Rebalanced PHB Feats

## PHB Feats Rebalanced
Congratulations, you just got to 4th level. Time to choose between ability points and a feat. What's that? It's going to be Great Weapon Master? Are you sure? That's what you took the last campaign we did. Oh? Uh huh? Uh... oh. I see.

Well, let's fix that then. Here's the rebalanced feats.

### Alert
Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain a +5 bonus to initiative.
* You can't be surprised when you are conscious.
* Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls as a result of being hidden from you.

### Athlete
You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement.
* Climbing doesn't halve your speed.
* You can make a running long jump or running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet.

### Actor
Skilled at mimicry and dramatics, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You have advantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Performance) checks when trying to pass yourself off as another person.
* You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the person speaking, or heard the creature make the sound, for at least 1 minute. A successful Wisdom (Insight) check contested by your Charisma (Deception) check allows a listener to determine that the effect is faked.

### Charger

When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.

Once per turn, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before making a melee weapon attack or shove attempt against a creature, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack's damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

### Crossbow Expert
Thanks to extensive practice with the crossbow, you gain the following benefits:

* You ignore the loading property of crossbows with which you are proficient.
* Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with a crossbow.
* When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded hand crossbow you are holding.

### Defensive Duelist
When you are wielding a melee weapon with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

### Dual Wielder
You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:

* You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand.
* You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren't light.
* You can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one.

### Dungeon Delver
Alert to the hidden traps and secret doors found in many dungeons, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to detect the presence of hidden traps, secret doors, and treasure.
* You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps.
* You can search for traps while traveling at a normal pace, instead of only at a slow pace.
* You always know how far you've traveled and how deep you've descended (or how high you've ascended) from the entrance of any dungeon, cave, building, or other enclosed space that you are in, unless you lose your frame of reference (such as from teleporation or movement while unconscious).

### Durable
Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Consitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).
* Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your level when you gain this feat. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional hit point.

\pagebreakNum

### Elemental Adept
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*
___
When you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can reroll any 1 on a damage die until is no longer a 1.

### Grappler
You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:

* You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
* You can use your action to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, the creature is knocked prone and restrained until the grapple ends.

### Great Weapon Master
You've learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:

* On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon with the heavy property or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack with a heavy melee weapon as a bonus action.
* Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a –5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

### Healer
You are an able physician, allow you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to administer an emergency medication to a willing creature that is not unconscious. If you succeed on a Wisdom (Medicine) check where the DC is equal to the target creature's current hit points, that creature regains health equal to twice its Constitution score. After 1 minute has passed, the creature gains 1 level of exhaustion.

### Heavy Armor Master
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armor*
___
You have trained to master the use of heavy armor, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with heavy armor, if you don't already have it.
* While you are wearing heavy armor, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical weapons.

\columnbreak

### Inspiring Leader
You have learned just how to drive spirits into the glory of battle, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to 10 friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of your who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier, which last for up to 1 hour.

### Keen Mind
You have a mind that can track time, direction, and detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You always know which way is north.
* You always know the number of hours left before the next sunrise or sunset.
* You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past week.
* Choose one of the following skills with which you are proficient: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiency.

### Light Armor Master
You have trained to master the use of light armor, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with light armor, if you don't already have it.
* You can use your action to don and doff light armor.
* While wearing light armor, other creatures have disadvantage on attempts to grapple or shove you.

### Linguist
You have studied languages and codes, gaining the following benefits.

* Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You learn three languages of your choice.
* You can ably create written ciphers. Others can't decipher a code you create unless you teach them, they succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal to your Intelligence score + your proficiency bonus), or they use magic to decipher it.

### Mage Slayer
You have practiced techniques useful in combat against spellcasters, gaining the following benefits:

* When a creature within 30 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a weapon attack against that creature.
* When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration.

\pagebreakNum

* You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within 30 feet of you.

### Magic Initiate
Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class's spell list.

In addition, choose one 1st-level spell from that same list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.

You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different class.

### Martial Adept
You have martial training that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers. You gain the following benefits:

* You learn two maneuvers of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype in the fighter class. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
* You gain two superiority dice, which are d8s. These dice are used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.

