A Player's Guide to Feats - Actor
The Actor feat is often passed over in an attempt to scroll down to heavy weapon master or the lucky feat. If your love of D&D revolves around optimizing your roleplaying talents, then you’ll want to stop and take a look at The Actor feat is often passed over in an attempt to scroll down to Heavy Weapon Master or the Lucky feat. If your love of D&D revolves around optimizing your roleplaying talents, you'll want to stop and look at the Actor feat. Everyone loves to hit things, but sometimes it's in your best interest to talk your way out of a dicey situation. Whether you want to convince the horde of angry kobolds that you meant nothing by insulting the mother dragon through flattery or fear, the Actor Feat can help you avoid the sharp end of dozens of pointy spears.
What is the Actor Feat?
The Actor feat allows you to release your inner thespian by granting you the following benefits:
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.
Player's Handbook
Dissecting the Feat
The Actor Feat has three main components, and each one brings a little something to the table.
Charisma increase. One of the most significant drawbacks to taking a feat instead of ASI is losing out on those precious 2 stat points and the potential bonuses that come along with them. Being able to snag a +1 to your Charmisa is excellent, especially if your Charisma is currently sitting at an odd number. The bonus isn't why you're taking the feat, but it's a nice added benefit that can't be overlooked.
Gaining Advantage. Advantage on Deception or Performance check when imitating someone is the meat of this feat. It's situational, but knowing players and the ridiculous things we do, the Actor feat will come in handy on multiple occasions. We'll get into who benefits the most below, but for those characters with an already high Charisma, gaining advantage in these types of checks is huge.
Mimicry. Mimicking someone's voice may not seem significant on the surface, but combining this ability with other items or traits increases your chances of success when pretending to be someone else. Using a disguise kit to appear like the local noble is fine, but if the person you're talking to knows them, you're screwed if you can't speak like them. Illusion spells are great, but few, if any, allow you to create the sweet melodic sounds of what creature magic has made. If that's not enough, there's always the benefit of mocking your GM's silly voices.
The Actor Feat Useability by Class
Not every class should consider taking this feat. That's not to say that you can't take the feat regardless of what you're playing. Play your character the way you want to, and if you wish your barbarian to have a better chance to intimidate people when they play dress up, then go for it. That said, some classes benefit more than others. As I said above, if you're playing a face character, this could be the feat for you.
Artificer: Not worth taking.
Barbarian: Not worth taking.
Bard: A no-brainer. The ultimate face character, the Bard, will benefit from this fat more than any other class. Any increase in their Charisma is always beneficial. The Bard's entire existence is to be an entertainer, so the feat is a perfect match for anyone looking to roleplay their hearts out. Simply put, the Actor feat will allow the Bard to create more mischief and mayhem when they put their performance skills to work.
Cleric: Has some potential for the Trickery Domain cleric, but beyond that, it's not worth taking.
Druid: Not worth taking.
Fighter: Not worth taking.
Monk: Not worth taking.
Paladin: The Charisma bonus is nice, but it is not a good enough reason to take the feat. Paladins can sometimes be the face of the party, and in that case, you should consider the Actor feat.
Ranger: Not worth taking.
Rogue: Disguises can play an essential role in roleplaying a rogue, and the Actor's feat allows them to complete the transformation. For example, mimicry will enhance the rogue's ability to bark orders at unsuspecting guards as the watch commander as they pass. Combine this feat with the charlatan, urchin, or another background that provides proficiency with the disguise kit, and you'll have yourself a master of disguise.
Sorcerer: Has some potential if your sorcerer loves illusion spells, as their spellcasting ability is Charisma.
Warlock: Has some potential if your warlock loves illusion spells, as their spellcasting ability is Charisma.
Wizard: If your wizard studies at the School of Illusion, the Actor feat could have some uses, but otherwise, take a pass.
Conclusion
The Actor Feat is a feat whose strength lies in specific situational uses, but that shouldn't sway you from taking it. Bards should always take this feat, and most rogues should give it a long, hard look. Unlike many other feats that provide a ribbon ability along with a single stat bonus, the Actor feat provides two additional skills which are solid. For players who love to roleplay, use silly voices, and figure out a way out of a situation that doesn't involve swords or fireballs, the Actor feat is the feat for them.
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