What are the 5 most powerful feats in the PHB?

[Emirikol]

I'm working on a project and need to get some feedback.

What are the 5 most powerful non-metamagic feats in the PHB?

1. Power attack
2.
3.
4.
5.

Thanks in advance,

Jh

 

[pawsplay]

That's really quite situational. For instance, Power Attack is not very powerful in the hands of a character with +0 base attack bonus.

 

[theredrobedwizard]

My top 5, in no particular order.

1) Power Attack
2) Improved Precise Shot
3) Improved Critical
4) Augment Summoning
5) Rapid Shot

-TRRW

(ninja edit: This is assuming they're the most powerful feats for a character who is built to use them well.)

 

[Celebrim]

Improved Initiative
Power Attack
Combat Reflexes
Spring Attack
Rapid Shot

 

[EyeontheMountain]

Without any guidelines, I think your answers will be useless as every feat varies in power from character to character, but anyway

1: Natural Spell.
2: Power Attack
3: Combat Reflexes
4: Rapid Shot
5: Two Weapon Fighting

No particular order

Natural spell because it makes both sides of the Druid into one overpowered whole.

Power attack because lsoing a shield is not THAT much of a drawback

The other three because extra attacks are always good.

 

[Nifft]

Power Attack? Is that a joke?

1. Natural Spell
2. Improved Initiative
3. Craft Wondrous Item
4. Scribe Scroll
5. Improved Trip

And I may have under-rated Improved Initiative.

Cheers, -- N

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

1. Natural Freaking Spell
Blows Power Attack and everything else out of the water and technically isn't metamagic.

2. Power Attack
The king of (non-magical) damage dealing.

3. Rapid Shot
This is where things get tough, but Rapid Shot is a pretty powerful ability; you can net it at 1st level (as either a human or a fighter), it gives you an ability that's never available to melee characters outside of tightly controlled class features (flurry of blows, mostly), and it's actually better for a ranged character because ranged characters have less need to move more than 5 ft.

4. Combat Reflexes
Extra attacks are POWERFUL. Even conditional ones, like AoOs. Combat Reflexes gives a disproportionate benefit, potentially doubling, tripling or even quadrupling the number of AoOs a character can take. Especially good in concert with...

5. Improved Trip
The 'fiddliest' of the really good feats, Improved Trip gives you a) a bonus on something you'd otherwise have a hard time getting a bonus on and b) free AoOs - it rarely costs you an attack and usually gives you bonuses to hit. It doesn't create an infinite chain the way it was once thought to, but it's still an extremely powerful ability. The main reason it's weaker than, say, Combat Reflexes or Rapid Shot is because it pretty much doesn't work on larger, 'monstrous' type enemies.

 

[Emirikol]

That's really quite situational. For instance, Power Attack is not very powerful in the hands of a character with +0 base attack bonus.

Power attack, over the life of a character allows:
* Swap of BAB for Damage (balanced, in my opinoin..maybe up to +5)
* Unlmited level advancement BAB exchange (more powerful than any other feat)
* DOUBLE bonus to two handed weapons, which already gain DOUBLE strength bonus and have high damage base

The last two, make it two (or three) feats in one when compared to other equivalent feats.

jh

 

[Imp]

Yeah, I gotta chime in with the

1) Natural Spell (is banned IMC!)

and continue with

2) Craft Wondrous Item (is 9th level IMC! is the cold black heart of the magic item christmas tree syndrome! aaaagh)

and finally

3) Power Attack
4) Scribe Scroll
5) Improved Trip

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Power attack, over the life of a character allows:
* Swap of BAB for Damage (balanced, in my opinoin..maybe up to +5)
* Unlmited level advancement BAB exchange (more powerful than any other feat)
* DOUBLE bonus to two handed weapons, which already gain DOUBLE strength bonus and have high damage base

The last two, make it two (or three) feats in one when compared to other equivalent feats.

jh

And Natural Spell's should read: "Druids win, thanks for playing."

Power Attack is very strong, and "having +0 BAB" isn't very situational But comparing it to Natural Spell is like, well, comparing the barbarian to the druid.

For the record, I consider the "Final Four" beneath Natural Spell the proper power level for feats. Characters gain a very limited number of feats, far less than they do spells or class features (unless they're fighters or d20 Modern characters and feats ARE their class features), so feats should be as strong or stronger than spells available at the same level, and much better on the average than class features. Power Attack isn't two feats; most feats in the PHB are about half a proper feat.