I had an idea for one of my campaigns I plan on doing, but I'm not sure how well it would go: Giving certain monsters Feats that would usually be exclusive to players. (For added context, the campaign in question is meant to go from 1st to 13th level, but I likely wouldn't introduce Feats on monsters until 3rd level at least)

I thought that adding Feats to certain monsters- especially Feats that synergize with the monster's existing abilities- would be a fun way to add some challenge and surprise to certain encounters. For example, one of the bosses I have planned for this campaign is a knight with a pike and the dreaded Polearm Master + Sentinel combo (depending on the party's level when they encounter this guy, I might even throw in Piercer for extra oomph). Near the very end of the campaign, I might even give an Epic Boon to certain bosses- but some of those can be absurdly overkill when used against the party.

Would this be a good idea, or should I look to other alternatives for adding challenge to the campaign?

In general the way you give feats to monsters is by giving them the effect of the feat, and then adjusting CR if necessary. I don't recommend feats as a way to make monsters harder -- simpler to just make them harder by increasing numbers -- but they're fine as a way to make monsters more interesting.

I disagree part of the DM's Job is to challenge the player and one of the tools in our toolbox is making the monsters harder to fight without burying the group in horde of opponents all the time. Feats while they are in the players handbook are perfectly acceptable to give to monsters it will be a learning experience for him if he wipes the party out. he will learn a valuable lesson.

Quote from Xeresia >>

I disagree part of the DM's Job is to challenge the player and one of the tools in our toolbox is making the monsters harder to fight without burying the group in horde of opponents all the time.

You can make a monster harder by giving it +1 to hit, or +1d6 damage, or whatever. The reason to use feats, specifically, is verisimilitude and/or making a more interesting combat encounter. Both of which are perfectly desirable things to have in a game, but they're not really about difficulty.

Quote from Xeresia >>

I disagree part of the DM's Job is to challenge the player and one of the tools in our toolbox is making the monsters harder to fight without burying the group in horde of opponents all the time. Feats while they are in the players handbook are perfectly acceptable to give to monsters it will be a learning experience for him if he wipes the party out. he will learn a valuable lesson.

 
When Pantagruel666 wrote “increasing numbers,” I think they meant giving them more HP, higher AC, more attacks, higher damage, stuff like that.

I give monsters feats all the time to make them more unique and interesting, and also to make them more challenging opponents. I mean, if you add stuff like PAM and/or Sentinel, they’re gonna have more opportunities to make attacks using their reactions and/or bonus actions. That will obviously increase their DPR or at least potentially increase it at any rate. That means the monster will be more challenging to defeat. (Of course, you could also just simply increase their attacks as Pantagruel666 implied, but that’s not as interesting all the time IMO.) Other stuff I often add to monsters to make them more unique and interesting are races and backgrounds. Just a thought.

Quote from Pantagruel666 >>

Quote from Xeresia >>

I disagree part of the DM's Job is to challenge the player and one of the tools in our toolbox is making the monsters harder to fight without burying the group in horde of opponents all the time.

You can make a monster harder by giving it +1 to hit, or +1d6 damage, or whatever. The reason to use feats, specifically, is verisimilitude and/or making a more interesting combat encounter. Both of which are perfectly desirable things to have in a game, but they're not really about difficulty.

 
🥷

To the OP  sorry for hijacking your thread .

@Pantagruel666  I made  the mistake in misunderstanding you because your turn of phrase "increasing numbers" is not normally used the way you used it in a sentence. Thats on me  I apologize.

There are no “feats that are exclusive to players.” Anything and everything is fair game when making enemies. (Keeping in mind it’s not fun for anyone if the enemies are too, too overpowering every time. Although sometimes, it can make for a good story.)

Add in any little tricks you like as a DM. If those tricks happen to mirror a feat, or be a feat. So be it. NPCs don’t have to follow PC rules, after all. 

you know what would be SICK? monsters with those feats from Planescape, scion of (something), (something) of order and all that.

I made a villainous PC with those feats so monsters already have those?

rather amusing jape don't you think?