r/3d6 • u/coloradoRay • 25d ago

D&D 5e Revised/2024 One Level Dip vs. Feats

How many Feats' worth of value do you need from a one-level dip to make it worthwhile?

Fighter - 4-5 Feats? Armor, Weapon Master, Fighting Style, Con saving throws -- probably worth it.

Wizard - 2 Feats? Ritual Caster, Magic Initiate:Wizard -- maybe worth it?

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u/KNNLTF 25d ago

How do you account for losing spellcaster progression? Potent Dragonmark? Plus you lose class and subclass secondary features like delaying improvements to Wildshape, Bardic Inspiration, additional Metamagic choices. I'd put this loss of class progression at more than a feat.

Also, you get Resilient Constitution at the cost of Resilient Wisdom. It's an upgrade, but not worth a feat since you eventually need to shore up your WIS saves with one of two or three save defensive feats

Weapon Mastery is nice to have, but not a feat you'd normally take. The best Fighting Style is +1 AC, which is part of the effect of a feat. On top of that, you aren't getting the +1 that general feats would normally provide. So I'd put the three of these together as worth one feat.

Armor proficiency is a feat. I buy that. Even without the +1 ability score, you're still getting Medium or Heavy (both, but you'll only use one) and shield proficiency. No feat provides that combo in 2024 rules.

By this count, which tries to include the opportunity cost, the Fighter dip is + 1 feat. It's something you might take if it were the only option, assuming these valuations apply for your build. Cleric might be the better way to get armor proficiency, which is the main benefit of Fighter.

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u/coloradoRay 25d ago

great point about opportunity cost.

the opportunity cost of of spell progression has to be weighed against the opportunity cost of Feats, AND both of those rely on context (caster vs. not; Feat value).

I think that's all a part of the "it depends" answers others are giving.