### Medium Armor Master
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with light armor*
___
You have practiced moving in medium armor to gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with medium armor, if you don't already have it.
* Wearing medium armor doesn't impose disadvantage on your Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
* When you wear medium armor, you can add 3, rather than 2, to your AC if you have a Dexterity of 16 or higher.

### Mobile
You are exceptionally speed and agile. You gain the following benefits:

* Your speed increases by 10.
* When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn't cost you extra movement on that turn.
* When you make a melee attack against a creature, you don't provoke opportunity attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn, whether your hit or not.

### Mounted Combatant
You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren't incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:

* You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
* You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
* If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
* If your mount takes the Dash action on its turn, you can use your reaction when a creature enters your reach to make a melee weapon attack against that creature. If the attack is made using a lance, you can add twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage roll.

### Observant
Quick to notice details of your environment, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* If you can see a creature's mouth while it is speaking a language you understand, you can interpret what it's saying by reading its lips.
* You have a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) and passive Intelligence (Investigation) scores.

### Polearm Master
You can keep your enemies at bay with reach weapons. You gain the following benefits:

* When you take the Attack action and attack with only a glaive, halberd, or pike, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. The weapon's damage die for this attack is a d4, and the attack deals bludgeoning damage.
* While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, or pike, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach.
* If you hit a creature with an attack from more than 5 feet away with a glaive, halberd, or pike, you add your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

### Resilient
Choose one ability score. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase the chosen ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency in saving throws using the chosen ability.

___
You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different ability.

### Ritual Caster
You have learned a number of spells that you can cast as rituals. These spells are written in a ritual book, which you must have in hand while casting one of them. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20.

\pagebreakNum

* When you choose this feat, you acquire a ritual book holding two 1st-level spells of your choice. Choose one of the following classes: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You must choose your spells from that class's spell list, and the spells you choose must have the ritual tag. The class you choose also determines your spellcasting ability for these spells: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.
* If you come across a spell in written form, such as a magical *spell scroll* or a wizard's spellbook, you might be able to add it to your ritual book. The spell must be on the spell list for the class you chose, the spell's level can be no higher than half your level (rounded up), and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into your ritual book takes 2 hours per level of the spell, and costs 50 gp per level. The cost represents the material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it.

### Savage Attacker
Once per turn when you roll damage for an attack, you can reroll the damage dice and use either total.

### Sentinel
You have mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard, gaining the following benefits:

* When you hit with an opportunity attack, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.
* You make opportunity attacks with advantage.
* When a creature within 5 feet of you makes an attack against a target other than you (and that target doesn't have this feat), you can use your reaction to make an opportunity attack against the attacking creature.

### Sharpshooter
You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:

* Attacking at a long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
* Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover.
* Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a –5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

### Shield Master
You use shields not just for protection but also for offense. You gain the following benefits while you are wielding a shield:

* You gain proficiency with shields, if you don't already have it.
* If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield.
* If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
* If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

### Skilled
You have dedicated a lot of free time to training. You gain the following benefits:

* You gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice.
* Choose one of your skill or tool proficiencies. You gain expertise with that skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. The skill you choose must be one that isn't already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.

___
You can select this feat multiple times. Whenever you do so, you must select different skill or tool proficiencies.

### Skulker
You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Dexterity or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding.
* When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position.
* Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.

### Spell Sniper
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*
___
You have learned techniques to enhance your attacks with certain kinds of spells, gaining the following benefits:

* When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is tripled. For all other spells with a range greater than 5 feet, the range is doubled.
* Your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover.

### Tavern Brawler
Accustomed to rough-and-tumble fighting using whatever weapons happen to be at hand, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You are proficient with improvised weapons. You can treat improvised melee weapons that can be wielded in one hand as having the light property.
* Your unarmed strike uses a d4 for damage. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple or shove the target. The target creature has disadvantage on its roll.

\pagebreakNum

### War Caster
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*
___
You have practiced casting spells in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:

* You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.
* You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
* When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature instead of making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.

### Weapon Master
You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with simple weapons and martial weapons.

\pagebreakNum

## PHB Feats Rebalanced: Markup and Commentary
Here's where you can find the changes and explanations. If you have the means to "Print as PDF" for this document, the file you can send to your players only needs to include pages 1–5, nothing more.

