Who needs ability scores: A guide to feats
What are feats?
In 5e, feats are a (common) alternate rule that allows you to trade ability score improvements for various abilities. These abilities are useful to every class, and can completely change a character build or idea.
Color coding:
This guide will use the following ratings. The ratings are compared to taking an ability score improvement and other feats. None of the feats are bad in a vacuum, it is an opportunity cost to choose the feat. If a class is not mentioned, it is basically a waste of feat choice, and I would under no circumstances choose the feat.(some language and colors "borrowed" from RhaegarT and TheBigHouse)
- Red feats are usually very inferior to ability score improvements and even other feats. The benefits are usually circumstantial, and taking these will probably make you significantly weaker then someone who just took an ability score improvement.
- Purple feats are substandard. They may be useful sometimes, but in general are not worth the investment
- Black feats are average. Taking a feat of this kind won't hurt your character, but it won't help the character all that much either
- Blue feats are good choices. They will often help your character, and are comparable to a primary attribute score increase
- Sky Blue feats are fantastic choices. You should strongly consider a feat of this color if it fits your class. These feats can make your character significantly stronger. I consider these better then attribute score increases, even those of your primary stat. Be careful taking too many of these before maxing your primary attribute, however.
When choosing a feat, always consider if it is better than an ability score increase. Here is a general guide as to what I rate attribute score increases
- Primary attribute: This is generally your primary attack or spellcasting stat. An example would be dexterity for rogues. Some classes might have two attributes that I would consider at this level. Barbarians get alot from both strength and constitution, monks get alot from both dexterity and wisdom, paladins get alot from both strength and charisma, and some rangers get alot from dexterity and wisdom.
- Secondary attribute: This is not your primary attack stat, but is useful to your character. For example, constitution for anyone, or dexterity for a wizard (which increases their AC).
- Other common saving throws: Common saving throws are constitution, dexterity, and wisdom. (although constitution is a secondary attribute for everyone). This will not increase their combat prowess directly, but it will make it more likely for you to make a common saving throw. For example, a barbarian increasing wisdom to improve their wisdom saving throws and wisdom checks would fit in this category.
- Any other attribute: These stats provide little or no combat uses. An example would be a barbarian improving their intelligence score.
Assumptions:
I assume that you are using point buy(p13 of the PHB), and not rolling for your stats. If you roll for your stats and your primary attribute is odd, then increase the rating of the feats that give you points in that attribute. Normally though, I am assuming that this means that none of your primary scores should be odd unless you plan on taking a feat to fix odd attribute scores. (This is because an odd score does not increase your modifier, which is by far the most common use of an attribute. For example, a strength score of 14 and 15 both have a str modifier of 2).
This solves the common argument saying that "athlete (or whatever) is good because you can change your 17 strength into an 18, which is the same as 19". While this is true, your strength was only 17 in the first place because you took a 15 in strength instead of 14, which gave you two less point-buy-points to spend on another attribute.
Useful links:
The players handbook errata http://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/Errata_PH.pdf. This corrects or clarifies several rules in the phb, and I will reference this occasionally throughout the article
Sage advice compendium http://media.wizards.com/2015/downloads/dnd/SA_Compendium_1.02.pdf. This answers common questions about various confusing rules in the phb. I will also reference this occasionally.
Feats that give you attribute modifiers
Check under "assumptions" for my thoughts on these feats. If a feat lets you choose, I include it under all possible attributes. None of these feats let you raise your score above 20.
- Strength: Athlete, heavily armored, heavy armor master, lightly armored, moderately armored, resilient, strength, weapon master
- Dexterity: Athlete, lightly armored, moderately armored, resilient, weapon master
- Constitution: Durable, resilient, tavern brawler
- Intelligence: Keen mind, linguist, observant, resilient
- Wisdom: Observant, resilient
- Charisma: Actor, resilient
Feats:
Alert
Classes: Rogue (assasin), spellcasters, Everyone else, Barbarians
We start with one of the best feats in the game, and one of the most versatile. This is worse if you already have someone in the party with this feat, since many dms let you warn your allies so they dont get surprised either. Barbarians don't need this because at level 7 they have "feral instinct" which means they cant be surprised. The initiative is nice, but not as important for barbarians as spellcasters. They do like to rage before enemies get a chance to attack them, but barbarians get alot from stats and other feats.
- +5 to initiative: This is amazing. This gives you a great chance to go before the enemy (especially if you have a good dex score). This is especially good for assasins, because they have advantage against any enemy who hasn't had a turn yet. Advantage is awesome, and adding sneak attack damage is super awesome. This feat is almost mandatory for assasins. Spellcasters get a lot of use from this too, especially casters with good control spells or nukes. Any enemy who dies or is crown controlled isn't attacking you, and this feat gives you a good chance to stop them before they even get a turn!
- You can't be surprised while conscious: also amazing, since being surprised sucks. A whole turn where enemies can do what they wish while you watch your character die is not fun for anyone (except the dm). Ask your dm if you have time to warn your allies so they don't get surprised either.
- Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being hidden: This is decent, but you are here for the previous two features. Unless you are fighting a bunch of rogues, most enemies will only be hidden for at most the first turn of combat at most, but this is an added bonus to a great feat.
Athlete
Classes: Frontliners who benefit from str or dex
- Increase str or dex by 1: This is the only saving grace of this feat, but why not just get two stat increases?
- Standing up only uses 5 feet of movement: situational at best. While being prone sucks, usually you get knocked prone by something that wants to stay near you, since ranged attacks have disadvantage. This is only useful if an enemy is knocking you over and running (or flying) away, which doesn't happen that often.
- Climbing doesn't halve your speed: Oh boy. How often are you climbing something in combat where speed matters? just get your sorcerer to fly you or something.
- You can make a running long jump or a running high jump after moving only 5 feet instead of 10: How often are you going to try to jump something where you only have 5 feet of room?
Actor
Classes: Bards and warlocks who like being tricky, rogues
This is a fun rollplaying feat, but its not amazing. Try to pair it with a disguise kit or a spell that can change your appearence.
- Increase your charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20: This is nice. Lets you round out odd scores
- You have advantage on deception and charisma checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person: This can be useful, especially combined with the next feature.
- You can mimic the speech of a person or sounds from a creature. Insight contested by deception to determine that it is faked: This can be very fun for rollplaying. You have advantage on the charisma check, and your deception is likely quite high, meaning you have a really good chance to deceive another creature into thinking you are someone you are not. This obviously requires creativitity, but its very useful for infilitrating and spying. Have fun impersinating the enemy general.
Charger
Classes: Barbarian, fighter, or any frontliner who likes charging ahead
- When you use your action to dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee attack or to shove a creature
- If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the damage roll or push the target up to 10feet away from you(if you suceed on the push)
At first glance, this feat seems very useful. +5 to damage rolls or a free shove are both decent, and it lets you move far and attack. However, most of the time you will only get to use this feat once per battle. How often are you charging in, then backing up and charging in again? You will probably provoke oppurtunity attacks if you do this, and you probably would rather stay in and protect the backline. It also uses your bonus action, which has serious competition from some other feats (polearm master, for one) That said, its a fun idea, and if you can figure out a way to use it effectively, go right ahead. I'd rather the strength or dexterity though.
Crossbow Expert
Classes: Rangers, Rogues, or anyone who has proficiency with hand crossbows and has a way to take advantage on multiple weaker attacks.
Ranged dex fighters, spellcasters
This is a great feat that lets you increase your damage per round. Keep in mind it uses your bonus action, so if you are using your bonus action (to hide as a rogue, for example) then you dont get an extra attack. It also lets spellcasters make spell attacks at close range without disadvantage, but thats not worth a feat. Just make them do a saving throw, or teleport away.
- You ignore the loading quality of crossbows that you are profienct: Great! Now you can use a crossbow as your main weapon after level 5.
