Alert 5e (Updated for the 2024 Rules)

Published on January 14, 2025

When you need to be ready to fight at a moments notice, Alert allows you to tune in to your surrounds to foil ambushes and get the first shot off in combat.

Randy Vargas - Wizards of the Coast - Alert Heedbonder

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What Is Alert 5e?

Have you ever felt like you were being watched? Well, with the Alert Origin feat, you’ve been on high alert your entire life, and it’s paid off. This feat improves your Initiative and provides a unique way to manipulate the turn order in combat. It’s perfect for characters who want to act quickly and strategically in battle.

In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, there are quite a few spells and abilities that can swing an encounter from “we’re doomed” to “this is fine,” so allowing your heavy hitters to go first in Initiative can easily be the difference between stomping an encounter and getting TPK’d.

How Does Alert Work?

Alert is a feat brought from the 2014 Player’s Handbook and has been revised into an Origin feat in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, which means you can get this feat for free when you choose certain backgrounds.

When you pick up the Alert Origin feat, you gain the following benefits:

Initiative Proficiency: You can add your Proficiency Bonus to Initiative rolls, which is an unfortunate step down from this feat’s previous iteration. While you don’t get a flat +5 bonus to your Initiative rolls, it’s still a pretty solid ability. Of course, you can eventually get a Proficiency Bonus of +5 at level 13, and you get a Proficiency Bonus of +6 at level 17, but having 12 levels of a reduced bonus can feel bad.
Initiative Swap: Immediately after rolling Initiative, you can swap your Initiative with that of a willing, Non-Incapacitated ally in the same combat. This ability is so powerful in typical D&D combat, especially for spellcasters who can drop a big spell before the enemy has a chance to react. Not only is this effective for characters who want to go first (spellcasters and tanks), but it’s also beneficial for characters who prefer to go later in the Initiative (non-Assassin Rogues and non-Gloom Hunter Rangers). This is because the latter group usually has a high Dexterity modifier, and if they have this feat and prefer to let their Fighter buddy go first so they can close the gap on their enemies, they can swap their (typically higher) spot in Initiative.

How to Get the Alert Feat

You can pick up the Alert feat when you choose the Criminal or Guard background at character creation or any other time you’re allowed to choose a feat (like at character level 4).

Is Alert Good?

In our 5e Feats Tier List, Alert was given an A Tier rating, making it an excellent pickup for specific classes.

While its benefits are not directly combat-focused in terms of damage or defense, controlling the Initiative order can turn the tide of a fight. In addition, a static bonus to Initiative is massive in 5e because normally the only way to increase your Initiative modifier is to boost Dexterity.

This Origin feat is going to put in a lot of work, especially if you (or your party members, if you give them your Initiative) have some big spells to drop when you go first in Initiative.

Which 5e Classes Make the Most of Alert?

The color code below has been implemented to help you identify, at a glance, how good the Alert 5e feat is for a specific class/subclass.

Red : Isn’t going to contribute to the effectiveness of your character build at all
Orange : Situationally good, but a below-average option otherwise
Green : A good option
Blue : A great option, you should strongly consider this option for your character
Sky Blue: An amazing option. If you do not take this option your character would not be optimized

Alert is best for classes that either want to get to the front of the battle to tank for their party or can drop a AoE spell that takes advantage of groups being clumped up at the beginning of combat.

Artificer: With no real burst damage or AoE, Artificers aren't craving the Initiative boost.

Barbarian: Barbarians already have Feral Instinct to aid during Initiative rolls. Additional Initiative improvements offer diminishing returns but can be effective for Barbarians as they can activate their Rage as soon as possible into the encounter to reduce any damage taken and boost their damage output.

Bard: Being up higher in the Initiative order can be very valuable for a Bard as it allows them to drop a big spell like Hypnotic Pattern, lock down an enemy with Hideous Laughter, and dish out some Bardic Inspiration before the enemy has a chance to react.

Cleric: Being up higher in the initiative order can be very valuable for any class. Clerics will be able to buff their allies right at the start of the fight, but this feat probably isn’t worth it just for that option.

Druid: Being up higher in the Initiative order can be very valuable for any class. Druids will be able to land a big spell, buff their allies, or Wild Shape right at the start of the fight, but this feat probably isn’t worth it just for that option.

Fighter: Fighters don't have any means of outputting burst or AoE damage, but being able to close with enemies and soak damage for the rest of the party is part of what fighters do.

Monk: Being up higher in the Initiative order isn't a big deal for Monks because they don't have any burst damage abilities and don't have the survivability to charge into battle first.

Paladin: Being tanks, Paladins want to be between enemies and the squishier party members. Alert will help with this by allowing paladins to go up higher in Initiative. Combined with the Sentinel feat, this can make your Paladin an extremely effective tank. Another reason Paladins like going higher in initiative is that they have solid burst damage from of their smites, so they have the opportunity to take an enemy out of the fight before they have a turn in combat.

Ranger: Rangers, don't necessarily like to go first in Initiative because of their lack of burst and AoE damage options. That said, Gloom Stalkers are very fond of the Initiative boost.

Rogue: The bonus to Initiative equal to their Proficiency Bonus is good for Rogues in basically any scenario, especially when they have a tank or blaster caster in the party. If your Rogue is sneaking around, gets spotted, and has to take out the enemy before they can sound the alarm, this is great. If you're starting a large combat sequence and don't have any ways to get Advantage on your attacks you can give a party member your (usually high) Initiative so they can drop a spell or charge into battle.

Sorcerer: Being up higher in the Initiative order can be very valuable for a Sorcerer as they can go easily go nova with their Metamagic options.

Warlock: Being up higher in the Initiative order can be very valuable for a Warlock as they have access to great crowd control spells like Hypnotic Pattern.

Wizard: Being up higher in the Initiative order can be very valuable for a Wizard as it allows them to drop a big spell before the enemy has a chance to react.

Mike Bernier

Mike Bernier is the lead content writer and founder of Arcane Eye. He is a Adamantine best-selling author of Strixhaven: A Syllabus of Sorcery on DMs Guild and is a contributing author at D&D Beyond. Follow Mike on Twitter.

Alert 5e (Updated for the 2024 Rules)

What Is Alert 5e?

How Does Alert Work?

How to Get the Alert Feat

Is Alert Good?

Which 5e Classes Make the Most of Alert?

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Grappler Guide 5e

Tavern Brawler Guide 5e

Crafter Guide 5e

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Mike Bernier