D&D 5E Some Feat Adjustments

[FrogReaver]

I'd make GWM/SS minus half proficiency (rounded up) to hit for proficiency to damage. -3/+6 is about the limit of sanity for that sort of mechanic, even at high levels.

You are right. It's just IMO it really stops being an interesting option at -3/+6. It turns into something you absolutely always use especially with an archer. Lower attack roll for higher damage just doesn't work with so many ways to boost to hit. Advantage, Buff Spells, Magic Items etc.

 

[FrogReaver]

I've made some adjustments to a couple of feats. Thought I'd post them for feedback and in case anyone enjoys them.

Great Weapon Master
You’ve learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:

• On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.

• Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add double your proficiency bonus to the attack’s damage.

Sharpshooter
You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:

• Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.

• Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.

• Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add double your proficiency bonus to the attack’s damage.

Reasoning: I think it makes the power of the feats more reasonable at lower levels. I also prefer the idea that feats increase with level in someway, and think the -6/+12 is more fitting or appropriate for higher level play.

Durable
Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, you add your proficiency bonus to the total of each roll.

• Once per long rest, you can use an action to spend a number of Hit Dice equal to your proficiency bonus to regain hit points.

Reasoning: I always felt Durable was a pretty lame feat. I've never known anyone to take it. I think this makes it a more appealing option.

Grappler
Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher
You’ve developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.

• You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, the creature is restrained until the grapple ends.

• When you use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity, you can choose to attempt a grapple instead.

Reasoning: The third bullet point of Grappler is useless due to an outdated mechanic. This makes things a bit interesting.

Heavy Armor Master
Prerequisite: Proficiency with heavy armor
You can use your armor to deflect strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• While you are wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take from non-magical weapons is reduced by your proficiency bonus.

Reasoning: Once again, the power of the feat gets tied to the level of the character, which I tend to prefer.

Savage Attacker
When you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon’s damage dice and use either total.
You can do this a number of times per turn equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You can never reroll more than once per attack.

Reasoning: Once more, this feat now grows with your level. Also, can potentially apply to multiple attacks per round.

Weapon Master
You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• You gain proficiency with four weapons of your choice.

• You gain +2 bonus to damage with the weapons chosen for this feat.

Reasoning: Another feat that I never really saw get taken. I thought this would both increase the feat getting taken, and perhaps reduce the number of people that take a level dip in martial classes for the proficiencies.

Tavern Brawler
Accustomed to rough-and-tumble fighting using whatever weapons happen to be at hand, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• You are proficient with improvised weapons.

• Your unarmed strike uses a d4 for damage, rather than just dealing 1 damage. If you are a monk, you gain +1 damage to your unarmed strike.

• When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target.

Reasoning: Seemed a bit unfair to make it so monks didn't get the same level of benefit as other classes. This way they get full use of the feat.

GWM and SS changes won't have enough of an impact to really matter IMO. They are fine and will encourage those feats to be used at earlier levels. Maybe that is ultimately what you are after?

I like your change to durable. Please understand that such "gamist" constructs were mostly debated out of the game in order to have it appeal to more people. I personally don't mind them but many people might. (By "gamist" I mean a mechanic that doesn't actually tie to something happening in the world)

No problems with Grappler change. It needs something. I'm not sure if your change totally captures what it needs but its a move in the right direction!

Weapon Master - I hate the +2 damage change. I don't want to see any feats whose only purpose is to give extra damage or attack.

Got tired can't finish the rest...

 

[Quartz]

Weapon Master
You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• You gain proficiency with four weapons of your choice.

This is probably good enough for the feat.

• You gain +2 bonus to damage with the weapons chosen for this feat.

I don't like this. How about changing this property to 'If you choose a weapon with which you are already proficient, you may re-roll an attack roll of 1'?

 

[ExploderWizard]

I've made some adjustments to a couple of feats. Thought I'd post them for feedback and in case anyone enjoys them.

Great Weapon Master
You’ve learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:

• On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.

• Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add double your proficiency bonus to the attack’s damage.

Sharpshooter
You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:

• Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.

• Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.

• Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a penalty to the attack roll equal to your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add double your proficiency bonus to the attack’s damage.

Reasoning: I think it makes the power of the feats more reasonable at lower levels. I also prefer the idea that feats increase with level in someway, and think the -6/+12 is more fitting or appropriate for higher level play.

Durable
Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, you add your proficiency bonus to the total of each roll.

• Once per long rest, you can use an action to spend a number of Hit Dice equal to your proficiency bonus to regain hit points.

Reasoning: I always felt Durable was a pretty lame feat. I've never known anyone to take it. I think this makes it a more appealing option.

Grappler
Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher
You’ve developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.

• You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, the creature is restrained until the grapple ends.

• When you use your reaction to make an attack of opportunity, you can choose to attempt a grapple instead.

Reasoning: The third bullet point of Grappler is useless due to an outdated mechanic. This makes things a bit interesting.

Heavy Armor Master
Prerequisite: Proficiency with heavy armor
You can use your armor to deflect strikes that would kill others. You gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• While you are wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take from non-magical weapons is reduced by your proficiency bonus.

Reasoning: Once again, the power of the feat gets tied to the level of the character, which I tend to prefer.

Savage Attacker
When you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon’s damage dice and use either total.
You can do this a number of times per turn equal to half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). You can never reroll more than once per attack.

Reasoning: Once more, this feat now grows with your level. Also, can potentially apply to multiple attacks per round.

Weapon Master
You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• You gain proficiency with four weapons of your choice.

• You gain +2 bonus to damage with the weapons chosen for this feat.

Reasoning: Another feat that I never really saw get taken. I thought this would both increase the feat getting taken, and perhaps reduce the number of people that take a level dip in martial classes for the proficiencies.

Tavern Brawler
Accustomed to rough-and-tumble fighting using whatever weapons happen to be at hand, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• You are proficient with improvised weapons.

• Your unarmed strike uses a d4 for damage, rather than just dealing 1 damage. If you are a monk, you gain +1 damage to your unarmed strike.

• When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target.

Reasoning: Seemed a bit unfair to make it so monks didn't get the same level of benefit as other classes. This way they get full use of the feat.

I think this version of the durable feat steps all over the fighter giving ANY character an ability to heal in combat at a level that makes second wind not useful at all.

How about this:

Durable
Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, you add your proficiency bonus to the total of each roll.

• You have advantage on all saving throws made to avoid exhaustion.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I think this version of the durable feat steps all over the fighter giving ANY character an ability to heal in combat at a level that makes second wind not useful at all.

How about this:

Durable
Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

• Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.

• When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, you add your proficiency bonus to the total of each roll.

• You have advantage on all saving throws made to avoid exhaustion.

I personally don't think it steps on any toes. It's once per day, as opposed to Second Wind being once per short rest. Fighters can take it, which gives them an additional way to heal themselves. It costs an action to use, which means you aren't attacking or casting when you use it. So overall, I don't see it stepping on any toes, especially when there are already so many options for healing.

From my perspective, the Durable feat only comes into play if you are consistently using the short rest healing mechanic. At my table and those I've played at, it is one of the most minor parts of the game. But also, feats are extremely valuable. A player needs to see consistent, meaningful benefit from a feat. This allows for that because now the feat is not just used during short rests, but out in the world during gameplay.

As for your proposed change, it could be ok, but it seems so situational to me. It makes thematic sense, but I personally don't see many saves to avoid exhaustion to make that feat seem worth taking to my players.

 

[Hawk Diesel]

GWM and SS changes won't have enough of an impact to really matter IMO. They are fine and will encourage those feats to be used at earlier levels. Maybe that is ultimately what you are after?

Yea. Early and mid levels a -5 is a pretty steep tax to your attack. This way I see the feat being more useful. Also as I said, I prefer feats that grow with the character. But also, in my gain getting advantage on an attack is a bit more difficult, and the players and challenges have all been upscaled to be more powerful. At my table at least, I don't see the same problems other have mentioned with these feats.