- Being withoin 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls: This is pretty useful! Now you can use your main weapon at close range. Funilly enough, this also works for spells that have a ranged attack roll (confirmed in sage advice), but I wouldn't grab this feat just for that. Try not to get next to enemies if you are a ranged spellcaster
- When you use the attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded hand crossbow you are holding: This is great, but probably not in the way you think it is. This feat does not allow you to duel wield crossbows (also according to the sage advice), because you still need to load the crossbow. "You need to load a bolt into each crossbow, and doing so requires a hand."(p3) However, you can wield a hand crossbow and fire the same one again, effectively giving you an extra attack with your bonus action (note you do get to add your dex modifier to the damage of this attack). Compare this to a a longbow, which does d8+dex damage, instead of 2d6+2*dex. Way more damage, especially when you combine this with hunter's mark.
Defensive Duelist
Classes: Any melee frontliner who uses finesse weapons(Fighter, paladins, rangers, monks)
If an enemy hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bomus to your AC if you are wielding a finesse weapon: This is pretty good for survivability. Adding +2 to +6 to your AC will stop many attacks from hitting you. The main drawback is that this requires your reaction, and only applies to one attack. At higher levels many powerful enemies will have mulitattack, and other times you will have to tank hits from many weaker enemies, reducing the effectiveness. Still, if you don't have another feat that allows you to use your reaction's defensively, this can be a decent feat. Note that you don't have to actually use your dex to fight, only wield a finesse weapon (so no two handed weapons).
Dual Wielder
Classes: Dual wielding fighters and Rangers (TWF style), Other duel wielders
Overall, a few useful traits, but nothing spectacular. Seems nice at first, but worse than an ability score improvement and many other feats.
- You gain a +1 to AC: AC is always nice
- You can use two-weapon fighting even when the weapons aren't light: This seems great at first glance, but it basically increases your weapon damage die from a d6 (shortsword or handaxe for example) to a d8 (rapier or battleaxe). This effectively increases each weapon attack by 1 damage on average, which isnt great and only gets worse as enemies get more health.
- You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons instead of one: Great, lets you use both weapons on turn one for free, though most of the time you will have them drawn before the battle starts
Dungeon Delver
Classes: Anyone with good perception or investigation with a dm who likes throwing traps at you. Everyone else
First of all, don't take this if your dm doesn't throw traps or secret doors at you often. This rating assumes you are constantly dungeon diving in areas with traps, and even then I wouldn't take this early. Keep in mind that if you take this feat your party will make you the trap monkey, so if you are a wizard with low health, it may not be the best idea to take this feat.
- You have advantage on Perception and intelligence checks made to detect the prescence of secret doors: This is useful... if you go in places with secret doors alot.
- You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid traps: Useful if you run into lots of traps
- You have resistance to the damage dealt by traps: This is very useful if you run into lots of traps. Doesn't stack with resistances you already have, so if you are a tiefling and activate a fire trap this doesn't help you. Still nice though.
- You can search for traps while travenling at a normal pace: not that useful in dungeons, but it makes you way more likely to notice a trap when you are walking down the road.
Durable
Classes: Fighters, barbarians, paladins melee rangers with high Con modifiers. Everyone else
This is an interesting feat, that can be very useful if your party often takes short rests in between battles. If you have alot of characters in the party with features that regenerate during short rests (monks, warlocks, battlemaster fighters), this makes it more likely that you will take rests. This feat is especially useful if you are playing in a campaign with healing surges, which is an optional rule from the dmg that lets you spend hit dice as an action.
- Increase your con by 1: Great, lets you even out odd con scores
- When you roll a hit die to regain hit points, the minimum number you regain from the roll equals twice your con modifier: This can be very useful if you don't have a dedicated healer and get the oppurtunity to get short rests.
Elemental Adept
Classes: Sorcerer. Other casters that like a certain spell type
Spells you cast ignore resistance to damage of the chosen type (Acid, Cold, Fire, Lighnting, or Thunder). In addition when you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals damage of this type, you treat any 1 as a 2.
The ratings are only if you choose fire. This is because there are the most fire spells by far, and fire is only of the most common resistances. Since sorcerer's do more damage with their chosen elemental type at level 6, they want to cast their type as much as possible, and this feat helps. For wizards and other casters, they can usually just choose a different spell that does similar damage (lighting bolt instead of fireball for example). The damage increase isnt much, you take this to ignore resistances. I still wouldn't get this until my spellcasting modifier is maxed, unless I'm in campaign with lots of resists against my primary damage type. Keep in mind that if they have an immunity to the damage type, this doesn't let you do damage to them.
Grappler
Classes: Any medium front liner who has high strength and proficiency in athletics. If you have a combo (see examples below)
This is an interesting feat that combos nicely with tavern brawler if you are making a grappler. Its somewhat situational, but it can be super powerful if you can pull it off. You can hold the enemy spellcaster in a silence spell, completely shutting down a spellcaster! If you have a spellcaster who has a spell with repeating damage or nasty effects (cloud of daggers, for one), you can keep them in the effect. Consider getting a caster to cast enlarge on you, which allows you to grab huge creatures (adult dragons, for one) and gives you advantage on the checks to grapple them. (especially good with the UA artifier who can make enlarge potions, which dont require concentration). Somewhat situational though. Against groups of enemies you will probably be attacking, and if the big bad boss has allies you will be focused hard.
- You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling: nice, but remember one of your hands is tied up holding the enemy
- You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. Make another grapple check, and if you suceed you and the creature are both restrained: Useful against single enemies, but be very careful. If you are holding on to someone you are probably a main target for the enemy, and if you are restrained attack rolls against you have advanatage. Ouch. Remember that the person you are holding has normal attack rolls against you, as they have disadvantage from being restrained and advantage against you (because you are restrained).
- Creatures that are one size larger than you dont automatically succeed on checks to escape your grapple: Great but... this doesn't do anything because creatures don't do this anyway. Apparently was a misprint (check the errata)
Great Weapon Master
Classes: Barbarians, fighters with GWF style, Vengence paladins with GWF style, other paladins
Lots of discussion on this one below. Barbarians are great because they have reckless attack to offset the to-hit penalty, and they have stronger crits which go well with the first part. Fighters have alot of oppurtunities for feats and not much bonus action competition. Vengence paladins can get easy advantage, which works nicely with the second part. All paladins make very good use of ability score improvements, because they need strength to hit and charisma for saves and for the amazing aura of protection, so for other types of paladins I lowered it a rating. Also, paladins will often be using their bonus action to cast smites, which means they dont get an extra attack.
- On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action: New ways to use your bonus actions are always good. Good for champion fighters and good against hoards of weaker creatures. Be careful of being on a team with someone else who wants to finish off enemies, like school of necromancy wizards.
- Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 to attack roll for +10 to damage if you hit: This is situationally awesome. If you have an easy way of getting advantage (vengence paladin, wizard with familiar) this can really boost your damage output. Many enemies have predictable ACs. Giants and zombies tend to be sponges: lots of hp and not much AC. Don't use this feat if you are against something with obviously high AC (heavily armored humanoid, dragons). Keep in mind you can do this as many times per turn as you want, which helps fighters (who have better multiattack and action surge).
Healer
Classes: Thiefs, Anyone who has room in their build.
This is a great feat, especially if you do not have a healer on your team. Keep in mind that this does cost money, but healer's kits really arent that expensive (especially compared to healing potions). Don't get this if someone in your party already has this feat, because the second feature doesn't stack. If you can convince your DM to let you have a follower who can learn this feat, make them learn this and enjoy the cheap healing. Thiefs are sky blue because you could use a healing kit as a bonus action with the "use an object" action that gets added to their cunning action. Ask your dm, because they might interpret this rule differently (since the feat does say that it requires an action), or say that it requires two hands to apply the healing kit.
- When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point: this means that your ally is conscious. Keep in mind that if you have weapons and a shield equipped, you probably cant do this easily during a battle.
- As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to tend to a creature and restore 1d6+4 + maximum hit dice (level for PCs). That creature can't regain hit points from this until it finishes a short rest: That is alot of extra healing. If you have the hands during battle you can heal way more than a cure wounds, and out of battle you can spend a few seconds patching up alot of your party without needing to take a short rest or spend spell slots or healing potions.
