D&D 5E Ruminations on Overpowered Feats and Crafting New Feats

[hawkeyefan]

[MENTION=6799753]lowkey13[/MENTION] I think you only run the risk of having those assumed feats you mentioned if your group of players tends to go through a lot of characters.

I allow feats, by the book...but balance it with ability point buy during character generation, as others have suggested. I haven't created any fears yet, and don't expect to, but if a player had an idea for one, I would work on it with him until we were both happy.

But my players have made a total of 8 PCs. So there haven't been enough examples of the same class to really determine the "optimal build". There's only one fighter out of the 8, so no one yells at him for not having taken Polearm Master or whatever. Each of the characters is simply allowed to be. It's nice, and it's working great so far.

But, if we played more frequently (as it sounds like you might) and people were going through PCs more quickly, then some of them are going to notice what they think are optimal choices versus other options, and will start to be vocal about it. This happens on boards like these a lot because people are trying to prove that their way is right. It happens in person as well, but probably less often.

So it depends on your group, or groups if your in more than one game. For me, feats have not proven to be an issue in 5E. but it's a small group with few PCs.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Do you use feats?

Players in my campaigns are allowed the option of taking feats. Sometimes they even take that option, but usually no more than two feats for any given character.

If so, do you limit their use (in other words, specifically prohibit certain feats)?

I will prohibit any feat that I feel is out of line for one reason or another... but as of yet have not been presented with any feats that are out of line in any way.

If you do use feats, have you tried crafting additional feats?

I have thought about it, but found myself without anything coming to mind that actually felt like it needed to be added to the game.
If you have crafted feats, how do you decide what is appropriate for the power level of a given homebrewed feat?

And I answered the poll with the last option on the list because none of the other option wordings matched "Yes my players can take feats, but they usually don't."

 

[Azurewraith]

I run feats in all my sessions with the small caveat of GWM/SS are straight swap akin to the old power attack you want that +10 your paying -10 for it cant swap any less than a -5 out though im not playing a game of guess the AC here. As for PWM i nerfed polearms you try and hit a guy within 5ft thats dis right there. I think the other feats are all "OK" when you chop these behemoths down to size. If some one picks something the doesn't appear up to snuff after a few sessions we will have "the talk" about how to fix its behavior.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Azurewraith]

En world polls are truth! I mean there on the internet. I just couldn't imagine a game without feats. Especially this well done imo the 3 n 4e feats where a horrible spaghetti tangle.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Awesome Adam]

The 5E feats are all stand alone abilities. That's a huge improvement over the 3E Feat trees that required incrimental feats, just to get the useful ability you wanted levels down the line.

 

[Valador]

I allow feats, by the book, and have had no issues with any feats being broken or OP.

I guess I'll clarify that we also use the standard point buy system, so I haven't had to deal with any combination of absurd stats + feats.

 

[Salamandyr]

I wound up disallowing feats because ultimately, I didn't think they actually added all that much to the game. I wound up backfilling allowing something like "traits" if somebody required something from a feat (like dual wielder being the only way to wield two non-light weapons).

I'm of two minds. I like feats that open up new mechanics, like allowing someone limited expertise dice like a battlemaster, or a spell and cantrip like the initiative feats do. What I don't like is feats that eliminate challenges or just make the numbers bigger...like sharpshooter.

 

[Azurewraith]

I have to admit, I enjoy the flavor of the non-combat ones. They allow more distinction between different characters.

I'm more curious about how people approach their overall power balance. I still don't have a good sense of how "strong" a feat is supposed to be- the one's listed don't seem to have much of a rhyme or reason. I'm going to try crafting a few this weekend.

I didn't respect them until we snuck into a demon castle I was in disguise(only one) everyone else hid lock turned invis I'm stood there bold as brass salute this demon he speaks abyssal I don't... the lock did and had the actor feat(I was male she was female) and saves the day by mimicking my voice... I failed my performance check for the mime but meh.