Common Sense Feats

Fixes for Overused Feats

Several feats are game-altering, and offer such obvious benefits that balance, variety, and fun suffer. Some are simply incredulous and hamper suspension of disbelief during roleplay, or could benefit from additional flavor.

This homebrew offers ways to make feats more balanced to increase play variety and fun.

Highly-rated feats left alone

Great Weapon Master: the numbers show that average damage per round is very similar to an ability score increase.
Crossbow Expert: This one can be a little nonsensical, but it only really breaks when paired with sharpshooter, so here we make minor changes to sharpshooter to improve overall combat engagement.

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. When you gain this feat choose one of the following ways to use your luck points: attack rolls or saving throws or skill checks. 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.

Polearm master

You gain the following benefits:

When you take the Attack action and attack with only a glaive, halberd, quarterstaff, or spear, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. This attack uses the same ability modifier as the primary attack. The weapon's damage die for this attack is a d4, and it deals bludgeoning damage. The range of the bonus action attack using the opposite end of a polearm is 5 ft.
While you are wielding a glaive, halberd, pike, quarterstaff, or spear, other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from you when they enter the reach you have with that weapon.

Sharpshooter

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

~~Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.~~
You suffer no disadvantage when using a ranged weapon up to twice the weapon's normal range.
Your ranged weapon attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover, when you make one ranged weapon attack on your turn.
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 that attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage.

Help for Junk Feats

Charger

Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
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 you move at least 10 feet in a straight line immediately before taking this bonus action, 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).
When you use movement to pass through a creature's melee range, attacks of opportunity from creatures you did not attack on your turn have disadvantage to attack you and you gain resistance to nonmagical damage from such attacks.

Dungeon Delver

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

Increase your Wisdom or Intelligence 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.
You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist traps.
You have resistance to the damage dealt by traps.
Traveling at a fast pace doesn't impose the normal -5 penalty on your passive Wisdom (Perception) score.

You can innately cast the spells detect magic, detect evil and good, and detect traps. After you cast one spell using this feature, you can use this ability again after a short or long rest. When you gain this feat choose Wisdom or Intelligence as your spellcasting ability for these spells.

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:

Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature you are grappling.
You can use your action to try to pin a creature grappled by you. To do so, make another grapple check. If you succeed, you and the creature are both restrained until the grapple ends.
You can also use your action attempt to pin a creature with a single grappling attack (no advantage), or when you have surprise.

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 weapons of your choice. Each one must be a simple or a martial weapon. You additionally gain +1 to attack and damage rolls with one of those weapons.

Missing Feats

Dumb Luck

Your ability to naively do unfamiliar things successfully and find trivial solutions is as annoying as it is useful.

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

You can use your dumb luck a number of times equal to your proficiency. Uses recover after a long rest. Dumb luck can be used in the following ways.

When the DM asks the team to make skill checks individually, you gain advantage if you go first.
You can apply your wisdom or charisma modifier to an intelligence- or dexterity-based skill check for which you don't have advantage.
Your folly grants others insight into how to solve problems. If you fail a skill check roll or saving throw, the next ally to try the same skill check or saving throw within one minute gains advantage.

Entangler

You have skills with whips and chains. When you use whip or chains, you can either choose to deal normal damage or grapple. Whips have the finesse property and deal 1d4 slashing damage. Chains have the heavy property and deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage. Both have the reach property.

You can dual wield with a whip and an offhand weapon with the light and finesse property. You may apply your ability modifier to the damage of the offhand weapon.
When you make a melee attack with a whip or a chain, rather than dealing damage, you can declare this to be a grappling attack, contested by the target creature's Strength (athletics) or Dexterity (acrobatics) skill roll.
When you hit with a whip or chain grappling attack, you can attempt to pull your target as bonus action. This is the same as a shove attack: athletics check with DC set by a creature's athletics or acrobatics roll. On a success, the target is either prone or dragged up to half your remaining movement (your choice).

Knife expert

Your skill with a knife is exceptional.

Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Your knife attacks deal +1 damage.
When you make a knife melee attack, you can choose the damage type: slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning.
When you have a knife in hand and no shield, your AC against melee attacks increases by +1.

Net Expert

Your skill with a net is exceptional.

When you attack with a net, you ignore the ranged attack disadvantage for foes up to 5 ft. away.
When you hit with a net attack, as a bonus action you can make a melee attack against the netted creature with a weapon in hand that does piercing damage. Apply your ability modifier to the attack damage.
When you hit with a net, you can attempt to pull your target as bonus action (same as a shove attack: contested Strength (Athletics) check versus Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics). On a success the target is either prone or dragged up to half your remaining movement (your choice).

Longspear Expert

You have proficiency with versatile tridents, and the versatile martial longspear weapon with the reach property used by Greek hoplites. The longspear deals 1d6/1d8 piercing damage wielded one- or two-handed. It is the only polearm that can be used proficiently one-handed while unmounted. It is not a throwing weapon.

Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You can make a lunging attack with the longspear or trident. A successful lunging attack deals an extra 1d4 damage. You can make a lunging attack at-most once per action.
When you hit a creature with your most recent longspear or trident attack and it attempts to attack you before the beginning of your next turn, you can use your reaction to attempt to drive the spear deeper, with a lunging attack. On a success, the creature suffers the weapon plus lunge damage and has disadvantage to hit you with melee attacks until the beginning of your next turn.

Quick Learner

Increase the ability score of your choice by +1, up to a maximum of 20.

