Hello, all! As I hope you all know, every character in this campaign gets a free expertise feat: that is, a feat that gives a scaling +1/2/3 to attack rolls. There are a lot of them. Most of them are pretty self-explanatory (a la Heavy Blade expertise); some are a little more obscure, but could actually work much better for certain builds.
What I'm doing here is highlighting some of the lesser-known expertise feats and then following that up with a list of all the remaining expertise feats that are acceptable.
If you have a build that requires both weapons and implements and are thinking of just taking Versatile Expertise, check this guide first! There could be something better!
More Obscure Expertise Feats
The rest of the list is fairly self-explanatory, with a couple notes: First, remember that if you have a weapon that has more than one weapon type (e.g. gouge is axe/spear), you can use either expertise (or any other that applies, like two-handed weapon). Secondly, note that Staff Expertise and Ki Focus Expertise are the only feats below that works for both people who use them as implements (staff bonus: no OAs) or who use weapons like a quarterstaff (staff bonus: reach) or use other weapons with a ki focus. The other expertise feats apply only to weapon or implement attack rolls, so if you want to go the weapliment route (using a single weapon for both Weapon and Implement powers), check the list above.
Weapon Feats
What I'm doing here is highlighting some of the lesser-known expertise feats and then following that up with a list of all the remaining expertise feats that are acceptable.
If you have a build that requires both weapons and implements and are thinking of just taking Versatile Expertise, check this guide first! There could be something better!
More Obscure Expertise Feats
- Master at Arms: Like to juggle a lot of different weapons? This feat is for you. Bonuses to ALL weapon attacks and you get some quick-draw support.
- Battle Song Expertise: Exclusively for bards, this gives you a bonus for your weapon and implement powers and gives you some extra oomph on your forced movement.
- Devout Protector Expertise: Mainly aimed at shield-holding Paladins and Clerics, this gives bonuses for weapon and holy symbol attacks AND gives your allies a nice AC boost.
- Mighty Crusader Expertise: Devout Protector's cousin for 2-handed weapon users, bonuses for weapon and HS and no OAs for ranged/area.
- War Wizard's Expertise: A common choice for bladesinger Wizards, but also taken by some sorcerers and other weapliment users. Bonuses for arcane powers (weapon and implement) using a light or heavy blade, and it helps make your powers a little more ally-friendly for those unfriendly bursts.
- White Lotus Dueling Expertise: Any member of an arcane class can get bonuses to all arcane and basic attack powers with any weapon or implement, plus you get an extra implement proficiency too. Maybe take a look at the other White Lotus feats while you're there.
- Eldritch Fusillade Expertise: An expertise feat for crossbow-wielding artificers, bonuses for crossbow and wand and some quick-draw support.
- Versatile Expertise: Gives you bonuses to a weapon and an implement. Again, just the raw bonuses. Some builds do need this, and that's totally fine, but double check the list above to see if there's anything better for your weapon/implement combo.
- Weapon/Implement Expertise: For when literally nothing else works, this gives you the raw +1/2/3 bonus and that's it. Almost never your best option. Check the list below if you primarily stick to one weapon/implement type.
- Draconic Spellcaster: For very specific dragonborn builds only, as it only gives a bonus when using arcane powers that are the same type as your breath weapon. If you build around this, you also get a damage bonus, but most people should pass this by, especially since its scaling is different (worse) than other feats.
- Feyborn Charm and Gnome Phantasmist are race-based feats similar to Draconic Spellcaster that give an extra bonus but scale differently (at 15 and 25 instead of 11 and 21) and only work for certain types of powers. Only take one of these if you're making a very specialized build almost exclusively around these types of powers (Charm and Illusion, respectively).
The rest of the list is fairly self-explanatory, with a couple notes: First, remember that if you have a weapon that has more than one weapon type (e.g. gouge is axe/spear), you can use either expertise (or any other that applies, like two-handed weapon). Secondly, note that Staff Expertise and Ki Focus Expertise are the only feats below that works for both people who use them as implements (staff bonus: no OAs) or who use weapons like a quarterstaff (staff bonus: reach) or use other weapons with a ki focus. The other expertise feats apply only to weapon or implement attack rolls, so if you want to go the weapliment route (using a single weapon for both Weapon and Implement powers), check the list above.
Weapon Feats
- Axe Expertise
- Bludgeon Expertise (Hammers, Maces)
- Bow Expertise
- Crossbow Expertise
- Flail Expertise
- Heavy Blade Expertise
- Ki Focus Expertise
- Light Blade Expertise
- Pick Expertise
- Polearm Expertise
- Sling Expertise
- Spear Expertise
- Staff Expertise
- Two-Handed Weapon Expertise
- Holy Symbol Expertise
- Ki Focus Expertise
- Orb Expertise
- Rod Expertise
- Staff Expertise
- Tome Expertise
- Totem Expertise
- Wand Expertise