Secret Lesson 56

Feats: Rules, Categories, Prerequisites, Benefits, and Repeatable Feats

During the course, we have already encountered:

FEATS

many times.

Backgrounds give:

ORIGIN FEATS

Humans can gain an additional:

ORIGIN FEAT

Several Classes gain:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

which can allow the character to choose another Feat.

Fighter, Paladin, and Ranger can gain:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATS

And at the highest levels, Classes offer:

EPIC BOON FEATS

But until now, we have mostly encountered Feats as individual features.

Now we need to understand the system behind them.

A Feat is a character option that provides:

SPECIALIZED BENEFITS

It might improve:

COMBAT

SPELLCASTING

SKILLS

MOBILITY

DEFENSE

or other aspects of a character.

But you can't simply choose any Feat whenever you want.

You must answer four questions:

WHAT CATEGORY IS IT?

DO I MEET ITS PREREQUISITES?

WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT GIVE?

and:

CAN I TAKE IT MORE THAN ONCE?

Those four questions are the foundation of the Feat system.

PART ONE — THE FOUR FEAT CATEGORIES

The SRD 5.2.1 organizes Feats into:

FOUR CATEGORIES

They are:

ORIGIN

GENERAL

FIGHTING STYLE

and:

EPIC BOON

 

Each category helps identify:

WHAT KIND OF FEAT IT IS

and can determine whether a particular feature allows you to choose it.

THE FOUR CATEGORIES AT A GLANCE

Category General Role
Origin Character-origin abilities
General Broad character advancement
Fighting Style Specialized martial training
Epic Boon Extraordinary high-level abilities

These descriptions help us understand the categories.

The actual rule is always:

READ THE CATEGORY WRITTEN UNDER THE FEAT'S NAME

PART TWO — CATEGORY IS A RULE

Every Feat tells you its:

CATEGORY

directly beneath its name.

For example:

ALERT

is listed as:

ORIGIN FEAT

Ability Score Improvement is:

GENERAL FEAT

Archery is:

FIGHTING STYLE FEAT

Boon of Combat Prowess is:

EPIC BOON FEAT

The category isn't merely descriptive.

It matters when another rule tells you:

WHICH CATEGORY YOU MAY CHOOSE FROM

PART THREE — WHEN A FEATURE SPECIFIES A CATEGORY

Suppose a rule says:

CHOOSE AN ORIGIN FEAT

You must choose a Feat whose category says:

ORIGIN FEAT

You can't choose:

A GENERAL FEAT

A FIGHTING STYLE FEAT

or:

AN EPIC BOON FEAT

unless another rule specifically allows it.

EXAMPLE — HUMAN VERSATILE

The Human Species gives:

ONE ORIGIN FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE

Therefore the choice must come from:

THE ORIGIN CATEGORY

You can't use Versatile to choose:

GRAPPLER

because Grappler is:

A GENERAL FEAT

EXAMPLE — FIGHTING STYLE

If a Class feature tells you to choose:

A FIGHTING STYLE FEAT

the chosen Feat must actually have:

FIGHTING STYLE FEAT

as its category.

PART FOUR — WHEN NO CATEGORY IS SPECIFIED

The SRD contains an extremely important rule.

If you're instructed to choose:

A FEAT

and no category is specified:

YOU MAY CHOOSE FROM ANY CATEGORY

provided:

YOU QUALIFY FOR THE FEAT

 

THIS IS IMPORTANT

The rule doesn't mean:

ALL FEATS ARE AVAILABLE

It means:

CATEGORY DOESN'T RESTRICT YOU

You still have to satisfy:

PREREQUISITES

EXAMPLE — ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT CLASS FEATURE

Many Classes have a feature worded in this pattern:

You gain:

THE ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT FEAT

or:

ANOTHER FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

The phrase:

ANOTHER FEAT

doesn't specify a category.

Therefore, the general Feat rule allows any category:

IF YOU QUALIFY

LEVEL 4 EXAMPLE

Suppose you're level 4 and gain:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

You could potentially choose:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

or another qualifying Feat.

Could you choose an:

ORIGIN FEAT?

Yes, if nothing prevents you and you meet its requirements.

Could you choose an:

EPIC BOON?

Normally:

NO

because Epic Boons in the SRD have:

LEVEL 19+

as a prerequisite.

The category isn't stopping you.

The:

PREREQUISITE

is.

PART FIVE — A CATEGORY DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY GIVE YOU THE FEAT

This is another important distinction.

Just because a Feat is in:

THE ORIGIN CATEGORY

doesn't mean every character automatically gets it.

Just because a Feat is:

GENERAL

doesn't mean anyone can simply add it to their character sheet.

A rule must first give you:

THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN A FEAT

Examples include:

BACKGROUND

HUMAN VERSATILE

CLASS FEATURES

or other abilities.

Then you apply:

CATEGORY

and:

PREREQUISITE

rules to determine what you're allowed to choose.

