It's a joke. I can't say it would have had me doubled over in hysterics...or even get a genuine smile from me, but you really can't take yourself so seriously that a "Sure you can...nah just kidding!" prank gets you so wound up that you'd abandon a game. So long as it didn't mislead you into spending time building a character that wouldn't work without it (which would have required the DM to say they can have any feat or choose from a selection of feats, which I doubt because that contradicts the prank), then no harm, no foul. And I thought I could be high strung!
As far as banning players for asking for starting feats, that's more absurd to my view. A player can ask me for anything. Free feat? Free level? An additional free legendary magic item? Go ahead! I can, and probably will, say no, but you're free to ask without fear of reprisal, so long as it's not vexatious, done in an obnoxious manner and so forth.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
A free feat at level 1 is balanced fine if every player gets one and the feat does not provide a half-ASI or access to high level spells.
Feats are a great way to further customise a character or represent a benefit from backstory that makes sense. Got two players both high elves? The feat plus tasha options allow those characters to still be mechanically unique which helps the roleplay as well.
It is a very common houserule, with it being one in all but one game I've been in for 5e.
It didn't use to be a houserule, as in 3.5 edition everybody started with a feat, and humans started with 2. This is also why so many enjoy it and ask about it - which is not a red flag at all.
The latest releases and One D&D - which again, have everyone gaining a bonus 1st level feat - indicate how popular this is and the very strong likelihood they will be going in this direction moving forward.
Do you think they are giving everyone a starting feat to compensate for the classes that are having their subclasses moved back to level three? Will this be enough to give level 1or 2 characters rp opportunities uniqueness?
Hey everyone! First off, I just wanted to share a joke feat with the community. My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol), so I gave them what they asked for and created them a free first level feat they can take every time! I didn't publish it for the community because I didn't want to break the DDB Homebrew Rules and Guidelines, but I felt like sharing it in case anyone else had players that always asked, so you can help give them what they want!
If you wanted to troll/rib your players over asking for "free stuff", I can think of better ways to do it
For example, when they asked for a free feat at 1st level, say "Sure!" and then present them with a list to choose from of all the feats hardly anyone actually takes, like Actor and Skulker
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
It's more work than I'd be wiling to put in for a joke, but I'd be happy for a player to not play on the basis of that joke being made. If it's a more experienced bunch of players, I'll tend to start at level 2 - and I think something in place to address the squishiness of lvl 1 characters is a good idea. I'd be more inclined to double (and max) HP at lvl 1 + that'd could be easily countered with a custom Feat. It'd be nice if that was "baked-in" - especially for a party of noobs (stressful enough).
I have played in and DM'd games that ONLY worked out of the core three books. PHB, DMG,MM.
And I have played in others that have used every option possible plus home brew/table rules.
I tend to go with the less is more option.
I have found characters start to get to a point of just to many options for their level. Roles start too overlap to much and one character just starts to play like any other character.
But all the games have been fun no matter what. It depends on the people playing at your table.
A joke that's only funny to the person telling it is a bad joke. When it's coming from someone who wants to run a game, it's a frequent indication of what playing with them is going to be like. You can potentially get away with it in a group that already knows you well, but here it was posted for a group of strangers and is being judged as such.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
A joke that's only funny to the person telling it is a bad joke. When it's coming from someone who wants to run a game, it's a frequent indication of what playing with them is going to be like. You can potentially get away with it in a group that already knows you well, but here it was posted for a group of strangers and is being judged as such.
Agreed and I will add that jokes from those with authority (DMs) at the expense of those without (players) tend to not be very funny. It flirts with the 'DM vs Player' dynamic even if it was meant to be benign. Our roles determine what is appropriate to some extent.
Yeah, that particular joke reads too much like punching down. Not my idea of fun, and I'm normally the DM.
As for feats, I give my players lots of feats because they give more options and make the game more fun. I can always adjust challenge ratings if I have to balance an encounter.
Hey everyone. I want to start by saying I appreciate the time everyone took to even respond to this post at all. To clarify a few things I realize now I should have led with. This entire thing came out of a silly conversation with myself and a few of my players, and (as stated) was intentionally meant to be a joke. It was never intended to ever actually be handed out as a real response to a request for anything, but an exaggeration on the overall topic of free feats and the like that DMs always get asked about. The whole post was intended to be light hearted, but perhaps was more in poor taste overall or I should have listed it as satire more clearly. That's on me, and I'll do better next time!
