Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Get Better At Skills With These Feats

The latest Unearthed Arcana from Jeremy Crawford and again featuring guest writer Robert J. Schwalb introduces a number of feats which make you better at skills. Each increases the skill's primary ability score, doubles your proficiency bonus, and gives you a little bonus ability. "This week we introduce new feats to playtest. Each of these feats makes you better at one of the game’s eighteen skills. We invite you to read them, give them a try in play, and let us know what you think in the survey we release in the next installment of Unearthed Arcana."

​

 

[Plaguescarred]

I think they're very evocative and especially like Investigator, Perceptive and Stealthy.


Yan
D&D Playtester

 

[Gladius Legis]

Some of you might want to look closer at the feats that appear to look like things you should be able to do with skills regardless. A lot of those feats make those things take bonus actions. Whereas without the feat, most of those things would take actions. Quick-fingered being an example of that.

 

[thethain]

My observant perceptive cleric is going to have mad passive perception skills.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Anyway, I'm glad Grapple builds finally have a feat to call their own (Brawny).

 

[Warpiglet]

I like these generally. I think they will help develop a character. If I want to be good at intimidation and it is central to my half orc, I have a very tangible mechanical expression of this.

 

[OB1]

I've gotta say I'm not feeling these. I would leave it at +1 to the ability and double proficiency. If you really need something else to make it worth the ABI, perhaps each one also gets an additional skill proficiency in a related skill?

The issue I have with the bonus abilities is that they almost all tend to limit the game rather than expand it in that, a DM might be less likely to let someone attempt one of those without the appropriate feat. For example, I would definitely allow someone with Survival to rig up around camp an Alarm like makeshift device or someone to use insight to try and gain advantage on an opponent.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Do not like, but then, I have issues with expertise, so that's not surprising.

 

[guachi]

I like the idea generally except for the one feat that gives free spells.

Once you get the basic concept of +1 to ability and proficiency/expertise you are left with limited design space but I give Robert Schwalb credit for coming up with extra features that are mostly interesting.

Also, and this is the best part, it doesn't require a dip into bard or rogue to be good at something. A shield basher can take brawny and be an expert in Athletics without having to take a one level dip into Rogue, for example.

 

[User_Undefined]

The issue I have with the bonus abilities is that they almost all tend to limit the game rather than expand it in that, a DM might be less likely to let someone attempt one of those without the appropriate feat. For example, I would definitely allow someone with Survival to rig up around camp an Alarm like makeshift device or someone to use insight to try and gain advantage on an opponent.

I agree in principle, but have a question for you. You say you'd let characters without the feat do these moves. Would you still let them do the moves as a bonus action? Because that is what a lot of these feats allow. You can do what other characters can, just faster/better. At least, that's how I see it.

 

[Istbor]

These are fun, and I think should help players flesh our characters even better. Making me look forward to whichever book these may belong to.