Dungeons and Dragons is one of the most addictive tabletop role-playing games with a cult following. The game has earned its praise due to its ingenious design and beautifully crafted mechanics. One of those is the Inspiring Leader feat from Dungeons and Dragons 5e. As this is one of many feats and can be utilized by every class in the game we have a lot to cover here today.
If you are unfamiliar with 5e and what it means, it is a marking that something is from the fifth edition of Dungeons and Dragons. These editions are how the game keeps up to date and implements new mechanics ever since its initial release back in 1974. 5e is the latest edition and the one from which today’s topic is taken.
What is Inspiring Leader 5e?
Inspiring Leader is a feat in Dungeons and Dragons 5e that many players love. This is because of its effect, where a character must spend 10 minutes making a speech to get their allies ready for what’s to come. In a fight, it can’t be used because each round lasts six seconds. It is important to note that there is a limit of 6 people that the effect can be on. You take up one of the six spots for the buff. Anyone affected by the buff gets temporary hit points (HP) equal to your level plus your charisma modifier. For example, if you are playing a level 5 character with a charisma score of 14 you and your party would each gain 7 hit points for a little while.
These temporary hit points are added to your normal hit points and let you stay awake longer. They are lost first upon taking damage and once depleted you start taking regular hit-point damage. Inspiring leader in 5e can only be applied once per rest on each character. This means that you have to have rested to get bonus hit points in a fight again. The same applies to Inspiring Leader fates from other characters. Only one can affect you in between rests, which is good since stacking this feat would be fairly broken.
How many Hit Points do you get?
As mentioned before the amount of hit points is determined by your level and charisma modifier. The bonus hit points range from 5 to 25 depending on these factors. The easiest way to know the minimum hit points you will get is to just add one to your level. So if you are level 10 you will get 11 HP without the charisma bonus.
Inspiring lead can be utilized in all classes but is best reserved for those that naturally gather charisma. The most common ones are Bards, Paladins, Sorcerers, and Warlocks. However, feel free to slap this feat on a barbarian if you feel like you need it.
Is Inspiring Leader Any Good?
The power of this feat is directly connected to like most things to your DM’s interpretation of it. Overall it should never be a bad feat but its power can be a bit lower if not comprehended properly. No matter the situation it is worth the ASI cost as the 5-25 hit points are really nice to have. The feat does come with some limitations that are stated in the description, and those are:
- Cast time: 10 minutes minimum to inspire and award allies temporary hit points
- Max affected creatures: a maximum of 6 creatures per inspiration
- Range: 30 feet around the player
- Comprehension: Allies affected by the ability must understand the language, see and/or hear the leader casting it
- Temporary: hit points granted: 2-25 depending on the level and charisma stat
- How often it can be reapplied: Once per rest long or short
- Duration: Hit points last until they are depleted or you finish a long rest
- Number of inspirations per day: No limit, but creatures have a limit to the effects
As the number of inspirations per day is not limited and the effects don’t disappear until you rest you can technically cover more people than initially thought. You would simply have to go around and inspire parties of 6 at a time until your whole group has received the buff. This effect can also be applied to creatures that could not comprehend you if you have an ally with the right skills. Let’s say an ally uses comprehend languages, this would make every creature understand you and be viable to receive the inspiration.
Inspiring Leader and its Limits
If you are dedicated enough and have a large army you can inspire the amount of value you can gain from this is insane. This, however, is a scenario unlikely to happen but it is interesting to think about. Effectively in the most optimal setup, you could generate 150 hit points every 10 minutes. The best part is that you could keep doing this for as long as you have the patience to do so.
Because of these hypothetical yet unrealistic situations, many think that the Inspiring Leader is overpowered in 5e. But realistically it is simply a party buff that can be used before an encounter to get a little bit of bonus hp. If the skill could be reapplied without resting then it would reach this title easily.
Conclusion
Inspiring Leader is one of the most unique feats in Dungeons and Dragons 5e due to its unique nature. If you would like to bring it to your next expedition try to place it on charisma characters to maximize its potential. We highly recommend Inspiring Leader paladins and bards as they seem like the best choices. Good luck with your future dungeons and endeavors of inspiring a whole army.
