Worst feat in D&D?

[Saph]

This thread reminded me of something I wanted to ask a while ago: what do you think is the worst feat in 3.5 D&D? Either submit your picks for worst, or make a list of top 3.

For ease of use, divide it between core and non-core. Noncore is obviously much more difficult, since there are so many feats to choose between.

Even in core, it's more difficult than you'd think. At first sight you might just pick a feat like Toughness. But Toughness, especially at low levels, is actually quite likely to make the difference between being conscious and dying, and between dying and dead. And since HP damage is so common, that's a real chance of it saving your character's life, which would disqualify it from the 'worst feat' title. Again, Skill Focus can be utterly useless, but it can be very effective, with a class like the Truenamer.

What we're looking for here is feats that not only can be bad, but are so utterly, awfully sucktastic that they're always bad in just about every conceivable situation. Ideally, it ought to be so bad that it makes actually makes your character worse, either by being totally useless or by encouraging you to use a bad option.

For Core, I'm thinking maybe Diligent - it gives +2 on Appraise and Decipher Script, two of the least useful skills in the game.

For non-core, it's way harder. Off the top of my head the worst I can think of is Touch Spell Specialisation from Complete Arcane - incredibly specialised, has a harsh prerequisite, encourages you to get into melee as a caster, and is useless with most of the best touch spells as they don't do HP damage anyway.

Suggestions?

- Saph

[Merlin the Tuna]

Skill Focus: Speak Language is usually the winner of this contest.

[Guy_Whozevl]

I nominate Dual Strike from Complete Adventurer. Completely useless as the penalties are too great just to get two attacks as a standard action. It's a crappy two-weapon fighting answer to Manyshot.

[martyboy74]

Skill Focus: Speak Language is usually the winner of this contest.

Does that even exist?

[kpenguin]

Does that even exist?

Well, Speak Language is technically is a skill, so...

[Scorpina]

Skill Focus and Spell Focus both have nigh limitless potential for wastefulness. Spell Focus (Divination) is a favourite complete waste of time.

[Morty]

Spell Focus (Divination) is a favourite complete waste of time.

In core-only, maybe. But with splatbooks there are some Divinations with saving throws, so while still not very good feat, it's not a total waste of time. And even in core, scrying allows saving throw.
I'm surprising noone mentioned Monkey Grip yet; I'm not going to nominate it, but it's commonly considered as completely worthless.

[martyboy74]

Well, Speak Language is technically is a skill, so...

In that case, Greater Skill Focus (Speak Language) is even worse.

[SurlySeraph]

In core-only, maybe. But with splatbooks there are some Divinations with saving throws, so while still not very good feat, it's not a total waste of time. And even in core, scrying allows saving throw.
I'm surprising noone mentioned Monkey Grip yet; I'm not going to nominate it, but it's commonly considered as completely worthless.

Monkey Grip is half-decent is you use the variant that it lets you treat one-handed weapons as light weapons and two-handed weapons as one-handed weapons. There's a build a friend of mine made using that variant that dual-wielded scythes. Basically, it wouldn't hit on anything but a twenty, ever, but when it did hit nothing could survive. As written, though, it's craptastic.

I have to second Skill Focus: Speak Language, though.

[goat]

Skill Focus: Speak Language is usually the winner of this contest.

You know how it is, you're suddenly needed to mediate a negotiation between 3 different species, nobody speaks more than one of the languages, for some reason nobody can cast tongues or telepathic bond, no interpreters are available, and yet SOMEHOW, you've just gained a level & can learn those languages as racial or class features...

Oh, and you only get one skill point, because of your hideously low class features, so that's not an option.

[Peregrine]

Hmm... I think Skill Focus (Speak Language) might step over the line from "stupidly useless" to "genuinely pointless, therefore shouldn't exist". The rules don't explicitly bar its existence, but I think it's obvious from context that the Skill Focus feat should not be allowed to be taken with Speak Language. "The Speak Language skill doesn't work like other skills", and all that. It's the sort of thing that would probably pop up in the FAQ if Wizards thought there was any need to spell this out. (A possible house rule would let that +3 translate to 3 ranks in Speak Language... that would be useful.)

In other words, I reckon that this contest should only be between feats that work exactly as intended, yet are still weak or useless. Otherwise, you could also put up Ride-by Attack... which, as written, is almost unusable. You can't keep moving in a straight line after using a charge action, because that would mean entering the opponent's space. Unless you dropped the opponent or otherwise rendered it helpless, you can't move through its space. I think the FAQ says something on this...

[goat]

(A possible house rule would let that +3 translate to 3 ranks in Speak Language... that would be useful.)

Hmm, good point. I just instantly assumed it would give three extra languages, but it only boosts skill checks, not skill levels...

[Leon]

In other words, I reckon that this contest should only be between feats that work exactly as intended, yet are still weak or useless. Otherwise, you could also put up Ride-by Attack... which, as written, is almost unusable. You can't keep moving in a straight line after using a charge action, because that would mean entering the opponent's space. Unless you dropped the opponent or otherwise rendered it helpless, you can't move through its space. I think the FAQ says something on this...

Only if your not using a non reach weapon, a Lance on the other hand is a reach weapon

then mix in Spirited Charge for x3 DAM

[Dullyanna]

Weapon Focus: Gauntlet. You're better off with pretty much any other weapon.

[PlatinumJester]

Exotic Weapon Proficiency Shruiken/bolas.

Combat Casting .

Spell Mastery.

Run.

[Emperor Tippy]

Spell Mastery has its uses. And its not like there are a lot of good feat choices for wizards in the first place.

[Rad]

Exotic weapon proficiency(any double weapon). 2WF is disadvantageous already and does not leave space for an extra feat.
Ride by attack gets nominated, but I regard its non-functionality more as a bug, while other feats suck while still working as planned.

[Kurald Galain]

Armor proficiency (medium). Simply because nearly all medium armors suck, and those that don't aren't a significant enough improvement over light armors to spend a feat on.

Simple Weapon Proficiency. Because if you're in one of the few classes that doesn't have it, either you really don't need it, or Martial Weapon Proficiency is a better option.

Enlarge spell. Because, as Logicninja says, if you're losing only because the enemy is outside your friggin' range, you're doing something wrong.

Dodge. Because it is such a slowdown in combat for a relatively minor effect, and people keep forgetting it, and so forth. Yes, it's a useful prerequisite and not a bad effect, but it is terribly written.

I'm curious if people ever take such things as Diehard, Endurance, Tower Shield Prof, or Run. I'm also wondering if Improved Turning is ever worth it, considering most clerics spend their Turns on other things than undead removal.

Also, the list of Epic feats has quite a number that are not exactly spectacular, like the ones that give you +1 to a single ability score, or Improved Sneak Attack (why is that even epic?), or Improved Darkvision (which would be underwhelming even as a regular feat).

[martyboy74]

Spell Mastery has its uses. And its not like there are a lot of good feat choices for wizards in the first place.

*cough*metamagic*cough* *hack*item creation*hack* *wheeze*trap your spellbook*wheeze*

[Spiryt]

Run.

Hey, my players had already about 4-5 situations were it could be really handy.( And they'r 4th level, so it counts as "quite often")
Also great for approaching archers really quickly not worring about losing Dex bonus to AC.

Surely, from purely optimization point of view, it's bad but certainly not worst feat ever.

[Quellian-dyrae]

Hmm...I'm not 100% sure I'd call this the worst non-core feat, but it can't be too far off. Nonlethal Substitution. I suppose it can be useful if you really want to capture an enemy alive (since Hold spells aren't intended for that sort of thing any more, apparently) or protect the scenery...but in all normal combat scenarios you're increasing the spell level by 1 to make the spell weaker. And you've wasted a feat.

Stone Power strikes me as another credible contestant. I guess it could be useful at the low levels maybe...if you're fighting one on one...or something...

Core...even with the low-level thing considered, I'd still vote for Toughness. Not only does it become a wasted feat after a couple of levels, it tries to trick you in wasting even more feats on it.

[Emperor Tippy]

*cough*metamagic*cough* *hack*item creation*hack* *wheeze*trap your spellbook*wheeze*

Honestly most metamagic isn't worth the level increase. Same with item creation. It's not like gold is hard to find and so long as you can plane shift to Sigil/Union its easy to find what you want.

Is Spell Mastery a good feat? No. But it isn't a bad feat either, mediocre yes.

[puppyavenger]

skill focus (Knowledge (local:(Your settings biggest, most stable most peacful agricultual area.)
or combat casting.

[Dhavaer]

Incidentally, Spell Mastery is win if you get your DM to houserule Magelord into usefulness. Or possibly even if you don't, 10th level only gives you the metamagic thing.

[Shas aia Toriia]

skill focus (Knowledge (local:(Your settings biggest, most stable most peacful agricultual area.)
or combat casting.

Skill focus: Speak Language. It doesn't do anything!

But for other feats, toughness. 3 HP is half a level gain in HP! Yes!! And that's at low levels too, for a d6 HP and a decent CON. At high levels, not even the d4 will accept toughness. By the time you reach mid levels, it is, to the non-raging barbarian, 1/4 or a level's gain.

[Shades of Gray]

Skill focus: Jump, climb, swim etc.. who is going to waste a feat on that?

Also I have invented a sub-skill. Perform (evil deeds) morale boosts for stabbing puppies!

[Kaelik]

Three things.

1)Are we considering all the crappy feats that are pre-reqs?

2)Dodge, the most useless thing in existence.

3)Ride by Attack-Wrong. A charge involves you moving to the closest square to you that you can attack from. There are a very few situations in which continuing on in a straight line would not make you pass through the opponents square. Those situations are made even more likely when wielding a reach weapon.

[Merlin the Tuna]

Hmm, good point. I just instantly assumed it would give three extra languages, but it only boosts skill checks, not skill levels...

If you want extra languages, pick Open Minded (CAdv, XPH). It gives you 5 skill points immediately, which translates to either 2.5 or 5 languages, depending on your class. (HOORJ for bards!)

And I've seen Diehard come up a few times. A cleric took it in a campaign I was in, and was able to use it to turn around a few battles after playing dead. (We consider that a pretty easy thing to do once you hit -5 HP.)

[Jack Mann]

Armor proficiency (medium). Simply because nearly all medium armors suck, and those that don't aren't a significant enough improvement over light armors to spend a feat on.

To be fair, mithral full plate's pretty nice. But then, most classes that have only light armor proficiency encourage high dexterity, so its usefulness is limited.

*cough*metamagic*cough* *hack*item creation*hack* *wheeze*trap your spellbook*wheeze*

Trapping your spellbook doesn't require a feat.

[Citizen Joe]

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Kama (see sickle if you don't get it)