Bonus Feats and Prequisites (PFS)


Rules Questions

Dark Archive

With level 5 looming around the corner, I am doing a little planning and rule understanding before I need to make final decisions. Currently I have an Unchained Rogue Scout (3) / Masters of Many Styles Monk (1). My goal for next level is to take my second level of monk and pick up a 2nd style but I am unsure how the prerequisites for bonus feats work (there was some discrepancy at our local game store and some online forums). At level 5, a feat is obtained so I would use this to gain access to Snake Style

Snake Style:

Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Acrobatics 1 rank, Sense Motive 3 ranks.

Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks, and you can deal piercing damage with your unarmed strikes. While using the Snake Style feat, when an opponent targets you with a melee or ranged attack, you can spend an immediate action to make a Sense Motive check. You can use the result as your AC or touch AC against that attack. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed.

By taking a second level in monk, a bonus feat is obtained. I have been told that prerequisites for bonus feats can be ignored (although I cant find a legitimate source for this). I would like to skip Snake Sidewind and go straight for Snake Fang

Snake Sidewind:

Prerequisite: Improved Unarmed Strike, Snake Style, Acrobatics 3 ranks, Sense Motive 6 ranks.

Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus to CMD against trip combat maneuvers and on Acrobatics checks and saving throws to avoid being knocked prone. While using the Snake Style feat, whenever you score a critical threat with your unarmed strike, you can make a Sense Motive check in place of the attack roll to confirm the critical hit. Whenever you score a critical hit with your unarmed strike, you can spend an immediate action to take a 5-foot step even if you have otherwise moved this round.

Snake Fang:

Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike, Snake Sidewind, Snake Style, Acrobatics 6 ranks, Sense Motive 9 ranks.

Benefit: While using the Snake Style feat, when an opponent’s attack misses you, you can make an unarmed strike against that opponent as an attack of opportunity. If this attack of opportunity hits, you can spend an immediate action to make another unarmed strike against the same opponent.

Can one skip Snake Sidewind and go straight to Snake Fang by utilizing the bonus feat given at monk level 2? Could someone give me some feedback and some sources to have handy (I will purchase if it's not in my current purchased assets)? As a new player I want to do things correctly and be prepared for my first Pathfinder Society Convention (Strategicon) in LA Labor Day Weekend. Thanks in advance.


Pathfinder Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Unless you have a class feature that allows you to skip prerequisites (such as Rangers and slayers with the combat style feats), you must meet the prerequisites of any bonus feats the same way as you would have to with normal feats.

Dark Archive

As a follow up reading my pdfs, this was taken from my Ultimate Combat

MASTER OF MANY STYLES (ARCHETYPE)
The master of many styles is a collector. For every move, he seeks a counter. For every style, he has a riposte. Ultimately, he seeks perfection through the fusion of styles.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every four levels thereafter, a master of many styles may select a bonus style feat or the Elemental Fist feat (Advanced Player’s Guide 158). He does not have to meet the prerequisites of that feat, except the Elemental Fist feat. Alternatively, a master of many styles may choose a feat in that style’s feat path (such as Earth Child Topple) as one of these bonus feats if he already has the appropriate style feat (such as Earth Child Style). The master of many styles does not need to meet any other prerequisite of the feat in the style’s feat path. This ability replaces a monk’s standard bonus feats.

Emphasis Mine

Does this answer my original question as I read it by permitting the bypass of Snake Style: Snake Sidewind and going directly to Snake Style: Snake Fang


Ravencry wrote:

As a follow up reading my pdfs, this was taken from my Ultimate Combat

MASTER OF MANY STYLES (ARCHETYPE)
The master of many styles is a collector. For every move, he seeks a counter. For every style, he has a riposte. Ultimately, he seeks perfection through the fusion of styles.
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every four levels thereafter, a master of many styles may select a bonus style feat or the Elemental Fist feat (Advanced Player’s Guide 158). He does not have to meet the prerequisites of that feat, except the Elemental Fist feat. Alternatively, a master of many styles may choose a feat in that style’s feat path (such as Earth Child Topple) as one of these bonus feats if he already has the appropriate style feat (such as Earth Child Style). The master of many styles does not need to meet any other prerequisite of the feat in the style’s feat path. This ability replaces a monk’s standard bonus feats.

Emphasis Mine

Does this answer my original question as I read it by permitting the bypass of Snake Sidewind and going directly to Snake Fang

It used to...it's been errata'd.

PRD wrote:
Bonus Feat: At 1st level, 2nd level, and every four levels thereafter, a master of many styles may select a bonus style feat or the Elemental Fist feat. He does not need to meet the prerequisites of that feat, except the Elemental Fist feat. Starting at 6th level, a master of many styles can choose to instead gain a wildcard style slot. Whenever he enters one or more styles, he can spend his wildcard style slots to gain feats in those styles' feat paths (such as Earth Child Topple) as long as he meets the prerequisites. Each time the master of many styles changes styles, he can also change these wildcard style slots. This ability replaces a monk's standard bonus feats.

Only the opening feat of a style is actually a style feat.


and the style feats have the easy pre reqs

Liberty's Edge

1 person marked this as a favorite.

That was true before any FAQ though. Only the first in the style chain is actually a style feat. So only the style feat may you bypass prerequisites. You still need to meet all the prerequisites of the other feats.

Scarab Sages

The next couple of sentences after what was bolded in the pre-errata text state that the MoMS can choose a feat in the style's path and that they don't have to meet prerequisites for those either. That text was removed with the errata. So prior to errata you could take Snake Fang at level 2. After errata you can't.


Andrew Christian wrote:
That was true before any FAQ though. Only the first in the style chain is actually a style feat. So only the style feat may you bypass prerequisites. You still need to meet all the prerequisites of the other feats.

This is mostly true.

Inner sea combat released some weird styles, i will list one example below and show that all three in the branch are style. All of them from that book are like that.

Perfect Style (Combat, Style)
Prerequisites: Wis 13, base attack bonus +5 or monk level 5th.

Unblinking Flame Feint (Combat, Style)
Prerequisites: Int 13, Wis 13, Combat Expertise, Perfect
Style, base attack bonus +9 or monk level 9th.

Unblinking Flame Fist (Combat, Style)

Prerequisites: Int 13, Wis 13, Combat Expertise, Perfect
Style, Stunning Fist, Unblinking Flame Feint, base attack
bonus +13 or monk level 13th.

The Exchange Owner - D20 Hobbies

All of the style path feats shouldn't be style feats, and they have fixed a couple already in other books.

It's a matter of the handover happened, and the design team didn't notice the error before it went to print.

Designer

James Risner wrote:

All of the style path feats shouldn't be style feats, and they have fixed a couple already in other books.

It's a matter of the handover happened, and the design team didn't notice the error before it went to print.

The Design Team isn't typically involved with the Campaign Setting and Player Companion lines; we work on the RPG line, so our last three books were Horror, Intrigue, and Bestiary 5.


Move this to PFS forums, many here will be providing non-applicable interpretations.

Sczarni

This was in the PFS Forum.

It belongs in the Rules Questions Forum, as it's a rules question.


Daw wrote:
Move this to PFS forums, many here will be providing non-applicable interpretations.

It was moved here from the PFS forums, and no in this case, PFS follows the current rules.

The Exchange Owner - D20 Hobbies

Mark Seifter wrote:
The Design Team isn't typically involved with the Campaign Setting and Player Companion lines; we work on the RPG line, so our last three books were Horror, Intrigue, and Bestiary 5.

Right. I knew that and forgot. Sorry.

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