I like your change to durable. Please understand that such "gamist" constructs were mostly debated out of the game in order to have it appeal to more people. I personally don't mind them but many people might. (By "gamist" I mean a mechanic that doesn't actually tie to something happening in the world)

Thanks. What you call gamist is not really a problem for me. But I don't see Durable as being less tied to something happening in the world than, for example, a Fighter's Second Wind. It's weird where people draw that line sometimes, isn't it?

No problems with Grappler change. It needs something. I'm not sure if your change totally captures what it needs but its a move in the right direction!

Thanks!

Weapon Master - I hate the +2 damage change. I don't want to see any feats whose only purpose is to give extra damage or attack.

I don't like this. How about changing this property to 'If you choose a weapon with which you are already proficient, you may re-roll an attack roll of 1'?

So yea, Weapon Master seems to be the most controversial of the feats I posted. I understand the dislike for pure mechanic bonuses, but I feel like the feat has use and feels a need niche in the game. I just don't know how to make it an attractive option in comparison to other feats or a martial class level dip. The idea of being able to reroll ones on attack rolls is interesting and a step in the right direction, but not sure if it's enough.

 

[Quartz]

You're giving +1 to a stat. That's pretty potent.

 

[Ashkelon]

For great weapon master and sharpshooter I would suggest this change to the damage portion:

If you would make an attack with advantage, you can choose to give up that advantage to roll your weapons damage dice twice and add the rolls together.

The biggest problem with GWM and sharpshooter isn't that they don't scale, but rather that they are nearly always the right choice, especially with any boost to accuracy such as from advantage, bless, magic weapons, and the like. On top of that, +10 damage is significantly more damage than the base damage of most weapons which means the majority of ones damage comes from the feat. This change makes sharpshooter much less appealing for hand crossbow wielders for example.

For durable, I would simply have each hit die count as maximum when rolled rather than add proficiency. Less math is better and this feat really doesn't need to scale with level as number of HD already scale with level.

For weapon master I would remove the +2 damage and instead give the player their choice in fighting style. In 5e fighting styles are how one shows mastery in a particular group of weapons.

 

[FrogReaver]

GWM and SS changes won't have enough of an impact to really matter IMO. They are fine and will encourage those feats to be used at earlier levels. Maybe that is ultimately what you are after?

Yea. Early and mid levels a -5 is a pretty steep tax to your attack. This way I see the feat being more useful. Also as I said, I prefer feats that grow with the character. But also, in my gain getting advantage on an attack is a bit more difficult, and the players and challenges have all been upscaled to be more powerful. At my table at least, I don't see the same problems other have mentioned with these feats.



Thanks. What you call gaming is not really a problem for me. But I don't see Durable as being less tied to something happening in the world than, for example, a Fighter's Second Wind. It's weird where people draw that line sometimes, isn't it?



Thanks!





So yea, Weapon Master seems to be the most controversial of the feats I posted. I understand the dislike for pure mechanic bonuses, but I feel like the feat has use and feels a need niche in the game. I just don't know how to make it an attractive option in comparison to other feats or a martial class level dip. The idea of being able to reroll ones on attack rolls is interesting and a step in the right direction, but not sure if it's enough.

While I like weapon proficiencies for flavor I actually think a background would be a better place to allow weapon proficiencies. Trade a skill proficiency for a weapon proficiency. Now that's an idea I can get behind!

I'd personally just do away with the weapon master feat then. There just doesn't need to be a feat that gives a general upgrade to all weapons. It's almost always either going to be a must take or a never take style feat for characters and we already have 2 of those such feats right now!

 

[Hawk Diesel]

I really like [MENTION=6774887]Ashkelon[/MENTION]'s suggestion about adding a fighting style. Weapon Master could provide 4 weapon proficiencies and a fighting style. I don't think I would had the +1 to strength or dexterity in that case.