Racial Feats - the Good and the Bad

[Byronic]

Is it me, or do some races get screwed when it comes to Feats?

Humans, get wonderful feats, perhaps even the best racial feats. One of the best features of Human feats is that they're not only effective, but they're effective throughout the game. You'll be using an action point quite regulary (at least once per day) and +1 to saving throws have probably saved human characters from efects a few times. Furthermore every class can use them.

On the other hand we have the Eladrin. Who get Eladrin Soldier, in my opinion quite possible the worst racial feat. It's only handy if you like Spears (because it saves you a feat) or if you like Long Swords, but only in the first tier, it gets tied with Weapon Focus in the second tier and becomes inferior to Weapon Focus in the Epic tier. And it's even worse then other races. Dwarves are at least more likely to use their racial weapons since they fit the classes they're best suited for, Paladin, Fighter and such. Tieflings are often Warlocks and Wizards and can use their Hellfire Blood feat, which even includes the much desired +1 to attack bonus

Shouldn't Racial feats be better then normal feats most of the time? Since racial feats are supposed to make a race shine in something, to show that they're better in something then other races? I don't believe that Racial feats should be inferior to normal feats, especially not in the same tier. They should also have a "win" factor, providing another reason for you to take that race that matters throughout your career.

What do you think? Should the racial feats be improved so they really matter? Do you think they're great as they are?

 

[Belphanior]

I agree that some racial feats aren't all that great. The paragon tier ones scale especially poorly (except the all mighty human). I think that in my games I'll change them into racial bonuses instead of feat bonuses. That way they could stack.

It probably leads to stereotypical cookiecutter characters that are all min-maxed according to certain builds, but I think I might prefer that over useless feats and races not mattering so much after all.

 

[Seolfor]

Um Eladrin soldier is as good as dwarven weapon training - and both complement Weapon Focus.

Its not either or - especially for rangers who enjoy the damage bonus on EACH weapon.

E.g - Human Ranger, Weapon Prof (Bastard Sword), Weapon Focus (Heavy Blade)- without the feats his Twin Strike does d8+d8 (longswords, avg. 9) With the feats he does d10+1+d10+1(avg. 13)

Similarly, an Eladrin Ranger with 'eladrin soldier' and 'weapon focus (heavy blade), with Twin Strike does d8+3+d8+3(avg. 15!)

Both will have same +3 profiency to hit - so, how is the Eladrin racial feat worse??

 

[Malachor]

eladrin soldier and weapon focus both give 'feat' bonus to damage, so they don't stack.
So, your example eladrin ranger, just wasted a feat.

 

[Ahglock]

I am not as impressed with human feats as others are. AP come once to twice a day, so you get to use this once to twice a day. Yeah +3 to hit is good, but once a day+3 to hit for a feat is just ok in my opinion. I will give you its still ok at epic levels, but I don't think it is great.

I do like human perseverance +1 to saves is good.

I love lost in the crowd, +2 to ac is huge since AC is attacked a lot and there are a ton of large creatures to fight, similarly dodge giants for dwarfs rocks. And I dig all the movement oriented elf ones. I am underwhelmed by eladrin racial feats, eladrin soldier being the only decent one and that is fairly class limited. Every other eladrin racial I would not waste a feat on.

I'd say eladrin are the only race where I think the racial feats are weak, every other race gets average too good racial feats IMO.

 

[Yanko128]

keep in mind that both Eladrin Soldier and Dwarven Weapon Training are superior to Weapon Focus in heroic tier, and when become equal in paragon tier you replace them with Weapon Focus. they do give you a nice oomph at low levels.

 

[Minigiant]

Just retrain them Dwarven Weapon Training and Eladrin Soldier between level 15-20. You get +1 damage over Focus in heroic which is a lot and by Epic you'd have many chances to retrain. Boost your javelin attack too.

Also Longsword/spear eladrin ranger.

 

[theNater]

The eladrin and dwarven weapon feats are mostly good because they affect multiple categories of weapons, allowing them to switch off depending on what weapon would be most valuable.

An eladrin fighter may well have enough dexterity for heavy blade and spear feats. Eladrin Soldier permits him to switch back and forth between them, depending on what power and feat effects will be most beneficial. An eladrin ranger can use two-weapon fighting with a longsword and a javelin, and be able to use ranged powers without switching weapons. The advantage to Eladrin Soldier over Weapon Focus is that it is essentially two feats for the cost of one, throughout paragon tier.

And, of course, eladrin have access to Feywild Protection at paragon tier, so even if you don't like Eladrin Soldier, it's not like they're completely out in the lurch.

 

[Byronic]

Just retrain them Dwarven Weapon Training and Eladrin Soldier between level 15-20. You get +1 damage over Focus in heroic which is a lot and by Epic you'd have many chances to retrain. Boost your javelin attack too.

Also Longsword/spear eladrin ranger.

This still does not solve the main problems. The Racial feat becoming useless at higher levels (which is against 4 ed design philosophy as I know it) and inferior to similar main feats and the feat simply not playing to the Eladrins strong points.

According to Raw Eladrin are best at being Wizards, Rogues and Warlords. Wizards have little use for it except for OAs and WotST Paragon class (both would do better with Weapon Focus and neither needs spears) and Rogues aren't suited for it at all as their powers work best with other weapons. Warlords might be able to use it. Seldomly. At least Dwarves can use their weapon training feat since they're well suited to being Paladins and Fighters.

I'm tempted to give them something else to make up for it (I don't know what yet) or letting the feat work with weapon focus. After all one gives a damage bonus to Longswords, and the other gives it to heavy blades. Two different categories (even if the first is in the latter)

Or maybe giving the Weapon Training skills +1 to hit, that would give it an extra boost.

 

[Seolfor]

hmm, my bad on the feat bonus stacking.

Human Action Surge is awesome - its not the fact that you can use it two/three times per day - its the benefit of greatly increasing the chance that you DO not miss your daily power use or the encounter power use when the situation is critical.

If youve played 4e and are not speaking from just theorycrafting the PHB, you will know how invaluable it is to have action surge and a tactical warlord in the group.

4e combat is so dependent about 'to-hit'.