racial heritage feat.. can you learn the races spells?

[Name Violation]

racial heritage says you count as the race for feat selection, and how spells effect you. the faq says you can take the racial classes, but can you use it to get racial spells. in particular, paragon surge

[Name Violation]

le bump

[John Compton]

I would direct you to look at the Additional Resources page.

Additional Resources page (Advanced Race Guide entry) wrote:

Note: Alternate racial traits, racial archetypes, racial evolutions, racial feats, and racial spells are only available for characters of the associated race. Racial equipment and magic items can be purchased and used by any race as long as the specific item permits it (for example, only halflings can purchase and use solidsmoke pipeweed).

[Name Violation]

Benefit: Choose another humanoid race. You count as both human and that race for any effects related to race. For example, if you choose dwarf, you are considered both a human and a dwarf for the purpose of taking traits, feats, how spells and magic items affect you, and so on.

that seemingly lets you by pass that restriction

the faq says you can even take the races classes and archetypes even. it doesn't say spells but does call out effected by spells

[Patrick Harris @ MU]

In other words: As written, it should, but PFS places additional restrictions on stuff like that, so it varies by book. I'm guessing you mean spells in the ARG, in which case no, as per the Additional Resources bit quoted by John above.

[Name Violation]

so in pfs, it doesn't let me take the arg feats?

[Iammars]

I've learned that in PFS - just assume the racial heritage feat does nothing. That feat could be really cool, but PFS takes most of the use out of it.

[Patrick Harris @ MU]

Name Violation wrote:

so in pfs, it doesn't let me take the arg feats?

This is correct.

IMO the feat should just be banned. Actually, I'm going to start a thread about that.

[Name Violation]

I take it same thing with scion of humanity?i

[Patrick Harris @ MU]

Yes, although it has other effects that make it useful in certain situations.

[Name Violation]

well there goes my aasimar counting as human, counted as half elf, adopted by halflingsconcept

[Felix Gaunt]

Yeah the feat seems majorly gimped in PFS, which is possibly for balance reasons? Regardless I remember reading somewhere that you definitely definitely can't buy racial stuff unless you are literally that race (Racial Heritage doesn't count). Now that doesn't mean you can't potentially have someone else buy x item for you and then you use it. Although that's kinda a grey area where you're effectively trying to circumvent a rule. As Patrick said it might just need to be banned completely to avoid any confusion.

[Caderyn]

Racial Heritage still opens up a large number of options to players and is not a waste of a feat.

Although you do need to check the additional resources carefully when using it (otherwise you will try to get feats/traits that you are not eligible for).

[thaX]

John Compton wrote:

I would direct you to look at the Additional Resources page.

Additional Resources page (Advanced Race Guide entry) wrote:

Note: Alternate racial traits, racial archetypes, racial evolutions, racial feats, and racial spells are only available for characters of the associated race. Racial equipment and magic items can be purchased and used by any race as long as the specific item permits it (for example, only halflings can purchase and use solidsmoke pipeweed).

John, with the feat in question, it has him count as that race. My question, if I was asking, is whether or not that would be extended to spells.

To clarify, one can get feats, traits, and such as the feat describes, but not spells, correct?

[Patrick Harris @ MU]

thaX wrote:

John Compton wrote:

I would direct you to look at the Additional Resources page.

Additional Resources page (Advanced Race Guide entry) wrote:

Note: Alternate racial traits, racial archetypes, racial evolutions, racial feats, and racial spells are only available for characters of the associated race. Racial equipment and magic items can be purchased and used by any race as long as the specific item permits it (for example, only halflings can purchase and use solidsmoke pipeweed).

John, with the feat in question, it has him count as that race. My question, if I was asking, is whether or not that would be extended to spells.

To clarify, one can get feats, traits, and such as the feat describes, but not spells, correct?

The issue is not what the feat gives access to, it's what PFS allows.

The feat makes a character count as a race (let's say goblin) for restrictions. So if a feat, trait, or spell is restricted to goblin-only, that (let's say dwarf) character can get them.

However, in PFS, most sources restrict racial content to members of that race. So only a goblin can buy goblin equipment, use goblin spells, or take goblin feats or traits, regardless of whether they have Racial Heritage.

The feat still works ... technically. You just can't access the good stuff in, say, the ARG, because it's restricted. And that feat doesn't waive that rule.

After GenCon, I'm going to post a petition to either fix that feat (let it work as written, as an exception to the restrictions) or ban it (because all it does right now is cause forum threads about how confusing it is).