D&D: Feats Of Strength. And Charisma And Wisdom…
Let’s raise a toast to odd-numbered ability scores as we celebrate with five of our favorite feats for rounding out your favorite characters.
Odd-numbered ability scores are exactly that: odd. At first glance, they serve no real purpose, because as far as stats go in D&D, all that matters is the modifier you derive from them. A 14 and a 15 in something are functionally identical, unless you’re breaking a tie, or unless you’re dropping in one of the various feats that gives you +1 to an ability score, plus some extra tricks to have up your sleeve. Yes, these humble +1s will not only level your odd-numbered ability scores up to the next highest plus, they’ll grant you a capability you didn’t have otherwise, and let you put a little more character into your character. Here are five of our favorite feats that give you an ability boost with a side of flavor.
Athlete
This feat tops our list, not just because it’s alphabetical but because of the movement options it opens up for your characters. You’ll get to add +1 to Strength of Dex, and on top of that, climb at full speed, make a running jump after only a single five-foot square, and standing up from prone only uses 5 feet of movement. If you’re looking to increase your mobility and ability to get anywhere on the map, Athlete is a great way to pump that gas.
Observant
This feat is great because not only will it increase your Intelligence of Wisdom, it’ll make your DM sit up and go wait, your passive perception is how much? Ensure that surprise ambushes and hiding foes are never a problem again when your perception score is so high you can see the fabric of the universe.
Linguist
Linguist is a much subtler feat than the others. At first blush it’s just a +1 to Intelligence, and some language proficiencies, but the oft overlooked third part is the ability to create codes and cyphers that only you can know (or a very clever monster, but it’s hard) to pass information around. This is a perfect complement to any Mastermind or Inquisitive out there.
Dwarven Fortitude
This is one of the better healing feats out there. If you’re a dwarf, whenever you take this feat, not only do you get an increase to Con, but you also gain the ability to spend a hit dice (and heal) any time you take the Dodge action. Perfect for the rare Dwarven Monk, or really anyone with easy access to Dodge and fun things to do with Bonus Actions.
Second Chance
Speaking of Defensive feats, this one is a ton of fun. Increase your Dex, Con, or Charisma, and once per rest, when a creature hits you you can instead force them to reroll their attack, taking the second result, even if it’s worse.
And these are just some of our favorite feats. What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments, and Happy Adventuring!