PART SIX — PARTS OF A FEAT

The SRD explains four possible parts of a Feat description:

CATEGORY

PREREQUISITE

BENEFIT

and:

REPEATABLE

 

Let's examine each one carefully.

PART SEVEN — CATEGORY

We have already seen the first element.

Category tells you whether the Feat belongs to:

ORIGIN

GENERAL

FIGHTING STYLE

or:

EPIC BOON

When another feature specifies a category:

MATCH THE CATEGORY EXACTLY

When no category is specified:

ANY CATEGORY CAN BE CHOSEN

if you otherwise qualify.

PART EIGHT — PREREQUISITES

Some Feats have:

PREREQUISITES

A prerequisite is something you must already possess or satisfy before you can take the Feat.

The rule is:

YOU MUST MEET EVERY PREREQUISITE

unless another feature specifically allows you to take that Feat:

WITHOUT THE PREREQUISITE

 

PREREQUISITES CAN INCLUDE THINGS SUCH AS

CHARACTER LEVEL

ABILITY SCORE

A FEATURE

or potentially:

A CLASS

The exact requirement is written in:

THE FEAT DESCRIPTION

PART NINE — LEVEL PREREQUISITES

A Feat might require:

LEVEL 4+

That means your character must be at least:

CHARACTER LEVEL 4

before taking it.

EXAMPLE — ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

The General Feat:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

has:

PREREQUISITE: LEVEL 4+

 

Therefore a level 1 character normally doesn't qualify for it.

LEVEL 3

Does a level 3 character qualify?

NO

LEVEL 4

YES

LEVEL 10

YES

because:

10 ≥ 4

PART TEN — "+" MEANS THAT LEVEL OR HIGHER

Whenever you see:

LEVEL 4+

read it as:

LEVEL 4 OR HIGHER

Similarly:

LEVEL 19+

means:

LEVEL 19 OR HIGHER

PART ELEVEN — ABILITY SCORE PREREQUISITES

Some Feats require a certain:

ABILITY SCORE

EXAMPLE — GRAPPLER

Grappler has the prerequisites:

LEVEL 4+

and:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY 13+

 

Therefore you need:

BOTH REQUIREMENTS

EXAMPLE ONE

Character level:

4

Strength:

12

Dexterity:

12

Do you qualify?

NO

You satisfy the level requirement but not:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY 13+

EXAMPLE TWO

Character level:

3

Dexterity:

16

Do you qualify?

NO

You satisfy the Ability requirement but not:

LEVEL 4+

EXAMPLE THREE

Character level:

4

Dexterity:

14

Do you qualify?

YES

Both requirements are satisfied.

PART TWELVE — "OR" IN A PREREQUISITE

Grappler says:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY 13+

You don't need:

BOTH

You need at least one.

EXAMPLE

Strength:

8

Dexterity:

15

The ability prerequisite is satisfied because:

DEXTERITY IS 13+

PART THIRTEEN — FEATURE PREREQUISITES

Some Feats require you to possess:

A PARTICULAR FEATURE

The Fighting Style Feats in the SRD provide the clearest example.

Each requires:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

 

EXAMPLE — ARCHERY

Archery says:

FIGHTING STYLE FEAT

Prerequisite:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

If your character doesn't have a Fighting Style feature:

YOU DON'T QUALIFY

under the normal rule.

IMPORTANT

Having proficiency with:

A BOW

doesn't satisfy the prerequisite.

Being good at:

RANGED COMBAT

doesn't satisfy it.

You need the actual:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

because that is what the prerequisite says.

PART FOURTEEN — CLASS PREREQUISITES

The general Feat rules also explain what happens if a prerequisite names:

A CLASS

If a Feat prerequisite includes a Class, you must have:

AT LEAST ONE LEVEL IN THAT CLASS

to qualify.

 

HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE

Imagine a Feat said:

PREREQUISITE: FIGHTER

A character with:

FIGHTER 1

would satisfy that class requirement.

A character with:

FIGHTER 0

would not.

This is an example of applying the SRD's general prerequisite rule.

It isn't the text of an additional SRD Feat.

PART FIFTEEN — MULTICLASS CHARACTERS

Because a class prerequisite requires only:

AT LEAST ONE LEVEL IN THE CLASS

a multiclass character can potentially satisfy it.

EXAMPLE

Character:

FIGHTER 1 / WIZARD 4

If a hypothetical prerequisite requires:

FIGHTER

the character qualifies for that part because they have:

ONE FIGHTER LEVEL

Again, whether the Feat can actually be chosen depends on:

ALL ITS OTHER PREREQUISITES

PART SIXTEEN — EVERY PREREQUISITE MATTERS

If a Feat has multiple requirements:

SATISFY ALL OF THEM

WRONG METHOD

"I meet one prerequisite, so I qualify."

WRONG

CORRECT METHOD

Check:

LEVEL

then:

ABILITY SCORE

then:

FEATURE

then any other listed requirement.

