Summary
So, you have arrived at the great question everyDungeons & Dragonsplayer must face when reaching level four (and others): should you improve your ability scores or get a feat? Reaching 20 with your most crucial ability score will change the game significantly, but feats are also game-changing features.
Luckily, some feats will also improve one of your ability scores — though just by one point. These ‘half-feats’ will give you unique perks and potentially enhance your ability bonus if this +1 also makes your ability score reach an even number. Each half-feat will increase a different ability or have a selected few abilities as options, and we’ll focus on the ones that improve your Wisdom score.
Updated on June 29, 2025, by Lucas Olah:A wise character is a powerful character. Though we have many great feats here for you to choose from, it doesn’t hurt to give you a few more options, right? Thus, we added a couple of extra feats for you to pick from different books. That leads to another change: we decided to make your life easier. you’re able to now see which book each of these feats comes from, so you’ll have an easier time finding them. Just check with your DM to see beforehand whether they’re okay with using the expansion book.
10Knight Of The Rose
Give Some Temporary Hit Points Away
The Knight of the Rose feat is a bit more complicated to get because it requires another feat, Squire of Solamnia, which you can get through the Knight of Solamnia background or by being a fighter or paladin while using the Dragonlance campaign - or if your DM just tells you it’s okay to get it.
What this feat will do, besides the +1 on Wisdom (that can also go to your Constitution or Charisma), is give you a bonus action ability that gives you or a nearby ally temporary hit points. These temporary hit points will be decided by a 1d8 roll, and you’ll add your proficiency bonus and your Wisdom (or whatever ability score you gave the +1 bonus to) to the roll.
You’ll be able to do this trick a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus before needing a long rest.
9Knight Of The Sword
Scare Your Enemies
Knight of the Sword has the same pre-requisite (the Squire of Solamnia feat) explained above. You’ll get a +1 that can go to your Wisdom but also to your Intelligence or your Charisma, and the one you choose will affect the feat’s feature, just like the previous feat.
Whenever you hit someone, you can force them into a Wisdom saving throw (the difficulty will be eight plus your proficiency bonus plus your Wisdom ability modifier or whatever ability score you increased with this feat). If the enemy fails, they’ll be frightened for one round. If they succeed, they’ll have a penalty, albeit a smaller one: They’ll have a disadvantage on their next attack for the following round.
You can also use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you’ll recover its use after a long rest.
8Observant
Be Aware Of Everything
With Observant, you’ll get a +1 to add to your Wisdom (though you can choose to add it to your Intelligence, too), and you’ll also get a +5 to your passive Perception skill and your passive Investigation, meaning things are less likely to catch you off-guard.
It also has quite a random feature: you become a master lip-reader. As long as the person talking is using a language you understand, you can figure out what they’re saying by reading their lips. This is surprisingly a good feat for a totem barbarian who has the Eagle Aspect of the Beast, even though Wisdom (or Intelligence) is not a vital ability score for the class.
7Telepathic
Speak Without Talking
you’re able to choose to improve your Wisdom or your Charisma with telepathic and, as the name implies, it gives you the ability to telepathically talk to someone within 60ft/18m of you. They must understand the language you’re using, and they can’t telepathically talk back.
You also getthe spell Detect Thoughtsfor free, and you’re able to use it once per long rest. That said, if you have appropriate spell slots for this second-level spell, you can burn these to cast the spell again.
6Telekinetic
Push Without Touching
The +1 bonus you receive with telekinetic can also go to Charisma or Intelligence, along with the obvious Wisdom, but that’s also obviously not all. You get the cantrip Mage Hand for free, and it can become invisible. If you already have the cantrip, however, that’s also good; this feat will increase Mage Hand’s range to 30ft/9m.
Lastly, you may use your bonus action to push someone with your mind. They’ll have to do a Strength saving throw and be pushed five feet away from you if they fail their roll. The ability score you choose to improve with this feat will also be used to calculate the saving throw’s DC.
5Shadow Touched
No One Will See You Coming
ShadowTouched allows you to add a +1 to the same ability scores as above: Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma. Then, you’ll learn two spells: Invisibility and a first-level spell of your choice, as long as this spell is from the illusion or necromancy schools of magic. The ability score you choose to improve will determine the spell DC or attack bonus.
You’ll also be able to use each of these spells for free once per long rest, and you can also choose to burn one of your spell slots of the same level to use these spells again before the need to rest.
4Fey Touched
Same Concept, Different Spells
This feat essentially works the same way as Shadow Touched, only changing your spell options. The +1 can also go to either Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma, and they’ll also dictate the spell DC of whatever spells you choose.
The spells you’ll get here, though,are Misty Stepand a first-level spell of your choice, as long as that spell is from divination or enchantment schools of magic. You can also use each of them for free once per long rest or use them more times by burning one of your spell slots in the process.
3Chef
A Quick Meal Before Fighting
Chef gives you a +1 to your Wisdom or your Constitution, and you become proficient with cooking tools if you’re not already. Then, you’re able to use your culinary skills during your short rest or your long rest to make special treats, each of which will have different effects.
If you cook on a short rest, whoever eats your food and uses one of their hit die will also recover an extra d8 of health — it’s similar to the bard’s Song of Rest. On a long rest, you’re able to make a number of special treats equal to your proficiency bonus that lasts for eight hours. If someone uses their bonus action to eat one of them, they’ll gain temporary hit points, which is also equal to your proficiency bonus.
2Elven Accuracy
Elf And Half-Elf Exclusive
Elven accuracy is one of the best feats in the game, which means you should consider making an elf or a half-elf for whatever long-ranged or finesse-based character you’re making. The +1 bonus can go to your Wisdom, like every feat here, butalso your Dexterity,Intelligence, or Charisma.
If any of your attacks have an advantage and use one of these ability scores mentioned, you’re able to roll any of the two dice again, with zero limitations. In other words, you’re essentially rolling three dice because you can just pick the one you roll the lowest and roll again (you don’t need to keep the new value). This works for any weapon that relies on Dexterity or, as we’re focusing on Wisdom, any spell attack that involves the ability score.
1Gift Of The Gem Dragon
Perfect For Emergencies
Despite the name, you don’t need to be a Gem Dragonborn — or any kind of Dragonborn — to get this feat. You get to increase your Wisdom, Intelligence, or your Charisma. It’s up to you. Along with that, you’ll get a feature called Telekinetic Reprisal.
If someone hits you, you can use your reaction to cause damage and push them away. They’ll do a Strength saving throw, and then take 2d8 force damage and be pushed ten feet/three meters away from you. If they succeed in the saving throw, however, they’ll take half the damage and won’t be pushed away. You can pull this trick off a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
