I am playing an Ancestral Guardian with rolled ability scores (17+1, 14, 13+1, 12, 14 and 12)(Solider background). My group is at level 5, but we’ve been given the opportunity to change our first asi/feats, and i’m not sure what route to take now!
We don’t plan on stopping our campaign at an early level. If I go straight ASI, I can max out my Strength and constitution at 24 as well as raise my unarmored defense to 22. On the other hand, feats offer their own benefits of course. My feat-filled idea was to go sentinel, mage slayer, tough, chef and Boon of Combat Prowlness (Con).My party chat advised me to go with abilities that don’t rely on specific weapon types, and these were the best nonspecific abilities I could find. I have a +1 shield already that goes with my spear, but again, they seemed to imply anything I’ve earned can be taken away.
Which route do you all think I should go? Ability scores or feats? Or some hybrid? And in what order? Do I go strength first or go con/armor class first?
Always go Hybrid. But it helps to have a plan, and back up plans as well. You never go wrong increasing abilities. That said, a good feat can help you survive long enough to get to the next ASI choice. But the origin feats no longer give you an ability boost and I am not sure they are worth losing +2 in abilities.
I disagree with this opinion, "...advised me to go with abilities that don’t rely on specific weapon types". Chances are you will always be able to use those specific helpful feats. Many of those also increase you ability by 1 as well. In addition, if you have a choice to up abilities by 2 or take a feat that does not even give you a +1 in ability, is that feat worthwhile?
Whether to avoid feats that depend on specific weapon types depends a lot on the DM. Say you start of with a maul and take GWM and crusher and you are the only strength based character in the party. If the DM is the type who selects magic items to suit the player characters or makes it easy to buy the magic items you want as you progress through the campaign you can get more and more powerful mauls. On the other hand if the DM gives out loot exactly as stated in the campaign book of they roll from a table for magic item and it is very hard / impossible buy the magic items you want (either no magic shops or they only have a very limited stock which again are rolled for) you might never find a magic maul in the campaign and end up using a +3 Great Sword because it is a lot better than a mundane maul even with crusher.
I am playing an Ancestral Guardian with rolled ability scores (17+1, 14, 13+1, 12, 14 and 12)(Solider background). My group is at level 5, but we’ve been given the opportunity to change our first asi/feats, and i’m not sure what route to take now!
www.dndbeyond.com/sheet-pdfs/Actionsparda_129017634.pdf
We don’t plan on stopping our campaign at an early level. If I go straight ASI, I can max out my Strength and constitution at 24 as well as raise my unarmored defense to 22. On the other hand, feats offer their own benefits of course. My feat-filled idea was to go sentinel, mage slayer, tough, chef and Boon of Combat Prowlness (Con).My party chat advised me to go with abilities that don’t rely on specific weapon types, and these were the best nonspecific abilities I could find. I have a +1 shield already that goes with my spear, but again, they seemed to imply anything I’ve earned can be taken away.
Which route do you all think I should go? Ability scores or feats? Or some hybrid? And in what order? Do I go strength first or go con/armor class first?
Always go Hybrid. But it helps to have a plan, and back up plans as well. You never go wrong increasing abilities. That said, a good feat can help you survive long enough to get to the next ASI choice. But the origin feats no longer give you an ability boost and I am not sure they are worth losing +2 in abilities.
I disagree with this opinion, "...advised me to go with abilities that don’t rely on specific weapon types". Chances are you will always be able to use those specific helpful feats. Many of those also increase you ability by 1 as well. In addition, if you have a choice to up abilities by 2 or take a feat that does not even give you a +1 in ability, is that feat worthwhile?
Whether to avoid feats that depend on specific weapon types depends a lot on the DM. Say you start of with a maul and take GWM and crusher and you are the only strength based character in the party. If the DM is the type who selects magic items to suit the player characters or makes it easy to buy the magic items you want as you progress through the campaign you can get more and more powerful mauls. On the other hand if the DM gives out loot exactly as stated in the campaign book of they roll from a table for magic item and it is very hard / impossible buy the magic items you want (either no magic shops or they only have a very limited stock which again are rolled for) you might never find a magic maul in the campaign and end up using a +3 Great Sword because it is a lot better than a mundane maul even with crusher.
I understand where both of you are coming from. I’ll take it under advisement. Thanks!