Only after every listed prerequisite is satisfied do you normally:

QUALIFY

PART SEVENTEEN — EXCEPTIONS TO PREREQUISITES

The SRD says you normally need to meet a prerequisite:

UNLESS A FEATURE ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE THE FEAT WITHOUT IT

This is an application of a rule we learned at the beginning of the course:

SPECIFIC RULES OVERRIDE GENERAL RULES

So:

General rule:

MEET THE PREREQUISITE

Specific feature:

YOU MAY TAKE IT WITHOUT THE PREREQUISITE

If an actual feature says that:

THE SPECIFIC FEATURE WINS

But don't invent this exception yourself.

A rule must explicitly provide it.

PART EIGHTEEN — BENEFITS

After the category and any prerequisites, the Feat describes:

ITS BENEFITS

If you have the Feat:

YOU GAIN ITS BENEFITS

 

Some Feats have:

ONE BENEFIT

Others have:

SEVERAL

EXAMPLE — ALERT

Alert contains more than one benefit.

You don't choose only:

ONE

unless the Feat tells you to choose.

Having the Feat means you gain:

ITS LISTED BENEFITS

IMPORTANT

A heading inside a Feat such as:

ABILITY SCORE INCREASE

or:

INITIATIVE SWAP

is usually identifying one:

COMPONENT OF THE FEAT

It isn't necessarily a separate Feat.

PART NINETEEN — BENEFITS CAN CONTAIN CHOICES

A Feat might tell you:

CHOOSE

something as part of its benefits.

When that happens:

MAKE THE CHOICE THE FEAT DESCRIBES

EXAMPLE — MAGIC INITIATE

Magic Initiate contains choices involving:

A SPELL LIST

CANTRIPS

A LEVEL 1 SPELL

and:

SPELLCASTING ABILITY

Those aren't separate Feats.

They are choices made while gaining the benefits of:

MAGIC INITIATE

The complete mechanics will be covered in:

LESSON 57

PART TWENTY — FEAT BENEFITS CAN MODIFY GENERAL RULES

Remember:

FEATS CAN CREATE EXCEPTIONS

The SRD's fundamental rule says that specific features, including Feats, can override:

GENERAL RULES

EXAMPLE

Suppose a general rule says something normally works in one way.

A Feat explicitly says:

YOU CAN DO IT DIFFERENTLY

Use:

THE FEAT'S SPECIFIC RULE

for the character who has that Feat.

This is one reason Feats can dramatically change:

HOW A CHARACTER PLAYS

PART TWENTY-ONE — REPEATABLE FEATS

The general rule is:

A FEAT CAN BE TAKEN ONLY ONCE

unless its description contains:

REPEATABLE

and tells you otherwise.

 

DEFAULT ASSUMPTION

If you don't see:

REPEATABLE

assume:

ONCE

EXAMPLE

Suppose you already have a non-repeatable Feat.

Another feature later allows you to choose a Feat.

You can't simply choose that same Feat again:

UNLESS IT IS REPEATABLE

PART TWENTY-TWO — REPEATABLE DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN IDENTICAL

A Repeatable Feat may have:

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

for taking it again.

MAGIC INITIATE

Magic Initiate is:

REPEATABLE

but each time you take it:

CHOOSE A DIFFERENT SPELL LIST

 

So you can't take the exact same Magic Initiate spell-list choice repeatedly.

EXAMPLE

First Magic Initiate:

CLERIC LIST

Second:

WIZARD LIST

Third:

DRUID LIST

Those are the three lists offered by this SRD Feat.

PART TWENTY-THREE — SKILLED IS REPEATABLE

The Origin Feat:

SKILLED

also has:

REPEATABLE

 

That means a character can take Skilled:

MORE THAN ONCE

when a rule allows the character to gain another Feat.

Each use provides the benefits stated by:

SKILLED

which we will study completely in:

LESSON 57

PART TWENTY-FOUR — ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT IS REPEATABLE

The General Feat:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

is also:

REPEATABLE

 

This is important because Classes normally gain several opportunities for:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

during their progression.

EXAMPLE

At one Class level, you might choose:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

Then at a later level where your Class grants another Feat opportunity:

CHOOSE ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT AGAIN

provided its rules and prerequisites are satisfied.

PART TWENTY-FIVE — REPEATABLE DOES NOT MEAN UNLIMITED AT ANY MOMENT

A Repeatable Feat doesn't mean:

TAKE IT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT RIGHT NOW

You still need:

A RULE THAT GIVES YOU A FEAT

every time you take it.

EXAMPLE

You have one Feat choice.

Skilled is Repeatable.

You can take:

SKILLED ONCE

with that choice.

You don't receive:

FIVE COPIES

because it is Repeatable.

