Durable Feat 5e: Does a More Pointless Feat Exist?
The Durable feat in 5e is one of the worst feats a character can possess.
That’s it. That’s the intro.
If you want to find out what makes the Durable feat in Dungeons and Dragons so terrible, be my guest and continue reading. In this article you will learn:
- What is the Durable feat in 5e?
- What does the Durable feat do?
- What classes is the Durable feat good for?
- What classes is the Durable feat NOT good for?
- Is the Durable feat in 5e worth it?
What is the Durable feat in 5e?
The Durable feat is supposed to make you harder to kill. Hence the name. But let’s look at how it’s supposed to accomplish that.
The Durable feat in 5e grants you the following benefits:
- Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2).
What does the Durable feat in 5e do?
Increase your Constitution score by 1, to a maximum of 20
It doesn’t hurt to get a stat boost. And every class benefits from an increased Constitution. But is a +1 from the Durable feat going to make your character more durable?
Only if your Constitution is an odd number before taking the feat. But then why not just take an ability score increase and split it so your Constitution gets +1 and another ability score gets a +1?
Considering the lackluster benefit from the other feature of the Durable feat, one would think a full +2 would be more appropriate here. Hell, I’d be ok with a +3.
When you roll a Hit Die to regain hit points, the minimum number of hit points you regain from the roll equals twice your Constitution modifier (minimum of 2)
Arguably, this is supposed to be the primary feature of this feat. But it doesn’t take much effort to prove this Hit Die upgrade is unappealing.
First, you need a decent Constitution modifier to make this do anything worthwhile. If you have a Constitution modifier of +3, that means the minimum hit points you regain from a Hit Die roll is 9 hit points. That’s 2 x 3 from the feat plus your CON modifier of +3 for a total of 9.
Second, who cares?
Have you ever run out of Hit Die with no one in your party able to heal you before an opportunity for a long rest presents itself? I haven’t, and as far as I know, no one in any of the campaigns I’ve played has either.
Is it good to get more healing out of a Hit Die roll? Sure, but is it worth sacrificing the choice of ANY OTHER FEAT?
If you want to take a feat that makes you better at healing, why not take the Healer feat? The Healer feat in 5e makes healing kits into useful tools that provide significantly better healing than health potions and cost significantly less gold.
What classes is the Durable feat in 5e good for?
It’s difficult to argue a case for any class, but let’s say someone put a gun to my head and demanded, “WHICH CLASS IS THE DURABLE FEAT IN 5E GOOD FOR?!”
I might accept death at that point. But for the sake of getting the word count of this article over 750, the fighter and barbarian are your best bets. But even then, it’s dependent on the type of campaign you’re in.
If you’re going to have ample opportunities to roll Hit Die to regain hit points then the Durable feat might be worth considering. But even then, the Healer feat is still a better option than just maximizing your Hit Die gains.
What classes is the Durable feat in 5e NOT good for?
Everyone. Don’t waste your time.
Durable Feat 5e FAQ
How does the Durable feat in 5e work?
Take your CON modifier and double it, then add your CON modifier to that number. That’s how many hit points at a minimum you regain from a Hit Die roll. If you have 12 Constitution, that makes for a Constitution modifier of +1, so a Hit Die would regain a minimum of 3 hit points (2 x 1 + 1 = 3). 14 Constitution results in a minimum hp of 6. 16 Constitution results in a minimum hp of 9. So on and so forth.
Final Thoughts—Durable Feat 5e
The Durable feat is not worth it. If you want a feat that makes you better at healing, forget about the Hit Die and take the Healer feat instead. It’s a much better choice and provides significantly more healing benefits than the Durable feat.
What do you think of the Durable feat in 5e? Do you think it’s worth it? What would you change about it to make it worth it? Let us know in the comments below!
Lvl 4 Monk with Way of mercy and a (now) 18 constitution would heal 12 as opposed to the 8 maximum during combat while using hand of healing as an extra action to resolve the 3rd attack during flurry of blows. So a low lvl monk can now hit 2x then heal 12hp in 1 turn.
But yes, later lvls it is useless.