A Player's Guide to Feats - Fey Touched
The previous feat we discussed was the Fey Teleportation feat. It was a feat worthy of a look…until you scroll down to the following feat, Fey Touched. When you put the two feats side by side, you'll quickly realize that Fade Away is useless compared to Fey Touched. I don't know whether the feat was introduced because the writers wanted to upgrade it before the release of OneD&D, or they needed something to fill space in Tasha's and were incredibly lazy. What is known is that Fey Touched is a significant upgrade and a feat worth exploring in detail.
What is the Fey Touched Feat
Your exposure to the Feywild’s magic has changed you, granting you the following benefits:
Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You learn the misty step spell and one 1st-level spell of your choice. The 1st-level spell must be from the divination or enchantment school of magic. You can cast each of these spells without expending a spell slot. Once you cast either of these spells in this way, you can’t cast that spell in this way again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. The spells’ spellcasting ability is the ability increased by this feat.
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
Dissecting the Feat
Let's start with the racial prerequisites for the feat. There are none. Unlike the previous feat, you don't need to be a high elf to take the Fey Touched feat. Even a dwarf can take the feat! I jest, but by opening up the feat to all races, it becomes universal.
As with any half feat, gaining +1 to an ability score is fantastic. You are 'limited' to increasing your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score. I put limited in quotes because +1 to any character's Wisdom score is always positive. Charisma is a good second option.
But enough of the ASI talk. Let's get to the meat of the feat, and it's incredible, bordering on being overpowered. You learn misty steps, and if you aren’t sure why it’s so good, check out this article. You also gain an additional 1st-level spell, which is insanely good. Add to that that you don't have to use a spell slot for either of the spells, and the feat is open to all classes. What? Are you serious? Sure, the additional spell must be from the Divination or Enchantment schools, but there are several great spells to choose from. Here's the list of spells you'll have access to:
Animal Friendship - The spell length is the only thing the spell has going for it. The Charmed condition isn't as great as it sounds in 5th edition. The animal gets a saving throw. You must combine it with speaking with animals to communicate. The animal may or may not fight with you in combat. I'd ignore it unless you're dying to have a wolf or cute little rabbit to hang out with for a day.
Bane - The upside side of this spell is it targets up to three creatures and applies to attack and saving throw rolls. It isn't limited to attacks against the caster, reduces the damage taken by a d4, and lasts for a minute. The downside is the spell requires Concentration and a saving throw. For characters with a high Constitution - looking at your melee heroes - it's a perfect option.
Beast bond - This could be useful if you have animal pets or if you have the charm spell, but ignore it as an option for the most part.
Bless - The bane spell flipped on its head. Useful for every class. A melee hero can cast it themselves to deal more damage, or a comrade can cast it to help out the party. No downside to taking this spell.
Charm Person - Refer to animal friendship, minus the cute little bunny party.
Command - The spell can be helpful in many circumstances, but I have always felt the spell is more fun than practical. It also becomes obsolete at higher levels unless you're a primary spellcaster, as it requires a saving throw.
Compelled duel - Fun for melee heroes, but its limitations - saving throw, Concentration required, only you can attack the targeted creature, make it a spell not worth taking with so many better options available.
Comprehend Languages - Not worth taking. It's one of the worst spells on the list, if not the game. There's a good chance one character in your party will be able to translate the divine book written by angels. If not, you'll be able to find someone who can. Unless your GM is a total jerk.
Detect good and evil - Not bad, not great. I'd ignore it since there is a good chance someone in the party will have the spell or an innate ability to suss out when an evil demon is nearby.
Detect Magic - Ignore except in very special circumstances.
Detect poison and disease- Ignore except in very special circumstances.
Dissonant Whispers - 3d6 damage for a 1st-level spell is potent. The damage is psychic, one of the damage types least likely for a creature to have resistance to. If the creature hasn't used its Reaction, it must run away from you at top speed. It does require a Wisdom saving throw, but in this case, it shouldn't prevent you from taking this top-tier option.
Gift of Alacrity - Going earlier in initiative never hurts, but make sure you plan what you and your friends will do. It lasts 8 hours, and since you don't have to use a spell slot, give the spell more kick than you might think.
Heroism - A criminally underrated spell. Provides Immunity to being Frightened, lasts for a minute, and gives you temporary hit points? Who doesn't want all that? Concentration and the temporary spell points limit it, but the spell is worth serious consideration.
Hex - The other best option available for melee heroes. Extra damage, giving a foe disadvantage on an ability check, and it lasts for an hour? Flip a coin and pick either this or hunter's mark. You can't go wrong with either.