Changes are in maroon.

### Alert

Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain a +5 bonus to initiative.
* You can't be surprised when you are conscious.
* Other creatures don't gain advantage on attack rolls as a result of being hidden from you.

> While these benefits can be powerful in combat, they do not define a "combat outfit". I do not believe Alert needs as much incentive as other feats do, but I doubt the Wisdom point will lead to this feat's overrepresentation.

### Athlete

You have undergone extensive physical training to gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* When you are prone, standing up uses only 5 feet of your movement.
* Climbing doesn't halve your speed.
* You can make a running long jump or running high jump after moving only 5 feet on foot, rather than 10 feet.

> My players often take a feat for the one ability point to turn an odd score into an even. Adding Constitution as an option here is reasonable.

### Actor

Skilled at mimicry and dramatics, you gain the following benefits:

\columnbreak

### Charger
When you use your action to Dash, you can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack or to shove a creature.

~~If~~ Once per turn, if you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before ~~taking this bonus action~~ making a melee weapon attack or shove attempt against a creature, you either gain a +5 bonus to the attack's damage roll (if you chose to make a melee attack and hit) or push the target up to 10 feet away from you (if you chose to shove and you succeed).

> [This one ain't me.](https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/rules-game-mechanics/15299-charger-feat-useless-or-undiscovered-potential?comment=18 "D&D Beyond Discussion Comment") Most melee combatants don't want to spend their action on Dash, so decoupling the second benefit from the first allows the feat to be far more attractive to various combat outfits.

### Crossbow Expert
Thanks to extensive practice with the crossbow, you gain the following benefits:

* You ignore the loading property of crossbows with which you are proficient.
* Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with a crossbow.
* When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a loaded hand crossbow you are holding.

> This is a "combat outfit" feat that players take for their character concepts. It feels bad to incentivize full spellcasters and users of the net weapon to take this feat when only one of the 3 benefits actually helps them.

### Defensive Duelist
~~*Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher*~~
___
When you are wielding a ~~finesse~~ melee weapon with which you are proficient and another creature hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to add your proficiency bonus to your AC for that attack, potentially causing the attack to miss you.

> Parrying is not just for duelists with rapiers. By removing the Dexterity prerequisite and finesse requirement, the feat broadens its concept to any melee combatant who prefers to use their reaction for self-defense rather than opportunity attacks.

\pagebreakNum

### Dual Wielder

You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits:

### Dungeon Delver
Alert to the ~~hidden traps and secret doors~~ secrets found in many dungeons, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to detect the presence of ~~secret doors~~ hidden traps, doors, and treasure.
* You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps.
* ~~You have resistance to the damage dealt by traps.~~
* You can search for traps while traveling at a normal pace, instead of only at a slow pace.
* You always know how far you've traveled and how deep you've descended (or how high you've ascended) from the entrance of any dungeon, cave, building, or other enclosed space that you are in, unless you lose your frame of reference (such as from teleporation or movement while unconscious).

> - Traps and doors are very old-school D&D features. I expanded the second benefit to include "treasure" so the feat is more attractive for "dungeon-lite" campaigns.
> - I am not a fan of damage resistance coming from a knowledge/experience feat.
> - The "depth meter" benefit is inspired by the Keen Mind feat and helps me justify the Intelligence score increase option.

\columnbreak

### Durable

Hardy and resilient, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Consitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).
* Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to your level when you gain this feat. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional hit point.

> Adventurer League players know the real value of each hit point; roleplayers often do not. I have added a weakened version of the Tough feat to this feat to make a single feat that is attractive enough to roleplayers who say "I want to create a tough guy/gal who never stays down."

### Elemental Adept
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*
___
~~When you gain this feat, choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.~~

~~Spells you cast ignore resistance to damage of the chosen type. In addition, when~~ When you roll damage for a spell you cast that deals acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage ~~of that type~~, you can ~~treat~~ reroll any 1 on a damage die ~~as a 2~~ until is no longer a 1.

