D&D 5E Thoughts on the new approach to Feats

[Li Shenron]

Arcane Archer: I really wish there is an added option to also deliver beneficial spells via arrows, without dealing damage.

Arcane/Divine/Druidic Initiate + Magic Adept et al: I like the concept of these and I really hope the spell choice remains completely open. However I am not so favorable to let the PC pick the mental stat for spellcasting. I would prefer it is fixed to the be the same as the class you're picking spells from its list, for consistency and for promoting some investment in secondary ability scores.

Shield Master: I think this feat could safely allow the bonus to ALL Dex saving throws, even area spells, in which case it may represent using the shield to get a (partial) cover.

Archery Master/Great Weapon Master/Fencing Master: to me the -5 penalty sounds too big... with bounded accuracy bonuses are small, so maybe we should also have smaller penalties? I think it could be safely -2 or -3.

Healer: I just think healer's kit rules in general should be more clear... IIRC right now anyone can use a healer's kit only to stabilize someone below 0hp and requires a Wis check, advantage on check if you are proficient. This Healer feat could also grant proficiency, but does it still require a Wis check to heal or not?

As I look over the last pack's feats, here's what I see missing, that I'd want back.

1. Find familiar.

2. A catch-all Metamagic Feat.

I definitely want these 2 in the game, and I think they would be better as feats (i.e. available to every class) but the most important thing is that they are available to Wizards and/or Sorcerers, thus I'm fine also if they end up being features of a subclass.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Arcane Archer: I really wish there is an added option to also deliver beneficial spells via arrows, without dealing damage.

I don't think we need to add to the feat. The obvious answer is to carry some blunt arrows, which I think is cool.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I definitely want these 2 in the game, and I think they would be better as feats (i.e. available to every class) but the most important thing is that they are available to Wizards and/or Sorcerers, thus I'm fine also if they end up being features of a subclass.

I would prefer they were feats, and to that I'll add another one: Necromancer.

I was so impressed in the very first pack,when there was a Necromancer feat available to all spellcasters. This is such an elegant solution, and saves reduplication of specialties for both Mages and Clerics (and Sorcerers, presumably). Plus it leaves open other possibilities, too -- a Druid or Ranger taking the feat, for instance.

EDIT: Necromancer was a Specialty (a suggested collection of feats) when introduced in the Aug 2012 pack.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Arcane Archer: I have a few issues with this feat. 1. You can't cast the spell and shoot the arrow on the same turn, so you don't have much flexibility in deciding to use it combat. 2. You can enchant a bunch of arrows and give them to the fighter, who's probably a lot better at shooting them than you are. And he can shoot 3 fireball arrows a turn. 3. I miss all of the other special abilities that arcane archers used to get, like the seeker arrow, phase arrow, hail of arrows and arrow of death. 4. Arcane archers should be able to use their bow as a magic focus for their spells.

Archery Master: The penalty from the rapid shot seems a bit severe, to the point that I don't think most people would ever use it.

Dual Wielder: I hate that you need this feat to fight with a non-light weapon, and I hate even more that you can never fight with two non-light weapons, even if you have the feat. Why can't they just give a penalty to your attack rolls if the weapon is not light (like -5), and have the feat reduce it to -2 or some such? If it's okay for archery masters to take an extra attack with a longbow with a -5 penalty, why on earth is it not okay to wield two longswords with a similar penalty?

Healer: Why does this feat even exist?

Heavy Armor Master: Numeric damage reduction should be left out of this game. We already have a wonderful thing going with resistances; DR is just a wrench being thrown into the system. It also ruins much of what bounded accuracy is trying to achieve. It doesn't matter if low level monsters can hit you if they can't harm you.

Loremaster: This is a good example of why I don't like these enormous feats. The only way to gain a new language or field of lore is to gain four of them at once.

Arcane and Divine Initiate: I like the ability to gain cantrips, but these feats are weak compared to others. These same feats were included in older packets, along with the other non-super feats. How could they have been equal to one of those feats back then but also be equal to one of these super feats now?

Magic Adept: I hate these feats. First off, if you want 1st level+ spells, multiclass as a spellcaster, IMO. Second, the ability to cast one low level spell per day is not in any way equal to 2 ability score points!

Polearm Master: Making polearms into double weapons is just incredibly odd. Did anyone in medieval times actually use a halberd this way? I'm finding it very hard to picture.

Thrown Weapon Master: You shouldn't need a feat to be able to dual wield throwing weapons.

Tougness: I hate feats like this. They're boring and feel like a tax. I'd rather feats give you cool abilities than +bonuses to things. If you want more hit points, raise your Con.