To take it again, you need:

ANOTHER FEAT-GAINING OPPORTUNITY

PART TWENTY-SIX — THE ORIGIN CATEGORY

Origin Feats represent abilities especially associated with:

CHARACTER ORIGIN

In the standard Background rules we studied in Lesson 51, each Background gives:

A SPECIFIC ORIGIN FEAT

SRD ORIGIN FEATS

The SRD 5.2.1 contains four Origin Feats:

ALERT

MAGIC INITIATE

SAVAGE ATTACKER

and:

SKILLED

 

BACKGROUND EXAMPLES

Acolyte:

MAGIC INITIATE — CLERIC

Criminal:

ALERT

Sage:

MAGIC INITIATE — WIZARD

Soldier:

SAVAGE ATTACKER

HUMAN

Human's:

VERSATILE

gives one additional:

ORIGIN FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE

WARLOCK

We also saw an SRD Warlock Invocation:

LESSONS OF THE FIRST ONES

which can grant:

ONE ORIGIN FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE

provided the Invocation's own rules are satisfied.

ORIGIN DOESN'T MEAN "LEVEL 1 ONLY FOREVER"

This is a useful distinction.

Origin is:

THE FEAT'S CATEGORY

It doesn't create a universal rule saying:

YOU CAN NEVER TAKE IT AFTER LEVEL 1

If a later feature gives you a Feat choice with no category restriction and you qualify:

AN ORIGIN FEAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE CHOSEN

EXAMPLE

A level 4 Class feature says:

ANOTHER FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

No category specified.

An Origin Feat with no unmet prerequisite can therefore be:

A LEGAL CHOICE

PART TWENTY-SEVEN — THE GENERAL CATEGORY

The SRD includes two:

GENERAL FEATS

They are:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

and:

GRAPPLER

 

Both require:

LEVEL 4+

Grappler additionally requires:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY 13+

GENERAL FEATS AND CLASS ADVANCEMENT

Many Classes receive the feature:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

at specified Class levels.

That feature gives:

THE ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT FEAT

or:

ANOTHER FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

For example, the same wording appears in SRD Class progressions such as Warlock.

IMPORTANT

The Class feature is named:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

And there is also a Feat named:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

This can confuse beginners.

FEATURE

The Class feature gives you:

A FEAT-GAINING OPPORTUNITY

FEAT

Ability Score Improvement is one of the Feats you may select with that opportunity.

EXAMPLE

Your Class says:

LEVEL 4 — ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

You don't automatically have to increase Ability Scores.

You may take:

THE ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT FEAT

or:

ANOTHER FEAT FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

according to that Class feature.

PART TWENTY-EIGHT — THE FIGHTING STYLE CATEGORY

Fighting Style Feats represent:

SPECIALIZED MARTIAL TRAINING

The SRD contains four:

ARCHERY

DEFENSE

GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING

and:

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING

 

SHARED PREREQUISITE

All four require:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

THIS IS CRITICAL

Simply being:

A MARTIAL CLASS

isn't itself the prerequisite.

Simply having:

MARTIAL WEAPON PROFICIENCY

isn't the prerequisite.

The Feat says:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

So look at your character sheet and determine whether a feature actually gives you:

FIGHTING STYLE

SRD CLASS EXAMPLES

We encountered Fighting Style features in Classes such as:

FIGHTER

PALADIN

and:

RANGER

Those features can provide opportunities to choose a Fighting Style Feat.

PART TWENTY-NINE — CHOOSING ANOTHER FIGHTING STYLE LATER

Imagine a Fighter already has:

THE FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

At a later level, the Fighter receives a Class feature allowing:

ANOTHER FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

Because the character has the Fighting Style feature, a Fighting Style Feat's prerequisite may be satisfied.

Then you check:

CATEGORY RESTRICTION?

None in the phrase "another feat."

PREREQUISITE?

Fighting Style Feature:

YES

Therefore an eligible Fighting Style Feat can potentially be chosen.

IMPORTANT

You still can't take the same non-repeatable Feat twice.

If you already have:

ARCHERY

Archery doesn't say:

REPEATABLE

So you can't take Archery again simply to stack another:

ARCHERY

benefit.

PART THIRTY — THE EPIC BOON CATEGORY

Epic Boons represent extraordinary abilities for:

HIGH-LEVEL CHARACTERS

Most Epic Boons in the SRD have:

PREREQUISITE: LEVEL 19+

 

ONE HAS AN ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT

BOON OF SPELL RECALL

requires:

LEVEL 19+

and:

SPELLCASTING FEATURE

 

So being level 19 isn't enough for that particular Boon.

You must satisfy:

BOTH PREREQUISITES

SRD EPIC BOON FEATS

The SRD contains:

BOON OF COMBAT PROWESS

BOON OF DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL

BOON OF FATE

BOON OF IRRESISTIBLE OFFENSE

BOON OF SPELL RECALL

BOON OF THE NIGHT SPIRIT

and:

BOON OF TRUESIGHT

 

PART THIRTY-ONE — CLASS LEVEL 19 AND EPIC BOON

The Classes in the SRD typically gain a feature called:

EPIC BOON

at:

CLASS LEVEL 19

That feature generally gives:

AN EPIC BOON FEAT

or:

ANOTHER FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

For example, the SRD Warlock uses exactly this structure.

IMPORTANT

The feature doesn't force you to select:

THE RECOMMENDED BOON

Classes give a recommendation.

For example:

BOON OF FATE IS RECOMMENDED

for Warlock.