Heavily armored
Classes: Clerics who don't have heavy armor from their domain, Strength valor bards, strength rangers (who dont like sneaking), multiclassers
This feat just seems worse then the Medium Armor Master feat almost every time. Everyone who really wants strength already has proficiency in heavy armor(except for barbarians, who cant rage with heavy armor), and you need 15 strength to not move slowly in the armor. You could put a 14 in strength, bump it up to 15 with this feat, and wear plate armor... or you could put a 16 in dex and use a breastplate and get 18 AC anyway (with medium armor master). Plus you dont have disadvantage on stealth, have higher initiative, and you can sneak around with your rogue. Dex is a better stat then strength for all the classes that dont already have proficiency in this armor, and since you can get the same AC i find this feat unlikely to be used.
- +1 to strength
- You gain profiency with heavy armor
Heavy Armor Master
Classes: Fighter, paladin, cleric
Good feat for dedicated tanks.
- Increase your str by 1: Everyone loves attribute score improvements.
- While you are wearing heavy armor, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage that you take form non-magical weapons is reduced by 3: Wow. Flat reduction. At early levels this makes you SUPER tanky. This is amazing with varient human, as you will be waaay tankier at early levels. It loses some benefit at higher levels (especially when enemies get magical weapons), but multiattackers will still lose lots of damage on you. Even ancient dragon's claws aren't considered magical weapons, so this feat never becomes useless.
Inspiring leader
Classes: Anyone with good charisma. Anyone with an average charisma
You can spend ten minutes and give up to six friendly creatures temporary hp equal to your level+cha modifier once per short rest
Temporary hp is always good, it only requires time, and you can do it before battle. Keep in mind that temporary hp does not stack with other temporary hp effects, as you only get to choose one of the effects. This means it loses some appeal if you are teamed with party members that already have temporary hp (Warlock's with Fiendish vigor, for example).
Keen Mind
Classes: Wizard. anyone else
This is a fun feat for wizards with odd intelligence scores, but it really does not offer much besides flavor.
- Increase int by 1: This is why this feat isnt red for wizards
- You always know which way in north: I guess this is useful if you have a dm that likes to have you get lost?
- You always know the number of hours left before the next sunrise or sunset: How often have you absolutely needed to know exactly how long until sunrise or sunset?
- You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past month: This is actually useful, if situational. Some dms might let you use this to find hints if you are stuck, and its always nice remembering things. That said, you could just write it down most of the time.
Lightly Armored
Classes: wild magic Sorcerer, wizards
Light armor gives you at most 2 AC more then you would have without armor. If you are a dragon sorcerer then your unarmored defence is better than light armor, and wizards can just cast mage armor on themselves. Sure, this allows you to later take the moderately armored feat, but at that point its easier just to multiclass cleric or something. I guess this is purple if you have +1(or better) studded leather armor.
- +1 to str or dex
- You gain proficiency with light armor
Linguist
Classes: Wizard I guess?
- Increase int by 1: If you didnt get this then I would have to find a rating worse then red.
- You learn three langauges: This isnt terrible, but you can learn languages with downtime and there are spells that let you understand or talk languages. Plus, some classes at higher levels get the ability to talk all languages.
- You can create ciphers. If you dont teach someone the code, they must suceed on a check= int score +prof bonus or use magic: Maybe in a spy campaign or something? Just... magically send them a message or something.
Lucky
Classes: All if you have room
Now this feat is cool, and once you max your primary stat you could always grab this feat. Fail a deadly saving throw? reroll it. Miss a powerful spell attack? reroll it. You get crited by a powerful attack? reroll it! they may even miss. This is especially useful for casters who want to make sure that they maintain concentration on a spell. For example, if you cast conjure elemental and lose concentration, it attacks you, but you could reroll the saving throw and try again. The only way this feat would be better was if you could force enemies to reroll saving throws (diviniation wizards say hi). Also, lucky is amazing if you have disadvantage, because you actually get to choose any of the three dice you roll if you spend a luck die, overriding the disadvantage rule. (sage advice). Wow.
- You have 3 luck points. You can spend one to roll an extra d20 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, or enemy attack roll. You choose which of the d20s is used.
Mage Slayer
Classes: Weapon using frontliners in a mage heavy campaign, Weapon using frontliners in a normal campaign, backliners in a mage heavy campaign
This feat is super situational, as it totally depends on the type of campaign your dm is running. You generally won't get this unless you know that you will be fighting lots of spellcasters. If you know that you are, then you can be really annoying the the enemy spellcasters. Idealy you would get close to the mage early (paladin with misty step, eldritch knight with arcane charge), teleport next to the mage (maybe with sentinal feat to keep them from running) and keep the mage from hurting your party (make sure you can survive). They are unlikely to be able to ignore the big person in front of them who keeps breaking their concentration. Remember that this works for enemies with innate spellcasting abilities as well.
- When a creature within 5 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against that creature: Specific, but great. Using reactions for more damage is always good, as long as you dont have something else you want to do with your reaction. Plus, this is another chance to break the concentration of the enemy mage.
- When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw to maintain concentration: This can be super useful. This is especially useful with super high damaging attacks (crits, paladin smites) or multiattacks (if they have a low bonus to the saving throw). Concentration spells are especially deadly (summoning spells, repeating damage spells, polymorph). Plus, this annoys the spellcaster and makes them try to kill you. Note that this one does not say that you have to be within 5ft as the other parts do, but its probably not worth getting this feat unless you plan on being next to them for the other parts.
- You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within 5ft of you: You annoy the spellcaster so much that they start targetting you. Luckily, this feature allows you to save more often then not (especially if you are a paladin at level 6+) There are no (or very few) "save or die" spells, but some fails really really suck.
Magic initiate
Classes: If you have room and a plan
This is a very fun feat. Note that the sage advice clarified that the intent is that if you have spell slots from your class, you may only cast the spell learned from this feat if it is of a class that you have spell slots in. This means if you learn shield on your druid/cleric, for example, you can only cast it once oer day,
Choose a spellcasting class. You learn two cantrips from that class, and one 1st level spell that you can cast once per day using the spellcasting modifier of your chosen class
Here are some ideas of spells to take with this feat. In general, avoid the damaging cantrips and spells because you should have something that does more damage.
Cantrips:
- Eldritch blast: Tired of your teammates making fun of your vicious mockeries doing 2 damage? Grab this and get one of the best scaling cantrips in the game. It scales on your total character level (regardless of spellcasting level), so if you are charismatic have fun.
- Guidance: free d4 on pretty much every skill check. Somewhat redundant if you already have a guidance user
- Shillelagh: If you use wisdom as your spellcasting modifier, taking this can make you less MAD. For example, a ranger could take this, use medium armor (only need 14 dex) and max their wisdom first. A cleric could use it so they dont have to get strength up high (although they still need 15 strength if they dont like move slowly in heavy armor). I probably would only choose this as a varient human, because otherwise you are giving up an ability score improvement, which sorta defeats the point of this.
1st level spells
- Feather fall: If you are an Aarakocra and dont want to fall to your death
- Find familiar: consider getting the ritual caster feat if you want this spell and don't care about the wizard cantrips. However, this spell gives you scouting and free advantage with no concentration. This is a great spell with no downside other than long casting time and the (small) component cost. Also useful if you have powerful touch spells and dont want to get close (death cleric with a high level inflict wounds, for example).
- Goodberry: Decent healing, free food (never starve). This is especially good for life clerics, because easy berry will heal 4hp instead of one (confirmed in sage advice). 40hp of healing for free a day, divided very easily. Not bad
- Hex: This gives you an extra 1d6 damage per attack. This adds up quickly, especially with multiattacking features. A monk, for example, can add 3d6 damage a turn at level 2. Keep in mind that its skill checks that they get disadvantage on, not saving throws. This is good if they try to grapple you, if you try to grapple them, if they try to hide, or other things. Be creative.
