Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Give Players a Starter Feat

Look, im going to make a case that giving all players a feat at level 1... regardless of race, is an ideal rule that should be implemented. Its a popular homebrew rule, but I think it could also be really good for this game as well.

1. Lack of Background Features - There is some controversy over background features in 5E, some of them are extremely powerful and able to eliminate whole sections of gameplay, others are borderline useless... Ultimately, it seems the intent with them in 5e was to to effectively be a roleplaying suggestion tying the backstory into the world, and giving a mechanical boost... This game doesnt feature background features, and it cant do it practically in any way... so a feat is a good replacement.

2. All companions get some sort of unique feature - each companion seems to get some sort of unique feature on some level, so letting the player get a feat as a way of bringing them up a notch is a good way of helping player characters distinguish themselves (in case you are wonderinf, Wylls Rapier & Astarions vampirism)

3. Its fun - its really fun okay! its a great homebrew rule.

4. Variant human isnt in the game - so just give everyone a feat, and humans an extra skill of their choice... lets not bother with variant human, and let everyone have a starter feat.

I have made my argument... I think its cool.

Yes! Totally agree.

I'm not sure it's a good idea.

It could increase the possibilities of builds at level 1 but at the same time it would probably reduce the specifics of each (sub)classes/(sub)races.
I'm not sure that's something BG3 needs because all classes are already basically played the same with the layer added on top of D&D.

On top of that our characters would be even more powerfull, meaning the terrible balance would be even worse.

I agree. The choice between ability scores and feats is pretty harsh. Feats are really cool in customizing your PC, but getting your main attribute to 20 is just too important and powerful. I don't feel like I can really pick a feat before my Wizard has 20 int. So my first feat is available at level 12. That's a bit late when you could have been making fun choices along the way. Then you have classes that don't get any choices on certain level ups. Like Clerics. It's quite boring, especially for a CRPG.

I liked it more in 3.x where you didn't have to make that choice as feats and ASIs progressed separately. More feats would definitely be more fun. But not too many. We don't want all characters ending up too similar.

Also, the increased ASIs in 5e are more fun than in 3.x where you only get one measly point at a time.

Not a fan. Want a feat at lvl1? Play a variant human. There's a mod for it.

The game is already made too easy by it's departure from 5e. We don't need more in the base game.

Hmm, IF there will never be Background special abilities, MAYBE, I wouldn't mind it tested as an optional homebrew rule.

Having finished the game enough and rummaging around on alternative playthroughs, I ended up dancing the dance of modding and found out of all the things lacking from character creation, was a simple - little - feat.

No dozen stats, not the severe lack of options (currently, and the current selection are just the sample size - I hope!), nor the lack of gear choice. It's a defining trait to the " TAV ".

Lae'zel gets free AC boost via Githyanki half-plate. Plus plot. ( Reminds me of 4th edition / Pathfinder + 3.5 noble trait and perks )

Shadowheart has obvious massive plot stuff happening to her. Currently only teases are shown. But walking plot.

Wyll has proficiencies outside his normal race. Gear to match it.

Gale. Much like Shadowheart. Walking plot and likely some headbobbing from a God at some point.

Astarion. I shouldn't need to say much. Bite. Plot. So much happening. The most finished companion by far.

Then... Tav ...

What does Tav have? Nadda. Zip. Zoop. None of the things. Whilst I understand the annoying undertaking of making a blank person into someone vital, the current rendition and options open to players, fails to get it quite right.

Then again, I predict the current character creation is going to see some drastic additions for both selection and choices currently fielded. So these concerns are likely known and moot to mull over.

What I kinda hope is for the option to select something special for Tav IF every other character is going to have something special. They could be creative with it and many tables do something like that, like letting everyone have a custom ability or hook to the world. That said it should be optional if added.

For example, having something Abyss flavored for my Tiefling Warlock would be really thematic.

While it would be homebrew, they could tie said homebrew into the background rules, replacing the ability backgrounds give.

But this is not about difficulty at all. It's about character customization and fun choices on level ups.

The difficulty and Larian cheese hopefully gets addressed separately.

Feats are very useful and powerful. They need to be, since they normally cost you an ability score increase. There are feats that boost your hit points, feats that give you access to a range of weapons or armor outside your class or feats that let non-casters get spells.

Especially at low levels, this would have a huge impact on the balance of the game.

Not really a fan of the idea personally. I think it would make the game even easier. Now if say they started to shorten the lvl span of getting a new one after level 5, I wouldn't mind that at all.

Two things. First taking a feat from Variant Humans and giving them a skill is hardly a fair trade. Second I think Larian are going to want to encourage us to take an origin character in the main game so it's unlikely they'll be giving out feats to custom characters so as to discourage this.

I just want my Drow characters to get Levitate. <grins>

As for a special I would not mind a few more stat points at start as an option. 3-5 points in the pool would make your "Tav" character just a bit more special than the other NPC's by giving it a sight edge with all the other rules still applying (maximum starting stats for racial, costs 2 points for every stat over 14, etc.. ) without having to mess with coding a slew of "abilities" to add as options.

This would be something that snowballs, throwing off game mechanics and making it difficult to balance the game.

Thats not what I said, what I said was... give regular human an extra skill, and not have variant human at all.

And I think the major detractors here are al missing one major point I made... which would be fixed by reading my original point. The character creation is already missing majorly powerful aspects, such as tool proficiencies, and the background features, and the languages.

The games character creation already lacks a majorly powerful component, and there is no feasible way of integrating those components because they are more roleplay based.

Including a feat for level 1 custom player characters is the only way I can see to bring them up to par with a 5e character, and with the starter origin characters who all get free goodies anyway.

This is why I suggested the alternative of allowing the option for a special thing at the start. It is a very common homebrew with many DMs to give players abilities, and it would make up for our lack of Background Abilities (I actually want them to add tool proficiencies and have them apply to certain checks and interactions. Languages I am fine with being removed for the most part, but I wouldn't mind it returning, or at least comprehend languages to be implemented in some regard.)
While I said before I wouldn't mind it being tested as an optional rule, I think the issue can be solved by implementing other rules. Also it would make our character more in line with the origin characters who almost all have something extreme like Vampirism or whatever is happening with Shadowheart (Wyll is the most normal at having a Patron, Laezel would be most normal except she is a gith in Faerun).

A single feat given to a character won't make the party OP. It'd only be noticeable for a party of fully custom characters with free feats (in particular GWM and Sharpshooter will be very powerful with Height/Backstab Advantage), and even then only for the first few levels. Past level ~3, character abilities+4th level ASI/feat would begin to eclipse this free feat.

If it turns out that this change does make combats at levels 2&3 too easy, then Larian can up the difficulty of these encounters. I assume they'll be making changes to their encounters up until release anyway. Fully Origin parties would probably find combats somewhat more difficult than fully custom parties, but I don't think it'd be that different. It'd be worth the additional customization that a 1st level feat grants.

I don't think balance is the concern here. They can balance and rebalance the encounters however they please.

It's not like encounters are set in stone and then they sprinkle extra feats on top.

Classes will remain quite balanced with eachother if everyone gets the same buff.

Dunno ...
Ballance seem to be just covenient excuse ... i mean, its not like the game is "perfectly ballanced" anyway.

I probably dont have specific opinion for this ...
I would not mind if we get Feat, i would not cry if we dont.
But this sounds to me more like material for moder comunity. :-/

Variant Human is already in 5E. Just include it in BG3.