In reality, I tend to be very lax on restrictions with my players' options. I only ever restrict races/spells/etc. if it makes sense for it not exist for whatever reason in the campaign. Even then, I'm more inclined to just make it rare/exotic/expensive instead of removing it entirely. And I have out right given players feats or created variants of options so that a player could have the character mechanically function the way the want it to.
Edited to complete a sentence I realized I'd thought but didn't finish typing.
Hey everyone. I want to start by saying I appreciate the time everyone took to even respond to this post at all. To clarify a few things I realize now I should have led with. This entire thing came out of a silly conversation with myself and a few of my players, and (as stated) was intentionally meant to be a joke. It was never intended to ever actually be handed out as a real response to a request for anything, but an exaggeration on the overall topic of free feats and the like that DMs always get asked about. The whole post was intended to be light hearted, but perhaps was more in poor taste overall or I should have listed it as satire more clearly. That's on me, and I'll do better next time!
In reality, I tend to be very lax on restrictions with my players' options. I only ever restrict races/spells/etc. if it makes sense for it not exist for whatever reason in the campaign. Even then, I'm more inclined to just make it rare/exotic/expensive instead of removing it entirely. And I have out right given players feats or created variants of options so that a player could have the character mechanically function the way the want it to.
Edited to complete a sentence I realized I'd thought but didn't finish typing.
It definitely feels like one of those "you had to be there" kind of jokes. But if your group enjoyed it that's all that matters.
My own groups worked out a short list of feats that would be okay for level 1 characters, based in part on the list from the Character Origins UA. For those interested, these were:
Tough
Skilled
Magic Initiate
Fighting Initiate
Tavern Brawler
Musician
Alert
Lucky is also on the list in some, but not all my DMs went for that one, they felt it was powerful enough to remain at 4+. I've been thinking of pitching a toned down version that gives a number of rerolls = half PB (rounded up), so it starts at 1 reroll per LR and eventually scales up to the full 3.
This is a path that should be taken only among friends you have gamed with for a long time or you will get reactions Like Caerwyn's People will walk. You cannot do this with someone that is just starting their journey into Dungeons and Dragons. Not with a pick up group either. All of this being said I thought it was funny. and would have let it slide
My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol)
Actually this is a pretty common house rule these days that players can start with a free feat. In fact it's so common it's being baked into the revised rules, where a background provides a feat.
That said, this is a pretty funny response.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead
My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol)
Actually this is a pretty common house rule these days that players can start with a free feat. In fact it's so common it's being baked into the revised rules, where a background provides a feat.
That said, this is a pretty funny response.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
That’s the idea. IIRC, there won’t be a variant human in the 2024 rules. It’ll just be the default. It was kinda silly that we had two types of human in the first place, when the variant was so much better.
My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol)
Actually this is a pretty common house rule these days that players can start with a free feat. In fact it's so common it's being baked into the revised rules, where a background provides a feat.
That said, this is a pretty funny response.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
That’s the idea. IIRC, there won’t be a variant human in the 2024 rules. It’ll just be the default. It was kinda silly that we had two types of human in the first place, when the variant was so much better.
yeah, i havent kept up with 2024 rules really, last i remember was stuff about the new VTT, i didnt really like it at all. And most of my games are already 5e and no where close to ending, so most likely im not moving on either way for a while, hopefully i can do some research on it, it feels really annoying that ive spent years building up knowledge on D&D and now i have to relearn bits and pieces
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead
My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol)
Actually this is a pretty common house rule these days that players can start with a free feat. In fact it's so common it's being baked into the revised rules, where a background provides a feat.
