The best performance changes in the 2024 Player's Guide to DND

Dungeons & Dragons has changed its rules. With the release of the 2024 Player's Guide, there have been quite a few changes here and there, even though the core of the game is largely the same. One of the key changes is feats. They are now divided into categories: Origin, General, Battle Style, and Epic Bounties.

Here we'll delve into the common feats that you'll need at least level four to achieve. We have new variants as well as new versions of old feats to choose from, some improved and others broken. Which of these are the best options for your character?

All common skills now give you +1 to the ability score, which means that some returning skills have been nerfed to account for this new bonus. All of them will require you to be at least level four along with another prerequisite that will be determined with the achievement.

10 Ability score improvement

Don't underestimate the raw bonus

As we mentioned, all common abilities come with a +1 ability score increase, and the ability will tell you which ability will receive the bonus. This in itself is pretty cool, as you can stack your character with tons of feats and still hit 20 points on whatever ability rating suits you best.

However, getting +2 instead of +1 – or getting two +1s to increase two ability scores at once – is still an extremely valid thing for your character to do. Some builds will benefit from reaching 20 as soon as possible, and improving the ability stat is still the best way to do this.

9 Crossbow expert

Still powerful

Crossbow Expert now focuses mainly on crossbows, as the name suggests, rather than how it worked before. It only ignores the charge properties of crossbows, not any weapons (if you use firearms, get the gunner ability).

This also removes the disadvantage of only being able to shoot an enemy within five feet of you when you fire the crossbow. Finally, if you use a hand crossbow for an extra attack with a bonus action, you can add a Dexterity modifier to the damage.

If your primary weapon has Nick's weapon mastery, you can perform an additional crossbow attack without spending your bonus action.

8 Durable

Heal yourself

If you want Second Wind but aren't a fighter, this is the next best thing. It also gives you advantage on death saving throws, which is very useful, and you can use your hit dice as a bonus action if you want, provided you have hit dice in stock.

Because of this, you can always regenerate some of your health, especially at higher levels where you will have a lot of it. And yes, this roll includes your constitution bonus.

7 Adept of the elements

Stack it up

Other than a +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, this feat doesn't make much of a difference. You choose the damage type, and from then on you can ignore enemies' resistance. It will become a deuce every time you discard a unit for damage with this element. You can cast this skill multiple times as before as long as you choose a different damage type.

However, the +1 bonus makes a lot of sense. Assuming you start with your charm ability at 16, you can take this feat four times and take it to 20 while ignoring the four types of damage resistance.

6 Great weapon master

Nervous but powerful

Great Weapon Master lost his gamble mechanic where a character could give himself a -5 penalty to his attack for a +10 to his damage. Instead, whenever someone attacks with a weapon that has a heavy property, their damage will have a bonus equal to the mastery bonus (a ranged heavy weapon like a bow would theoretically fit here).

The second part, where you can attack with your bonus action every time you critical hit or drain someone's health, still works. Oh, and +1 goes to your power here.

House Tip: Sharpshooter no longer adds a bonus to damage. Let your players choose between increasing their Strength or Dexterity with Great Weapon Master (and let characters with Dexterity 13 or higher get it), and let them do the second part with ranged attacks as well. The damage bonus from this ability also applies to ranged heavy weapons, the rules are as written, so let the players take note of that.

5 Master of heavy armor

This is better

Heavy Armor Master was a good feat that became obsolete at higher levels because the damage reduction it provided only worked in a few situations. The reduction will now occur whenever you take club, stab, and slash damage, regardless of whether the damage is magic or not. +2 boss weapons will no longer cancel this feat.

The old version also provided -3 to damage, while here the damage reduction will be equal to your mastery bonus. Of course, this means that initially the reduction is smaller, but it will increase over time.

4 Wizard Destroyer

Protect your mind

Mage Slayer has only one feature in common with the previous version: if you hit someone who is concentrating on a spell, they have a concentration disadvantage. You also get +1 to Strength or Dexterity and something like Legendary Resistance.

Once per rest, if you fail a saving throw that uses Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom, you may simply choose to succeed (no reaction required). Perfect for escaping mind control or human containment.

3 Skulker

See everything

Skulker has kept his feature where if you make an attack while in stealth and miss it, you won't show your position (though it's now any attack, not just ranged). You don't get the part where you can hide in dim light, but every time you use the Hide action in combat, you gain an advantage (rogues, rejoice).

Along with this, you gain +1 to your Dexterity and ten feet/three meters of blindsight, which means you can fight someone who is invisible at close range, or fight in the dark (and any other time you're blinded) .

​​​​​​While there is a fighting style that adds blindsight, this feat provides additional benefits and you can use your fighting style for something else instead.

2 Spell Sniper

Crossbow expert for nerds

Spell Sniper now has +1 to Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. While it no longer comes with a free spell, it allows you to use ranged spell attacks when an enemy is within five feet of you, much like Crossbow Expert does with crossbow attacks.

Finally, if you cast a spell with a range of ten feet/three meters or more that requires an attack roll, you can add 60 feet/18 meters to its range. You could use something like Eldritch Blast from a distance of 180 feet/54 meters, for example, instead of the standard (120 feet/36 meters).

1 War caster

If it's not broken…

Okay, War Caster hasn't changed – other than a +1 to your Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. You gain advantage on concentration saving throws, you can cast a spell that targets one person as an attack ability, and you can perform somatic components even if both of your hands are carrying something.

While nothing major has changed here, it's one of the most useful techniques for any character who wants to focus on casting spells, especially if your favorite spells require concentration. So we recommend it.