~~You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different damage type.~~

> Benefits which allow creatures to ignore resistances are often fraught with design pitfalls. With reasonable exceptions, I prefer not to see "arms race" effects and think a feat which encourages single-type damage never leads to more-interesting gameplay.
>
> The new effect here makes the character an adept of "the elements" rather than "an element". The benefit maths out as follows:
>
> | Die Size | Die Average | Feat Average | Damage Increase |
> | :------- | :---------: | :----------: | --------------: |
> | d4       | 2.5         | 3            | 20.0%           |
> | d6       | 3.5         | 4            | 14.2%           |
> | d8       | 4.5         | 5            | 11.1%           |
> | d10      | 5.5         | 6            | 9.09%           |
> | d12      | 6.5         | 7            | 7.69%           |

\pagebreakNum

### Grappler
~~*Prerequisite: Strength 13 or higher*~~
___
You've developed the skills necessary to hold your own in close-quarters grappling. You gain the following benefits:

* You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
* You can use your action to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, ~~you and~~ the creature ~~are both~~ is knocked prone and restrained until the grapple ends.

> This feat is often called a "trap". In a very large adventuring party (6+ players?), it might be okay to let yourself become Restrained to do the same to an opponent; in most parties, this is a poor use of action economy at best and a dangerous gamble at worst.

### Great Weapon Master

You've learned to put the weight of a weapon to your advantage, letting its momentum empower your strikes. You gain the following benefits:

* On your turn, when you score a critical hit with a melee weapon with the heavy property or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with one, you can make one melee weapon attack as a bonus action.
* Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a –5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add ~~+10~~ twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

> This feat is the whole reason I started this endeavor to rebalance the PHB feats. By changing the second benefit's damage to "twice your proficiency bonus", it drastically reduces the incentive to beeline for it at an early level, but makes it more powerful at the endgame—which I think is fine.
>
> As with the Crossbow Expert feat, I prefer to keep specific "combat outfit" feats on-point to reduce the feeling of "missing out" by choosing other feats.

\columnbreak

### Healer

You are an able physician, allow you to mend wounds quickly and get your allies back in the fight. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* ~~When you use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature, that creature also regains 1 hit point.~~
* As an action, you can spend one use of a healer's kit to administer an emergency medication to a willing creature that is not unconscious. ~~tend to a creature and restore 1d6 + 4 hit points to it, plus additional hit points equal to the creature's maximum number of Hit Dice. The creature can't regain hit points from this feat again until it finishes a short or long rest.~~ If you succeed on a Wisdom (Medicine) check where the DC is equal to the target creature's current hit points, that creature regains health equal to twice its Constitution score. After 1 minute has passed, the creature gains 1 level of exhaustion.

> - This feat is not so powerful that it merits losing out on both points of an ASI level.
> - The original first benefit encourages "yo-yoing" from unconsciousness. I'm far from the only player who finds that game mechanic ludicrous.
> - Often, I hear desire for non-magical healing. New players especially ask me if they can use healer's kits to heal their allies. "Emergency medicine" akin to smelling salts is the best I can do for them.
> - I don't like arbitrary "you can only benefit from this once per day" balancing. I also like the exhaustion mechanic and want to see it used more. This is a perfect match for me.

### ~~Heavily Armored~~
~~*Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armor*~~
___
~~You have trained to master the use of heavy armor, gaining the following benefits:~~

* ~~Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.~~
* ~~You gain proficiency with heavy armor.~~

> If a player wants a certain armor type that they don't already have, they likely want it to be character-defining. I have combined the armor proficiency talents with the armor mastery talents.

\pagebreakNum

### Heavy Armor Master
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with medium armor*
___
You have trained to master the use of heavy armor, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with heavy armor, if you don't already have it.
* While you are wearing heavy armor, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage ~~that you take~~ from non-magical weapons ~~is reduced by 3~~.

> Static modifiers work for to-hit and armor due to 5th edition's bounded accuracy. For damage benefits, resistance is more intuitive, even though the feat is much stronger this way.

### Inspiring Leader
~~*Prerequisite: Charisma 13 or higher*~~
___
You have learned just how to drive spirits into the glory of battle, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to ~~six~~ 10 friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of your who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier, which last for up to 1 hour. ~~A creature can't gain temporary hit points from this feat again until it has finished a short of long rest.~~

> * This feat was very specific. It still is, but the Charisma score increase makes it attractive.
>
> * A short-rest limitation on a benefit for temporary hit points that takes 10 minutes to activate? C'mon.

