D&D 5E Unearthed Arcana: 16 New Feats

"Today’s Unearthed Arcana presents a selection of new feats for Dungeons & Dragons. Each feat offers a way to become better at something or to gain a whole new ability."

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The feats include Artificer Initiate, Chef, Crusher, Eldritch Adept, Fey Touched, Fighting Initiate, Gunner, Metamagic Adept, Poisoner, Piercer, Practiced Expert, Shadow Touched, Shield Training, Slasher, Tandem Tactician, and Tracker.

 

[GlassJaw]

I'm becoming less and less thrilled with these "kitchen sink" feats. Many of these don't need to be feats at all or are simply variations of existing feats.

Because of how much "value" each feat has, the design space needs to be filled with extra rules or ability score increases. Each feat UA feels more clunkier than the last, and the strain on the feat system is showing. And to be honest, I highly doubt any of these feats are going to be taken over the big offenders in the PHB.

The entire feat system needs to be nuked from orbit.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

So, thinking over it, Scout Rogues are even better at replacing rangers than before. Find some way to get Longbow proficiency (either be an Elf, Hobgoblin, or Variant Human for the Weapon Master feat. The Bracers of Archery work as well), then take the Fighting Initiate feat, choose Archery, and also get the Tracker feat, so you can have Hunter's Mark. Hang on until you get an Oathbow and the Sharpshooter feat, and you can now deal a bunch of damage with a bow, be likely to hit, and be better than the Ranger in almost every way.

 

[Minigiant]

So, thinking over it, Scout Rogues are even better at replacing rangers than before. Find some way to get Longbow proficiency (either be an Elf, Hobgoblin, or Variant Human for the Weapon Master feat. The Bracers of Archery work as well), then take the Fighting Initiate feat, choose Archery, and also get the Tracker feat, so you can have Hunter's Mark. Hang on until you get an Oathbow and the Sharpshooter feat, and you can now deal a bunch of damage with a bow, be likely to hit, and be better than the Ranger in almost every way.

Well that's a level 10+ build.

Is not the point of a ranger that you can be a warrior/rogue/druid at low levels and not have unstable power along the way?
The paladin would have the same problem if Divine Smite was as bad a Primeval Awareness.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Well that's a level 10+ build.

Is not the point of a ranger that you can be a warrior/rogue/druid at low levels and not have unstable power along the way?
The paladin would have the same problem if Divine Smite was as bad a Primeval Awareness.

Not a 10+ build, really. If you're a variant human at around level 8, you can take the Archery fighting style at level one, get Sharpshooter at level 4, and Tracker at level 8. Bracers of Archery are uncommon, so you should be able to get those by this time, and along the way you have sneak attack.

You can be a better Ranger at level one than a real Ranger is, with sneak attack on a shortbow, and the archery fighting style at level one.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

(Another point I noticed, Fey Touched gives a 1st level spell from the enchantment or illusion type of your choice, as well as misty step. Hex is an enchantment spell, and a valid choice for this feat.)

 

[Undrave]

I'm becoming less and less thrilled with these "kitchen sink" feats. Many of these don't need to be feats at all or are simply variations of existing feats.

Kitchen sink?

Each feat UA feels more clunkier than the last, and the strain on the feat system is showing

I fail to see how these are clunky? Their effects are usually pretty straight forward and are only long for the sake of rules clarification. Once at the table it'll be pretty easy to recall what they do.

I highly doubt any of these feats are going to be taken over the big offenders in the PHB.

So... what's the problem? They're a bit more specialized.

 

[Minigiant]

Not a 10+ build, really. If you're a variant human at around level 8, you can take the Archery fighting style at level one, get Sharpshooter at level 4, and Tracker at level 8. Bracers of Archery are uncommon, so you should be able to get those by this time, and along the way you have sneak attack.

You can be a better Ranger at level one than a real Ranger is, with sneak attack on a shortbow, and the archery fighting style at level one.

No self respecting medium sized person calling themselves a ranger uses a shortbow.

______

Another thing

It seems that they might officially associate illusion/enchantment with fey and necromancy/illusion with shadow.

Do you think there was an abjuration/evocation based Elemental Touched feat that was axed?

 

[ZeshinX]

Hahaha, ranger...

You probably felt like the 4e Ranger concept was more your speed huh?

Concept perhaps, but I skipped 4e (wasn't my cup of tea). Honestly I'd prefer the Ranger to not be so hideously reliant on their spellcasting. Spells that alter terrain and creating impediments (Entangle and the like) but nothing tied so directly to combat (Hunter's Mark and the like). Spells that offer a utilitarian impact (in or out of combat) and let their warrior skills manage the actual hitting and dealing of damage. Then their terrain expertise can come into play with those utilitarian spells, allowing them to move about those effects more or less freely....and give them (and Paladins) some damn cantrips as part of their spellcasting feature. If EK and AT receive them, then there is absolutely no reason not to give Paladins and Rangers default access to them. Limit them, certainly, but yeesh.

 

[Mistwell]

It's been brought up a couple times, but just to be sure nobody glosses over it, I'll say it once more extra loud.

YOU CAN'T TAKE AGONIZING BLAST WITH ELDRITCH ADAPT

...unless you are already a Warlock. The feat doesn't allow non-Warlocks to take invocations that have requirements even if they meet the requirements.

Edit: Here's an additional note to save some people some book searching: Every invocation in XGtE has a requirement.

Here is the list of invocations non-warlocks can take with the feat. It's sort of a mini-guide. I am curious about the ones which do not list a prerequisite but mention "using a warlock spell slot" and how that works with the feat for a non-warlock.

Armor of Shadows: You can cast mage armor on yourself at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.
Beast, Speech: You can cast speak with animals at will, without expending a spell slot.
Beguiling Influence: You gain proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion skills.
Devil's Sight: You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet.
Eldritch Sight: You can cast detect magic at will, without expending a spell slot.
Eyes of the Rune Keeper: You can read all writing.
Fiendish Vigor: You can cast false life on yourself at will as a 1st-level spell, without expending a spell slot or material components.
Gaze of Two Minds: You can use your action to touch a willing humanoid and perceive through its senses until the end of your next turn. As long as the creature is on the same plane of existence as you, you can use your action on subsequent turns to maintain this connection, extending the duration until the end of your next turn. While perceiving through the other creature’s senses, you benefit from any special senses possessed by that creature, and you are blinded and deafened to your own surroundings.
Mask of Many Faces: You can cast disguise self at will, without expending a spell slot.
Misty Visions: You can cast silent image at will, without expending a spell slot or material components.
Thief of Five Fates: You can cast bane once using a warlock spell slot. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

There are some great invocations in there. But yeah, not Agonizing Blast.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

No self respecting medium sized person calling themselves a ranger uses a shortbow.

Uhh, why? If it's the one-size higher damage dice, the rogues already do more with sneak attack. Sure, the lower range kind of sucks at lower levels, but if you want to be a ranger rogue with a longbow at lower levels, give up the feat to get Longbow proficiency, or ask the DM for Bracers of Archery when the game starts out.