When you gain this feat, choose one of the following:

When you witness a spell being cast, until the end of your next long rest, you can attempt to cast that spell provided you have a spell slot sufficient to cast the spell, the spell can be cast by your class, and you have the requisite material components or spellcasting focus. Make a skill check with your spellcasting ability or Intelligence (Arcana) of DC 10 plus the level of the spell (0 for cantrips). On a success the spell is cast successfully. On a fail you spend the spell slot but the spell is not cast.
When you witness a set of tools or weapon being used proficiently for its intended purpose, for instance to craft an item, pick a lock, or deal damage in combat, until the end of your next long rest you can use that tool or weapon with half proficiency. Apply one half of your proficiency bonus to attack rolls and skills checks with that weapon or tool. (This feature does not apply to armor, shields or spellcasting.)

Quarterstaff Expert

Your skill with a quarterstaff is exceptional.

Increase your Strength score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Add +1 to melee attack rolls with a quarterstaff.
When you gain an attack of opportunity, and you have a quarterstaff in hand, you can make a tripping attack. On a hit the target suffers 1d4+str damage and falls prone.
When you wield a quarterstaff with two hands and take the Attack action and attack with only with the quarterstaff, you can use a bonus action to make a melee attack with the opposite end of the weapon. The damage die for this attack is a d4.

Scrappy

You are a resourceful fighter, able to use nearby objects as effective tools for combat.

Increase your Dexterity, Wisdom, Strength, or Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You have advantage on Perception or Investigation checks to obtain improvised weapons and shields, which you can do as a bonus action.
Improvised clubs and daggers gain the versatile property, dealing 1d4 damage one-handed or 1d6 damage two-handed.
When attacking with an improvised weapon, you score a critical hit on rolls of 19 or 20.
You gain proficiency in improvised shields, which are small or larger-sized objects (pottery, chair, cloak, table, banister, awning support, bystander, curtains, open door, picture frame, etc.) which you can handle or use as partial cover, adding +2 to your AC. When an attack roll misses by 1 or 2, that improvised shield is rendered unusable by you as an improvised shield.
As a bonus action you can toss a small or tiny object within reach at the face of a nearby attacker before moving out of melee range, preventing one creature from making an attack of opportunity against you until the beginning of your next turn.

Unremarkable

Hiding in plain sight, your ability to seem unimportant and lurk behind objects and other creatures makes you a less-likely target for enemies.

Increase your Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20, enhancing your stealth and sleight of hand.
In combat, if you are not the closest target an enemy can see, you are considered hidden from them until you take an attack action, cast a spell using material components, or dash.
Others have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to spot you when other creatures of your type are visible to them.

Witty Banter Master

Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Prior to rolling initiative, for creatures that can understand you, you can engage in witter banter to allow one of your allies to take a surprise action, despite being seen.
When you engage a creature in conversation, you grant advantage to an ally making sleight of hand or stealth checks against that creature's perception.

When you use a bonus action to make witty banter, a creature that can hear and understand you and can speak must make a Charisma saving throw of DC 8 + your proficiency + your Charisma or Intelligence modifier (choose when you gain this feat). On a fail that creature engages in banter or monologuing and it can't use reactions until the beginning its next turn. On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both, and it loses one legendary action for this round if it has at least one remaining. You can use this feature again when you re-roll initiative (once per combat).

Quick Draw

Your trained practice allows you to strike at the first hint of danger. When a creature you can see initiates combat by targeting another creature with an attack or by casting a spell that causes another creature to make a saving throw, you are not surprised, and you can use your reaction to make an attack first. You make this attack with advantage.

Run and Gun

When you cast a spell with duration instantaneous or concentration that allows you to make multiple attack rolls on the same turn that can target different creatures, you can take movement between the attack rolls.

When you take at least 10 ft. of movement between two ranged attacks on your turn, you add +2 to your AC until the beginning of your next turn. This bonus applies as soon as you declare movement after your first attack roll using this feat.

Contribution Credits

Type	Source
Cover Art	Viking, Golle Fazzeri, pixabay noncomercial license.

Change Log

Date	Change
2022.0820	Added Run and Gun and Quick Draw
2022.08.04	Added clarification to dungeon delver spells. Added suprrise to pin ability for grappler to agree with Common Sense Grappling and Restraining, revised witty banter to be once per combat, but mess with end bosses--that's the whole point of it. Get the villain monologuing. Added Quick Learner.
2022.05.03	removed nerf to GWM after watching a a video showing the numbers. It's very similar to an ASI, so not OP. Removed improvised weapon breaks on crit for scrappy. Allowed more kinds of abilities to increase for Scrappy. Added duration and saving throws to dumb luck. Added +1 to melee attack rolls for quarterstaff. Simplified entangler, fixed error regardin whips (no light property). Added ASI to dungeon delver. Simplified Net Expert. Buffed longspear expert with the "drive the spear deeper" feature that was originally there. Buffed unremarkable. Buffed net expert. Clarified charger's "pass through" ability.
2022.04.07	Buffed scrappy to include crits on 19 or 20 to make it more attractive as an entertaining fighting style. Simplified quarterstaff expert wording.
2022.03.25	Major revision: In response to feedback removed nerfs to all but a few OP feats. Cleaned up up formating to include all the text of each feat. Removed unnecessary commentary. Improved wording to match 5e standards. Changed new feats to be more unique. Removed most cross-use limitations on feats. Removed cross references to other feats and abilities. In particular, the nerfing of crossbow expert was not necessary once sharpshooter was under control, such that the combo is not broken. Removed any + to AC similarities to defensive duelist. Made the new feats more attractive with +1's to ability scores as needed.
2022.03.24	Initial release

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