- Mage armor: not ideal, but this can increase your AC if you dont have medium armor while giving you a few cantrips. Also, you can combine this with wild shape to slightly increase AC. The interaction is that you choose which unarmored defense you want; the natural armor or 13+dex.
- Sanctuary: Not something I would choose, but if you are not attacking (Say you are concentrating on a spell and healing) this could be useful to prevent enemies from constantly attacking you. Uses wisdom as DC. Plus, cleric cantrips are fun. (guidance)
- Shield: Once per day unless you are already a sorcerer/wizard, but +5 AC and immunity to magic missile is really good.
Martial adept
Classes: Battlemaster fighter, other weapon users
Basically, you get this feat if you really need more versatility with maneuvers and an extra die. I don't see this as that useful. Its not red because fighters get lots of chances to get feats, but they already learn plenty of maneuvers and one extra die per short rest is not going to make or break your character. For character without superiority dice already, I consider this to be a waste of a feat. Once per short rest you do slightly more damage and can add a decent but not great disabiling effect to the enemy. I'd rather choose a feat that gives you something to do every turn.
You learn two maneuvers of your choice from the battlemaster archetype, and you gain one superiority die. If you didnt have a die already, it is a d6.
Medium armor Master
Classes: Valor bard, multiclassers who don't want to max dex, dex fighters, dex paladins, dex rangers, barbarian
This lets you get your (unshielded) AC to 18, which is 1 more then a +5dex character with light armor, 1 more than a +2dex character with a half plate(who has disadvantage on stealth), or 2 more then a +2 dex character with. Definitely worth considering if you want to have high AC, especially if you aren't planning on maxing dex. Valor bards really like this, because they want to be sneaky and generally use dex to attack, but often want to max charisma. Dex fighters, paladins, and rangers probably have better feats to take or ability scores to improve, since they will probably plan to max their dexterity and this only gives them +1 AC in the end. Barbarians are very stat hungry (and have unarmored defence anyway), and would probably rather max str, con, dex, or take a feat for more damage.
- Wearing medium armor doesn't impose disadvantage on your stealth checks: Now you can use halfplate (or scale mail if you are poor)with no penalty
- You may add a maximum of 3 to your ac instead of 2 from your dex: effectively increases your AC by 1 if you have the sufficient dex
Mobile
Classes: Melee rangers, melee rogues, monks, blade warlocks, melee figheters, melee barbarians, melee paladins, way of the open hand monks, anyone else
This feat is just fun. I especially love having this on monks, because it gives you a rediculous movement speed and enemies cant catch you. Also fun if you have the ability to fly, since you basically get flyby if you try to hit them. You can basically run circles around enemies if you get enough speed.
- Your speed increases by 10 feet: Speed is fun, but not essential depending on the fight.
- When you dash, difficult terrain doesnt cost you extra movement: This actually isnt bad if someone locks you in a large area of difficult terrain, or if you are chasing someone.
- When you make a melee attack, you dont provoke oppurtunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether or not you hit: Thats not bad! Lets squishy melee attackers get in and out quickly. Note that this isnt great on the "tank" classes, because generally you want to stay in their range so they cant get to YOUR backline. Also redundant to open hand monks, because they can flurry of blows to stop all reactions for a turn.
Moderately Armored
Classes: Lore bards, Warlocks, rogues
This is nice for lore bards who find the dm targetting them, since it provides easy AC without much dex investement (and shields, but be careful to have the correct spell components). Warlocks can cast mage armor at will if they want. If they are blade, then they probably want to max their dex(16 at level 1), which means a 16 AC (which is the same as breastplate). If they arent blade, they probably want to focus on more damage instead of being tanky, because that isnt really their job. The shield is nice, but this probably means they need the warcaster feat in addition to cast most of their spells. Medium armor might actually decrease the AC of a rogue, and using a shield on a rogue is weird. If you want to be a tanky rogue, multiclass or stop being a rogue.
Mounted Combatant
Classes: Paladin, any melee class who can find a cool mount (pegasis, anyone?), any other melee class who likes riding a horse, wizards with phantom steed
I might be biased but I love this feat. Lots of dangerous enemies are smaller than a horse (which is large), and you have lots of ways of keeping the mount alive with this feat. Also, paladins get find steed which makes it really easy to get a mount. Wizards get phantom steed, but normal wizads don't want to attack at melee, and don't really want to redirect attacks to themselves. Plus, its a ritual so you can just make a new one.
- You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount: Free advantage on anyone sized medium or smaller? Ill take it.
- You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead: great, now my horse won't die.
- If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to take half damage from a dex save, it takes no damage if it succeeds and half if it fails: Now you can't just fireball my mount and guarentee that it dies. Especially good on paladin's because they have the amazing save aura at higher levels.
Observant
Classes: Clerics, Druids, monks, rangers, or wizards, anyone else
Not a bad feat if you have an odd score in wisdom or intelligence, since +5 passive perception is very useful. Otherwise, I'd rather just get alert, because then I can't be surprised and I might get to go first.
- Increase int or wisdom by 1:
- If you can see a creature's mouth while it is speaking a language you understand, you can interpret what it's saying: Situational, at best. Funny with a barbarian with the aspect of the beast (eagle), becuase you can see so far away.
- You have a +5 bonus to your passive perception and passive investigation scores: This is pretty good. Passive perception is incredibly good, and this lets you get silly high perception scores. (pp of 20 at level 1, if varient human). Not sure how you can passively investigate something, but if your dm uses this then its nice to have.
Polearm master
Classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin strength ranger, cleric, monk
Oh boy, this feat is amazing. A way to use your reaction offensively and a way to use your bonus action all in one feat. The extra attack does allow you to add your strength modifier to the damage, plus any additional damage you do. This includes: barbarian rage damage, superiority die, and divine smites (including improved). It does not include clerics divine strikes, because these can only work once per turn. Plus, this feat combos super well with the sentinal feat. Its not as good on strength rangers because rangers tend to be a bit bonus action deprived, and strength rangers are probably not as good as dex rangers anyway. Clerics arent usually doing much damage with weapons, but this lets them do way more damage when they don't want to cast spells. Monks can use this with a quarterstaff for offensive reactions, but the bonus action is worse then an unarmed strike from a monk.
- When you take the attack action with a glaive, halberd, or quaterstaff, you may use a bonus action to attack with the opposite end of the weapon. The damage die is a d4. This gives you a great way to use your bonus action every turn.
- While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, pike, or quarterstaff, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach: This lets you use your reaction offensively too.
Resilient
Classes: Spellcasters who need to maintain concentration, frontliners or anyone targeted by the dm often, everyone else
This seems feat seems boring at first, but its actually really really good. Con saving throws are really really common, and taking this feat gives you a much better chance at succeeding on the saving throw. For summoners or people who like having powerful concentration spells, this feat is really important at high levels. If your dm likes targeting you down with bad spell effects, wisdom saves make it much harder to break you. And dex saves are nice for reducing huge damaging effects, such as the breath attack of dragons and the fireball spell. The ratings assume you planned ahead and have an odd number, otherwise it goes down a rating.
- Increase an ability score of your choice by 1
- You gain proficiency in saving throws using that ability: The main choices are con, wis, and dex. You will have one from your starting class. Con is useful for maintaining concentration on spells, reducing poison effects, and resisting some assorted spells. Wisdom is mostly to resist controlling effects, such as hold person. If your dm has enemy spellcasters that try to crown control you alot, consider grabbing wisdom. Dexterity saving throws are mostly for reducing aoe damage effects, such as a dragon's breath attack or the fireball spell. These effects can be very damaging, and reducing the damage can change the encounter.
.