But the Class feature allows an:

EPIC BOON FEAT

or another qualifying Feat.

The recommendation isn't:

A REQUIREMENT

PART THIRTY-TWO — RECOMMENDED DOES NOT MEAN REQUIRED

We have encountered this word frequently throughout the Classes.

When the SRD says:

RECOMMENDED

it is providing:

GUIDANCE

not creating an obligation.

EXAMPLE

A Class says:

BOON OF TRUESIGHT IS RECOMMENDED

You don't automatically gain:

BOON OF TRUESIGHT

You choose according to the actual:

EPIC BOON FEATURE

and:

FEAT PREREQUISITES

PART THIRTY-THREE — EPIC BOON ABILITY SCORES CAN EXCEED 20

Most ordinary adventurer Ability Scores have a normal maximum of:

20

But Epic Boon Feats include specific Ability Score Increase benefits that can raise a score to:

A MAXIMUM OF 30

 

This is a direct example of:

A SPECIFIC RULE OVERRIDING THE GENERAL MAXIMUM

EXAMPLE

Strength:

20

An appropriate Epic Boon increases it by:

+1

and permits a maximum of:

30

New Strength:

21

That would normally exceed the ordinary adventurer maximum of 20.

The Epic Boon specifically allows it.

PART THIRTY-FOUR — FEAT CATEGORY OVERVIEW

Category SRD Feats Typical Requirement
Origin 4 No category-wide prerequisite listed
General 2 SRD examples require Level 4+
Fighting Style 4 Fighting Style Feature
Epic Boon 7 Level 19+, sometimes more

Total Feats in the SRD 5.2.1 Feats section:

17

COMPLETE SRD FEAT INDEX

ORIGIN

ALERT

MAGIC INITIATE

SAVAGE ATTACKER

SKILLED

GENERAL

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

GRAPPLER

FIGHTING STYLE

ARCHERY

DEFENSE

GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING

EPIC BOON

BOON OF COMBAT PROWESS

BOON OF DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL

BOON OF FATE

BOON OF IRRESISTIBLE OFFENSE

BOON OF SPELL RECALL

BOON OF THE NIGHT SPIRIT

BOON OF TRUESIGHT

PART THIRTY-FIVE — HOW TO CHOOSE A FEAT STEP BY STEP

Whenever a feature allows you to gain a Feat, use this process.

STEP 1 — READ THE SOURCE OF THE FEAT

What exactly gives you the choice?

Does it say:

ORIGIN FEAT?

FIGHTING STYLE FEAT?

EPIC BOON FEAT?

or simply:

A FEAT?

STEP 2 — CHECK CATEGORY

If the source specified a category:

USE ONLY THAT CATEGORY

If no category was specified:

ANY CATEGORY MAY BE CONSIDERED

STEP 3 — CHECK PREREQUISITES

Ask:

LEVEL HIGH ENOUGH?

ABILITY SCORE HIGH ENOUGH?

REQUIRED FEATURE?

REQUIRED CLASS?

ANY OTHER REQUIREMENT?

STEP 4 — CHECK WHETHER YOU ALREADY HAVE IT

If you already possess the Feat:

IS IT REPEATABLE?

If not:

YOU CAN'T TAKE IT AGAIN

STEP 5 — IF REPEATABLE, READ ITS SPECIAL RULE

Does it require:

A DIFFERENT SPELL LIST?

or another different choice?

Follow the Feat's:

REPEATABLE SUBSECTION

STEP 6 — RECORD ALL BENEFITS

Once you gain the Feat:

RECORD EVERY BENEFIT

and make any choices the Feat requires.

PART THIRTY-SIX — EXAMPLE: LEVEL 1 SOLDIER HUMAN

Background:

SOLDIER

Species:

HUMAN

The Soldier Background gives:

SAVAGE ATTACKER

which is an:

ORIGIN FEAT

The Human's Versatile trait gives:

ONE ORIGIN FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE

LEGAL HUMAN CHOICE

Could choose:

ALERT

for Versatile.

The character now has:

SAVAGE ATTACKER

and:

ALERT

COULD THE HUMAN CHOOSE GRAPPLER WITH VERSATILE?

NO

Why?

Versatile requires:

ORIGIN FEAT

Grappler is:

GENERAL FEAT

Even before checking the level prerequisite:

WRONG CATEGORY

PART THIRTY-SEVEN — EXAMPLE: LEVEL 4 FIGHTER

A Fighter reaches a level that grants:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

The feature allows:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT FEAT

or:

ANOTHER FEAT FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

OPTION ONE

Take:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

OPTION TWO

Take:

GRAPPLER

if:

LEVEL 4+

and:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY 13+

OPTION THREE

Take an:

ORIGIN FEAT

if you qualify.

OPTION FOUR

Potentially take a:

FIGHTING STYLE FEAT

if you have the required:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

OPTION FIVE

Take an Epic Boon?

