Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Feats for Races

I find this line mystifying: "These feats don’t assume that multiclassing is used in a campaign."

What are they trying to say here? Do these feats become unbalanced when combined with multiclassing?

Also, some of the feats significantly alter a character's body. Barbed Hide, for example, endows a Tiefling with a barbed hide. That's not the sort of thing that you can acquire through training. Which gives rise to the question, "Why couldn't the Tiefling do this at level 1?" It's not like Pole Arm Master, where you can explain the acquisition of the new ability through practice and training. Either you were born with a barbed hide or you weren't.

Same with Dragon Wings: "You sprout draconic wings." I'm not well-versed in Dragonborn lore, but is that really something that just... happens during their adult life?

 

[Thurmas]

I really don't mind most of these feats, but I feel like they suffer from the overarching problem of the 5E format of ASI or feat. Most of these will never be used. With the exception of Fighters and VHumans, most characters will never get more then two ASIs or Feats because most game don't go past level 10. That means that the vast majority of the time, people are taking ASIs twice, or the same handful of feats (Sharpshooter, Great Weapon Master, Warcaster, etc) over and over again.

I really wish that 5E had taken the route of each ASI level giving an ASI AND a Feat both. You would see a lot more of the less common feats used, and open the door more to flavorful feats such as these being used.

 

[OB1]

After giving the worst score possible to every one of the Skill Feats (that was the first UA that I just didn't like at all), I can see almost all of these getting top marks apart from a few quibbles (looking at you Elven Accuracy).

My big problem with the Skill Feats was I felt they shrunk the game instead of expanding it as many of the abilities were things that anyone with that skill should be able to attempt. I suggested in the comments that really they just need one feat, Skill Mastery, that gives expertise in one skill of your choice, a +1 to the related ability score, 1 other skill with the same ability score, and the ability to use the skill as a bonus action any time it would normally take an action.

I've seen a few people questioning Dwarven Resilience and the ability to heal outside of combat without a short rest, but I see that as a non issue. If I can heal in combat while dodging, are sure as heck should be able to do so while taking a stroll down a country lane. It's limited by your Hit Die, so I don't see the issue.

 

[Evenglare]

OKay, I have to ask, whats the point of these unearthed arcanas. Are they gearing up for some kind of huge expansion to the game putting all of this stuff in one book. I know that some of it goes into the campaign story books, but they've been putting out SO much lately. I know they are going back to the one a month, but still theres a ton of stuff that they've put out that surely they are going to do something with.

 

[thethain]

OKay, I have to ask, whats the point of these unearthed arcanas. Are they gearing up for some kind of huge expansion to the game putting all of this stuff in one book. I know that some of it goes into the campaign story books, but they've been putting out SO much lately. I know they are going back to the one a month, but still theres a ton of stuff that they've put out that surely they are going to do something with.

Unearthed Arcana in general is to test out ideas with the players and see which ones get support before they devote resources to further develop the concepts. Also rumor is that they have a more substantial crunch book soon. But its just a rumor.

 

[OB1]

I really don't mind most of these feats, but I feel like they suffer from the overarching problem of the 5E format of ASI or feat. Most of these will never be used. With the exception of Fighters and VHumans, most characters will never get more then two ASIs or Feats because most game don't go past level 10. That means that the vast majority of the time, people are taking ASIs twice, or the same handful of feats (Sharpshooter, Great Weapon Master, Warcaster, etc) over and over again.

I really wish that 5E had taken the route of each ASI level giving an ASI AND a Feat both. You would see a lot more of the less common feats used, and open the door more to flavorful feats such as these being used.

My advice is to skip the ASIs and the big feats and take more interesting ones instead! You don't need a 20 in your combat stat or SS, GWM or Warecaster to be an effective character in 5e.

OKay, I have to ask, whats the point of these unearthed arcanas. Are they gearing up for some kind of huge expansion to the game putting all of this stuff in one book. I know that some of it goes into the campaign story books, but they've been putting out SO much lately. I know they are going back to the one a month, but still theres a ton of stuff that they've put out that surely they are going to do something with.

Yes. A major rules expansion is planned for this fall in the form of the non AP book. The exact form is unknown but it is being referred to as the Big Book of Crunch on the boards.

I am personally expecting it to tie in with a Planar based AP, with the fluff being that the new classes, races and other material has been collected from across the multiverse.

 

[Gradine]

I honestly glossed over that, mostly because it was at the end of the document.

Looking at it, I think Shillelagh would be a bad pick, simply because you can't swap the casting stat. You are more likely to pick up Poison Spray or Produce Flame to supplement your cantrip arsenal, Guidance as a skill buff, or Druidcraft for some fun.

In fact, Guidance is the best bet here.

My Wild Elf Way of the Shadow Monk forest guerrilla fighter would definitely have enjoyed having access to Druidcraft. Putting out torches and campfires at 30 ft, at will? Yes please.

 

[maceochaid]

Fey Teleportation I don't like given my feelings on the 4e blink elves but reasonable for a feat.

I don’t necessarily mind the 4e references for those fans . . . but it seems to be just throwing in a mechanic and forgetting the fluff. The idea was that Eladrin could move through the feywild briefly. High Elves have not been returned to the Feywild . . . so this feels like it misses the mark. That said thinking very carefully about what bonus spells Elves could use in Melee and making a list of those (like Drow High Magic) would help push the Original DnD Elf as fighter mage race would be great!


Can anyone tell me why they can’t make a feat that says “Elves can use Dexterity for longswords when fighting with them one handed?” I want this so much!

 

[Corwin]

My advise is to skip the ASIs and the big feats and take more interesting ones instead! You don't need a 20 in your combat stat or SS, GWM or Warecaster to be an effective character in 5e.

This. Very much this.

 

[Thurmas]

My advise is to skip the ASIs and the big feats and take more interesting ones instead! You don't need a 20 in your combat stat or SS, GWM or Warecaster to be an effective character in 5e.

That's a great theory in a vacuum, but not something you see a majority of players doing. It's not realistic. That ASI can have a big impact, and there is a difference in trying to be efficient at what you do and Min-Maxing everything.

 

[bedir than]

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That's a great theory in a vacuum, but not something you see a majority of players doing. It's not realistic. That ASI can have a big impact, and there is a difference in trying to be efficient at what you do and Min-Maxing everything.

I have a total of ten players that sit at my table at various points. Probably at 13 ASI/Feat choices now and only 1 of them has been an ASI.

Optimization may be a strong desire for the type of player that heads to enWorld and the like, but claiming the majority choose ASIs has no backing .