Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Redbadge" data-source="post: 5552609" data-attributes="member: 61463">I've been reading the EN World and WotC forums for a long time, and I have been particularly interested in the recent discussions on how to improve the game. Several places have addressed feat taxes, as well as obsolete and underpowered feats (what CharOp calls "red options.") I've always felt drawn to flavorful feats, but I can never seem to justify taking something over clearly more effective options. I've seen players take options like Linguist over Expertise, and it seems to make me cringe, since it doesn't bring very much to the party and never comes up as often as a simple +1 to attack would. However, I still like having the option for things like Expertise and Weapon Focus in those cases where I imagine my character as an expert swordsman, etc, so I wouldn't want those removed or nerfed. In short, I really want both types of options to feel powerful and exciting.I feel the solution going forward, possibly in a future edition, is to completely rethink feat balance. For example, if a simple +1 to attack rolls (assuming the basic math is already correct) is so compelling and powerful for an optimizer, the other feats should really bring something to the table that would give that player pause when building their character. Also, I favor consolidating feats as much as possible to prevent bloat. (I don't think we need 100 different types of expertise when the ultimate goal is to give players an option to increase their accuracy. Another example would be Cold Adaptation, which could easily be Energy Adaptation. This reduces potential feat count, while also providing even more room for character customization).To show you what I mean, here is an example list of heroic tier feats I might include in a future addition of D&D: Combat Expertise: You gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls. (Assumes math is fixed from the start, and this is just one of many good options, rather than mandatory).  Combat Focus: You gain a +2/+4/+6  feat bonus to damage rolls. The bonus increases to +3/+5/+7 if you have combat advantage against the target.  Master Linguist: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate checks. You also can read and write every language fluently.  Master Athlete: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Athletics, Acrobatics, and Endurance. You also ignore armor check penalties to speed and skill checks.  Master Thief: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Stealth, Thievery, and Streetwise. You may make Thievery checks to disable a trap or open a lock as a minor action.  Master Scholar: You a gain a +2 feat bonus to Arcana, Nature, History, Dungeoneering, and Religion. Once per day, you may reroll an Arcana, Nature, History, Dungeoneering, or Religion check.  Master Observer: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Insight and Perception checks. You gain low-light vision. If you already have low-light vision, you gain dark-vision instead.  Master Healer: You gain a +3 feat bonus to Heal checks. Once per encounter, you can make a First Aid check as a minor action instead of a standard action.  Skill Focus: Choose a skill. You gain training in that skill and a +3 feat bonus to checks with that skill. If you are already trained in that skill, you gain a +5 feat bonus to checks with that skill instead.  Toughness: You gain 5/10/15 hit points. You also gain an additional 2 healing surges per day.  Armor Training: You gain proficiency in the next level of armor with which you are not proficient.  Armor Expertise: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Armor Class.  Improved Defenses: You gain a +1 feat bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.  Improved Initiative: You gain a +4 feat bonus to initiative and gain combat advantage against any enemy that has not yet acted in an encounter.  Quick Draw: You can draw or sheath an item or weapon as a free action. You also gain a +2 feat bonus to initiative checks.  Superior Reflexes  Superior Fortitude  Superior Will  Alertness: You gain a +2 feat bonus to Perception and Initiative checks and cannot be surprised. You can use a standard, move, and minor action during the surprise round.  Energy Adaptation: Choose an energy type. You gain resist 5/10/15 to that energy type. If you already have resistance, instead increase it by 3/5/7. You also gain a +2/+4/+6  feat bonus to damage rolls with attacks that deal that type of damage.  Resilient: You gain a +2 feat bonus to saving throws. Once per encounter, you can reroll a saving throw.  Swift Recovery: You gain a +3/+4/+5 feat bonus to healing surge value. You can use your second wind as a minor action.  Jack of All Trades: You gain a +2 feat bonus to all skill checks.  Weapon Proficiency: You gain proficiency with all weapons.  Two-Weapon Fighting: While wielding a melee weapon in each hand, you gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls and a +1/+2/+3 feat bonus to damage rolls of weapon attacks that you make with a melee weapon.I doubt the list is balanced as is. I'm just using it as a starting point. I think with something close to this, I wouldn't feel so bad if another player decided to take Master Linguist over Expertise. Also, hopefully the basic feat list would be much smaller, as I would be reluctant to include any super situational feats. Anyone agree or disagree?</blockquote>

Verification