At level 4:

NO

because the Epic Boon prerequisites require:

LEVEL 19+

PART THIRTY-EIGHT — EXAMPLE: FAILING A PREREQUISITE

Level:

8

Dexterity:

12

Strength:

10

You want:

GRAPPLER

Level requirement:

PASSED

Ability requirement:

FAILED

Therefore:

YOU DON'T QUALIFY

"BUT GRAPPLER ITSELF INCREASES STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY"

That doesn't solve the prerequisite.

You must:

QUALIFY BEFORE TAKING THE FEAT

You can't use a benefit gained from the Feat to retroactively satisfy:

THE PREREQUISITE FOR TAKING IT

PART THIRTY-NINE — EXAMPLE: LEVEL 19 CHARACTER

A level 19 Class feature gives:

EPIC BOON

You consider:

BOON OF SPELL RECALL

Character level:

19

Good.

But the Feat also requires:

SPELLCASTING FEATURE

WIZARD

Has:

SPELLCASTING

Qualifies for that prerequisite.

NON-SPELLCASTER WITHOUT SPELLCASTING FEATURE

Doesn't satisfy:

SPELLCASTING FEATURE

So even at level 19:

DOESN'T QUALIFY

for Boon of Spell Recall under the normal rule.

PART FORTY — FEATS AND MULTICLASSING

Multiclassing can affect whether you qualify for a Feat because your character might gain:

NEW FEATURES

or:

CLASS LEVELS

EXAMPLE

Suppose a character gains a Class level that provides:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

The character may now satisfy the prerequisite for:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATS

when another legal opportunity to choose such a Feat occurs.

IMPORTANT

Multiclassing doesn't automatically:

GIVE EVERY FEAT

It can change:

WHAT YOU QUALIFY FOR

You still need a rule granting:

THE FEAT CHOICE

PART FORTY-ONE — FEATS VERSUS CLASS FEATURES

A Feat and a Class feature aren't the same thing.

CLASS FEATURE

Comes from:

YOUR CLASS LEVEL

Example:

EXTRA ATTACK

FEAT

Comes from a rule that tells you:

YOU GAIN OR CHOOSE A FEAT

Example:

ALERT

SOME CLASS FEATURES GIVE FEATS

This is where beginners can become confused.

The feature:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

is a Class feature that allows you to gain:

A FEAT

The feature:

EPIC BOON

is a Class feature that allows you to gain:

AN EPIC BOON FEAT

or another qualifying Feat.

The source and the reward are:

TWO DIFFERENT LAYERS

PART FORTY-TWO — FEATS VERSUS SPECIES TRAITS

A Species trait isn't automatically:

A FEAT

For example:

HALFLING LUCK

is a:

SPECIES TRAIT

It isn't the same rules category as an Origin or General Feat.

HUMAN VERSATILE

Versatile itself is:

A SPECIES TRAIT

Its benefit is:

GAIN AN ORIGIN FEAT

So:

VERSATILE ≠ THE FEAT

Versatile is the source that gives:

THE FEAT

PART FORTY-THREE — FEATS VERSUS BACKGROUND

A Background is also not itself a:

FEAT

Instead, a Background contains:

A FEAT ENTRY

EXAMPLE

Criminal Background:

BACKGROUND

provides:

ALERT

which is:

AN ORIGIN FEAT

These are separate concepts.

PART FORTY-FOUR — FEATS CAN IMPROVE ABILITY SCORES

Some Feats include:

ABILITY SCORE INCREASES

But the limits depend on:

THE SPECIFIC FEAT

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

Normal maximum:

20

 

GRAPPLER

Its own Ability Score Increase also has:

MAXIMUM 20

EPIC BOONS

Their Ability Score Increase benefits can generally reach:

MAXIMUM 30

depending on the individual Boon.

So always read:

THE MAXIMUM WRITTEN IN THE FEAT

PART FORTY-FIVE — YOU DON'T CHOOSE A FEAT IN ISOLATION

A useful character-building question is:

WHAT DOES MY CHARACTER ALREADY DO WELL?

Then:

WHAT DO I WANT THE FEAT TO ADD?

For example:

Do you want to improve:

RAW ABILITY SCORES?

Consider an appropriate Feat such as:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

Do you want:

GRAPPLING SPECIALIZATION?

A qualifying character might consider:

GRAPPLER

Do you want:

MARTIAL SPECIALIZATION?

A character with Fighting Style Feature might consider:

A FIGHTING STYLE FEAT

Do you want an:

ORIGIN-TYPE ABILITY?

A legal Feat opportunity might allow an:

ORIGIN FEAT

At level 19+, extraordinary options include:

EPIC BOONS

The exact Feat mechanics come in the next three lessons.

