I am new to DMing, I've attempted to run campaigns in the past but never had any that played out (usually due to timing problems).  I have a new group that is ready to play and we got together last night to roll up characters.  5 man group: fighter, warlock, druid, bard and ranger; only the bard has ever played before.  I am considering doing something that I can't find any opinions on.  I am thinking of giving each of them the option to take a feat at the first level, mostly to try and help them enjoy playing more (they all rolled terrible for stats). 

Is this something that people do or is there a major downfall to doing it? 

Thank you for your time and help. I'm afraid this may not be the only question I have has we go along.   

Well, you can certainly do it if you want and it may be a fun little bonus.  Keep in mind though that Variant Humans (and I think another race or two, not certain) get a Feat at first level; it's the main thing that makes them special.  You're essentially giving a special Race feature to all of your characters if you do this.  I typically don't like to give things out for free if it's a special thing for another class/race, I just feel like I'm cheapening that class/race by doing so.

I did this with the group I've been running weekly for almost about 8 months They all started at level 3 and I gave them the ability to pick a feat at character creation. I had a Warlock take Warcaster, a Bard take Keen Mind, and a Sorcerer take Observant. My only request was that it tied into their character's backstory. The Warlock was a hexblade solider prone to fighting on the front lines, the bard was also a war journalist so having a good memory was necessary, and the sorcerer used to be a spy so reading lips was extra helpful 

I did exclude a few feats at the start, like Lucky and Firearm specialist. Lucky because it's a little too over powered at low levels, and Firearm just because I do not have any guns in this campaign. 

The biggest thing you'd have to worry about are feats like Great Weapon Master, Sharpshooter, and Crossbow Expert. These feats extraordinarily increase a players damage, and plus 10 damage that comes with GWM and SS at level 1 can be very game breaking. The problem here as a DM is it is hard to balance creature fights, because your players kill them so quickly, so you're inclined to increase the CR so the monsters have higher health, but then that higher CR creature ends up one shotting your players. So if a player chooses one of these, be mindful about fights and how to adjust creatures to compensate, such as just increase the creatures health bc it's "extra big" or just have more creatures in general. This all balances out later down the road as they increase levels where it is more natural for players to have magic items and feats like this anyways. 

If they rolled poorly, honestly before allowing free feats I'd allow suggest re-rolls. For stats I go with the Matt Mercer rule, the one saying that if the totals are under 70 you can reroll the full set. I also personally have a "Reallocation" rule, meaning that as long as the total is kept the same, they can move numbers around - so say someone rolled as part of their set a 17 and a 15, they could change that 15 to 14 and that 17 to 18.

I personally don't allow free feats, but I've been in a few groups that allows this, actually. If you do allow this, I'd definitely second some of the suggestions made already - disallow certain ones, like Lucky, GWP, SS, CE. Maybe allow those to be taken later, just not for free. And I like the idea of requiring the feat to be tied into the backstory, for sure.

I like the idea of allowing re-rolls. With the numbers they have, including their bonuses for races/classes, 2  of them are under 65. One other is at 72 so that could make a big difference for the majority of their party. 

Sure, go for it. Give them a little taste of what's to come. If it gets the players excited and keeps them interested, why not?

After all, not every stat block rolled becomes a PC. Most become farmers. PCs are meant to be a cut above the general populace. If the PCs were no better than the local field hands, then why would the farmer even bother paying the PCs to get rid of the goblins that've been stealing his chickens? He'd just do it himself! 

PCs are meant to be those few special people who have a certain... something. Call it a destiny, call it luck, call it je ne sais qua. They have it. They are the cream of the crop. They are the people who others instinctively turned to in times of need. 

How that "something" is defined is up to you. Maybe they each get a bonus feat at 1st level. Maybe they may opt instead for a +1 magic item (like a shield or a dagger). Maybe it's something tied to their backstory, like a secret stash of gold somewhere, or a knack with a certain skill, or an old friend who can help them out when need be.

Whatever it is, they have it. The real question is... how will they use it? 

