D&D 5E To use or not to use feats

[Horwath]

I wasnt sure if I would allow feats in my LMoP run with a table with players with different level of optimization capacity. In the end I allowed them because I found they added flavor to existing characters and were less boring than straight +X to a stat. I even made a whole compendium of feats with those from the PHB, the ones from Feats for Skills and Feats for Races UA and even reflavored those of AiME to make them fit the different race in my setting. At level 4, the barbarian went for GWM and the bow guy for Sharpshooter, nobody cared for the feats that added flavor. Next campaign I wont allow them because my table only use them to powergame their chatacter.

What a surprise!?

Someone that was usin a bow and trained in it took a feat that represent that training. Who would imagine that??

Without feats characters are mechanical carbon copy of one another?

What is a difference in 10th level fighter that is based on dex and one is melee and other is ranged?

None! Or trivial in sense of fighting style. Same stats across the board and both can be as effective at others job.


Problem is that flavor feats should be more powerfull, or add some combat advantage. All "flavor" feats are junk.

Buff them or add them at seperate table. I.E. one "flavor feat" at 1st,5th,9th,13th,17th and 20th level.

Flavor feats: All except greatweapon master, polearm master, sharpshooter, crossbow expert, dual wielder, heavy armor master and spell sniper.

Skill and racial feats from UA articles are also flavor.

 

[Diem]

Those "flavour" feats you say are junk might not be junk if they add to roleplaying opportunities. We aren't all min/maxers and powergamers. Some of us like to assume the role of the characters and their quirks.

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[Horwath]

Those "flavour" feats you say are junk might not be junk if they add to roleplaying opportunities. We aren't all min/maxers and powergamers. Some of us like to assume the role of the characters and their quirks.

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they are great for RP reasons.

But...

Usually combat is more deadly than talking(usually, I said) and therefore more training/effort/gold/feats are spent on deadlier things.

 

[Diem]

It all comes down the the type of game you are running/playing in. Sometimes it is all about damage and sometimes it's more about story.

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[Horwath]

It all comes down the the type of game you are running/playing in. Sometimes it is all about damage and sometimes it's more about story.

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Yes it does.

But as they advertise 3 pillars of gameplay they shouls have made 3 separate resource pools for each with 4th that could be put anywhere.

UA skill and racial feats are good as they give fluff and both social and combat power in one feat

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[Diem]

Very good point.

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[Yunru]

People complain about GWF and Sharpshooter, but it's the lowly Actor feat that creates the most headaches.

Especially with the Charlatan background.

 

[Charles Rampant]

People complain about GWF and Sharpshooter, but it's the lowly Actor feat that creates the most headaches.

Especially with the Charlatan background.

Having just looked that feat up on dndbeyond, I can see how it'd cause problems - especially since the most likely candidates for taking it are Rogues and Bards, who'll likely also apply Expertise to Deception. At that stage, you might as well be a literal shapeshifter.

 

[Yunru]

Having just looked that feat up on dndbeyond, I can see how it'd cause problems - especially since the most likely candidates for taking it are Rogues and Bards, who'll likely also apply Expertise to Deception. At that stage, you might as well be a literal shapeshifter.

*cough*Changeling*cough*

 

[Sunseeker]

That is not at all what I said.

Considering there was the whole rest of my post, that's not at all what I said either.

But perhaps I misunderstood you when you said:

But, some players (and DM's) have trouble keeping track of things when a character has a lot of moving parts to it. They don't want to do a lot of math or remember which of various class features or feat applies to this particular situation. They'd rather spend their mental energies keeping track of plot points, character relationships, or just interacting with the NPC's.

If a lot of people in your group are like that, then it's probably best to leave out the feats and multi-classing.

Because it kinda sounds like you're saying that a lot; but my concluding point was not the focus of my post anyway.