\columnbreak

### Keen Mind

You have a mind that can track time, direction, and detail with uncanny precision. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You always know which way is north.
* You always know the number of hours left before the next sunrise or sunset.
* You can accurately recall anything you have seen or heard within the past ~~month~~ week.
* Choose one of the following skills with which you are proficient: Arcana, History, Nature, or Religion. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiency.

> Expertise makes skills feel great. When players dip a level into Rogue, it's usually for more functional skills like Athletics, Acrobatics, Perception, or Survival; this feat is an opportunity for the less-combative party members to feel effective.
> 
> A week of perfect memory is easier for the memories of players and the DM to work with.

### Light~~ly~~ Armor~~ed~~ Master

You have trained to master the use of light armor, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with light armor, if you don't already have it.
* You can use your action to don and doff light armor.
* While wearing light armor, other creatures have disadvantage on attempts to grapple or shove you.

> Armor benefits are nice. A benefit for donning and doffing as an action make donning and doffing relevant in more campaigns.

### Linguist

You have studied languages and codes, gaining the following benefits.

\pagebreakNum

### ~~Lucky~~

~~You have inexplicable luck that seems to kick in at just the right moment.~~

~~You have 3 luck points. Whenever you make an attack roll, an ability check, or a saving throw, you can spend one luck point to roll an additional d20. You can choose to spend one of your luck points after you roll the die, but before the outcome is determined. You choose which of the d20s is used for the attack roll, ability check, or saving throw.~~

~~You can also spend one luck point when an attack roll is made against you. Roll a d20, and then choose whether the attack uses the attacker's roll or yours.~~

~~If more than one creature spends a luck point to influence the outcome of a roll, the points cancel each other out; no additional dice are rolled.~~

~~You regain your expended luck points when you finish a long rest.~~

> If you want to "roleplay a lucky character", arrange something with your DM. This feat was only ever for flavorless min-maxing.

### Mage Slayer

You have practiced techniques useful in ~~melee~~ combat against spellcasters, gaining the following benefits:

* When a creature within ~~5~~ 30 feet of you casts a spell, you can use your reaction to make a ~~melee~~ weapon attack against that creature if it is in reach of your weapon.
* When you damage a creature that is concentrating on a spell, that creature has disadvantage on the saving throw it makes to maintain its concentration.
* You have advantage on saving throws against spells cast by creatures within ~~5~~ 30 feet of you.

> Spellcasters can be hated by ranged attackers too.

### Magic Initiate

Choose a class: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You learn two cantrips of your choice from that class's spell list.

In addition, choose one 1st-level spell from that same list. You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level. Once you cast it, you must finish a long rest before you can cast it again.

Your spellcasting ability for these spells depends on the class you chose: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.

You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different class.

> I feel like this one is an obvious change.

\columnbreak

### Martial Adept

You have martial training that allows you to perform special combat maneuvers. You gain the following benefits:

* You learn two maneuvers of your choice from among those available to the Battle Master archetype in the fighter class. If a maneuver you use requires your target to make a saving throw to resist the maneuver's effects, the saving throw DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
* ~~If you already have superiority dice, you gain one more; otherwise, you have one superiority die, which is a d6. This die~~ You gain two superiority dice, which are d8s. These dice are used to fuel your maneuvers. A superiority die is expended when you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice when you finish a short or long rest.

> Magic Initiate gave 2 cantrips with 1 spell. A feat is worth more than 1 maneuver per short rest.

### Medium Armor Master
*Prerequisite: Proficiency with ~~medium~~ light armor*
___
You have practiced moving in medium armor to gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with medium armor, if you don't already have it.
* Wearing medium armor doesn't impose disadvantage on your Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
* When you wear medium armor, you can add 3, rather than 2, to your AC if you have a Dexterity of 16 or higher.

> Combined with Moderately Armored, for reasons explained in the notes for Heavily Armored.

