Why are there no Class Feats?

[WereRabbitz]

...
The reason I didn't necessarily consider it for being unique to this character and instead a broader thing was because I wanted them to be things that characters of the class would choose to specialize in. The sort of thing that a majority of characters with the same class would understand took extra time and effort to use a class feature better than average, not something inherent to a specific character. I hope that makes sense.
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The thing is... You have Backgrounds, Skill selections, 3+ paths, and your background that helps to define your character. There is enough room for 5 fighters to travel together and all be very different in how they fight, Specialized Skills, group roles, and role play-ability without infringing on any other class.

Here is the thing more feats make it harder for everything...

1. Harder for Players & DM to keep track of even more abilities...
2. Harder for WotC to keep classes balanced
3. Harder for new characters to build a character
4. Harder to focus on your character & background story rather then your build.

Keep it K.I.S.S. so it's more enjoyable and

If your bored with your role speak to your local DM regarding RolePlaying opportunities or new character options.
D&D isn't for everyone, Side Effects include: Depression, loss of appetite, mental instability, and savage mood swings.
Let Roleplaying set you on a better path to gaming!

[ProsecutorGodot]

The thing is... You have Backgrounds, Skill selections, 3+ paths, and your background that helps to define your character. There is enough room for 5 fighters to travel together and all be very different in how they fight, Specialized Skills, group roles, and role play-ability without infringing on any other class.

Here is the thing more feats make it harder for everything...

1. Harder for Players & DM to keep track of even more abilities...
2. Harder for WotC to keep classes balanced
3. Harder for new characters to build a character
4. Harder to focus on your character & background story rather then your build.

Keep it K.I.S.S. so it's more enjoyable and

If your bored with your role speak to your local DM regarding RolePlaying opportunities or new character options.
D&D isn't for everyone, Side Effects include: Depression, loss of appetite, mental instability, and savage mood swings.
Let Roleplaying set you on a better path to gaming!

I think you might be misunderstanding. Regardless of me liking the idea, I wouldn't be bothered either way if Class Feats never made it into any future published material. I'm very happy with my character, the thought of creating a custom spell only came up because the character has been so successful that he can afford to create such a spell. My thought process went on a tangent since the spell was so specifically meant to augment a class feature I had and I proposed the idea of class feats to a broader audience to see if it's something that has a place in 5E's design space.

I like playing my character and going through epic storylines, but as a person I'm very into the numbers of games and "how many cool things" can I do aspects. Versatility is something I really appreciate and more feats (of any kind) offer those extra options. I think there are as many people who would be happy with the idea of a bit more complexity added to the system as there are who enjoy the fact that the game is easy to pick up and run away with.

On that same note, your thoughts on roleplay over mechanics is a big part of why I wanted to get others opinions on the idea. I understand that 5E places a lot more focus on the aspects of playing the game rather than setting it up and that was one of my main concerns in asking "Should this or shouldn't this be in 5E?". I'm glad to see opposing views on the idea because it helps me understand things from a different perspective.

[fbelanger]

And why not gender-race-subclasses feat?

A feat for female, gnome, enchanter wizard!

[Theodoxus]

I had the same thought a while back. Here's what I came up with... though I could probably expand on them, at this time, I only wanted/needed 1 feat per class:

Class Specific Feats

These feats are only available to primary classes, even if the feat doesn't have a level requirement.
Armored Hulk

Prerequisite: Barbarian, 5th level; Heavy Armor proficiency
While wearing heavy armor, you retain all your class abilities that normally don't work with heavy armor.
Birthright

Prerequisite: Sorcerer, 5th level
When you roll initiative, you regain half your level in expended sorcery points (round down).
Sorcerous Restoration now restores all sorcery points when you roll initiative or take a short rest.
Called by God

Prerequisite: Cleric, 3rd level
If you use your Channel Divinity to Turn Undead, you regain the use of Channel Divinity the next time you roll initiative.
Starting at 10th level, you double your effective level when using Divine Intervention. At 20th level, you can use Divine Intervention twice, provided you long rest between uses.
Divine Empowerment

