A Player's Guide to Feats - Inspiring Leader
Inspiring Leader doesn’t jump off the page when you’re examining the now extensive list of feats. We often focus on the tried and true feats - Great Weapon Master, Lucky, etc. I’m here to tell you not to sleep on this feat. It is more powerful than people give it credit for, and literally be the difference between life and death. If you’ve read some of the previous Player’s Guide to Feat articles, it should be evident that I really like this feat. My motto is more hit points are always better, and this feat gives you just that.
What is the Inspiring Leader
Prerequisite: Charisma 13 or higher
You can spend 10 minutes inspiring your companions, shoring up their resolve to fight. When you do so, choose up to six friendly creatures (which can include yourself) within 30 feet of you who can see or hear you and who can understand you. Each creature can gain temporary hit points equal to your level + your Charisma modifier. A creature can't gain temporary hit points from this feat again until it has finished a short or long rest.
Player’s Handbook
Dissecting the Feat
A Charisma prerequisite makes it clear that this feat isn't for everyone. If you are in a class that requires a high Charisma score, this feat could be the one for you. Let's start at the bottom and then return to the beginning of the feat's description. If you use up all your temporary hit points, you can't just hang around while the character with Inspiring Leader gives another rousing speech. The party has to take a long or short rest to retain those precious temp hit points.
This means that after every rest, you'll be gaining hit points. You're not going to forget to use this feat after a rest. Even if you are distracted by a giant comet hurtling towards Earth, I guarantee you the person playing a barbarian or fighter will not. And even if they are also distracted by the comet, the rest of the players will remember. I say this with certainty because the feat gives those precious hit points to up to six creatures. It's important to note that it says "creatures" because this allows you to give them to pets, NPCs, or mounts.
How many of those sweet, sweet hit points will you get? This is where a high Charisma score comes into play. Take your character's level and add to it your Charisma modifier; that is how many additional, albeit fleeting, hit points everyone gains. It's simple math (thank the gods), and the numbers may surprise you. Let's say your paladin takes this feat at 4th level. Any self-respecting paladin will have at least a 16 Charisma score, and let's assume they have an 18. That's an easy 8 hit point to everyone. Sure, that may only reduce the damage of a single hit, but it does so for 6 people! Players forget that the paladin has just dished out a total of 48 hit points.
It's worth noting that temporary hit points do not stack. You can use the feat on other creatures if you're willing to spend the required time to be emboldened to fight alongside your side with their newly procured temporary hit points.
The Inspiring Leader Feat Useability by Class
Artificer: Not worth taking.
Barbarian: Not worth taking. A barbarian is focused on Strength and Constitution unless they really want to be intimidating as fuck.
Bard: Inspiring Leader is an A+ feat for the Bard. Charisma is the most important stat for the class, especially for the College of Eloquence bard. There are better 'universal’ feats (ones that are beneficial to everyone), but be a team player and take this feat. The rest of the party will thank you.
Cleric: Not worth taking
Druid: Not worth taking
Fighter: Not worth taking. Even if you are a Battle Master or Samurai and can justify putting points into Charisma, there are too many better feats for the Inspired Leader feat to be considered.
Monk: Just punch things. Not worth taking
Paladin: The best class for the Inspiring Leader feat. You'll have a high Charisma score. It also fits with the flavor many of the people who play a paladin are looking for. Take one for the team, look away from Great Weapon Master, and give you and your friends a whole bunch of temp hit points at higher levels.
Ranger: Not worth taking.
Rogue: This is a weak maybe. If you’re dumping points into Charisma to give your rogue a higher chance of persuading or intimidating people, then you could consider taking the feat. Otherwise, move on.
Sorcerer: You’ll have a whole lot of Charisma to cast those spells, and god knows you could use the extra hit points. Highly recommend.
Warlock: See sorcerer.
Wizard: Not worth taking.
Conclusion
While it may not be for every class, if you're playing a Charisma-based class, this is a feat I highly recommend. Sure, you can play the "look at the sacrifice I made for the good of the party "card, but let's be honest. You're also giving yourself more hit points, so your motives aren't entirely altruistic. Don't bypass the Inspiring Leader feat out of habit because I'll say it one last time:
More hit points are always better.
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