Aasimar Favored Class Bonus and an unpurchased Oracle Revelation

[GM Arkwright]

Aasimar favored class bonus for the oracle: Add +1/2 to the oracle’s level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation

Spellscar Revelation: Spell Resistance (Ex): You gain SR equal to your oracle level + 5. You must be at least 11th level before selecting this revelation.

Are you required to actually possess a revelation before you can apply the Aasimar favored class bonus to it?

[Bart Vervaet]

I would say so. It seems strange to put a favored class bonus into something you don't have. In my opinion a FCB cannot be saved up untill a later date, you have to choose it when you get a new level.

[Grey Lensman]

Are there any other favored class bonuses, for any class/race combo at all, that can be purchased despite not having access to the class feature it modifies?

[minoritarian]

Human fcb for Superstition?

You're spending your FCB for a delayed rather than immediate gratification. I can't see anything wrong with it.

[MC Templar]

Human monk, adding to Ki Pool... do you force them to wait before taking it?

Human Cavalier doesn't get Banner until 5th

So I'd say there are multiple examples of favored class bonuses that accrue in advance for class features you haven't yet unlocked, there is no reason why it shouldn't apply for oracles if someone wants to spend 11 levels with no benefit from their favored class.

(If your group always starts at advanced levels, skipping the characters growing into their abilities, that is your own choice, and not a problem with the game design)

[Corodix]

I haven't seen anything in the rules that forbids you from taking a fcb which boosts a feature before you have the actual feature. The advanced players guide even contains an example (page 9) where a dwarf takes 20 levels of his rogue fcb (Add a +1/2 bonus on Disable Device checks regarding stone traps and a +1/2 bonus to trap sense regarding stone traps), with trap sense being a class feature which you get at third level as a rogue. So the dwarf in that example has taken that fcb at levels 1 and 2 without having trap sense.

So taking that example into account, I don't see why you couldn't select a revelation which your character doesn't actually have yet as that dwarf did the same for a class feature he didn't have.

[nate lange]

i'm inclined to agree that you can use your FCB for a revelation that you don't have yet... that does, however, beg the question "when can i take it?" in this example you have to be 11th level but if you used FCB every level you'd count as 12th @8... you obviously couldn't take it as your 7th level revelation, and the next 'free' one comes at 11th anyways, but could you take the extra revelation feat at 9th to pickup spellscar since you would count as 13th for the purpose of that revelation?

[GM Arkwright]

Awesome, much thanks fellas.

[Claxon]

You can pick up a favored class bonus for an option that you do not yet possess. A human barbarian can pick up the superstition bonus at level 1 despite not having rage powers available to select Superstition.

I believe a dev addressed this casually at some point, but I can't even begin to remember where.

[Corodix]

nate lange wrote:

i'm inclined to agree that you can use your FCB for a revelation that you don't have yet... that does, however, beg the question "when can i take it?" in this example you have to be 11th level but if you used FCB every level you'd count as 12th @8... you obviously couldn't take it as your 7th level revelation, and the next 'free' one comes at 11th anyways, but could you take the extra revelation feat at 9th to pickup spellscar since you would count as 13th for the purpose of that revelation?

Wouldn't that be covered by the wording of that FCB? "Add +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation."

I assume the level 11 requirement counts as a requirement and not as an effect, right?

[James Risner]

I wouldn't recommend this unless you talk to the GM and I strongly wouldn't recommend it for PFS. Since there is no rule saying you can take something without having it to be enhanced and there are a lot of rules saying you can't take something if you don't have what it enhances (pre-reqs). If you take in PFS you may get table variance RAW rejections or RAW allowances.

[Taenia]

According to the PFSRD

Oracle Add +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation.

It doesn't say a revelation you have but a relevation. Note this means you could put points into a revelation and never take that revelation, for unoptimization fun.

[Fomsie]

I think it is perfectly legal to invest "early" in a revelation you do not yet have, however, the FCB in no way grants early access to the Revelation in question. If the Revelation requires you to be level 11, you still have to wait until that level to take it, though at that point your effective level in that Revelation would be 11 + 5 (1/2 level rounded down) if you had pre invested in the FCB. to this point.

[Anzyr]

And honestly, at level 20, breaking SR 35, is as easy as rolling a 1, so its not like its powerful or anything.

[Fomsie]

Anzyr wrote:

And honestly, at level 20, breaking SR 35, is as easy as rolling a 1, so its not like its powerful or anything.

Oh sure, because everyone at level 20 has a +14 to penetrate spell resistance on all their spells...

[Anzyr]

What +14 to penetrate SR? No, no, you should only have like +10 to that. However, you should really be rocking a Caster Level of 25-26 or so.