### Mobile

You are exceptionally speed and agile. You gain the following benefits:

\pagebreakNum

### ~~Moderately Armored~~
~~*Prerequisite: Proficiency with light armor*~~

~~You have trained to master the use of medium armor and shields, gaining the following benefits.~~

* ~~Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.~~
* ~~You gain proficiency with medium armor and shields.~~

> See the notes for Medium Armor Master.

### Mounted Combatant

You are a dangerous foe to face while mounted. While you are mounted and aren't incapacitated, you gain the following benefits:

* You have advantage on melee attack rolls against any unmounted creature that is smaller than your mount.
* You can force an attack targeted at your mount to target you instead.
* If your mount is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
* If your mount takes the Dash action on its turn, you can use your reaction when a creature enters your reach to make a melee weapon attack against that creature. If the attack is made using a lance, you can add twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage roll.

> Two of the three original benefits was just to protect your mount, which didn't matter as much for the classes that summoned magical mounts. Now, a second benefit has been added to make this the "lance combat outfit feat" as well.

### Observant

Quick to notice details of your environment, you gain the following benefits:

\columnbreak

### Polearm Master
You can keep your enemies at bay with reach weapons. You gain the following benefits:

* When you take the Attack action and attack with only a glaive, halberd, or ~~quarterstaff~~ pike, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. The weapon's damage die for this attack is a d4, and the attack deals bludgeoning damage.
* While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, or pike, ~~or quarterstaff,~~ other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter your reach.
* If you hit a creature with an attack from more than 5 feet away with a glaive, halberd, or pike, you add your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

> * Quarterstaves made no sense; pikes do.
> * Another damage benefit was added so that players without an available bonus action could still be a polearm master, though it's only half the worth of the Great Weapon Master benefit.

### Resilient
Choose one ability score. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase the chosen ability score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency in saving throws using the chosen ability.

___
You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do so, you must choose a different ability.

> I feel like this one is an obvious change.

\pagebreakNum

### Ritual Caster
~~*Prerequisite: Intelligence or Wisdom 13 or higher*~~
___
You have learned a number of spells that you can cast as rituals. These spells are written in a ritual book, which you must have in hand while casting one of them. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* When you choose this feat, you acquire a ritual book holding two 1st-level spells of your choice. Choose one of the following classes: bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard. You must choose your spells from that class's spell list, and the spells you choose must have the ritual tag. The class you choose also determines your spellcasting ability for these spells: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.
* If you come across a spell in written form, such as a magical *spell scroll* or a wizard's spellbook, you might be able to add it to your ritual book. The spell must be on the spell list for the class you chose, the spell's level can be no higher than half your level (rounded up), and it must have the ritual tag. The process of copying the spell into your ritual book takes 2 hours per level of the spell, and costs 50 gp per level. The cost represents the material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it.

> Rituals can be useful, but they rarely aid with combat; the ability score increase makes this feat a little more attractive.

### Savage Attacker
Once per turn when you roll damage for ~~a melee weapon~~ an attack, you can reroll the ~~weapon's~~ damage dice and use either total.

> The original feat was horrible on an average-damage analysis, primarily because it only affected the weapon's damage dice (rather than the attack's damage dice) so there was no benefit to Sneak Attack or similar features. By making it work on any attack, some spellslingers, ranged attackers, and melee users all benefit overall—savagery can be found in all walks of combat.

\columnbreak

### Sentinel
You have mastered techniques to take advantage of every drop in any enemy's guard, gaining the following benefits:

* When you hit with an opportunity attack, the creature's speed becomes 0 for the rest of the turn.
* You make opportunity attacks with advantage.
* ~~Creatures within 5 feet of you provoke opportunity attacks from you even if they take the Disengage action before leaving your reach.~~
* When a creature within 5 feet of you makes an attack against a target other than you (and that target doesn't have this feat), you can use your reaction to make ~~a melee weapon~~ an opportunity attack against the attacking creature.

> * The advantage given on all opportunity attacks is to make up for the loss of the next benefit.
> * The original second benefit of this feat is the worst "arms race" effect I've seen. It precludes the ability for most creatures to escape your range unfazed. Avenues of counterplay should usually stay traversable.
> * The reaction should explicitly cause an opportunity attack to make the other benefits of this feat synergize.

