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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Crimson Binome" data-source="post: 7205980" data-attributes="member: 6775031">Not to get too statistical or abstract, but you can really reduce every option (ability score or feat) to a number in order to rate their total effect on the game. Multiply the magnitude of each bonus by the number of times the bonus applies, and that gives you a value that directly reflects the impact of that option. Advantage is worth +5.For example, if your fighter takes +2 Charisma as their option, then the net benefit is equal to 1 (the magnitude of the bonus) times the number of Charisma checks that fighter will make before the end of the campaign (maybe twice per level, as a rough estimate), so its final score would be 24pts if you take it as your level 8 option.As another example, if your fighter wants to take +2 Dex at level 8, then its value is equal to 1 times the number of attack rolls the character will make with Dex after level 8, plus the number of damage rolls they will make after level 8, plus the number of initiative rolls and Dexterity saves and Dexterity-based skill checks. As a rough estimate, that's probably about six times per round, times twenty rounds per level, times twelve levels, for a final score of ~1440pts.If you're using feats, then you have the choice to take Resilient for Wisdom instead of +2 Wisdom, and their values can be compared to determine which is objectively better. The flat bonus is equal to 1 times the number of Wisdom saves and Perception checks and Insight checks you'll be making, so that's probably on the order of a few dozen; let's be generous and say that's 50pts. The feat gives you half of that value (from the +1 to Wisdom) plus your proficiency bonus multiplied by the number of Wisdom saves you attempt. If you have two Wisdom saves per level, at an average of +3 proficiency to each, then you're already coming out ahead at 97pts.It gets worse when you consider something like Skilled, and compare it to just increasing the relevant stat outright. If you want to play a fighter with social skills, the difference between +1 to Charisma checks and +proficiency to Deception/Insight/Persuasion can be an order of magnitude. I'd estimate the impact as going from 50pts to 500pts.The "goal" of the character creation mini-game is to maximize the value of each choice. You want to take the things that will increase your over-all chances of succeeding by the most. Even though the simple formula I suggested fails to account for the relative weight of checks (failing a Wisdom save is usually worse than dealing one less damage), and even though there's no way to get exact numbers until the character is retired (and even that would involve a lot of record-keeping), the basic mental process should still be enough to get a general feeling for which options have a bigger impact on the game. Multiplying a small number by another small number (Charisma +2) is less valuable than multiplying a small number by a large number (Dex +2) or multiplying two medium-sized numbers (Skilled or Lucky). Almost nothing is worth as much as increasing your prime stat, but having access to feats allows you to keep taking moderately-valuable options instead of forcing you into lower-value options - feats directly and quantifiably make your character more powerful. (Great Weapon Master is almost unique in that it does compare favorably with Strength +2, since -5 hit and +10 damage is still a net gain over +1 hit and +1 damage, and other Strength-based checks are rare.)</blockquote>

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