Learning new Feats through practice

Read this first! A warning about balance

Don't forget that feats are optional, and most would say they are precariously balanced at best. Using this optional rule introduces even more feats being used by your characters than the system is designed for. Giving players the option to learn new feats will likely cause balancing issues for the DM due to the newly granted powers and abilities from thier learned feats. The good news is that many players love the customization options feats provide, and the simplicity and frequency of the ability checks are low enough to keep play moving swiftly.

Practicing new feats while adventuring

After a long rest, a player may announce that they feel an action or experience their character had during the previous day counts as practice towards learning a specific feat. If the DM agrees, the DM will then declare which ability check the player must succeed to achieve a level of training towards learning the feat from the practice. Next, the player rolls an ability check using the appropriate ability score as declared by the DM. Inspiration may be spent to gain advantage on the roll and may also be awarded by the DM if the practice was exceptional. The difficulty of the ability check varies by the number of feats the character already knows and by how many levels of training they have already completed towards learning the feat. A successful check completes a level of training towards learning the feat.

Level 1: DC 8 + (number of feats already known)

Level 2: DC 13 + (number of feats already known)

Level 3: DC 18 + (number of feats already known)

After all three levels of practice training are successfully completed, the feat is unlocked permanently for the character.

Example: Learning the 'Lightly Armored' Feat

A wizard wears leather armor during a fight, suffering the restriction of being unable to cast spells. The wizard takes damage during the fight. Later, after completing a long rest, the player declares the experience must have trained the 'Lightly Armored' feat because they wore light armor in battle and also took damage. The DM agrees and determines that training this feat requires a strength ability check. The wizard then rolls a strength ability check to attempt to complete a level of training in the feat.

The wizard knows no other feats, and has completed no training towards this feat yet, so the difficulty check to complete level 1 of training in the feat is DC 8. The wizard rolls an 11. The wizard has a strength score of 10, which means the roll is not modified. The roll of 11 is enough to beat the difficulty check of DC 8, and the wizard has now completed level 1 of training the feat 'Lightly Armored'. The wizard must complete two more levels of training before unlocking the feat.





Practicing new feats during downtime

Characters have the option of practicing a feat by performing training during downtime. Practicing a feat this way may require a training fee, a specific trainer, or have other requirements as determined by the DM. Earning an ability check roll from practicing a feat during downtime requires a minimum of one week of training. Feats become more difficult to learn as the character knows more of them. A character who already knows other feats must also complete an additional week of training for each other feat the character has already learned before being able to roll the ability check.





Restrictions to learning feats To prevent the game from becoming too unbalanced from the characters having access to more feats, consider implementing some or all of these restrictions. A character may only gain a new feat upon reaching 4th, 12th and 20th level.

A character may only ever know a total of 3 feats, and may 'forget' one at any time to allow training a new one

Consider restricting feats which are considered too powerful

Consider ignoring the ability score increase for feats gained through practice





Recommended ability checks for feats

See the following page for recommended ability checks for feats.