Something else to think about is giving them some half feats to start with. Take a look at the Unearthed Arcana Feats for Skills list and consider letting each player pick a feat for one skill that represents them being exceptional at a thing that is important to them. This will make them more powerful, but not in a way that only applies to combat.

Point buy or Standard Array, my friend.  Solves all those nasty bad-luck rolling problems.  No fuss, no muss, no waxy yellow buildup.

Also the guy that rolls 3 stats as 16+ which makes encounter balance a mess.  Point buy is rarely an issue.

Quote from FoxfireInferno >>

Point buy or Standard Array, my friend.  Solves all those nasty bad-luck rolling problems.  No fuss, no muss, no waxy yellow buildup.

 I do the variant standard array 17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8

and for the OP, a feat at level 1 can be a bit much a bit soon, especially as players don’t know what there character will be like in game. I always do it instead at Character level 4 (not class level 4) but insist that the first ASI increase a character gets can’t be swapped for a feat as well. I find by this point players have sub classed and have a feel for the character. 

Oh how I wish I banned Lucky in my current campaign. My friend went full on into a character that can reroll so much stuff, and make my NPCs reroll things too. I invited him to do it as a challenge and now I'm worried I'm going to setup an encounter that melts him and the others all because his rerolling is so powerful. 

Don’t give anyone but variant human feats. That’s the racial tax. Other races get bonuses to compensate. Wont matter at 2nd level but will guarantee a zootopia of races at 4th level. Not recommended.

Sure, let them have a free feat, but keep in mind that variant humans (and a custom lineage as well) get a starting feat, and that some backgrounds from settings like dragonlance, spelljammer, and Strixhaven include a starting feat as well. I know a DM who allows a starting feat of a list of his choosing (> Chef ; Fighting Initiate ; Grappler ; Resilient ; Skill Expert ; Tavern Brawler ; Healer). 

I think it's still fair to the variant human as long as they get their normal starting feat plus the bonus starting feat.

As far as rolling, I like letting them roll 3 sets and choose 1. Or roll one set but letting them choose between it and standard array or point buy. I knew a DM that let them reroll until they were over point buy. 

I would limit what feats they could take at 1st level.  The list Foodgeek posted (Chef ; Fighting Initiate ; Grappler ; Resilient ; Skill Expert ; Tavern Brawler ; Healer) is pretty good, and I'm sure there are a few more.  I also agree that anyone playing a V. Human should get to pick plus have their racial bonus feat.  

And as someone else posted, some backgrounds allow a feat, so be careful before you end up with a starting character with 3 feats on your hands.

For rolling stats, my group has used 2 methods over the years that have worked out well for us.

Option 1) Roll stats, if they are bad you may choose to use the standard array.

Option 2) Everyone rolls a set of stats (including the DM) and the players choose which set they all use.  Of the two methods, this one has been my favorite.  Our group is 8 total, so chances are someone is going to roll a decent set of stats.  With everyone using the same set, no one is starting way more powerful than the rest of the group, and no one feels left behind due to bad rolls.

Quote from Khornell >>

I would limit what feats they could take at 1st level.  The list Foodgeek posted (Chef ; Fighting Initiate ; Grappler ; Resilient ; Skill Expert ; Tavern Brawler ; Healer) is pretty good, and I'm sure there are a few more.  I also agree that anyone playing a V. Human should get to pick plus have their racial bonus feat.  

And as someone else posted, some backgrounds allow a feat, so be careful before you end up with a starting character with 3 feats on your hands.

For rolling stats, my group has used 2 methods over the years that have worked out well for us.

Option 1) Roll stats, if they are bad you may choose to use the standard array.

Option 2) Everyone rolls a set of stats (including the DM) and the players choose which set they all use.  Of the two methods, this one has been my favorite.  Our group is 8 total, so chances are someone is going to roll a decent set of stats.  With everyone using the same set, no one is starting way more powerful than the rest of the group, and no one feels left behind due to bad rolls.

 

 Option 2 is great.