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?

 

[guachi]

I also don't mind Dwarf Resilience even if they can heal HD without a rest. It's already balanced with the HD and the fact that he'll have a party to force him to short rest. Actually sounds really thematic for a Dwarf "What do you mean you want to take another rest?!? We just had one 6hrs ago!... That axe barely nicked your head, that bastard monster ATE me and you don't hear ME complaining...I expect this nonsense from the Elf, but from you? You're a Bloody Dragonborn...Fine,fine babies let's take a rest, want me to kiss your wittle ouchies too?"

I always like when players use the stats and abilities on the page to influence their role-playing in fun ways that make.

 

[bkwrm79]

I love the idea of these. It gives the option of, instead of focusing on enhancing class-stuff, enhancing race-stuff - a whole other dimension to customizing your character, particularly if playing a Tiefling or Dragonborn.

I do think these options should be balanced with similar features (e.g. if Dragon Wings is slower than variant Tiefling flight, bump it up a bit).

Also, some of them should have multiple options - e.g. Dragon Wings/Bat Wings, prereq: Dragonborn or Tiefling

My other question/suggestion - what about allowing two half-feats in place of an ASI? (Minus the +1s of course.) Would that break anything?

 

[TwoSix]

I don't know about "the majority of players" because I don't keep close track of how my players build their PCs, but I'm at least 50% certain that several of my players invest in interesting feats long before maxing combat stats, and perhaps don't even max combat stats at all. (In particular I can think of an elven Necromancer who invested in boosting Dexterity before Intelligence; and a human monk who boosted Int by +3 after maxing Dex but before maxing Wisdom, although admittedly special circumstances were in play there.)

Agreed. There's a big difference between powergaming your damage and powergaming your capability. Well chosen feats open up brand new options, which are usually more important than boosting average damage 10-15% or so.

 

[CapnZapp]

Don't hold your breath. I really don't see that happening, ever. I think WOTC feels they are balanced enough and it's not an issue even on their radar.

I think the opposite.

 

[CapnZapp]

Some major concerns:

Bountiful Luck: Needs a limit. 3 per long rest, something. Cannot have this be an ability they can do all the time, everyday. Auto-fails still need to have some chance of happening I think, or those massive bonuses really do mean everything.

Wut?!

At least I read you need to spend your reaction. That's your big fat limit right there, completely spoiling the feat.

Who would want to give up a juicy bonus attack (and an even juicier feat slot!) just to save somebody else from rolling a 1?

 

[CapnZapp]

Yes, is exactly this. Means for a human variant "dammit, I'll not burn my lvl 1 feat in any of those 'pieces of garbage'. Let me pick sharpshooter l, GWM, PAM, crossbow expert..."

I know they aren't garbage, but is what a powerbuilder will think. Human variant don't need another "must have" feat option.

I really like the idea of feats that me us think in unprobably builds like barbarian elf or monk dwarf.

I think that variant human is much improved if you add the restriction the free feat must be a racial feat.

Or a skill feat. Or Actor. Anything except PAM or Sharpshooter or the like, really; and the variant human is fine.

 

[CapnZapp]

In that case, I propose the Variant Human Variant (VHV). The VHV is exactly the same as the VH, with the exception that they can only pick from one of the Human racial feats as their bonus feat.

Ha!

 

[Mistwell]

I think the opposite.

Show me anything indicating they think otherwise? We've seen them hold back on other errata for "balance" reasons, so show me why you think this will be the exception to their well laid rule so far? We're two and a half years in, and you seriously think they're going to nerf feats that have been around this whole time even after they've repeatedly said they don't want to do that sort of thing with this edition?

 

[Colder]

I really, really don't like Bountiful Luck. Not even because of its power level. But it's just kind of a mechanic, imo.

The Halfling uses their reaction to allow someone to reroll a bad roll.

What exactly is the metaphor, here? It can't be that the halfling's luck is rubbing off on other people, because that should take absolutely zero effort. If any kind of action economy is being used, the Halfling isn't passively lucky, they are actively or reactively manipulating luck. That really bothers me, because I always thought of halflings as one of the less magical races.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Wut?!

At least I read you need to spend your reaction. That's your big fat limit right there, completely spoiling the feat.

Who would want to give up a juicy bonus attack (and an even juicier feat slot!) just to save somebody else from rolling a 1?

I can't help but read this feat and hear "Hey, as long as Joe stands next to us, we'll never crit fail"

Suddenly, they are making sure they don't use any skills until he's within 30 ft (they already try to never use a single skill without getting the help action and always making sure the people with expertise lead the charge on the skill) and I really liked the idea that even if they had a +15 to persuasion, they could still roll that 1 now, logistically, they can't.

I mean, I've already got three players who took Lucky to mitigate their rolls. With this, I'd probably end up with handful of halflings, all wanting this feat, and lucky to just guarantee their rolls.


Also, in my experience, attacks of opportunity are pretty rare. Might just be my own style, but allowing yourself to get hit by a free attack is rarely worth it, and so most of my monsters don't end up provoking them. So, a lot of people at my table would have no problem giving up a reaction.

Keep the reaction, and make it like a number of times equal to proficiency per short rest, or even just 3 per short rest, and I'd feel a lot better about it even if in truth, it probably wouldn't even get used that much. I just want it to be a limited resource that can run out, so they have to think about whether or not it is worth it.