PART FORTY-SIX — THE THREE QUESTIONS BEFORE TAKING ANY FEAT

A practical shortcut is:

1. AM I ALLOWED TO CHOOSE THIS CATEGORY?

2. DO I MEET EVERY PREREQUISITE?

3. HAVE I ALREADY TAKEN THIS NON-REPEATABLE FEAT?

If all three answers are correct:

YOU CAN MAKE THE CHOICE

when a rule actually grants you:

A FEAT

COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1 — THINKING ALL FEATS ARE THE SAME CATEGORY

The four categories are:

ORIGIN

GENERAL

FIGHTING STYLE

EPIC BOON

MISTAKE 2 — IGNORING THE CATEGORY WRITTEN UNDER THE FEAT

The category is:

PART OF THE RULE

MISTAKE 3 — CHOOSING A GENERAL FEAT WHEN THE FEATURE SPECIFICALLY SAYS ORIGIN FEAT

If the feature says:

ORIGIN

the selected Feat must be:

ORIGIN

MISTAKE 4 — THINKING "CHOOSE A FEAT" MEANS ONLY GENERAL FEATS

If no category is specified:

ANY CATEGORY

can potentially be chosen.

You must still:

QUALIFY

MISTAKE 5 — THINKING CATEGORY OVERRIDES PREREQUISITES

It doesn't.

A correct category doesn't help if:

YOU DON'T MEET THE PREREQUISITES

MISTAKE 6 — SATISFYING ONLY ONE OF MULTIPLE PREREQUISITES

If the Feat lists several:

MEET ALL OF THEM

MISTAKE 7 — READING "LEVEL 4+" AS EXACTLY LEVEL 4

It means:

LEVEL 4 OR HIGHER

MISTAKE 8 — USING CLASS LEVEL INSTEAD OF CHARACTER LEVEL FOR A FEAT'S GENERAL LEVEL PREREQUISITE

A prerequisite such as:

LEVEL 4+

refers to the character's level unless a rule specifies something more particular.

MISTAKE 9 — THINKING GRAPPLER REQUIRES BOTH STRENGTH 13 AND DEXTERITY 13

It says:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY 13+

One qualifying Ability is enough.

MISTAKE 10 — USING GRAPPLER'S OWN +1 TO QUALIFY FOR GRAPPLER

You must satisfy:

THE PREREQUISITE FIRST

Then gain:

THE BENEFITS

MISTAKE 11 — THINKING WEAPON PROFICIENCY SATISFIES FIGHTING STYLE FEAT PREREQUISITES

The prerequisite is:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

MISTAKE 12 — THINKING ANY MARTIAL CHARACTER AUTOMATICALLY HAS FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

Check:

THE ACTUAL CLASS FEATURES

MISTAKE 13 — THINKING EPIC BOONS ARE AVAILABLE AT LOW LEVEL

The SRD Epic Boons require:

LEVEL 19+

MISTAKE 14 — THINKING LEVEL 19 AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFIES YOU FOR BOON OF SPELL RECALL

It also requires:

SPELLCASTING FEATURE

MISTAKE 15 — THINKING A RECOMMENDED EPIC BOON IS MANDATORY

Recommended means:

RECOMMENDED

not:

REQUIRED

MISTAKE 16 — TAKING A FEAT TWICE JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE ANOTHER FEAT CHOICE

Default rule:

ONCE

unless the Feat says:

REPEATABLE

MISTAKE 17 — THINKING REPEATABLE MEANS YOU CAN TAKE IT INFINITELY WITHOUT NEW FEAT OPPORTUNITIES

You need:

A NEW FEAT-GRANTING OPPORTUNITY

for each selection.

MISTAKE 18 — TAKING MAGIC INITIATE TWICE WITH THE SAME SPELL LIST

Magic Initiate's Repeatable rule requires:

A DIFFERENT SPELL LIST EACH TIME

MISTAKE 19 — THINKING EVERY ORIGIN FEAT IS REPEATABLE

Only those whose descriptions say:

REPEATABLE

are repeatable.

MISTAKE 20 — THINKING ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT ISN'T A FEAT

In SRD 5.2.1:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT IS A GENERAL FEAT

MISTAKE 21 — CONFUSING THE CLASS FEATURE WITH THE FEAT

Class feature:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

gives you the choice.

Feat:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

is one possible result of that choice.

MISTAKE 22 — ASSUMING EVERY FEAT INCREASES AN ABILITY SCORE

They don't.

Some do.

Others provide:

DIFFERENT BENEFITS

MISTAKE 23 — ASSUMING EVERY ABILITY INCREASE FROM A FEAT HAS MAXIMUM 20

Epic Boons can explicitly allow:

MAXIMUM 30

MISTAKE 24 — THINKING A FEAT IS THE SAME AS A SPECIES TRAIT

They are different:

RULE SOURCES

MISTAKE 25 — THINKING A BACKGROUND IS ITSELF AN ORIGIN FEAT

A Background:

PROVIDES

an Origin Feat.

It isn't itself the Feat.

QUICK RECAP

A Feat gives:

SPECIALIZED CHARACTER BENEFITS

Every Feat belongs to one of four categories:

ORIGIN

GENERAL

FIGHTING STYLE

EPIC BOON

CATEGORY RULE

If a feature specifies a category:

CHOOSE FROM THAT CATEGORY

If it simply says:

CHOOSE A FEAT

with no category:

ANY CATEGORY MAY BE CHOSEN

provided:

YOU QUALIFY

PREREQUISITES

You must meet:

EVERY PREREQUISITE

unless a specific feature says otherwise.