Prerequisite: Paladin, 7th level
You gain double the uses of Divine Sense and Lay on Hands provides 10 points of healing per level.
Druid's Friend

Prerequisite: Ranger
You gain access to your entire spell list, able to swap out spells on a long rest, like a druid can.
Laughter is the Best Medicine

Prerequisite: Bard, 3rd level
When casting a spell (not cantrip) that either successfully deals psychic damage or incapacitates its target, you regain an expired use of your bardic inspiration.
Meditative Serenity

Prerequisite: Monk, 5th level
When you roll initiative, you regain half your level in expired Ki (round down).
Perfect Self now restores all Ki when you roll initiative.
Nature's Boon

Prerequisite: Druid, 3rd level
Dream Druids: Your Balm of the Summer Court pool of fey energy are d10s rather than d6s.
Land Druids: When using Natural Recovery, you restore your level's worth of spell slots, rather than half your level.
Moon Druids: When you take on a Wild Shape, the maximum CR you can assume is equal to your level. However, if you assume a form that is higher than 1/3 your level, it only lasts 1 minute before you revert back.
Shepherd Druids: You gain a second use of Spirit Totem per short or long rest.
Spore Druids: While using Symbiotic Entity, if damaged by a melee attack, you may use your reaction to also spend a spell slot to form pustules on your body that immediately burst. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. It takes 2d10 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher increases the damage by 1d10 per slot level. If you use this reaction, you have advantage on Concentration checks until the start of your next turn.
Opening the Chaos

Prerequisite: Warlock, 5th level
You gain access to invocations outside of your Pact ability. If you take the Book of Ancient Secrets, it automatically contains Find Familiar as a free gift from your patron. If you don't have Pact of the Blade, any weapon you use becomes your Pact weapon, though you don't gain any other Pact of the Blade abilities.
Paragon of Combat

Prerequisite: Fighter
Your weapon and spell attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. If you later gain an ability, such as the Champion's Improved Critical or Hexblade's Curse, your attacks score a critical on an 18-20; and Superior Critical improves to 17-20.
Thief-Acrobat

Prerequisite: Rogue
A quarterstaff is considered a finesse weapon in your hands, allowing you to use your Dexterity Modifier for attack and damage rolls when wielding a quarterstaff. Any sneak damage while using a quarterstaff two handed deals d8s instead of d6s.
You gain expertise in acrobatics (or another skill, if you already have expertise in that skill).
Wizardry

Prerequisite: Wizard, 3rd, 7th, 11th and 15th levels
Upon taking this feat, you gain the second level Arcane Tradition feature of your choice. You can take this feat multiple times, but only at or after the listed levels in the prerequisites. Doing so grants the next Arcane Tradition feature of the tradition chosen the first time.

[ProsecutorGodot]

Thief-Acrobat

Prerequisite: Rogue
A quarterstaff is considered a finesse weapon in your hands, allowing you to use your Dexterity Modifier for attack and damage rolls when wielding a quarterstaff. Any sneak damage while using a quarterstaff two handed deals d8s instead of d6s.

This would really streamline the Old Man Inquisitive Rogue I have planned for Dragon Heist, I wouldn't have to settle for a shortsword sheathed to look like a cane.

[JNAProductions]

Theo, most of those feats are OP as hell.

[Theodoxus]

Theo, most of those feats are OP as hell.

And yet, my players have chosen the monk and rogue ones, once.

It might help that I have over 150 feats to chose from, and multiclassing requires feat expenditure, I've reduced short rests to 10 minutes (max of 2 a day) and added Breathers (max of 4 a day). I prefer players to have options at the start of combat; HPs and to a lesser extent, spell slots, should be the primary resource expenditure, not fun abilities.

Though I'm curious what specifically is OP?

[Psikerlord]

Nothing stopping you from making your own custom feats, including class specific custom feats. In fact I think that would be excellent fun.

[WereRabbitz]

I think you might be misunderstanding. Regardless of me liking the idea, I wouldn't be bothered either way if Class Feats never made it into any future published material. I'm very happy with my character, the thought of creating a custom spell only came up because the character has been so successful that he can afford to create such a spell. My thought process went on a tangent since the spell was so specifically meant to augment a class feature I had and I proposed the idea of class feats to a broader audience to see if it's something that has a place in 5E's design space.