Ritual Caster
Classes: Anyone if you dont already have a ritual caster, Anyone who already has a wizard/ritual caster in the party, non wizards who already have ritual casting, wizards
I find this one hard to rate. I only rate it blue because find familiar is such a great spell that really works with any class. I mean sure, you learn alot of useful spells, but you probably have at least one spellcaster in your party who can do all of the detect magics that you need. For reference, bards get 12, clerics get 12, druids get 12, sorcerers get 4, warlocks get 4, and Wizards get 17. I would choose wizard, which gets you (2 or more of) alarm, find familiar(awesome), detect magic, and find familiar. If your dm lets you find higher level rituals, you can get leomund's tiny hut (basically free safe long rests), phantom steed (free fast travel for an hour), and rary's telepathic bond (now the dm can't yell at you for discussing strategy mid battle)
Savage Attacker
Classes: Melee Rogue, Paladin, melee ranger, Fighter, Barbarian
This is a decent feat that increases the likelihood that you will deal a good amount of damage with your attacks. The attacks must be melee, and you can only do it once per turn. I consider this to be inferior to lots of the other amazing damaging feats. Instead of doing more damage with one attack, why not do way more with great weapon master or get an extra attack with polearm master? One thing to note is that it should work with sneak attack damage and paladin smites, which at high levels could mean a huge damage difference. Unfortunately, most rogues are ranged, and paladins are very stat and feat hungry.
Once per turn when you roll damage for a melee weapon attack, you can reroll the weapon's damage dice and use either total.
Sentinal
Classes: Weapon using Frontliners (Fighter, paladin, barbarian, melee rangers)
This feat is awesome, but unfortunately requires your reaction to work. This means at most you can use it once per turn. However, it makes you way more "sticky", meaning enemies are more likely to attack you instead of the squishy mage in the back. This feat also combos nicely with the Polearm Master feat, because when they move within 10 feet of you then you get an oppurtunity attack, and if you hit they cant move closer. Enemies with low AC that dont have reach basically can't hit you with melee attacks, which is hilarious. Unfortunately the third feature requires you to be within 5ft of the enemy, so you have to move closer. It is also confirmed that opportunity attacks only happen when you move out of the range of your weapon (10ft with a reach weapon) which gives them more room to run around beside you if you move next to them. Still fun and useful.
- When you hit a creature with an opportunity attack, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn: no more hit and runs, no more running past you to hit the backline. This is great
- Creatures within your range provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the disengage action before leaving your reach: The errata says that the five foot restriction no longer applies, which is awesome. This part makes it way harder for enemies to get away from you. Unless they have teleportation, they cant get away from you if you hit your opportunity attack (if you keep your reaction).
- When a creature within 5 feet of you makes an attack against a target other than you, you can use your reaction to make a melee weapon attack against the attacking creature: This is pretty good, because it lets you use your reaction offensively even if they dont try to move. Unfortunately, this probably isnt an opportunity attack, so if you do this than they could run away.
Sharpshooter
Classes: rogues, rangers, and ranged fighters
Another amazing feat that almost every ranged class will take at some point. The main selling point is the last part, which can really pump up your damage per round against certain enemies.
- Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls: Not something that comes up much if you are using bows. Usually dms will have encounters in relatively small areas so its easier to map out, and even a shortbow doesnt have disadvantage until after 80feet. Still, doesnt hurt, and means that your dm cant say "they run away" without you getting a few more shots in.
- Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover: This is great, depending on how often your dm includes this sort of thing, and how smart your enemies are. Useful trait, but not why you took the feat.
- When you make an attack with a ranged weapon, you can choose to take a -5 to attack rolls for a +10 to damage: This is why you took this feat. As I said under great weapon master, it is usually not that hard to determine if an enemy has high AC. If they have high AC or your dm tells you that they are almost dead, dont use this. If they don't, then do this, and it will probably increase your damage significantly. You can do this every ranged attack you make, including multiattack and crossbow expert. Plus, you can partially offset these penalties by having advantage (being hidden as a rogue every turn) or with a ranged fighting style.
Shield master
Classes: Totem Barbarians, clerics, fighters, paladins, and melee rangers who use shields,valor bards, sun druids , moon druids, beserker barbarians
This is a decent feat that actually has an offensive use as well as the defensive ones. Make sure to have proficiency in athletics, because that allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the strength checks to shove. Best on barbarians because they have advantage on the strength check while raging and have good dex and great strength. (keep in mind this feat is worse on totem barbarians that take the wolf features, because the features do similar things to this feat) To get benefit from all parts of this feat, you need to have a good strength for shoves and a good dex for making the saving throws. Its worse on bards because they need to give out bardic inspiration as bonus actions, so they cant shove as often (and they are often dex anyways). Sun druids cant shove either because they are probably in the backline, and moon druids are usually in beast form and dont get to use shields at all (unless your dm lets you use a shield as an ape or something). The whole point of beserker is to make an extra free weapon attack as a bonus action, which means you shouldn't be using a shield. If you have a shield, you shouldn't be using it to shove, and the other features don't make this feat good enough.
- If you take the attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus acton to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield: I consider this one of the best parts of this feat, because you can knock someone prone with a shove. Attacking a prone target at melee range gives you advantage, so this is best paired with powerful melee teammates that like having advantage (melee rogue, and paladins, for example). You can also knock enemies out of melee range of your backliner so that they can run away without disengaging. Uses your bonus action, so not as good if you plan on using your bonus action alot. Ask your dm when during your turn you can use this. Can you attack, shove, and then attack again if you have multiattack?
- If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any dex saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you: If your dm lets you add shield's AC to all spell effects (if he says that the "only you" part applies only to "other effects"), then this part gets a bump. Otherwise, most dex saving throws are aoe, such as a dragon's breath attack or fireball, so this is normally very situational, unless I am missing something. Obviously better with a magic shield.
- If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a dex saving throw to only take half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw: This can be very useful, especially if you have profiency in dex saves and have a decent dex score. Taking no damage from a fireball or dragons breath can prevent alot of damage.
Skilled
Classes: Any class that doesnt have perception or other important skills
So for most skills you only need one person to take care off. The main exceptions are athletics and acrobatics(if you find yourself getting shoved a lot), animal handling (if you are riding an animal), perception, and stealth. Perception and stealth are the only super important skills. If you are taking perception, just take observant (increase your passive perception by 5) or alert (you cant be surprised). Stealth is useful, but the classes where it is required already have it as an option, and there are lots of ways to grab stealth if your class doesnt get you it. Thieves tools are nice if you dont have a rogue I guess, but there are so many better feats than this.
Skulker
Classes: rogues, rangers
Underwhelming feat. Doesn't give you much most of the time, but some of the can be useful
- You can try to hide when you are only lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding: The usefulness of this depends entirely on how your dm treats hiding. The errata says that "...the question isn’t whether a creature can see you when you’re hiding. The question is whether it can see you clearly." This seems to make this part of the feat useless, because if you are lightly obscured they cant see you clearly.
- When you are hidden from a ceature and miss it with a ranged weapon attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position: This is fine, but when you are hidden you have advantage (and after level 5, probably multiattack), so you are probably going to hit someone.
- Dim light doesnt impose disadvantage on your perception checks relying on sight: Actually pretty good. If you have darkvision and its dark out, its considered dim light so you have disadvantage on the check. If you want to not get surprised, just get observant (cancels out disadvantage on passive perception) or alert (and never get surprised). Still, useful for finding things at night and in the dark.
Spell Sniper
Classes: Bard, other spellcasters that use attack rolls
Not as amazing as it sounds. Only works on spells that use attack rolls, and most of those spells have a plenty long range. However, this gives bards eldritch blast, so they can do consistent decent cantrip damage.
- When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is doubled: Don't think this works on touch spells, but if it does that makes this a little better. Otherwise, most spells that require attack rolls have a long enough range that it probably won't make a huge difference.
- Your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover: depends on how often your dm includes these things, and you can often move to get a good shot around the cover. Still not a bad feature. Its worth noting that a magic item Wand of the war mage also ignores half cover, which makes this a tad redundant if you get one of those.
- You learn one cantrip that requires an attack roll. Choose a bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard cantrip, and you can cast it using the spellcasting modifier of the class you choose: Yay, bards (and paladins I guess) can get eldritch blast! Thats pretty much it, since mostly you already have damaging cantrips. Anyway, most damaging cantrips are pretty bad (except for eldritch blast with agonizing blast for warlocks), so this isnt that great most of the time.
