D&D 5E What are the "coolest" abilities in 5e?

[Nine Hands]

My current favorite is the Diviner ability to replace dice rolls. Its a totally meta-game ability but it makes sense since the character can see the future.

 

[Jishosan]

My current favorite is the Diviner ability to replace dice rolls. Its a totally meta-game ability but it makes sense since the character can see the future.

Good call! I even pointed this one out to my gaming group. It actually gives the Divination specialty some TEETH that it lacked in previous editions.

 

[JTorres]

I'm really liking the Polearm Master feat, especially the AoO that gets triggered for any enemy that gets within my reach.
I created a human fighter for playing in Adventure League games at a local gaming store and I took that feat because I liked the extra attack it granted me. One of the other people playing at this store has a warlock with the Repelling Blast invocation for her Eldritch Blast cantrip. One session she blasted an enemy into my attack range and it occurred to me that my AoO triggered from that. Ever since then, she and I play a bloody game of pinball whenever combat rolls around and now the AoO part of the Polearm Master feat has become my favorite ability. Suffice it to say the DM now actively looks to keep our shenanigans to a minimum during combat encounters.

 

[jadrax]

One of the other people playing at this store has a warlock with the Repelling Blast invocation for her Eldritch Blast cantrip. One session she blasted an enemy into my attack range and it occurred to me that my AoO triggered from that.

I hate to say it, but I suspect that it is not intended for it to work like that:

I would read the general rules on triggering opportunity attacks as still applying, i.e. 'You also don’t provoke an opportunity attack when you teleport or when someone or something moves you without using your movement, action, or reaction. For example, you don’t provoke an opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe’s reach or if gravity causes you to fall past an enemy.'

 

[Pickles JG]

I hate to say it, but I suspect that it is not intended for it to work like that:

I would read the general rules on triggering opportunity attacks as still applying, i.e. 'You also don’t provoke an opportunity attack when you teleport or when someone or something moves you without using your movement, action, or reaction. For example, you don’t provoke an opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe’s reach or if gravity causes you to fall past an enemy.'

I agree with this (it's black & white after all)

You should be able to do plenty of shenanigans though - the Warlock just has to push your opponent out of reach away from you so it needs to take an AOE to re-engage.

 

[Paraxis]

A few of my favorites most/all have been mentioned by others.

Polearm mastery feat: pure power and fun, extra attack that gets you str mod on damage as bonus action, easy to get AoO as a reaction, using 10' reach, and all with just one weapon instead of two especially if DM is stingy on magic items only need one magic weapon.

Halfling Lucky racial ability: rerolling natural 1's is almost as good as a +1 to everything but way more fun, and since Death Saving Throws are saving throws works with those too, about to die from a bad death save not if you are a halfling.

Open Hand monk technique: lets those plucky little halfling monks knock giants and dragons prone, or knock them 15' back, I love that kind of stuff.

Great Weapon fighting style: since it lets you reroll 1's and 2's on all damage dice this is just cool, just need ways to get as many extra damage dice with a polearm as I can now.

Tempest domain: all of it, just great flavor and cool abilities.

 

[Jishosan]

Savage Attacker

Once per turn when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapons's damage dice and use either total.

Also a shout-out to Spell Sniper, which gives Bard, Eldritch Knight, and Arcane Trickster access to 240ft Eldritch Blasts that ignore 1/2 and 3/4 cover.

 

[Unadvisedgoose]

I've only ever played 4e, so some things that have been mainstays in previous editions are brand new and exciting to me in 5e.

The Awaken spell is one of the coolest things in the history of ever. I'm rolling a Druid and boy am I excited to use this on a copse of trees, and animals to either adventure with or to guard my grove or something. The role play potential is awesome.

Speaking of my druid, the way wild shape works in this edition is infinitely superior in both mechanics and flavor than 4e. This feature, and how the Circle of the Moon augments it, is what convinced me to roll something other than a wizard.

Also, I really hope I one day get to try the Great Old One Pact's features. Free telepathy, virtual immunity to psychic attacks, and the thrall feature sound so fun and full of potential.

 

[JTorres]

I hate to say it, but I suspect that it is not intended for it to work like that:

I would read the general rules on triggering opportunity attacks as still applying, i.e. 'You also don’t provoke an opportunity attack when you teleport or when someone or something moves you without using your movement, action, or reaction. For example, you don’t provoke an opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe’s reach or if gravity causes you to fall past an enemy.'

At tonight's Encounters game the DM brought up this exact point. He said he had made a point of double checking the AoO rules after last week's session so it seems that the jig is up.
I still like the Polearm Master feat though and even if that combo wasn't legit, the AoO effect from the feat is still pretty mean.

On another note, the warlock had another cool invocation that I think is extremely useful, and maybe a little underrated, called Eldritch Sight. One of the players tonight joked that the ability was so good that during next week's game the DM was going to have everything encased in lead.

 

[Wednesday Boy]

1) Totem Barbarian: Eyes of the Eagle. The ability to see a full mile away with perfect clarity is just so frikkin cool! No uses per day, no limit, just raw unfettered badassery.

That would gel well with the ability to read lips that is granted by the Observant feat. I imagine the barbarian staring at the orcish general from across a battlefield.

"He just told the wolf riders to act like they fled, then circle around to our flank. Send two units to ambush them on their way over."