### Sharpshooter
You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:

* Attacking at a long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
* Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half cover ~~and three-quarters cover~~.
* Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a –5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add ~~+10~~ twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

> Ignoring cover is an "arms race" benefit; ranged attacks should have reasonable levels of counterplay. Otherwise, this feat gets the Great Weapon Master treatment.

\pagebreakNum

### Shield Master
You use shields not just for protection but also for offense. You gain the following benefits while you are wielding a shield:

* You gain proficiency with shields, if you don't already have it.
* If you take the Attack action on your turn, you can use a bonus action to try to shove a creature within 5 feet of you with your shield.
* If you aren't incapacitated, you can add your shield's AC bonus to any Dexterity saving throw you make against a spell or other harmful effect that targets only you.
* If you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, interposing your shield between yourself and the source of the effect.

> Medium armor and shields do not need to be tied.

### Skilled
You have dedicated a lot of free time to training. You gain the following benefits:

* You gain proficiency in any combination of three skills or tools of your choice.
* Choose one of your skill or tool proficiencies. You gain expertise with that skill, which means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with it. The skill you choose must be one that isn't already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.

___
You can select this feat multiple times. Whenever you do so, you must select different skill or tool proficiencies.

> Expertise makes skills feel great. This feat is also an obvious contender for multiple-select.

### Skulker
~~*Prerequisite: Dexterity 13 or higher*~~
___
You are an expert at slinking through shadows. You gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Dexterity or Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You can try to hide when you are lightly obscured from the creature from which you are hiding.
* When you are hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged ~~weapon~~ attack, making the attack doesn't reveal your position.
* Dim light doesn't impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight.

> Spellcasters might also like the shadows.

\columnbreak

### Spell Sniper
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*
___
You have learned techniques to enhance your attacks with certain kinds of spells, gaining the following benefits:

* When you cast a spell that requires you to make an attack roll, the spell's range is ~~doubled~~ tripled. For all other spells with a range greater than 5 feet, the range is doubled.
* Your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover ~~and three-quarters cover~~.
* ~~You learn one cantrip that requires an attack roll. Choose the cantrip from the bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard spell list. Your spellcasting ability for this cantrip depends on the spell list you chose from: Charisma for bard, sorcerer, or warlock; Wisdom for cleric or druid; or Intelligence for wizard.~~

> * The third benefit was removed because it is the kind of benefit you should be able to take multiple times. However, the first two benefits are not. I chose to eliminate the benefit as Magic Initiate is a source of cantrips, while most players who want the first two benefits likely already have cantrips they want to use.
> * The second benefit was changed as per the notes for the Sharpshooter feat change.
> * The first benefit was significantly boosted to compensate for the two nerfs.

### Tavern Brawler
Accustomed to rough-and-tumble fighting using whatever weapons happen to be at hand, you gain the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You are proficient with improvised weapons. You can treat improvised melee weapons as having the light property for the purposes of two-weapon fighting.
* Your unarmed strike uses a d4 for damage. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple or shove the target. The target creature has disadvantage on its roll.
* ~~When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or improvised weapon on your turn, you can use a bonus action to attempt to grapple the target.~~

> So many players want to use this feat for their character concept. Many of them didn't understand why they couldn't effectively dual-wield improvised weapons. This feat now improves two-weapon fighting for the "bar fighter" and tactical combat for the non-monk "fist fighter".

\pagebreakNum

### ~~Tough~~
~~Your hit point maximum increases by an amount equal to twice your level when you gain this feat. Whenever you gain a level thereafter, your hit point maximum increases by an additional 2 hit points.~~

> I know hit points are valuable. Not enough of my players did. I combined this feat with Durable.

### War Caster
*Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell*
___
You have practiced casting spells in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:

### Weapon Master
You have practiced extensively with a variety of weapons, gaining the following benefits:

* Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
* You gain proficiency with ~~four~~ simple weapons and martial weapons ~~of your choice~~.

> Four weapon proficiencies of choice? I have never met a character that needed to switch between 5 or more weapon types that they didn't already have. There's nothing fundamentally imbalancing here if we just gave them the full array at this point.