Actor Feat 5e: Introducing Roleplaying in a Game of Roleplaying
Do you want to be a star? The Actor feat in 5e gives you the opportunity to shine in more ways than one. This feat from the Player’s Handbook allows you to copy the behavior of NPCs and deceive others into thinking you are someone else. You can use your acting skills to avoid combat, or simply add an extra layer of immersion to the game.
Whether you’re new to roleplaying or a seasoned veteran, the Actor feat in 5e is sure to add depth and deception to your next character!
By the end of this article, you will understand:
- What is the Actor feat in 5e?
- What does the Actor feat grant you?
- What classes is the Actor feat good for?
- What classes is the Actor feat NOT good for?
- Is the Actor feat worth it?
What is the Actor feat in 5e?
The Actor feat in 5e allows you to copy the behavior of NPCs and pretend to be other characters in Dungeons and Dragons. You can use your acting skills to avoid combat, extract information from an unsuspecting NPC, or simply add an extra layer of immersion to the game.
The Actor feat grants you the following benefits (per the Player’s Handbook):
- Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- You have an advantage on Deception (Charisma) and Performance (Charisma) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person.
- You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures. You must have heard the person speaking, or heard the creature make the sound, for at least 1 minute. A successful Insight (Wisdom) check contested by your Deception (Charisma) check allows a listener to determine that the effect is faked.
What does the Actor feat in 5e do?
Increase your Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20
Any feat that grants you an ability score increase wins points right off the bat because it can be a tough call to decide between a full 2 point increase and a feat you’re not sure about. At least with the ability score increase you KNOW it’s going to come in handy for your character.
Feats that bless you with a cool ability and a minor increase in abilities provide a great compromise that makes you feel you’re getting stronger (faster, wiser, whatever).
The downside is it’s 1 point. So this is ideal if your Charisma score is an odd number. Or if you have a magic item increasing your even number to an odd number.
You have an advantage on Deception (Charisma) and Performance (Charisma) checks when trying to pass yourself off as a different person
If you’re interested in the Actor feat, I assume it’s because you want your character to be better at acting. In that case, this feat is perfect for you!
There will always be NPCs who have information you need. So why not have fun with extracting that information by pretending to be someone an NPC knows?
Maybe you’re a rogue who needs to get past some guards into an estate. Why not assume the role of the estate owner, or a groundskeeper? Need to set an ambush? Dress up as a helpless damsel and lure your target(s) into the trap.
You can mimic the speech of another person or the sounds made by other creatures
This comes in handy when you want to distract someone or make the above examples easier to pull off. Because you can mimic another person’s own voice and creatures’ voices (as long as you heard the creature or person speaking for at least a minute).
Other creative ways to utilize this including making the sound of a cat in heat meowing to get a guard to leave his post to investigate the source. Mimic the howling of wolves to scare away anyone searching for you in a forest.
Lastly, this is a Deception (Charisma) skill check contested by the target’s Insight (Wisdom), so it is ideal for characters with decent Charisma scores.
What classes is the Actor feat in 5e good for?
First and foremost, the Actor feat in 5e is good for classes that rely on Deception (Charisma) and/or Performance (Charisma) checks. So the bard, rogue, sorcerer, and warlock are good choices.
Bards are natural entertainers who sing the tales of heroic deeds and rely on their charm to achieve their aims and cast spells. Since the Actor feat increases Charisma and amplifies their abilities to portray different individuals in appearance and voice, this feat seems like an obvious choice.
A rogue’s survival depends on skullduggery, so anything that assists rogues in their skullduggery makes them better rogues. Grab a background that offers proficiency with disguise kits (charlatan, faceless, urchin, etc) and put a few points into Charisma. This will set you up to be a master of disguises.
Sorcerers and warlocks rely on Charisma for their spellcasting modifier so the Actor feat is a great fit if you pursue a path of deception. Spells like disguise self or the warlock’s mask of many faces invocation (basically disguise self) in combination with a disguise kit proficiency and the friends spell make your spellcaster an unstoppable force of deception.
Damn, now I want to an unstoppable force of deception.
What classes is the Actor feat in 5e NOT good for?
First, any class you play as a kenku is going to make the Actor feat in 5e a questionable choice because kenku can mimic speech as a racial bonus. So unless you really want that advantage on Deception and Performance checks, I’d look at feats like Mobile and Alert. Or just take the ability score increase.
Next, the Actor feat in 5e is not a good choice for most classes. If you’re a frontline combatant, there are plenty of feats that make you better at combat. And if you’re Wisdom or Intelligence spellcaster, there are better choices to make you a more competent spellcaster.
With that said, I am not a minmax player, so I take feats that sound interesting. And the Actor feat in 5e is an interesting feat from a role play perspective. So if you have a decent Charisma score and you want to deceive your way to victory (or to mess with your DM’s NPCs), take the Actor feat!
Actor Feat 5e FAQ
Is the Actor feat in 5e good?
The Actor feat in 5e is an excellent choice for players who like a little roleplay inside their roleplay. You get a little boost to your Charisma, and the feat makes it easier for you to pass yourself off as someone else in appearance and voice (as long a your heard the individual speaking for at least a minute).
How useful is the Actor feat?
If you combine it with a disguise kit, it’s very useful. If you then combine it with the disguise self spell and friends spell, you will deceive the pants off of kings and beholders.
Ok, maybe not beholders. They don’t wear pants.
Or do they?
Final Thoughts
The Actor feat in 5e is a fun choice for players who take their roleplaying to the next level.
Firstly, the Actor feat give you a little bump to your Charisma ability score. Secondly, it grants advantage on Deception (Charisma) and Performance (Charisma) checks. Lastly, allows you to mimic the speech of people and creatures’ voices.
There are plenty of creative ways to utilize this feat so pick it up and jumpstart your D&D acting career!
What do you think about the Actor feat in 5e? What would you change about it? Comment below and let me know!
