse.

 

[Draegn]

Interesting system, although I wanted to keep the cost scale similar to what already exists and not introduce something new. That said, I am interested in how you costed the feats.

We set up a chart and separated role playing effects from mechanical effects, and then split those into how often they come into play. Many work in conjunction with the attributes.

 

[GlassJaw]

No, I got that. Even without the +1 to a stat, though, Resilient is still roughly worth +2 to Con. It's one of the few feats that was really worthwhile, before, since it was the only real way to improve one of your saves. (I like to use +2 to Con as the balance point for a feat, because it's a given that everyone will max out their attack stat, and Con is the default alternative if you aren't using feats.) Tough is another one that is definitely worth +2 to Con.

Yeah I can see Resilient being worth 3.

I'm not happy with the values listed, when ASI+1 costs two points, but I can't really explain it. Maybe it's an aesthetic thing? GWM or Sharpshooter are definitely worth more than +2 to Con, but you currently have them budgeted at +3 to Con, which is a difficult value for me to parse.

Well it is a new way to think about feats, I get that. I actually take the fact that it's difficult to nail down the values as a good thing. Debate is an indication that the system has flexibility instead of shooting down the system as a whole.

 

[WhosDaDungeonMaster]

Overall it is an interesting idea. Despite my love for numbers, balance, etc. I wouldn't pursue this myself, but great for you for doing it!

If I get your system, you are basically making it so no one can get GWM or SS until Level 6 (Level 5 for Fighters)?

Since the Human Variant gets a Feat, would they start with any Feat points? Like 4 points or something (the value of a Feat = 2 ASI in your system)?

 

[Blue]

This is a buff for the players.

1. With two exceptions, feats are either the same cost or cheaper (so they get them quicker)

2. If you are recreating half-feats (+1 ASI) you now have additional flexibility because you can pick whatever ability score you want to, instead of being locked in and maybe having a useless odd score.

3. With breaking out the +1 ASIs from the costs, some feat features are now a lot more accessible. For example any 6th level wizard could pick up light, medium and heavy armor for the same cost (6 feat points total). Same cost as a weapon wielder can pick up GWM or Sharpshooter.

4. Getting a +1 to an odd score two levels sooner is more advantageous than having to wait.

5. It removes a major balance point for multiclassing.

To address these without changing the feats, I'd put every feat and ASI back - so you can't get +1 ASI, only +2 or +1/+1 ASIs - at double the cost. Half-feats still have the other +1 ASI and it's reflected in the cost. It's still a character buff since some feats are cheaper, multiclassing has a big boost. And it has the disadvantage that it makes dead levels at times even with single classing.