Can you choose not to use your feats?

[thereaper]

I had this idea of using a Valor Bard with Sentinel, but then the situation of Dissonant Whispers occurs to me. It's easy to envision a scenario where I want to use Dissonant Whispers to force an enemy to run away (they're next to the wizard), but then taking the OA would stop them. So, can you refuse to make use of a feat that you have?

[Draco4472]

You have the option to take an opportunity attack with the feature the feat gives you, but do not have to use that action. Just because you can doesn't mean you need to, or even should.

[thereaper]

I can take the OA either way. The question is whether or not I could refuse to use the Sentinel feat's (or by extension any feat's) feature when I want to.

[Tanarii]

You mean reducing their movement to 0 if you hit with an OA I assume?

I'd rule yes, you can refuse it. It seems weird it would be a required thing.

[AttilatheYeon]

Use a polearm or whip. That way they get to 10feet away then stop. 😉

[NNescio]

By RAW, if a feat modifies an attack or spell (or any other thing you do, really), you cannot choose not to benefit from the feat (other than not using the attack or spell), unless it explicitly allows you to. This can be painful sometimes for Sentinel (when you want to OA an enemy but you don't want him to stop) or a Tiefling with Elemental Adept (when you want to drop a point-blank Fireball centered on yourself but can no longer benefit from fire resistance).

RAF a DM might allow it though.