Possible requirements include:

LEVEL

ABILITY SCORE

FEATURE

or:

CLASS

If a prerequisite includes a Class:

AT LEAST ONE LEVEL IN THAT CLASS

BENEFITS

When you gain a Feat:

YOU GAIN ITS BENEFITS

Make any choices specified by:

THE FEAT

REPEATABLE

Default:

TAKE A FEAT ONCE

Only take it again if it says:

REPEATABLE

REPEATABLE SRD EXAMPLES

MAGIC INITIATE

SKILLED

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

Magic Initiate additionally requires:

A DIFFERENT SPELL LIST EACH TIME

ORIGIN FEATS

ALERT

MAGIC INITIATE

SAVAGE ATTACKER

SKILLED

GENERAL FEATS

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

GRAPPLER

FIGHTING STYLE FEATS

ARCHERY

DEFENSE

GREAT WEAPON FIGHTING

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING

EPIC BOON FEATS

BOON OF COMBAT PROWESS

BOON OF DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL

BOON OF FATE

BOON OF IRRESISTIBLE OFFENSE

BOON OF SPELL RECALL

BOON OF THE NIGHT SPIRIT

BOON OF TRUESIGHT

PRIME HERO CHALLENGE

A level 4 Fighter has:

Strength:

16

Dexterity:

12

and already possesses the Class feature:

FIGHTING STYLE

The Fighter reaches a level that grants:

ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT

and wants to choose another Feat instead.

Consider these choices.

OPTION A — GRAPPLER

Prerequisites:

LEVEL 4+

Character:

LEVEL 4

Passed.

Ability prerequisite:

STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY 13+

Strength:

16

Passed.

Result:

QUALIFIES

OPTION B — ARCHERY

Prerequisite:

FIGHTING STYLE FEATURE

Character has:

FIGHTING STYLE

Result:

QUALIFIES

provided the character doesn't already have Archery, since Archery isn't marked Repeatable.

OPTION C — BOON OF COMBAT PROWESS

Prerequisite:

LEVEL 19+

Character:

LEVEL 4

Result:

DOES NOT QUALIFY

OPTION D — ALERT

Alert is:

AN ORIGIN FEAT

The Ability Score Improvement Class feature says:

ANOTHER FEAT OF YOUR CHOICE FOR WHICH YOU QUALIFY

No category restriction.

Alert has no listed prerequisite in the SRD.

Result:

QUALIFIES

THE LESSON

Don't ask only:

"WHICH FEAT DO I LIKE?"

Ask:

WHAT DOES THE FEATURE LET ME CHOOSE?

then:

WHAT CATEGORY IS THE FEAT?

then:

DO I MEET ITS PREREQUISITES?

then:

IS IT LEGAL TO TAKE AGAIN?

That process prevents almost every common Feat-selection mistake.

LESSON 56 — KEY TAKEAWAYS

Feats are one of the principal ways to:

CUSTOMIZE A CHARACTER

But Feats follow a clear rules structure.

Every Feat has:

A CATEGORY

may have:

PREREQUISITES

provides:

BENEFITS

and might be:

REPEATABLE

THE FOUR CATEGORIES

ORIGIN

supports character origin and early customization.

GENERAL

provides broad advancement options.

FIGHTING STYLE

represents specialized martial training.

EPIC BOON

provides extraordinary high-level abilities.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE

When told:

CHOOSE A FEAT FROM A SPECIFIC CATEGORY

use:

THAT CATEGORY

When told simply:

CHOOSE A FEAT

you may consider:

ANY CATEGORY

but only if:

YOU QUALIFY

THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT RULE

A Feat is normally:

TAKEN ONCE

unless it explicitly says:

REPEATABLE

THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT RULE

You can't gain a Feat merely because:

YOU WANT ONE

You need:

A RULE THAT GIVES YOU A FEAT

Then you apply:

CATEGORY

PREREQUISITE

and:

REPEATABLE

rules.

That is the complete foundation we need before studying the individual Feats themselves.

NEXT LESSON

LESSON 57 — EVERY ORIGIN FEAT

Now that we understand:

HOW FEATS WORK

we can examine the first category in full.

Lesson 57 will cover every Origin Feat in the SRD 5.2.1:

ALERT

including:

INITIATIVE PROFICIENCY

and:

INITIATIVE SWAP

MAGIC INITIATE

including:

TWO CANTRIPS

LEVEL 1 SPELL

SPELLCASTING ABILITY

SPELL CHANGE

and:

REPEATABLE

SAVAGE ATTACKER

including its:

WEAPON DAMAGE REROLL

SKILLED

including:

THREE SKILL OR TOOL PROFICIENCIES

and:

REPEATABLE

We will also compare exactly which characters and Backgrounds can use these Feats effectively and show how each works:

AT THE TABLE

SRD 5.2.1 ATTRIBUTION

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.