(Tasha's)Hideous Laughter - The Prone condition is bad enough, but the Incapicated condition makes this a fantastic option. Requiring Concentration and saving throws every round prevent it from being a top-tier option, but it's still worth serious consideration.
Hunter's Mark - One of the two best spells on the list for melee heroes. It's a bonus action to cast, and as your hero increases in level and has multiple attacks, the 1d6 bonus damage applies to the numerous attacks you'll be making.
Identify - Ignore except in very special circumstances.
Silvery Barbs - An excellent spell for squishy spellcasters to use when they want to buff their melee hero friends. It's a two-way spell (you get advantage, and the bad guy gets disadvantage), setting up the chance of delivering the death blow of a creature AND being the difference of someone reducing the damage from an 8th-level fireball to the face. Silvery barbs is a Reaction spell, and in a limited pool of such spells, it only adds to the spell's awesomeness.
Sleep - I've talked about the sleep spell here. It gets a bad rap, but if you’re looking to control the battlefield at lower levels, it is far and away the best spell available.
Speak with animals - Ignore except in very special circumstances.
The Fey Touched Feat Useability by Class
Before we start, it's worth noting that every class can benefit from this feat because of the free misty step spell alone. This list focuses more on the 1st level spell you can acquire, with some consideration given to the ASI.
Artificer: Put the +1 to Intelligence. Artificers have no access to any of the spells on the list above, including misty step. An excellent option.
Barbarian: The one class that sees no significant upside to taking the feat. Misty step lets them get into or out of the fray quickly, but a vast majority of the spells require Concentration, rendering them moot when raging.
Bard: Misty step isn't on the bard's spell list, and the +1 bonus to Charisma is beneficial. Adding a free buff spell (bless and heroism) to their list is good since that's the role of most bards.
Cleric: Fantastic option. Whether they are primarily a melee or support hero, the cleric can find several spell options worth taking. Misty step isn't on their spell list, and a +1 to Wisdom doesn't hurt either.
Druid: See cleric above.
Fighter: Fighters don't usually need much in the way of Charisma, and we all know that Intelligence is a fighter's dump stat, so Wisdom it is. The misty step is a fantastic pickup for the fighter. Bane, bless, hex, and hunter's mark all bring something to the table for this class, making it a solid option.
Monk: Misty step and ASI alone are worth it. The added spell - I recommend hunter's mark - makes it that much better. With hunter's mark, the monk can deliver extra damage on their four attacks starting at the 5th level. Note - I know I poo-pooed the feat Fey Teleportation because of the number of Bonus Actions available to them, thereby making the misty step an afterthought. Through careful reflection, I realized I was wrong, and the misty step spell brought some tangible benefit to the table. No one's perfect, as my wife and kids like to remind me.
Paladin: I love Fey Touched for the paladin. While other people usually think it is a good, not great, option, I disagree. Only Oath of Vengeance has access to misty step, so there's that. Being able to teleport into a place where one of the many paladin aura effects can be helpful is a massive boon concerning battlefield control. You can also stack some impressive damage with hunter's mark or hex. Use a bonus action to cast the spell. Then, on the next turn, hit with an attack, smite, and spend a bonus action to use a smite spell. Saving a spell slot at lower levels is huge since the damage you can deliver with an extra smite spell can devastate lower CR creatures. And free extra damage at any damage can't hurt. Oh, and the +1 Charisma boost doesn't hurt either.
Ranger: It's just an OK feat for the ranger. The ASI would get dropped in Wisdom, and you could have fun taking the spells like animal friendship.
Rogue: Misty Step is why you take this feat. It can get a rogue out of a jam or set them up to use Sneak Attack. Wisdom would be the only beneficial ability boost (an arcane trickster would take Charisma). The spell options could be better, but two stand out. Silvery barbs can give a rogue advantage on a single attack, and hideous laughter lets them stand next to the prone creature and use Sneak Attack every round till they are dead.
Sorcerer: ASI into Charisma. Access to two free spells lets a sorcerer save 2-3 sorcery points, which is critical at lower levels. It opens up their spell choice since they only have access to comprehend languages, silvery barbs, and sleep.
Warlock: ASI into Charisma. The addition of two additional spells that don't require a spell slot is massive since the warlock gets screwed in the spell slot department. It opens up their spell choices more than the sorcerer since they only have access to comprehend languages and hex. Taking hex as your additional spell is a good choice, too. Any self-respecting sorcerer would happily cast hex an extra time for free.
Wizard: ASI to Intelligence. As with the sorcerer above, the wizard gains access to many spells unavailable to them. Plus, wizards are all above spellcasting, so casting two spells for free should excite them to no end.
Conclusion
By far the best feats in the game for almost any class. Enough said.
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