Tavern brawler
Classes: Melee strength grapplers, monks, druids
This can be useful, allowing you to do damage and grapple the enmy. The black rating assumes that your dm lets you use a big piece of wood or something as an improvised weapon that does more than d4 damage. I would say that at least you could at least use a big stick that has the stats of a quarterstaff, allowing you to swing and hit them for d8 damage if you hold it with two hands, and a d6 if you are grabbing someone already. Obviously goes well with the grappler feat. Also, its not that good on monks. Sure, monks do alot of damage with their fists, but they are trading a grapple attempt for an unarmed strike, and their strength probably isnt that good. Druids can wild shape into an ape and try to grapple the target while still punching them twice. Unfortunately, apes aren't that good and don't scale (try grappling a death knight as an ape), and giant apes are CR 7, which means you cant wild shape into one ever.
- Increase you str or con by 1: Good, since you need good strength to grapple people.
- You are proficient with improvised weapons and unarmed strikes: Great, but you already are proficient in unarmed strikes. (the errata clarifies this. everyone is proficient in unarmed strikes).
- Your unarmed strikes have a d4 for damage: Cool, I guess, but a d4 isnt enough to make it worth it unless you are in some campaign where you don't have weapons often.
- When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or an improvised weapon on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target: This is why you are here, letting you grapple with a bonus action. Unfortunately, improvised weapons probably arent that strong, and you have to hit them (not just swing at them) to do this. Obviously competes with bonus actions, and requires you to have a free hand.
Tough
Classes: Moon druids, Non spellcasting frontliners, spellcasting frontliners, backliners
Sounds good, but you can just put two points into con and get half the hp benefit, while getting higher con saving throws (which are some of the most common in the game. I would usually rather improve my con score, especially on casters. I am currently under the impression that moon druids probably can add the extra hp to their wild shape forms. Wild shape says "You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source if the form is physically capable of doing so." It doesn't seem far fetched that your bear is physically capable of being extra tough. Definitely ask your dm though.
Increase your hit points by an amount equal to twice your level. Wheever you gain a level, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points
War caster
Classes: Any sort of... warcaster, such as eldritch knights or multiclassers. , clerics who want to cast "V,S" spells, other casters who like con saves, any other caster
Great feat that is almost required for people who multiclass their casters into armor and shields, or have armor and shields already. Even just the first part is great, but is usually worse than resiliant (con) at high levels. Note that clerics can cast spells with a material component without this feat. This is because they can put their holy symbol on their shield, and if you cast a spell with a material componenet you can use the hand holding the material componenet to provide the somatic componenets as well(p203 phb, p6 sage advice.) Still useful for clerics, but not required.
- You have advantage on con saving throws that you make to maintain concentration on a spell when you take damage: Awesome. If you are in the frontlines concentration on a spell (say, haste, blur, or polymorph, for example) you really want to be able to maintain concentration on these spells. Probably worse then resiliant (con) at higher levels if you dont already have proficiency in con, but if you stack these it makes it very unlikely for you to lose concentration unless you get hit by a super damaging spell.
- You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands: Cool. I can wield a shield and a sword and cast any spell that doesnt have material components.
- When a hostile creature's movement provokes an oppurtunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell against that creature: You spells are probably better then a single weapon attack (unless you have sentinal). Even an eldritch knight will do more damage with poison spray at high levels than with a longsword, and mostly pure casters who multiclassed into fighter or cleric for armor love this.
Weapon master
Classes: Anyone who doesn't have proficiency in the weapons they want
Never choose this feat. If your class doesnt give you access to good martial weapons, its probably because you dont need them. The only class where I see the temptation is if you want to make a non dwarf cleric, because they dont have proficiency in martial weapons. If you use a shield (which you probably should as a cleric) then it increases your damage die from a d6 to a d8, which is one more damage per turn on average. If you dont use a shield for some reason, it increases your damage from a d8 to a d12, which is two more damage, and you should consider if you should make a paladin instead of a cleric.
- Increase your str or dex by 1: still doesnt make this feat worth it
- You gain proficiency with four weapons of your choice: Yeah, this is awful. Everyone who needs proficiency in weapons already has them.
Edits:
- Crossbow expert: Moved crossbow expert from blue to skyblue for rangers. Although they occasionally will be using their bonus actions to hunters mark, this feat still increases their damage dramatically.
- Tough: Made frontliners black, non frontliners purple, and moon druids blue. Moon druids especially I will watch, because I'm not sure if they can add the tough hp to their forms.
I'd use the color rating for context - i.e. Alert is sky blue for rogues/spellcasters, blue for everyone else (with one exception), so you might list it as:
Alert
Classes: Rogue (especially Assassin), Spellcasters, Mystics (Immortal), everyone else
Thanks for the advice on formatting. It is my first guide (although i've read several here), and I'm still in the process of finishing the guide, but I like your suggestion and will probably change to that format.
Good point about the thief (never played as or with one, because... you know, assasin). It would definitely be a dm ruling. I would argue that you could use your bonus action, but you would probably need two hands to apply the kit, just on initial thought. I will definitely mention that combo though, because if your dm allows it thats probably sky blue.
The note on Defensive Duelist about Monks is incorrect. Monks get to use their Martial Arts damage on Monk weapons, so short swords are good their whole career. It may still be slightly worse for them as a class with abilities that require their reaction, but Battlemaster Fighters, Eldritch Knights, and maybe others would suffer similarly.
My comments on your current feats (up through Lucky):
- You're not including Unearthed Arcana options? The swashbuckler's worth considering (in terms of shifting feats to be more or less useful than to other rogues) with Alert (Toujours l'Audace), Actor (Panache means you've got a good Charisma), Dual Wielder, and Mobile (it scoops the main benefit, making it less useful than for, say, thieves); the Storm sorcerer has some fun interplay with Elemental Adept (although it's less central since Storm focuses on two damage types), and the Mystic has lots of flexibility (again making feats more or less useful), notably with Immortal + Alert or Durable (note that it doesn't say you have to spend the HD during a rest), and Awakened + Keen Mind (if you can read a person's thoughts, you've "seen or heard" something) or Actor (less useful with Conquering Mind).
- Athlete's fast stand is worth noting in that it makes the stand-up cost fixed instead of variable. A high-level monk has a 60' speed; knocking him prone means he can only move 30 feet this turn, while an Athletic high-level monk could move 55. The faster your character, the more worthwhile this is - but that's still within the context of "how often do I get knocked down?".
- Actor combines quite well with the Charlatan background feature in that they let you cover all the bases - the background gives you disguises and paperwork, the feat gives you vocalization and advantage on all the checks, including those beyond the acting itself (such as to forge new paperwork). Add in the assassin's lesser-known abilties and you'll sometimes forget who you are. (All you need is advantage on saving throws, i.e. as a gnome, and you're guarded against telepathy too!).
- Healer: I said above that it's not entirely clear if that option is a separate action unto itself, or modifiying the "use an object" action. Only under the latter interpretation does Thief get much benefit.
- Incidentally, Inspiring Leader + Healer (ideally on two separate people, so it's available from a low level) can provide an incredible amount of healing to a party with limited magic.
- A bit pedantic, since I don't disagree with your rating, but Linguist is getting a bad rap. It takes months of downtime to learn one language, and there's no other way in the game to communicate securely without direct line-of-sight or high-level telepathy magic.
- Lucky: Should probably mention how it interacts with roll modifiers, like Cutting Words, and what it does for advantage and disadvantage (see Sage Advice - it turns disadvantage into super-advantage (but it still counts as disadvantage), which is surprisingly appropriate for a hapless lucky bastard). Note that this is different than Portent, which can similarly replace a bad die roll, but Portent replaces the final die result (so instead of lucky+disadvantage being 3d20.takeHighest, it becomes pick one (2d20.takeLowest, or 1d20).) That's not to say you can't have both of them on the same character (a Lucky halfling diviner / Lore bard is a pretty disturbing way to hack dice).
I'd also like to bring up that the point-buy costs in 5e are interesting. In 3.5, scores started at 8 and you spent 1 point to raise a score by 1 all the way until you hit 14, then the costs started getting higher, and you could buy all the way up to 18. In 5e, the costs are 1:1 until 13, and you can only buy up to 15. Both of these cases are places where an odd ability score increase can change an ability modifier - such as the +1 that some feats offer. With some creativity, you can wind up dramatically improving one or two secondary or dump stats in addition to keeping your primary stat acceptably high and getting a feat ability using this trick.
A second point: Every class only has five ability score increases, except for rogues (six) and fighters (seven). That makes rogues and fighters (and variant humans) the best choices for those to consider a feat - or even two.
Crossbow expert, greatweapon master, polearm master (or whatever that feat is called, I don't have my book with me), and sharpshooter should all be either light blue or gold. Feats like linguist and actor should be sky blue for anyone who starts with an odd score in Cha/Int and has Cha/Int as a primary spellcasting stat. Sure, they might not be great compared to something like warcaster if you don't have an odd stat, but if you have an odd stat, and you need to raise your primary spellcasting stat, taking something like Actor is strictly superior to taking a +2 to Cha (to, once again, end up with an odd stat). Actor specifically combines very well with charlatan and abilities like mask of many faces.
sudsboy wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
Cyber-Dave wrote:
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
Greenstone.Walker wrote:
I'm not sure you can get hunter's mark with Magic Initiate, but if you could tell us how, I'd be grateful.
At first glance it is a first level spell and the feat lets you choose one first level spell. The trouble is, when you look in detail you realize that this spell must be a first level spell on one of the following class spell lists: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, wizard. That spell is not on any of those lists.
Cyber-Dave wrote:
Substitute with cousin Hex?
ArialBlack wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
Also, defensive dualist doesn't need Dex. Any caster class that is in melee (clerics, bards, abjuration wizards, valor bards, wild sorcerer's) can simply grab a dagger in their off-hand.
Even a Str based sword & board fighter could use a raiper over a longsword with no loss.
bid wrote:
Great start. Looking forward to more. 
Comments:
Great Weapon Master is actually amazing for barbarians. They can combine with reckelss attack to offset the penalty and do big damage. Rolling with advantage also increases their chance to crit, and thus to gain the bonus action attack. IMO it's sky blue for great weapon fighters or barbarians that aren't using polearms, as it adds a way for them to use their bonus action at least some turns. It is also especially good for champion fighters.
Mobile, might be worth noting that this feet is pretty good for grapple builds.
Durable, i dont have the math in front of me, but I think that this feat is pretty much just worse than +2 con, unless you have the unlikely combination of a very small hit die and a very high con mod. You have to gain at least an average of +2 hp per hit die spent in order for it to beat +2 con, but even then it doesnt increase your max hp or your very important con save throw.
Shillelagh: Looks like a typo, you stopped in the middle of a
TheBigHouse wrote:
cannonfodder wrote:
Cyber-Dave wrote:
Cyber-Dave wrote:
TheBigHouse wrote:
Cyber-Dave wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
bid wrote:
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
mellored wrote:
bid wrote:
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
Cyber-Dave wrote:
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
Actor is good for roleplaying, not so much for rollplaying.
But that was the most 
typo I've seen tonight.
The only class that want's 2 scores is the rogue (Con/Dex) Everyone wants 3 or 4 (Con + Dex + attack + spells)
And even rogues would like to have some extra Wis.
bid wrote:
BRJN wrote:
Hi everyone, I have finished the guide! Thanks for all your critiques and advice.
Tempest_Stormwind, I have updated the wording on lucky, because it wasn't clear.
I was thinking about defensive duelist last night, and the critcism that it only blocks one attack, and that at higher levels you will face multi-attack creatures.
First of all, even blocking one of several attacks is undoubtedly a good thing.
Furthermore, the more attacks that hit the better chance you have of using this feat. Because it can be used reactively, after the attack roll, you hold it until an attack hits by just the right margin for your proficiency bonus to make the difference, and there's no guarantee that will be the case for any one hit. But the odds go up with more attacks.
There's no general (and simple*) rule for which is better for you, one big attack or many small attacks, but I don't think its utility decreases with multiple attacks as much as some folks think. If you could pick any one attack per round and avoid it then, sure, you'd rather face a single big attack per round. But that ain't how it works.
*Sure, you could write an inquality that had variables for damage (median and standard deviation), attack bonus, proficiency bonus, and your AC. But that wouldn't actually be very informative to most people.
If defensive dualist blocks 1 attack per turn * 3 turns per combat * 6 encounters = 18 attacks per day.
/2 since it only works on melee attacks in certain die ranges. So call it 9 attacks per day.
+2 Con gives you 40 HP, at most.
10 damage per attack (guessing here, anyone have data?), that's 90HP per day.
Or, if you block 5+ attacks per day, you win.
Red dragons deal ~15 damage per attack, = 135 HP per day.
So blocking 4+ attacks per day wins.
I did the math for defensive dualist somewhere.... here.
Assuming 4 melee attacks per turn, defensive dualist with this proficecny is worth...
+2 = +1.7AC
+3 = +2.4AC
+4 = +3,0AC
+5 = +3.4AC
+6 = +3.8AC
I'm not entirely clear on your math, but here is some of mine.
Lets assume you are a tier four character, with a +6 proficiency bonus (this is when the feat is most useful). Assuming you have an AC of 21 (plate armor, shield, +1 something) then an enemy with a +8 bonus to attack would hit you on a 14 or higher. Defensive duelist means that they would only hit you on a 19 or higher (20 auto hits). Any enemy with at least this attack bonus means you have a 6/20 chance of having an attack against you that will only be blocked by using your reaction.
Chances of being able to block at least one attack per round =1- (.7 (chance on not getting a chance to use your reaction)^(number of attacks against you))
- One attack against you per round: 30%
- Two attacks: 51%
- three attacks: 65.7%
- four attacks: 75.99%
- five attacks: 83.19%
Example
An adult red dragon has a attack modifier of +14.
if the dragon rolls a 1-6, he misses you, without you using your reaction.
if the dragon rolls a 7-12, he hits you unless you block it with your reaction.
If the dragon rolls a 13-19, he hits you, unless you have some other effect in play (I am assuming you don't)
if the dragon rolls a 20, you automatically are hit.
On average, the dragon does a little less than 20 damage per attack (26 with his bite, 15 with his claw, 17 with his tail).
If you get the dragon to attack you three times: 13.14 damage on average mitigated per turn.
2 times: 10.2 damage mitigated per turn.
1 time: 6 damage mitigated per turn.
Assuming the dragon uses its fire breath every third turn, then best case senario is that you mitigate 8.76 damage per turn, on average. This assumes that the dragon only attacks the obviuous tank (dragons are smart, and most dms don't like attacking the tank) with every attack. Furthermore, this doesnt work against ranged spellcasters and ranged attacks.
Most high level creatures at this point have multiattack, but just for fun:
If you fought some creature that did 60 damage on one attack, then you would mitigate 18 damage per turn on average if he hit you.
If you fought some creature that did 30 damage on two attacks, then you would mitigate 15.3 damage per turn on average.
If you fought some creature (or lots) that did 6 damage on 10 attacks, then you would mitigate 5.8 damage on average per turn.
This seems to indicate that I was correct in assuming that having a chance to block one big attack is better than a creature chance to block one weaker one. Obviously, average damage is fickle: If you fail the block the 60 damage attack 3 turns in a row, you are probably knocked out of the fight.
eyrieking wrote:
mittigating 5.8 * 10 rounds = 58 HP per day.
45% more then +2 con.
it's the best defensive feat for anyone regularly in melee, no competing reaction, and a finess weapon or free hand.
Tough is also useful for sorcerer/wizard with their 1d6 HD. If they have Con14, the feat ups their health from 5.5 hp to 7.5 hp per level, a 36% increase.
It might even be blue for Favored Soul sorcerer.
