Major and Minor Feats

A recurring theme in optimization efforts is the search for a stat-boosting feat. When you choose a race other than Variant Human, you can start out with an ability score at 17, which means that, if you pick the right feat, you can take a feat for your first ASI and still get a bonus increase on your primary ability score.

Likewise, you'll notice that pattern if you stare at the feats long enough - they'll think of a cool feat, and then think "that isn't really strong enough to be a feat". So they beef it up by adding an appropriate stat-bonus alongside.

I'd like to simplify that system. Rather than having a ton of specific feats that list which ability scores you can have, I'm going to divide feats into 'Major' and 'Minor' lists. Minor feats replace only part of an ASI, instead of the whole thing.

The Minor Feats that come with the Game already:

• Player's Handbook:
  • Athlete
  • Actor
  • Durable
  • Heavily Armored
  • Heavy Armor Master
  • Keen Mind
  • Lightly Armored
  • Linguist
  • Moderately Armored
  • Observant
  • Resilient
  • Tavern Brawler
  • Weapon Master
• Xanathar's Guide to Everything
  • Elven Accuracy
  • Probably some others
• Homebrew Feats (so far):
  • Blindfighting
  • Clever Action
  • Agile Defense

I also plan on revising a number of my homebrew feats to remove the unimportant bits and become Minor. Aside from this allowing arbitrary ability bonuses with the partial feats (instead of the specific one it was written expecting), it also opens up the option of selecting two Minor Feats instead of a whole ASI. It removes however the option of taking stat-boosting feats for the free feats I offer my players at level1 1, 5, 11, and 17. I plan on amending that bonus to grant "one major or two minor feats." This will get rid of the bit of awkwardness where I had to limit players from using the free feat to get 18 in their primary stat at level 1, which makes the free-feats system far more elegant.