Reasonable Feat?

[Battlebooze]

I've just started a new campaign with a Loxodon fighter. For my first ASI I'm thinking of asking my GM for a custom racial feat called "The Third Hand" that would give my character +1 strength, double his Trunk weight allowance and allow his trunk to be used as a fully functional appendage.

Does this sound reasonable?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Interesting. What other stats is the character rolling with?

[solidork]

What are you going to try and DO with this third hand? Use a 2h and a shield?

[RedMage125]

Perhaps a limit to it.

Allow you to use tools and items and perform the somatic components of a spell. Can wield weapons in the trunk, but only ones with the Light property. Still cannot be used to carry a shield.

[Keravath]

What are you going to try and DO with this third hand? Use a 2h and a shield?

This :). If the point is roleplaying I don't see any issue. If you want to wield a two handed weapon (including a bow) with a shield or dual wielding while also making use of a shield, or use a weapon and a shield while having a hand free so that you can cast spells ... then no. By adding a third hand in these cases you gain a big part of the warcaster feat while also opening up weapon/shield combinations that are more powerful than most feats AND gain +1 str.

The feat you have suggested sounds cool but is exploitable in ways that might not immediately occur to the DM and which they might regret later. So if you are considering asking for it then be sure to explain to the DM all the ways it could be used and how you plan on using it then the DM can make an informed decision as to whether it fits the theme and power level of their game.

[RedMage125]

This :). If the point is roleplaying I don't see any issue. If you want to wield a two handed weapon (including a bow) with a shield or dual wielding while also making use of a shield, or use a weapon and a shield while having a hand free so that you can cast spells ... then no. By adding a third hand in these cases you gain a big part of the warcaster feat while also opening up weapon/shield combinations that are more powerful than most feats AND gain +1 str.

The feat you have suggested sounds cool but is exploitable in ways that might not immediately occur to the DM and which they might regret later. So if you are considering asking for it then be sure to explain to the DM all the ways it could be used and how you plan on using it then the DM can make an informed decision as to whether it fits the theme and power level of their game.

I disagree. This feat doesn't give them anything on Concentration checks like Warcaster, doesn't allow them to cast a spell as an OA like Warcaster.

Furthermore, the UA Thri-Kreen race has secondary arms that have the limit of "light weapons only, no shields". Which means they can have their secondary arms use a spellcasting focus. For the price of a feat, allowing a spellcasting focus in the trunk isn't too bad. And Thri-Kreen can use a shield in main off hand, and spend their bonus action for TWF with the Light weapon in their off hand.

And if trying to combine TWF with a shield...even if you specify Light weapons only in the trunk, they'd only be able to use TWF if their main hand weapon is Light. They wouldn't get the AC bonus if they took Dual Wielder. Look at the wording of Dual Wielder. Gets a +1 bonus to AC "if a one handed weapon is in EACH hand". So if one hand is holding a shield, or if they're using a 2 hander and the trunk has a Light weapon, they still don't qualify.

The only affect of having Dual Wielder as well is that they could have a Light weapon in the trunk, a non Light 1h weapon in main hand, and spend a bonus action to TWF with the Light weapon.

Maybe if the proposed feat specified that "even if you have the TWF Fighting Style, you don't add your ability modifier to damage rolls with Light weapons wielded in the trunk? But given that a Thri-Kreen fighter CAN. This seems like too harsh a nerf to the proposed feat.

[Corran]

I've just started a new campaign with a Loxodon fighter. For my first ASI I'm thinking of asking my GM for a custom racial feat called "The Third Hand" that would give my character +1 strength, double his Trunk weight allowance and allow his trunk to be used as a fully functional appendage.

Does this sound reasonable?
I'd drop the +1 STR for sure. I think I should drop the extra weight allowance too, to bring it more in line with something llike MAM (still your feat is way more versatile and powerful, though MAM is pretty underwhelming), but I may leave it on if we were tracking weight and were serious about it (though I would robably reduce the extra weight limit to a small fixed amount, as with the +1 STR gone the extra weight caacity does not make much sense). The only thing I would be a little wary of would be AC stacking. So in a campaign with lots of magic items I might put few restrictions on what you can do with the extra hand (like not allowing shields, and attacks using it suffer diasdvantage unless the extra hands wields just a light weapon, to leave room for twf cause I am amused by it; might change my mind about later on if it broke anything but I'd give it a go).

[Frogreaver]

I've just started a new campaign with a Loxodon fighter. For my first ASI I'm thinking of asking my GM for a custom racial feat called "The Third Hand" that would give my character +1 strength, double his Trunk weight allowance and allow his trunk to be used as a fully functional appendage.

Does this sound reasonable?

If you 2h + shield it's effectively +1 str and +2 AC (with potential for far more from magic shields).
If you dual wield (assuming the DM rules it works) it's still +1 Str and +2 AC
If you are playing sword and shield it leaves a free hand open for grappling or spellcasting. This let's Eldritch Knight's use the shield spell while keeping up their str progression.

How will the DM rule if you equip 2 shields?
Are there any magic items that this would be really good for?

I can't think of any other significant possibilities.

The better question is what are you planning to do with that third appendage?

[Battlebooze]

Currently the character primarily uses a shield and a war-hammer. He has the Dueling fighting style, so he does 1d8+2 base damage. I was planning on taking the Echo Knight for his subclass, so duel wielding, (which I only find use for on a rogue anyway) was right out, as a Echo Knight's bonus action will get lots of use out of his echos.

Yes, with this feat, I was eventually planning on going 2handed weapon/shield , probably a Maul. With that set up, I was also eventually planning on taking GWM.

The base damage difference between using a 1 handed with duelist and a 2 hander isn't that much, 1d8+2 vs 2d6.

Yes, this would give him more damage with shield AC with another feat, GWM.

I'll probably just pick up Tavern Brawler instead, get the +1 Str and find a cool improvised weapon for him to use along with his shield. Then when he slams someone with the improvised weapon he has the option to use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target, and I can have him use his trunk for the grapple. :D

[Kane0]

Seems fine to me

[Battlebooze]

Thanks for the replies, comments, and thoughts all!

[JellyPooga]

The real question has nothing to do with game mechanics and everything to do with "does this look stupid?".

For me, wanting to wield a shield and a 2-H weapon using a trunk as a 3rd arm is simply outside the realm of what I feel is reasonable and I wouldn't even get as far as the question of rule mechanics. More simply put, this request feels more like a power grab than a roleplaying aspect. I say it as I see it.

[Battlebooze]

Just like those power-gaming finger wigglers that somehow throw balls of fire!
/s

[RedMage125]

Just like those power-gaming finger wigglers that somehow throw balls of fire!
/s

No, he's right. 2h weapon and shield is too much. Like I said, base it off the Thri-Kreen UA. Can wield objects, spellasting foci, and Light weapons, but not shields.

[Greywander]

and find a cool improvised weapon for him to use along with his shield.
Why not just cut out the middle man and use the shield itself as an improvised weapon?

Also, you could use an unarmed strike instead of an improvised weapon. In most cases, there shouldn't be a meaningful difference. Without Tavern Brawler, improvised weapons have a base damage of 1d4 but no proficiency, while unarmed strikes have a base damage of 1 with proficiency, but Tavern Brawler makes both of those 1d4 damage with proficiency.

You could also grab the Unarmed Fighting style to raise that damage to 1d8/1d6 (probably 1d6, since I assume you'll be holding a weapon and/or shield), and allow you to do 1d4 free damage per round to a grappled target. It's not huge, so definitely weigh it against something like Dueling or Defense, but maybe if you have a spare feat you could grab a second fighting style.

[Kane0]

A feat to 2hand or TWF + Shield doesnt sound like too much to me. Warcaster does the same for casting + shield and there's three parts to that feat.

Edit: not to mention races and classes that have natural weapons that dont use their hands, like minotaurs, lizardfolk and beast barbarian tails.

[Samayu]

I'm having trouble visualizing how a trunk could wield a shield and keep it outside the swing of a two-handed weapon.

[Greywander]

TBH, a feat that allows you to wield a two-handed weapon or use TWF while using a shield seems like it would be in line with a number of other feats. PAM is better than TWF since the BA attack does full damage instead of needing a fighting style, in addition to several other benefits.