Why in the world is Shield Master rated high for Barbarians? They're one of the worst classes to take Shield Master because they already have Reckless attack and Wolf Totem, which already give you and your allies Advantage on attacks, and do it much more effectively.
Charger
Classes: Barbarian, fighter, or any frontliner who likes charging ahead
- When you use your action to dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee attack or to shove a creature
- If you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, you either gain a +5 bonus to the damage roll or push the target up to 10feet away from you(if you suceed on the push)
At first glance, this feat seems very useful. +5 to damage rolls or a free shove are both decent, and it lets you move far and attack. However, most of the time you will only get to use this feat once per battle. How often are you charging in, then backing up and charging in again? You will probably provoke oppurtunity attacks if you do this, and you probably would rather stay in and protect the backline. It also uses your bonus action, which has serious competition from some other feats (polearm master, for one) That said, its a fun idea, and if you can figure out a way to use it effectively, go right ahead. I'd rather the strength or dexterity though.
[/quote]
to be considered this feat may work nicely in conjunction with mobiltiy (or the swashbuckler equivalent ability) in this manner you can use the dash action to enter combat range attacking with a bonus action and then retreating out of combat now that your target cannot make any attacks of opportunity (probably good with rogues in this case as they don't really want to end the turn next to the big bad but would want to hit and hit hard) Still I would agree not the most valuable feat.
Strill wrote:
Zardnaar wrote:
Strill wrote:
Lord_Kadarian wrote:
I thought Tavern Brawler was pretty good for grapplers because it lets you use your sheild as a weapon proficiently, along with the other benefits.
Lord_Kadarian wrote:
Charger would be the most useful on a Paladin, IMO, since you can add Divine Smite on top of it for big damage against an enemy you couldn't have reached otherwise (i.e. caster in the back).
Still, even then, there's so many other feats I'd consider having a Paladin take before that one.
eyrieking wrote:
Strill wrote:
TyrusandRhane wrote:
Strill wrote:
mellored wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
Yunru wrote:
mellored wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
I like the guide, I would adjust a couple of the ratings.
This one is good for a lot of reasons. It works for all damage including a dragon’s breath, weapon attacks, etc. It’s twice as effective as raising Con. (saves a feat) and if you have a Con item, that sets your con at 19 it’s even better. This can be good to keep the weaker spell casters from getting snuffed from a dragon’s breath. Good for anyone really. Less good for polymorph or a shape changing druid. (Actually not sure if it would translate to new form, doubt it.)
Tough Classes: frontliners Sounds good, but you can just put two points into con and get half the hp benefit, while getting higher con saving throws (which are some of the most common in the game. I would not choose this unless I had already maxed by con score. Even then I would probably rather pick of resiliant in con, dex, or wis. Increase your hit points by an amount equal to twice your level. Wheever you gain a level, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points
Jared711 wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
Jared711 wrote:
If you're planning to use ABI's to increase Con I'd recommend starting with an odd number for Con and then taking Resilience(CON) rather than either Tough or +2 CON. A starting score of 13 or below will save you points that can go to other stats, and then for that one Feat you'll get both more hit points and vastly improved saves.
Of course if you already have proficiency in Con saves ignore the above.
Hi,
Thanks for the guide. Two comments:
1) The title of the guide is "Who needs ability scores: A guide to feats," but the guide only does half of what the title says. It does not actually tell us why we don't need ability scores, or why feats are better than ability score increases, or even *when* feats are better than ability scores.
All of these, any of these, are worth discussing. I admit disappointment that I didn't see this happen.
My initial stab at it: Unless you are a Moon Druid, you have one stat that needs to reach 20 ASAP, possibly a secondary stat that ought also go to 20, and maybe even a third or fourth such stat. Any feat must compete with those stat increases and justify their existence.
Barbarian: You would love to boost Str, Dex and Con to 20, excluding the level 20 capstone. You can't, even if you take no feats. Do you really have room for Sentinel and GWF and PM?
Lore Bard: You only really need Cha, which leaves you choices. More Con is always nice, and Resilient Con probably comes first. Medium armor proficiency is likely better for you than just boosting Dex. One more feat?
Valor Bard: Ugh. Cha to 20. If you don't have a good attack stat with your weapon, why are you here? So advance either Dex or Str... or live with a 16 until level 10 when you take Shillelagh and use Cha. Staves are not as good for you as for other arcane casters though. You also want resilient Con and maybe Warcaster...
Cleric: I don't really like the class in 5e; even after reading the guides I find that their "gold" options are mostly meh. I kind of shrug: These clerics are very retro, in the sense of bringing back that good old AD&D "I don't want to play the cleric." Fortunately, a party doesn't need one these days. So Wisdom to 20, sure. After that? I see no feats that make me see the class differently; there's a kind of freedom in that, I guess, to do whatever seems fun.
Land Druid: Meh.
Moon Druid: Choices, choices, choices. Choices. Do you even bother to boost stats? I think getting Wis 20 is worthwhile, maybe even worthwhile earlier than level 18, because with only 2 changes per short rest (1 change if you go Elemental), you might very well find yourself alternating between encounters solved with wildshape and encounters solved with spellcasting, when your wildshape goes away. Of course, you don't have to. That leaves 3-5 feats, and the best ones should be useful in animal form. I think the druid guides discuss this, so...
Fighter: 7 feats! But the best part is that the first extra feat comes at level 6. If you take feats early, you nail down what your character does early. But if you boost your attack stat, you do what you do better and add capabilities. I admit prejudice toward the latter. The fighter guides talk about what to take, given what you want to accomplish. One thought: Some 'mediocre' feats are only mediocre for other classes. A fighter often has the luxury to take feats (and their corresponding abilities) that are just fun to have. Who other than a fighter can reasonably take Skilled? Still, the real issue is to demonstrate that taking something like Polearm Master or Sharpshooter is really better than first boosting an attack stat. Of course, by level 8 you can already have Dex 20 and Sharpshooter, which is more important than having 7 feats at level 19.
etc.
Monk: Dex, then Wis. So... one feat at level 19? Almost not worth thinking about.
Paladin: Your best feature (imo) comes at level 6, so you want a high Cha. But you also absolutely need a high attack stat. That leaves one feat, unless you skimp on something that I'd not want to skimp on. There's a kind of incompleteness, because all ASIs are so needed even at level 20. Where to compromise? Polearm Master is a great One Feat.... but what if you are hoping (against hope) for a Holy Avenger?
Pure spellcasters tend only to absolutely need their casting stat. Gishes and other hybrid casters need an attack stat, and probably a casting stat too. EK are the most likely not to need a casting stat, next Rangers and AT. Tome Warlock 3 with Shillelagh is a great way to reduce MAD for Paladins, Sorcerers and even Valor Bards (but ugh.) Hybrid casters are also more likely to need Warcaster, except for archers.
Clever multiclass builds can do cool things with feats... but unless I really miss something, an attack/casting stat of 20 seems a priority. The question of whether a feat is good or bad seems less important than whether a feat is worth preempting or even replacing a stat boost.
2) One particular feat that I see differently from the general consensus (assuming the lack of comment to signify agreement):
eyrieking wrote:
ImOvarwa wrote:
mellored wrote:
I know im late to the discussion but defensive duelist works really well with the Ranger's Multiattack Defense option, never letting the enemy have an opening. if youre getting x+1v1ed youll still have some trouble but 1v1 itll be really hard to hit you.
sure cutting words makes it easier to use, but it doesn't give you more insperation dice. valor (effectivly) get a free feat. which can be +2 cha (more insperation dice for valor), resilence, warcaster, inspiring leader, lucky, or darkvision + other stuff by nor being human. more then enough to choose from.
extra magic secrets isn't too hot either. bards have plenty of good spells to cast already (hypnotic pattern). better then multi-attack, but it's just a bit of versatility, not an extra slot.
and valor wins the last feature, even with 14 dex, extra attacks are extra attacks. unless it's a skill heavy game,
though, the best is probably cleric 1/lore bard. paticularly life + goodberry.
Hi,
mellored wrote:
ImOvarwa wrote:
eyrieking wrote:
MarauderNET wrote: