IDungeons & DragonsFifth Edition,Feats are one of the main ways to customize a character. They are optional abilities that players can take for their characters instead of earning Ability Score Boosts. They offer powerful and wide-ranging features unlike anything else5es classes or subclasses.
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An amazing5eThe company will either strengthen a weakness or improve existing strengths. The best performances do both and/or introduce new options to a character's arsenal. Many feats will completely change how a character plays in or out of combat, and can be great opportunities for players to fully customize their characters both flavor-wise and mechanically.
Of course, each class and build requires a different selection of feats. Some are better for melee-focused frontline troops like fighters and barbarians, while others help expand a spellcasting list. But there are a few feats that are almost always a good choice no matter what build or role a character is aiming for.
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Updated May 22, 2023 by Isaac Williams:Feats are the best way to customize a character in D&D 5e. However, they are also few in number. One player must make everyone count. To help players choose the best feats for their characters, this list has been updated with even more of the best 5e feats.
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20 Magic initiation
Player's Handbook p. 168
Magic Initiate allows a player to choose a different class and learn a first-level spell and two dials from that class's spell list. This versatility allows almost any character to fill holes in their loadout. Melee characters can get floating dials, spellcasters can get a panic button attack, and combat-focused classes can learn some help spells.
- Easy access to ranged magic attacks
- Improved utility and combat
- Expanded spell options without requiring multiclassing
Finally, the Paladin can get some slices, the barbarian can get some magic in their life, and the mage gets an extra spell at first level. Since the spells chosen will use the same skill rating as the class, characters are somewhat limited in which classes they can choose. However, this does not prevent it from being one of the best performances5e. It is especially useful for smaller parties that may not have a designated healer or caster.
19 Elastic
Player's Handbook p. 168
Saving shots is a big part of survivald&D 5e,and they see a lot of use both in and out of combat. However, most characters only gain skills in two shots. They only have to rely on their ability score modifier - which often won't be enough in the later levels of the game.
- Grants skill on a saving throw of the player's choice
- Increases the skill score associated with the rescue
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Resilient allows players to gain skills with an ability score of their choice. Wisdom is a good choice to prevent many status effects like Paralyzed and Charmed. Constitution prevents many harmful effects and helps spellcasters with their concentration. This feat can help a flashy character stretch their defenses or ensure a more fragile caster has a little more survivability.
18 Flames of Phlegethus
Xanathar's Guide to Everything p. 74
This feat is only available to tieflings, but it's worth it for those who focus on fire magic. In addition to boosting Charisma or Intelligence, Flames of Phlegethos ensures that the user never takes minimal damage from fire damage attacks.
- Grants additional perks without losing the ability score boost
- Helps increase damage reliability
- Keeps enemies out of melee
In addition, Flames of Phlegethos allows the user to surround themselves in flames, dealing damage to anyone who dares approach. Fire is already the most prolific damage type5ehis spells. Any caster with Flames of Phlegethos is already more effective with a large number of offensive spells, in addition to having a way to punish enemies that catch them off guard.
17 Brawler Tavern
Player's Handbook p. 170
This feat allows the user to grab anything they want and turn it into a weapon, adding their dexterity bonus to improvised attack. It also upgrades the unarmed strike from doing only one point of damage to using a d4. Perhaps the most useful bonus is the ability to grapple a target as a bonus action.
- Allows non-monks to repair unarmed damage
- Prevents a character from ever being without a weapon
- Makes grappling much more viable
Grip is powerful, but the cost of an attack can hinder it. Being able to chain a target's movement beyond full attack really opens up room for fun builds. To combine this withadvantage of a barbarian on strength rollswhile Raging is perfect for building the best possible build.
16 Grand Master of Weapons
Player's Handbook p. 167
MostD&DBattles are about reducing the other side's hit points. Two-handed heavy weapons are already some of the most damaging weapons in the game, but Great Weapon Master greatly increases their threat.
- -5 penalty to hit with heavy weapons in exchange for a +10 bonus to damage
- Bonus action attack after a critical hit or fatal hit
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The +10 bonus to damage rolls this feat provides is huge, even at later levels. Great Weapon Master is one of the best achievements5ebecause of how much more deadly it makes a melee fighter. Fighters, paladins and barbarians benefit greatly from it, especially if they have a way to increase their accuracy.
15 Crossbow specialist
Player's Handbook p. 165
Most characters are looking for onepistol range inside draw a bow immediately, but Crossbow Expert even helps on the field. Eliminates the need to spend time reloading, allowing a character to perform the full number of attacks each turn. It also allows crossbows to be used in close combat without penalty, which is not easy to do with bows.
- Gives a character access to an underused weapon
- It helps facilitate a classic battle archetype
- Increased flexibility for characters that like to be in and out of melee range
Anyone who wants to dual wield can take advantage of its third feature, which basically allows the normal dual wielding rules to also apply to a handheld crossbow. The classic "Stab and shoot" build for a rogue relies on this feat being functional and worth getting.
14 Alarm
Player's Handbook p. 165
Alert is perfect for any party that the DM wants to ambush at any opportunity. It grants a +5 bonus to initiative, as well as negating most of the benefits other creatures gain from that character's surprise. It also prevents a creature from being stunned while unconscious. This reduces the threat of ambushes and leaves at least one character to tip the odds in the party's favor.
- Protects the party from ambushes
- Allows any character to serve as party guard
- It reliably helps to act first in battle
This can be used to great effect on an already skilled character to ensure they are always first. It can be just as valuable on a character with an otherwise terrible initiative score. A party really only needs one alarming character to warn everyone else of impending danger.
13 Elemental Adept
Player's Handbook p. 166
The Elemental Adept feat is limited to casting classes, as it requires the ability to cast a spell of at least level 1. However, it can be extremely useful for casters. It especially benefits those who focus on one damage type, such as a Draconic Bloodline mage ora Pact of Enemy mate.
- Increases build up of single damage type
- It helps to overcome resistances
- Can be chosen more than once for more well-rounded builds
RELATED:Elemental Adept allows the user to ignore all resistances to that damage type, effectively negating the main disadvantage of focusing on one damage type. It also ensures that they will never deal minimal damage on a spell, as it upgrades all damage rolls from one to two. Casters focusing on a single element is a classic trope in fantasy, and the Elemental Adept feat is needed to translate this intoD&D 5e.
12 Sharpshooter
Player's Handbook p. 170
The ranged attack is quite strongD&D5e,as it allows the attacker to deal damage without being hit in return. However, one of the biggest limiting factors in ranged attacks is a battlefield full of ground cover. Additionally, ranged weapons provide a disadvantage when used at full range.
- Ignores half and three quarters of coverage
- Stops ranged attacks made on a disadvantage
- Allows players to take -5 to hit in exchange for +10 damage
The Sharpshooter feat removes both of these limitations. A character with a Sharpshooter ignores all but full cover and can attack from long range with their weapon without disadvantage. Additionally, characters can take an accuracy penalty for much more damage. Sharpshooter is easily the best feat5efor aggressive attackers such as guards and rogues.
11 Hard
Player's Handbook p. 170
Hit points are a necessary resource to maintainD&D 5e. A character falls unconscious and begins making saving throws when their hit points reach zero. As such, most characters want to keep their hit points as high as possible. The hard performance overcomes this problem.
- Gives up two extra hit points per level
- Applies to previous levels, potentially giving a large number of hit points at once
Tough gives a character two extra hit points per level, making it as effective at boosting hit points as four extra points in Constitution. It also applies retroactively at levels where the character did not have Tough. It is one of5eis his best performance, because almost nothing can match the extra hit points he gives.
10 War Caster
Player's Handbook p. 170
War Caster has many great perks that are a must for any character who wants to cast spells while engaging in melee combat. First, it gives advantage on concentration saving rolls. This is extremely useful for any spell as it makes his most powerful spells last longer. It is most useful for melee characters as they take damage and need to make concentration rolls more often.
- Activates melee build
- Helps maintain concentration for any type of wheel
- Allows armored casters to freely use physical spells
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Perhaps the most powerful feature, however, is the ability to cast magic as attacks of opportunity. This opens up a huge range of options in combat as the spell doesn't have to be exclusively a damage spell. Being able to bind a creature with Hold Monster in response can be an extremely powerful combat trick to lock down mobile enemies.
9 Lucky
Player's Handbook p. 167
Dice rolls are its core mechanicD&D,So a feat that essentially grants free rerolls will always be extremely powerful. Lucky gives the user three luck points which can be used to re-roll almost any d20 die. Lucky applies in basically every situation, from trying to make up for a missed attack to fishing for a success on an important skill check.
- Useful on any character or building
- It can be used defensively or offensively
- Useful in and out of battle
Lucky can even be used to attack the character, helping him avoid almost certain death. Lucky's sheer versatility is what makes it so good. It is one ofD&D 5eHis best performance for any build in the game.
8 Sportsman
Player's Handbook p. 165
In addition to increasing Dexterity or Strength by one, Athlete provides a number of small perks that will be useful to almost any character looking to improve their mobility. Adventurers who focus ondungeons part of itDungeons and dragons they'll love that climbing no longer costs them extra movement. In addition, they can long jump with shorter runs.
- Keeps the character mobile
- Allows a character to run and climb with ease
- Helps sustain skill score increases in addition to other effects
More combat-focused heroes will enjoy being able to stand with only five feet of their movement. This allows them to get back on their feet after being healed and immediately land the blow. Being able to jump, climb, and run to get to any location is useful on almost any character, especially at low levels when mobility spells are few.
7 Therapist
Player's Handbook p. 167
The healer kit is already a great itemD&D 5th Edition,as it allows the user to instantly stabilize a dying creature. However, the Healer feat allows the user to use a healer kit to heal party members more proactively.
- Access to reliable treatment at low levels
- Allows a non-magical character to serve as the party's healer
- Saves money on potions at early levels
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Healer's Kits have 10 uses, and a character with the Healer feat can use once to heal a target for a fixed amount. This ability is limited to once per rest per Grade. However, it's a good choice for a party that doesn't have magical healing or as a backup in case of an emergency. The healer declines in usefulness as more powerful healing spells become available, but can be an early level lifesaver.
6 Guard
Player's Handbook p. 169
Sentinel allows a character to protect their allies and limit the movement of enemies.It gives the user several abilities that allow them to lock down any opponent that tries to avoid them. It even allows them to make reactive attacks against a creature attacking other than them.
- Allows each character to defend their allies
- Allows a melee character to lock onto enemies almost at will
- It provides a ton of control on the battlefield
Choosing the Sentinel feat sets the character up to serve as the tank of the party. A character with Sentinel can hold enemies in place and punish them for trying to harm more fragile allies. Combines great with the Polearm Master feat to create a nearly impenetrable spear.
5 Polearm Master
Player's Handbook p. 168
This feat functionally gives the user an extra attack when swinging a pole arm. After making regular attacks, they can strike with the blunt end of their weapon as an action bonus for 1d4 damage. Polearm Master's most notable attribute, however, is the ability to hit anyone who comes within range of the character.
- Grants attack reactions and bonus actions
- Part of a nearly broken combo with Sentinel
- It helps enable a classic battle archetype
In addition to adding many more chances to take damage each turn, this pairs extremely well with the Sentinel feat. The two together effectively stop any attempt to pass within 10 meters of the user. Few builds are better at locking down enemies than those that combine the two feats.
4 Caster Ritual
Player's Handbook p. 169
Most spells use a spell to use. However, some help forms are labeled Ritual. This allows a spellcaster to spend more time casting them, in exchange for not using a spell slot. Ritual Caster allows any character to cast ritual spells of a class, even if they are not mages themselves.
- Allows characters to cast the ritual spells of a class
- Characters can find more ritual spells and add them to their cast list
- Gives each character a useful spellcasting tool
Ritual Caster has almost no combat advantage. However, it is one of them. Any character can learn useful spells and cast them at no cost. While the selection is limited, it includes some of the best non-combat spells in the game.
3 Mobil
Player's Handbook p. 168
Many characters can benefit from increased speed, and Mobile does that and more. Increases a character's base speed by 10 feet. This is a significant increase for any character. It helps slower races keep up with their allies and allows faster races like forest elves to reach their full potential.
- Improves speed, ideal for slow and already fast characters
- Almost negates attacks of opportunity
- Allows a character to easily enter or leave melee
The most fundamental change, however, is that it allows the user to ignore attacks of opportunity from creatures it hits. Being able to hit a creature and dash out of the way is extremely powerful. Mobile facilitates hit-and-run attacks, making it invaluable for classes like Rogues or Monks.
2 Mounted fighter
Player's Handbook p. 168
Combat battles do not favor all campaigns. When it works, though, it's very powerful. A character with Mounted Combatant can take hits on his mount, which helps mitigate the fact that most mounts have extremely low AC and/or hit points. It also gives the base an evasion ability to increase its survivability.
- Activates a virtual character archetype
- Keeps bases healthy and safe in battle
- Gives an extremely powerful attack boost
Perhaps the most useful trait, however, is advantage on attack rolls against creatures smaller than their base. The archetypal mounted fighter is of course an armored knight, but that applies to other classes. A rogue with this feat would have access to Sneak Attack every turn, provided they are fighting humanoids and other medium sized creatures.
1 Fey/Shadow Touched
Tasha's Cauldron Of Everything s. 79 og 80
Access to multiple spells is always strongD&D, and this pair of exploits is one of the best ways to do that. Unlike Magic Initiate, these feats grant a bonus to an ability score in addition to granting certain spells.
- Helps increase ability scores
- Access to powerful spells without the need for a spell slot
- Gives non-caster classes additional options in and out of combat
Each feat grants a standard spell, Misty Step for Fey Touched and Invisibility for Shadow Touched. They also provide a choice of another spell from certain schools of magic. These feats offer a superb level of customization, and every class will be able to find a spell in the list that complements their build.
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