Where do feats fall into this again?

[Scholar & Brutalman]

Toughness doesn't really give any more hp than 3.x improved toughness, it's just scaled to include the higher low level hp. I guess you could say it's better because of the way healing scales and because it's otherwise fairly hard to get extra hp though.

That's why I think it's so good: it doesn't give any more HP than the 3.x version, but with no +Con items it's much harder to get a lot of HP in 4ed. And its effect on healing surges makes it even better.

I've found that my opinions of these feats has changed as we've seen more of the rules. I originally thought that First Reaction looked like a great feat, but I've come to the conclusion that I was thinking of it in terms of 3.5. In 3.5 battles usually last only a few rounds, and acting in a surprise round can be the difference between life and death. If the 4ed battles are as much longer as we've been told, then the comparative advantage of one extra action seems a lot smaller.

 

[Stalker0]

That's why I think it's so good: it doesn't give any more HP than the 3.x version, but with no +Con items it's much harder to get a lot of HP in 4ed. And its effect on healing surges makes it even better.

Yep, considering it both gives you more hitpoints AND lets you heal more with each surge, I think its a great great feat now.

 

[Glyfair]

That's why I think it's so good: it doesn't give any more HP than the 3.x version, but with no +Con items it's much harder to get a lot of HP in 4ed. And its effect on healing surges makes it even better.

There aren't supposed to be +Con items, but that doesn't mean there won't be +HP items. In fact, I imagine most of the classic +Con items will have some sort of +HP in 4E.

 

[Ydars]

According to Races and Classes, racial feats are going to Rock. If you are a Dragonborn, the concept for racial feats was that at higher levels you would have access to racial feats that gave you wings or a breath weapon etc.

I haven't seen any crunch to back this up yet, although the Eladrin fey step is good as is the nasty Teifling feat.

 

[Cadfan]

Prediction: Feats will be abilities that don't have to be specific to any one class. Just like they are in 3e. Many of these will be numeric bonuses, because numeric bonuses aren't necessarily class specific.

 

[Gloombunny]

Prediction: Feats will be abilities that don't have to be specific to any one class. Just like they are in 3e. Many of these will be numeric bonuses, because numeric bonuses aren't necessarily class specific.

Golden Wyvern Adept is a feat that's specific to wizards.

 

[Stogoe]

I still don't see why First Reaction is so reviled. Yes, you spend an action point, but you get an entire round of actions for your trouble instead of just a standard.

 

[glass]

I still don't see why First Reaction is so reviled. Yes, you spend an action point, but you get an entire round of actions for your trouble instead of just a standard.

The surprise round. If 4e is like 3e in this respect (and admittedly, we don't know that it is), then you are pretty-much still only getting a standard action.


glass.

 

[Andur]

My impression is that overall Feats are Passive, Powers are Active.

They either modify powers (like Golden Adept), allow more options (multiclassing has been hinted at requiring a feat(s) and it would appear the Cleric has a feat which allows it to get a "set" of encounter powers of which it can only use 2 in one encounter), or offer a passive bonus (like Toughness).

I think we'll find that general feats have "less power" but "more utility" than class feats, and racial feats will be a combination that is greater than either, but places emphasis at what the race is "supposed to do". So for example a Dwarven Wizard would probably not as great a benefit from Dwarven Racial powers as a Dwarven Fighter.

 

[Khaim]

The surprise round. If 4e is like 3e in this respect (and admittedly, we don't know that it is), then you are pretty-much still only getting a standard action.

I suspect that it's not. You win the surprise check, you get a full round's worth of stuff before they even move. This seems to fit better with 4e's design goals: avoid corner rules that don't add much to play. I mean, all the rule does is say "one less move action for one round in this one case." Who cares?

As people have pointed out, 4e battles aren't the one or two round powerfests of 3e. An extra round is good, but it doesn't mean you automatically win.