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.

 

[ad_hoc]

Might be tricky since RAW not even multiclass Warlocks get to count non Warlock levels.

Seems pretty straightforward to just say that they can do it with the one granted by the feat.

What is the issue?

 

[ad_hoc]

I don't think it would add any game-breaking options - because most invocations give benefits that wouldn't be out-of-place (or even very strong) if they were granted by magic items. I.E. Witch sight gives you a lesser version of truesight but not until level 15.

I'm not sure I'd go for it myself if someone else was playing a warlock since "gets cool special at-will powers" is kinda their thing, so giving the full version of that to anyone with a feat would be a bit much - kind of like how Metamagic Adept would be crazy if the sorcery points scaled to level since that would give a wizard the same metamagic options as a sorcerer (the current version only allows the weaker ones).

Is the feat as is worth taking at all though?

If I am taking a feat so that I can feel like a Warlock, then I want that to be impactful. I don't just want to be able to cast Mage Armour at will.

And is one character having an Invocation such an encroachment on the Warlock design?

Consider that not only is it only 1 Invocation but it also can't be used with Warlock specific prereqs like Pact ones.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Seems pretty straightforward to just say that they can do it with the one granted by the feat.

What is the issue?

This opens an exploit: be a hexblade 3 / fighter 11, take the feat for Lifedrinker, get three (or more) attacks with +10 damage each. Equivalent to a +5 damage weapon, except that it stacks with a magic weapon.

Now if "does an absolutely bonkers amount of damage" is your general solution to caster/martial imbalance this might not be a problem for you, but it'[s a big deal.

Toos in PAM or GWM and things get crazy pretty quick.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Is the feat as is worth taking at all though?

If I am taking a feat so that I can feel like a Warlock, then I want that to be impactful. I don't just want to be able to cast Mage Armour at will.

And is one character having an Invocation such an encroachment on the Warlock design?

Consider that not only is it only 1 Invocation but it also can't be used with Warlock specific prereqs like Pact ones.

For the warlock feel, you're probably grabbing Devil's Sight, or maybe Eldritch Sight or Gaze of Two Minds. If you want mage armor you're better off with Magic Initiate since you'd also get two cantrips. (Barring gritty realism without tweaked spell durations).

I foresee a lot of people getting Devil's Sight, especially if they're playing a race that doesn't grant Darkvision. (but often even then).

 

[jmartkdr2]

Is the feat as is worth taking at all though?

If I am taking a feat so that I can feel like a Warlock, then I want that to be impactful. I don't just want to be able to cast Mage Armour at will.

And is one character having an Invocation such an encroachment on the Warlock design?

Consider that not only is it only 1 Invocation but it also can't be used with Warlock specific prereqs like Pact ones.

(sorry for blowing up your inbox)

Option B: when you cast the spell, instead of an invisible force field it summons an outfit (possibly looking like armor) that clearly matches the patron's motif.

 

[ad_hoc]

This opens an exploit: be a hexblade 3 / fighter 11, take the feat for Lifedrinker, get three (or more) attacks with +10 damage each. Equivalent to a +5 damage weapon, except that it stacks with a magic weapon.

Now if "does an absolutely bonkers amount of damage" is your general solution to caster/martial imbalance this might not be a problem for you, but it'[s a big deal.

Toos in PAM or GWM and things get crazy pretty quick.

I hate that multiclassing is thing in this game. It mucks up so much design potential.

Still, we're talking about a 14th level character here using the most overpowered subclass in the game. A character doing a lot of damage at the end of the game is completely fine by me. Though I personally have no desire to play at those levels so there is my bias.

I would rather have design that lets most people have fun than try to stop munchkins from being munchkins. That's just going to happen. If that is what they find fun then I say let them do it.

For the warlock feel, you're probably grabbing Devil's Sight, or maybe Eldritch Sight or Gaze of Two Minds. If you want mage armor you're better off with Magic Initiate since you'd also get two cantrips. (Barring gritty realism without tweaked spell durations).

I foresee a lot of people getting Devil's Sight, especially if they're playing a race that doesn't grant Darkvision. (but often even then).

Is Devil's Sight worthy of a full feat? Is it that character defining? Seeing in darkness?

To me that wouldn't make me 'feel' like a Warlock. It would also eventually become essentially obsolete. That's the real issue with most of these non-prereq Invocations.

 

[ad_hoc]

(sorry for blowing up your inbox)

Option B: when you cast the spell, instead of an invisible force field it summons an outfit (possibly looking like armor) that clearly matches the patron's motif.

Let's say I'm a Wizard and I took this feat.

Now I'm 9th level. I think I'm underwhelmed that I get my choice of a couple 1st level spells at will or a couple proficiencies instead of having that +2 Intelligence.

 

[Pauln6]

Is the feat as is worth taking at all though?

If I am taking a feat so that I can feel like a Warlock, then I want that to be impactful. I don't just want to be able to cast Mage Armour at will.

And is one character having an Invocation such an encroachment on the Warlock design?

Consider that not only is it only 1 Invocation but it also can't be used with Warlock specific prereqs like Pact ones.

I've certainly granted magical abilities as boons that are roughly equivalent to invocations. It certainly won't break the game (apart from possible damage stacking ones). One of our PCS can alter self at will.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Let's say I'm a Wizard and I took this feat.

Now I'm 9th level. I think I'm underwhelmed that I get my choice of a couple 1st level spells at will or a couple proficiencies instead of having that +2 Intelligence.

Let's say you're a fighter and you took this feat - would you still be bummed that you only get a first level spell?

Let's say instead of this feat you took a level of warlock, going all-in on taking a pact. Would you feel cheated that the patron only taught you the first steps in this entirely new magic system? What if you joined a church and the gods only granted you low-ranking cleric spells, despite the fact that you're a high-level wizard (but a low-ranking cleric)?

All in all, feats (like dips) shouldn't give you access to high-level class abilities. Getting to high level in the appropriate class is the way you do that, otherwise you get really quadratic growth at high levels, which is already an issue.

Put another way: should the level of spell you get from Magic Initiate be based on your character level? If I'm level 19 I would be underwhelmed that I didn't get a 9th-level spell, right?

 

[ad_hoc]

Put another way: should the level of spell you get from Magic Initiate be based on your character level? If I'm level 19 I would be underwhelmed that I didn't get a 9th-level spell, right?

The cantrips from that feat do scale however. I wouldn't take it for the 1st level spell.

The new Magic Initiate like feats give a 1st and 2nd level spell. I like Misty Step but I'm not a fan of Darkness.

I like the idea of this feat, to be a bit of Warlock. I just feel like it will be underwhelming in game.