That said, this is a pretty funny response.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
That’s the idea. IIRC, there won’t be a variant human in the 2024 rules. It’ll just be the default. It was kinda silly that we had two types of human in the first place, when the variant was so much better.
yeah, i havent kept up with 2024 rules really, last i remember was stuff about the new VTT, i didnt really like it at all. And most of my games are already 5e and no where close to ending, so most likely im not moving on either way for a while, hopefully i can do some research on it, it feels really annoying that ive spent years building up knowledge on D&D and now i have to relearn bits and pieces
As people, well, one or two at least, have told me, the new books are not an new edition. So I will continue to use the 2014 PHB, which explicitly says on page 165 that Feats are optional, I will continue to with just that: It is DM's option, and no Feats are allowed in my game, nullifying any build with the 6e...oh sorry, One D&D 2024 PHB. You can do just the same in your game.
My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol)
Actually this is a pretty common house rule these days that players can start with a free feat. In fact it's so common it's being baked into the revised rules, where a background provides a feat.
That said, this is a pretty funny response.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
It's only OP if only some of the PCs get it and others don't and if the GM doesn't adjust anything to account for the slightly better abilities of the party.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol)
Actually this is a pretty common house rule these days that players can start with a free feat. In fact it's so common it's being baked into the revised rules, where a background provides a feat.
That said, this is a pretty funny response.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
It's only OP if only some of the PCs get it and others don't and if the GM doesn't adjust anything to account for the slightly better abilities of the party.
So, you are saying that having some PC's playing under one set of rules, while other PC's are not playing by those rules, creates game imbalances.
My players asked for a free first level feat (what?? that never happens in D&D lol)
Actually this is a pretty common house rule these days that players can start with a free feat. In fact it's so common it's being baked into the revised rules, where a background provides a feat.
That said, this is a pretty funny response.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
It's only OP if only some of the PCs get it and others don't and if the GM doesn't adjust anything to account for the slightly better abilities of the party.
So, you are saying that having some PC's playing under one set of rules, while other PC's are not playing by those rules, creates game imbalances.
I wrote exactly what I wrote and nothing more. If someone reads additional context into it as a result of their own biases and rush to condemn a new rule that they haven't actually read, that's on them.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
It's a joke. I can't say it would have had me doubled over in hysterics...or even get a genuine smile from me, but you really can't take yourself so seriously that a "Sure you can...nah just kidding!" prank gets you so wound up that you'd abandon a game. So long as it didn't mislead you into spending time building a character that wouldn't work without it (which would have required the DM to say they can have any feat or choose from a selection of feats, which I doubt because that contradicts the prank), then no harm, no foul. And I thought I could be high strung!
As far as banning players for asking for starting feats, that's more absurd to my view. A player can ask me for anything. Free feat? Free level? An additional free legendary magic item? Go ahead! I can, and probably will, say no, but you're free to ask without fear of reprisal, so long as it's not vexatious, done in an obnoxious manner and so forth.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Do you think they are giving everyone a starting feat to compensate for the classes that are having their subclasses moved back to level three? Will this be enough to give level 1or 2 characters rp opportunities uniqueness?
If you wanted to troll/rib your players over asking for "free stuff", I can think of better ways to do it
For example, when they asked for a free feat at 1st level, say "Sure!" and then present them with a list to choose from of all the feats hardly anyone actually takes, like Actor and Skulker
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
It's more work than I'd be wiling to put in for a joke, but I'd be happy for a player to not play on the basis of that joke being made.
If it's a more experienced bunch of players, I'll tend to start at level 2 - and I think something in place to address the squishiness of lvl 1 characters is a good idea. I'd be more inclined to double (and max) HP at lvl 1 + that'd could be easily countered with a custom Feat. It'd be nice if that was "baked-in" - especially for a party of noobs (stressful enough).
https://wulfgold.substack.com
Blog - nerd stuff
https://deepdreamgenerator.com/u/wulfgold
A.I. art - also nerd stuff - a gallery of NPC portraits - help yourself.
All this over an obvious joke.
I have played in and DM'd games that ONLY worked out of the core three books. PHB, DMG,MM.
And I have played in others that have used every option possible plus home brew/table rules.
I tend to go with the less is more option.
I have found characters start to get to a point of just to many options for their level. Roles start too overlap to much and one character just starts to play like any other character.
But all the games have been fun no matter what. It depends on the people playing at your table.
A joke that's only funny to the person telling it is a bad joke. When it's coming from someone who wants to run a game, it's a frequent indication of what playing with them is going to be like. You can potentially get away with it in a group that already knows you well, but here it was posted for a group of strangers and is being judged as such.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Agreed and I will add that jokes from those with authority (DMs) at the expense of those without (players) tend to not be very funny. It flirts with the 'DM vs Player' dynamic even if it was meant to be benign. Our roles determine what is appropriate to some extent.
DM mostly, Player occasionally | Session 0 form | He/Him/They/Them
EXTENDED SIGNATURE!
Doctor/Published Scholar/Science and Healthcare Advocate/Critter/Trekkie/Gandalf with a Glock
Try DDB free: Free Rules (2024), premade PCs, adventures, one shots, encounters, SC, homebrew, more
Answers: physical books, purchases, and subbing.
Check out my life-changing
Yeah, that particular joke reads too much like punching down. Not my idea of fun, and I'm normally the DM.
As for feats, I give my players lots of feats because they give more options and make the game more fun. I can always adjust challenge ratings if I have to balance an encounter.
Hey everyone. I want to start by saying I appreciate the time everyone took to even respond to this post at all. To clarify a few things I realize now I should have led with. This entire thing came out of a silly conversation with myself and a few of my players, and (as stated) was intentionally meant to be a joke. It was never intended to ever actually be handed out as a real response to a request for anything, but an exaggeration on the overall topic of free feats and the like that DMs always get asked about. The whole post was intended to be light hearted, but perhaps was more in poor taste overall or I should have listed it as satire more clearly. That's on me, and I'll do better next time!
In reality, I tend to be very lax on restrictions with my players' options. I only ever restrict races/spells/etc. if it makes sense for it not exist for whatever reason in the campaign. Even then, I'm more inclined to just make it rare/exotic/expensive instead of removing it entirely. And I have out right given players feats or created variants of options so that a player could have the character mechanically function the way the want it to.
Edited to complete a sentence I realized I'd thought but didn't finish typing.
It definitely feels like one of those "you had to be there" kind of jokes. But if your group enjoyed it that's all that matters.
My own groups worked out a short list of feats that would be okay for level 1 characters, based in part on the list from the Character Origins UA. For those interested, these were:
Lucky is also on the list in some, but not all my DMs went for that one, they felt it was powerful enough to remain at 4+. I've been thinking of pitching a toned down version that gives a number of rerolls = half PB (rounded up), so it starts at 1 reroll per LR and eventually scales up to the full 3.
This is a path that should be taken only among friends you have gamed with for a long time or you will get reactions Like Caerwyn's People will walk. You cannot do this with someone that is just starting their journey into Dungeons and Dragons. Not with a pick up group either. All of this being said I thought it was funny. and would have let it slide
Well, that changes the context considerably.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
thats kinda OP, and Variant Human isnt very special anymore then
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead
That’s the idea. IIRC, there won’t be a variant human in the 2024 rules. It’ll just be the default. It was kinda silly that we had two types of human in the first place, when the variant was so much better.
Terra Lubridia archive:
The Bloody Barnacle | The Gut | The Athene Crusader | The Jewel of Atlantis
yeah, i havent kept up with 2024 rules really, last i remember was stuff about the new VTT, i didnt really like it at all. And most of my games are already 5e and no where close to ending, so most likely im not moving on either way for a while, hopefully i can do some research on it, it feels really annoying that ive spent years building up knowledge on D&D and now i have to relearn bits and pieces
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead
As people, well, one or two at least, have told me, the new books are not an new edition. So I will continue to use the 2014 PHB, which explicitly says on page 165 that Feats are optional, I will continue to with just that: It is DM's option, and no Feats are allowed in my game, nullifying any build with the 6e...oh sorry, One D&D 2024 PHB. You can do just the same in your game.
It's only OP if only some of the PCs get it and others don't and if the GM doesn't adjust anything to account for the slightly better abilities of the party.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
So, you are saying that having some PC's playing under one set of rules, while other PC's are not playing by those rules, creates game imbalances.
hey, wasnt there a post here? was it deleted? if so why did you delete it??
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead
I wrote exactly what I wrote and nothing more. If someone reads additional context into it as a result of their own biases and rush to condemn a new rule that they haven't actually read, that's on them.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.