New Feat; Looking for Peer Review

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

transcendantviewer

Dec 22, 2014 19:59:20

Hey, everybody. I'm trying my hand at a new feat for 5e. I'd like to hear from you guys to see if it's balanced.
 

                                War Monger

                Prerequisite: Proficiency with Light Armor.

 

                While you are wearing armor of any kind, all damage you take is reduced by 1. You may take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.

 

Edit: After the feedback I have recieved from others, I have decided to demolish this feat as it both undermines the Heavy Armor Master feat and is far too dificult to balance properly. Thank you all for helping me realize that I was damaging the balance with this feat and I will work diligently to devise a feat that will be much better.

#2

CCS

Dec 23, 2014 7:26:17
Looks fine. Or at least not overpowered. That said? I doubt given the examples of feats in the PHB, & how few characters get, that any of your players will give this a second glance. If you really want damage reduction you could just make it a feature of armor itself. AC of armor minus 10 = damage outright negated per blow.
#3

DM_HEEGZ

Dec 23, 2014 8:52:54

I see a few issues... All damage? How about limiting it to not affect certain types, such as radiant, psychic, etc. Taking the feat multiple times... Do you really want fighters with 5DR to all damage? Not sure that it will scale well end game. I guess it is alright, but as a player I would not be tempted to take it.

 

Just so my post is not totally negative... I would look at setting it to DR being equal to one's proficiency bonus, which scales, and drop the ability to take it multiple times. Also, I would limit the DR to specific damage types instead of all damage. Perhaps you could limit it to bludgeoning, piercing, slashing and maybe elemental damage? Think of ways to give the feat flavor besides just a boring Toughness-esque damage soak. Good luck!

#4

ChrisCarlson

Dec 23, 2014 9:47:17

Why are we trying to step on the toes of Heavy Armor Mastery?

#5

EzechielDantan

Dec 23, 2014 10:05:19

I do not feel the feat is appropriate or accurate enough, there are already feats to improve all sorts of armor in some way. I also think this will only really be useful to barbarians but it might end up with some undesirable effects, like magic missile immunity after taking the feat twice.

 

 

#6

OoftaMeg

Dec 23, 2014 11:27:23

I have a couple of issues with this.

 

First, the problem with generic damage reduction is that it completely nullifies some types of monsters, although you would have t take this feat multiple times to get there.  Part of 5E is the concept that even at level 20 if you throw enough low-level mooks (monsters that only do a few points of damage per hit) at the party that it can still be a threat.

 

Throw in DR more than a point or two that your feat allows and low damage monsters can no longer conceivably damage the character.

 

Second, in and of itself it doesn't really seem to buy that much.  Feats should be fairly character defining.  This feels ... meh.  Kind of like the feat tax feats of 3.5 that you took just to keep up.

#7

DungeonKrusher

Dec 23, 2014 12:20:49

transcendantviewer wrote:
(Reply to #5)

transcendantviewer

EzechielDantan wrote:
(Reply to #7)

transcendantviewer

DungeonKrusher wrote:
#10

transcendantviewer

Dec 23, 2014 13:48:41

Thanks, guys, I think this was helpful. I'm going to work on it some more and see how it looks after some modifications.

#11

transcendantviewer

Dec 23, 2014 21:08:19

Here's my revision.

War Monger.
Prerequisite: Proficiency with light armor.

 

You have adapted yourself to stand against the tides of war, taking wave after wave of enemy assaults and remain on your feet. 

 

 

At the start of each of your turns, roll a d4. The number rolled on this d4 is subtracted from all Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage dealt to you until the start of your next turn. You may take this feat up to twice. This damage reduction is applied before resistances.

 

(Reply to #9)

DungeonKrusher

transcendantviewer wrote:
#13

ChrisCarlson

Dec 23, 2014 20:26:32

So theoretically a 19th-level variant human fighter, with HAM and this feat seven times, reduces every applicable instance of damage by 7d4+3?!

 

Also, I still haven't gotten an answer as to why the need to step on HAM's toes in the first place...

(Reply to #11)

CCS

transcendantviewer wrote:
(Reply to #13)

transcendantviewer

ChrisCarlson wrote:
(Reply to #14)

transcendantviewer

CCS wrote:
#17

Bloodscythe

Dec 24, 2014 7:56:09

Maybe if you linked it to a resource...

 

War Monger

Prerequisites: proficiency with light armor.

 

Your rigorous training allows you to mitigate attacks against you during the heat of battle.

 

When wearing armor with which you have proficiency, you gain the following benefits:

Damage from bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing is reduced by 1.

You can use your reaction to change a critical hit made against you into a normal hit.

 

There's no reason mechanically to allow this feat to be taken multiple times.  As is, it does what it claims it does, creates a definite benefit in combat, and doesn't overshadow or obsolete any existing feats.

#18

DungeonKrusher

Dec 24, 2014 11:00:38

Oddly, the revision feels a little bit too powerful now. In the grand scheme of things, you'll have a fighter who is good at avoiding damage, but has missed out on several feat opportunities. Even though the DR will be impressive, opponents of similar level will have spent/possess feats that will overwhelm or circumvent somebody who simply stacks one feat.

 

I would suggest two ways to de-power slightly:

  • Make the DR either per action (whether attack, reaction, bonus, etc) as opposed to individual attacks... or even per round, to not de-power smaller hordes?
  • Have the feat start with only one type of damage (Piercing, Slashing, Bludgeoning) with additional purchases adding another type.
  • Rather than adding d4 with each additional purchase, add a flat bonus of +1.
  • Cap the purchases to three.

 

If you used all four of these options, then somebody with three purchases will have DR to all three weapon types to the tune of d4+2 per attack action. That doesn't seem to outbalance the game, and there seems to be some use to the feat.

(Reply to #17)

transcendantviewer

Bloodscythe wrote:
(Reply to #18)

transcendantviewer

DungeonKrusher wrote:
(Reply to #20)

DungeonKrusher

transcendantviewer wrote: