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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Grim And Gritty 5E Feats (Based On Grod's Work)



JNAProductions
2019-02-07, 09:38 PM
First off, obligatory link to Grod's EXCELLENT work. Find the original thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?576456-Variant-Grim-and-Gritty-5e-(updated-with-new-feats)).


There was a popular variant of 3.5 edition known as "Epic 6th" or "E6," where character growth was virtually capped at 6th level. The goal was to control for imbalance and keep the game in a semi-realistic range. That's not as big a concern in 5e, between bounded accuracy and generally improved character balance, but there are still some areas where things get goofy-- ever-increasing HP pools, yo-yo healing, full healing after a night's sleep, and so on. So! Here's my take on how to hack 5e into a more grounded form.

Apprentice Characters
Optionally, a campaign can begin at level 0, before the characters have entirely finished their training. Zero-level characters must pick which class they are working towards; during their apprentice phase, they have all their normal proficiencies, but no class features except for Unarmored Defense. If they would normally learn cantrips at 1st level, they gain those as well. However, after casting five cantrips, they cannot cast any more until they have finished a short or long rest.

After gaining 150 experience points, they advance to level 1, gaining the remainder of their 1st level class features.

Veteran Characters
At 6th level, characters reach Veteran status. They no longer gain new levels; instead, for every 10,000xp they earn, they gain a new ability score increase.

As a special case, Fighters, Rangers, and Rogues may replace their normal 6th level class features with those they normally get at 7th level.

New Feats
In addition to the usual options, as characters advance in power they gain access to special feats-- Paragon Feats, which require an ability score of 20, and Capstone Feats, which require 5 levels in the appropriate class.


Legendary Strength
Prerequisite: Strength 20
You gain the following benefits:

You have Advantage on Strength checks
You count as one size category larger when determining your carrying capacity and how large a foe you can grab or shove.
You gain a +5 bonus on Strength checks made to lift, push, break, or otherwise manhandle an object.


Legendary Dexterity
Prerequisite: Dexterity 20
You gain the following benefits:

You have Advantage on Dexterity checks
You may use your Dexterity score to determine how far you can jump, and for ability checks based on climbing or jumping.
You gain a climb speed equal to your land speed, and you may balance on objects as narrow as one inch without having to make a check. When determining if an object can support your weight, you are counted as only half as heavy as you actually are.


Legendary Constitution
Prerequisite: Constitution 20
You gain the following benefits:

You have Advantage on Constitution checks
When you would have a condition or level of exhaustion imposed on you, you may choose to ignore it until the end of your next turn. You can only ignore one effect at a time; if you choose to ignore a new one, the previous effect occurs immediately.


Legendary Intelligence
Prerequisite: Intelligence 20
You gain the following benefits:

You have Advantage on Intelligence checks
When making an ability check to which one could apply a proficiency bonus, you may add your Intelligence bonus to your roll. You may choose to do so after you have seen the result of your roll but before the DM announces the result. Once you have used this ability three times, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.


Legendary Wisdom
Prerequisite: Wisdom 20
You gain the following benefits:

You have Advantage on Wisdom checks
When making a saving throw, you may choose to make a Wisdom saving throw in place of the usual one. Once you have used this ability three times, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.


Legendary Charisma
Prerequisite: Charisma 20
You gain the following benefits:

You have Advantage on Charisma checks
As long as you are able to speak, you may use the Help action as a bonus action to aid an ally within 30ft who can hear you.




Advanced Barbarian
Prerequisite: Barbarian 5
You may use your Rage ability one additional time before taking a long rest, and your bonus damage increases by 1.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack.

Advanced Bard
Prerequisite: Bard 5
You gain one additional use of your Bardic Inspiration ability. In addition, select one skill you are proficient in. You may add twice your Proficiency bonus to checks made using that skill.

Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack.

Advanced Cleric
Prerequisite: Cleric 5
Select one of the following spells--Commune, Death Ward, Divination, Freedom of Movement, Greater Restoration, Hallow, or Locate Creature. You may cast your chosen spell as a ritual. Once you have done so, you may not do so again until you have completed a long rest.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times, choosing a new spell each time. You may still only cast one of your chosen spells as a ritual before completing a long rest

Advanced Druid
Prerequisite: Druid 5
Select one of the following spells: Awaken, Commune with Nature, Conjure Woodland Beings, Control Winds, Polymorph, Stone Shape, or Stoneskin. You may cast your chosen spell as a ritual. Once you have done so, you may not do so again until you have completed a long rest.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times, choosing a new spell each time. You may still only cast one of your chosen spells as a ritual before completing a long rest

Advanced Moon Druid
Prerequisite: Moon Druid 5
Select one Beast with a CR of 2 or lower. You may use your Wild Shape ability to transform into it, even if it has a fly speed.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, you may select a new Beast.

Advanced Fighter
Prerequisite: Fighter 5
You gain one additional Fighting Style. When you use your Second Wind ability, you recover an additional 3 hit points.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack.

Advanced Monk
Prerequisite: Monk 5
You gain an additional point of Ki, and your martial arts damage die increases in size by one step-- from 1d6 to 1d8, 1d8 to 1d10, and so one.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack. If your martial arts damage die is 1d12, each additional application of this feat instead grants +1 damage with unarmed strikes.

Advanced Paladin
Prerequisite: Paladin 5
You gain one additional Fighting Style and one additional first level spell slot.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack.

Advanced Ranger
Prerequisite: Ranger 5
You gain one additional Fighting Style and one additional first level spell slot.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack.

Advanced Rogue
Prerequisite: Rogue 5
You deal an additional 1d6 damage with your sneak attack. In addition, select one skill you are proficient in. You may add twice your Proficiency bonus to checks made using that skill.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack.

Advanced Sorcerer
Prerequisite: Sorcerer 5
You gain one additional Sorcery Point and one additional metamagic option.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times. The benefits stack.

Advanced Warlock
Prerequisite: Warlock 5
You learn one additional invocation.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, learning a new invocation each time.

Advanced Wizard
Prerequisite: Wizard 5
Select one of the following spells: Arcane Eye, Conjure Minor Elemental, Dream, Fabricate, Hallucinatory Terrain, Leomund's Secret Chest, Modify Memory, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum, Polymorph, Scrying, or Stoneskin. You may cast your chosen spell as a ritual. Once you have done so, you may not do so again until you have completed a long rest.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times, choosing a new spell each time. You may still only cast one of your chosen spells as a ritual before completing a long rest

Also from previous feat projects...

Versatile Caster
Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell

Upon choosing this feat, you learn one cantrip from your class list (or the Cleric list in the case of Paladins, or the Druid list in the case of Rangers). If you prepare spells, you may prepare an additional two spells at once; if you have a list of spells known, you may immediately learn two additional spells of first level or higher from your class list, which do not count towards your total number of spells known.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times, learning new spells and/or preparing more spells each time.


Resting and Injuries
Characters cannot expend hit dice during short rests, only during long. Long rests do not restore hit points at all unless hit dice are spent.

Whenever a character is reduced to zero hit points, they gain a level of Exhaustion, using the revised table:

-10ft speed, ranged weapon and spell ranges halved.
Disadvantage on Ability Checks
Disadvantage on attack rolls and saves; opponents have advantage on saves against your abilities
Hit point maximum halved
Immobilized
Death

Long rests restore one level of Exhaustion, as does the Lesser Restoration spell.

So, let's work on this.

What I am going to do is try to add lots of feats, so that one has plenty of options to customize their character even AFTER hitting Veteran status. (I'd also like to have these IN PLACE of Grod's feats. Love you, Grod, but I'm not a huge fan of what you did with feats.)

Expert
Requires 40,000 XP minimum
Increase your proficency bonus to +4.

Really Damn Tough
Requires the Tough feat, Con 16+, and level 6
Increase your maximum HP by 6. In addition, the first time you drop to zero hit points per [SHORT/LONG?] rest, you do not gain a level of exhaustion. This feat may be taken multiple times, and its effects stack with itself.

Master of Arcana/the Divine
Requires casting stat 18+, the ability to cast third level arcane/divine spells, and level 6
You gain a single fourth level spell slot, and a single fourth level spell known from your class's list.

Fightmaster
Requires Str or Dex 18+, Extra Attack, and level 6
Once per [SHORT/LONG?] rest, you may enter a state of intense battle focus without taking an action. For the next minute, whenever you take the Attack action, you may make three attacks instead of two.

Legendary Strength [LEGENDARY]
Requires Str 20, no other Legendary Feat, and at least 30,000 XP
You gain the following benefits:
-Your Strength score increases to 22.
-You count as one size category larger when determining your carrying capacity and how large a foe you can grab or shove.
-You gain a +5 bonus on Strength checks made to lift, push, break, or otherwise manhandle an object.

Legendary Dexterity [LEGENDARY]
Requires Dex 20, no other Legendary Feat, and at least 30,000 XP
You gain the following benefits:
-Your Dexterity score increases to 22.
-You may use your Dexterity score to determine how far you can jump, and for ability checks based on climbing or jumping.
-You may balance on objects as narrow as one inch without having to make a check. When determining if an object can support your weight, you are counted as only half as heavy as you actually are.

Legendary Constitution [LEGENDARY]
Requires Con 20, no other Legendary Feat, and at least 30,000 XP
You gain the following benefits:
-Your Constitution score increases to 22.
-You require six death saves, rather than three, to die.
-You may continue to operate at 0 HP, gaining a level of Exhaustion as normal. However, you are not incapacitated or unconscious unless you choose to be knocked out, though you do accrue Death Saves as normal.

Legendary Intelligence [LEGENDARY]
Requires Int 20, no other Legendary Feat, and at least 30,000 XP
You gain the following benefits:
-Your Intelligence score increases to 22.
-You may, after studying a tool being used for at least ten minutes, gain proficiency in that tool until the end of your next rest.
-You halve the time needed to learn new languages or properly acquire a tool proficiency.

Legendary Wisdom [LEGENDARY]
Requires Wis 20, no other Legendary Feat, and at least 30,000 XP
You gain the following benefits:
-Your Wisdom score increases to 22.
-When making a saving throw, you may choose to make a Wisdom saving throw in place of the usual one. Once you have used this ability three times, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.

Legendary Charisma [LEGENDARY]
Requires Cha 20, no other Legendary Feat, and at least 30,000 XP
You gain the following benefits:
-Your Charisma score increases to 22.
-You and any ally who can hear you may choose to gain THP equal to your Charisma modifier at the start of their turn, as long as they capable of taking actions.

Inner Anger [PRIMAL RAGE]
Requires the ability to Rage and no other Primal Rage feat
Your rage is an ice-cold fury, deep within you. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain a single additional use of Rage per long rest.
-You may, as a reaction, expend a use of your Rage to reroll an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw with advantage. If you succeed, the source of the attack takes 1d12+your Constitution modifier Psychic damage.

Raging Beast [PRIMAL RAGE]
Requires the ability to Rage and no other Rage feat
Your rage is animistic in nature, letting you take on the aspect of the beast when in a fury. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain a single additional use of Rage per long rest.
-When you begin a rage, you may choose to take the form of a beast. As part of the bonus action used to start the rage, pick a CR 1 or lower beast-you gain THP equal to their normal HP, and may choose to use your own or their characteristic for anything for the duration of your rage. You may not choose any creature with a fly speed. (For instance, if in the form of a Panther, you may choose to use their 50' move speed instead of your own, and you gain access to their Keen Smell and Pounce traits.)

Enduring Rage [RAGE]
Requires the ability to Rage
Your rage lasts eternally. You gain the following benefits:
-When you start a rage, the only things that can end it early is being knocked unconscious, dying, or choosing to end it early.
-You gain a single additional use of Rage per long rest.

Soothing Melody [MAGNUM OPUS]
Requires Bardic Inspiration and no other Magnum Opus feat
Your music moves and calms the soul. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain a single additional use of Bardic Inspiration.
-When an ally benefits from your Bardic Inspiration, they also gain advantage on their next save, if made within ten minutes.

Inspiring Song [MAGNUM OPUS]
Requires Bardic Inspiration and no other Magnum Opus feat
Your music inspires and invigorates otehrs. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain a single additional use of Bardic Inspiration.
-When an ally benefits from Bardic Inspiration, they also gain advantage on their next attack roll or ability check, if made within ten minutes.

Godly Dilettante [DEIFIC FOCUS]
Requires Channel Divinity, a Divine Domain, and no other Deific Focus feat
Your focus is spread far, and you learn other aspects of your god. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain a single additional use of Channel Divinity.
-You gain a 2nd level Channel Divinity from a Domain other than your chosen one.
-Special: This feat may be taken more than once. If taken an additional time, you must choose a Domain you have not yet gained Channel Divinity from.

Apostle [DEIFIC FOCUS]
Requires Channel Divinity, a Divine Domain, and no other Deific Focus feat
You are a true mouthpiece of your god. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain a single additional use of Channel Divinity.
-You gain Divine Strike, with the element appropriate to your domain. (Knowledge gains Psychic, Light gains Fire.)
-You gain Potent Spellcasting.

Shifter [DRUIDIC]
Requires Wildshape
You are a master of many forms. You may Wildshape into a forms with a flying speed.

Style Master [COMBAT]
Requires Extra Attack and a Fighting Style
You gain a single additional Fighting Style of your choice. You may take this feat multiple times, gaining a new Style with each selection.

Man Of Action [COMBAT]
Requires Extra Attack and Action Surge
You gain a single additional use of Action Surge.

Physicality Of Form [INNER ARTS]
Requires Martial Arts and no other Inner Arts feat
You have focused on physical perfection. You gain the following benefits:
-Your unarmed strikes increase in damage by one die size, to a max of 1d10.
-You gain an additional point of Ki.
-Special: This feat may be taken multiple times.

Mastery Of Chi [INNER ARTS]
Requires Ki and no other Inner Arts feat
You have focused on mastery of the self. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain two additional points of Ki.
-You gain the Stillness Of Mind feature.
-Special: This feat may be taken twice. If taken a second time, you gain the Tongue Of The Sun And Moon feature.

Seeker [OATHSWORN]
Requires Divine Sense and no other Oathsworn feats
You are eternally vigilant, always looking for your sworn foes. You gain the following benefits:
-You gain three extra uses of Divine Sense.
-You may use Divine Sense as a bonus action.
-Divine Sense lasts for up to one minute, requiring Concentration if you intend to have it last more than one round.

Healer [OATHSWORN]
Requires Lay On Hands and no other Oathsworn feats
You are a blessed healer, always ready to help others. You gain the following benefits:
-Your Lay On Hands pool becomes 8 times your Paladin level instead of 5 times your Paladin level.
-You may restore additional hit points equal to your Charisma modifier when healing with Lay On Hands.

Hunter [OATHSWORN]
Requires Divine Smite and no other Oathsworn feats
You are an avatar of battle, fearless and vigorous. You gain the following benefits:
-Your Divine Smites always do an additional 1d8 damage, regardless of if the target is a Fiend or Undead.
-You gain the Smite cantrip as a Paladin spell.

Evocation Cantrip
Casting Time 1 Bonus Action
Range Self
Components Verbal
Duration Concentration, up to one minute.
The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, they take an additional 1d8 radiant damage.



Okay, stopping here. But the general idea is gotten, right?