I like playing my character and going through epic storylines, but as a person I'm very into the numbers of games and "how many cool things" can I do aspects. Versatility is something I really appreciate and more feats (of any kind) offer those extra options. I think there are as many people who would be happy with the idea of a bit more complexity added to the system as there are who enjoy the fact that the game is easy to pick up and run away with.

On that same note, your thoughts on roleplay over mechanics is a big part of why I wanted to get others opinions on the idea. I understand that 5E places a lot more focus on the aspects of playing the game rather than setting it up and that was one of my main concerns in asking "Should this or shouldn't this be in 5E?". I'm glad to see opposing views on the idea because it helps me understand things from a different perspective.

Nothing wrong with working with players to help customize their characters a little bit, but designing a spell can be tricky since it has to balance. Normally I allow players to customize a spell every 4 levels which is take an existing spell and modify it slightly with my approval.

It is a little unrealistic to expect a level 20 Sorcerer to only have access to the same spells as every other sorcerer lol...

[Eric Diaz]

The reason these won't ever be done is you can't start a strength monk or dex barb at level 1 without totally compromising the character for 3 levels. For all but optional-rule humans, feats come at level 4. That kind of counter-intuitive character building is something they want to keep out of 5e. Mearls even talked about that when he was happy-houring the barbarian subclass.

Yeah but... not necessarily? People make dex barbs even without a feat. Str monks are viable if a little MAD at first. Ranged paladins wouldn't cause that many problems too. But I agree "that kind of counter-intuitive character building" is a good reason to leave those out of the game; one of my least favorite aspects of 3e.

[ATHATH]

IMO, feats with prerequisites are a bad idea. 3rd Edition had them and, together with prestige classes, they made the game about character building and not about role-playing. At what level can I unlock which ability, while still qualifying for class X. Is Sudden Strike the same as Sneak Attack for the requirement for some feat in another book? And so on. Some builds / character concepts simply didn't work before a certain level.

5e opted for a much simpler design. Look at the feats that we have right now. The ones that have a prerequisite required either a race or a minimum ability score. Something you can qualify for from level 1. I believe this is intentional.

To use you examples as, well, examples:

The arcane recovery feat, wizard 1: why can't a land druid take that feat? It has exactly the same feature. Maybe in some unreleased book there is a hypothetical class that also gets a recovery feature, why can't they take the feat?

The smiting feat, paladin 1: since XGtE warlocks, with the right invocation, can smite as well. Why can't they take the feat? You could argue that smiting is part of the core identity of paladins, and you wouldn't be wrong. But for a pact of the blade warlock with the smite invocation, it is also part of the identity of the character. And if they want to invest a feat to make that smiting even better, why shouldn't they be able to?

Which brings me to the core of my objection: classes are just out-of-game collections of abilities. Somebodies class (or classes) don't determine a character. A lvl 20 rogue could very well be a hitman, an explorer, a pirate, a locksmith, a duelist and so on. Those same archetypes can be made with fighter levels, ranger levels, cleric levels, ... Classes do not determine what a character is, just what abilities they get.

Feats in 5e are much more broad than those in 3e. You can take the crossbow expert feat on a character that isn't even proficient in crossbow use, and they'd still get some benefit.

I like the Sucker Punch feat a few post below yours, but it shouldn't require monk levels or rogue levels. It shouldn't even require the sneak attack ability or the martial arts ability. Let's rename it as Dirty Fighting, to make it more broad.

Dirty Fighting [FEAT]
Your unarmed attacks, improvised weapon attacks and attacks with Simple Weapons gain the Finesse trait.
Once per turn, when you make an attack with Advantage, you can forgo that Advantage to immediately make an extra attack with the same weapon, on the same target.

The feat might need some balancing, but you get the picture. Monks and rogues can definitely benefit from it, but so can other classes. No requirements needed.

I hope my ramblings somehow make sense.

This is some good stuff right here, and I support this sentiment.