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First off, I'm not going to get into whether the trait is too powerful... that's a can of worms to which many keystrokes have already been devoted.
My problem is this: Aldori Dueling Master lists, among its prerequisites, the feat "Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Aldori Dueling Sword."
Heirloom Weapon allows you to be proficient in that one weapon (not type), but it doesn't expressly give you a feat. In fact, the last words of the trait
You gain a +1 trait bonus on attack rolls with this specific weapon and are considered proficient with that specific weapon (but not other weapons of that type) even if you do not have the required proficiencies.
seem to indicate that you would not have the feat, as you do not have the required proficiencies.
Does this facet of the trait do anything beyond negate the -4 nonproficiency penalty? Can I take this trait and qualify for Aldori Dueling Mastery without spending the feat slot for exotic weapon proficiency?
Further, if I don't qualify for this feat, how do I qualify for weapon focus?
I used to be of the mind that this was a quick way to get a falcata wielder without spending a feat. I'm not so sure now. I also know that many builds are designed with this in mind for bypassing the exotic weapon slot. I'm not convinced that every one of these aren't wrong. I'm also not convinced that they are.
Right now, as I read it, you do not suffer the nonproficiency penalty with your chosen weapon, but without a broader proficiency in the weapon in all it's forms, not just your daddy's, you don't qualify for anything requiring a proficiency feat.
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Heirloom weapon does not give you the equivalent of weapon proficiency. A trait is based off being about 1/2 the power of a feat, and heirloom weapon is very specific about allowing the use of a specific weapon, not a weapon type.
It doesn't grant the exotic weapon proficiency: Aldori Dueling Sword. You must purchase the feat normally.
Weapon focus requires "proficiency with the selected weapon" and not "proficiency with the selected weapon type", which allows heirloom weapon which grants you proficiency with a specific weapon to fit the requirements.
The specific wording is important to pay attention to. Since the requirements for the aldori dueling master is explicit about a specific feat, you need that feat. Since weapon focus is not explicit about weapon type over a single weapon, it manages to wiggle through the hole.
I don't buy it. Virtual Feats are Virtual Feats are Virtual Feats. As long as you continue to qualify for the prestige class you continue reaping it's benefits, if you lose that qualification, you lose the benefits, as per usual.
If you have an heirloom weapon which is exotic, you are proficient in it as if you had the feat, even if it is a far more specific 'version', and you qualify for all additional portions of that proficiency so long as you maintain those specific necessary circumstances which grant it.
If a fighter loses his +6 strength gloves, he loses his power attack. This is no different.
I don't buy it. Virtual Feats are Virtual Feats are Virtual Feats. As long as you continue to qualify for the prestige class you continue reaping it's benefits, if you lose that qualification, you lose the benefits, as per usual.
If you have an heirloom weapon which is exotic, you are proficient in it as if you had the feat, even if it is a far more specific 'version', and you qualify for all additional portions of that proficiency so long as you maintain those specific necessary circumstances which grant it.
If a fighter loses his +6 strength gloves, he loses his power attack. This is no different.
So if you lose your weapon you lose also your hit dice of the class since you can no longer be an Aldori Duellist ? :p
I think Magicdealer is right, you do not have the proficiency in the weapon type but in this specific weapon, which is enough for the feat but not enough to qualify for the class. I rule like this, I've got two player with the feat : one with a special double-weapon (basically an Ashanderai), he's a bard... The other is a Rogue who want to become a Red Mantis Assassin, he knows from the begining that he has to take the WP exotic proficency : Sawtooth Saber to qualify for the class in addition to the heirloom weapon which gave him a free masterwork weapon from the begining... ;)
That sounds like the letter of the rule. From experience though, I've let people (and had DMs let a player use) things like this to allow access to feats, but they only work with that weapon specifically too.
So if you lost the weapon, you'd have a set of unusable feats.. until you picked up the proficiency.
*Edit* I was delayed in responding, so I didn't see all the responses so far (just the OP).
I don't believe letting the person use them just for that weapon is RAW.
If someone lost the weapon and they had a Prestige Class that needed it, I'd let them keep all their level stuff and take away their class benefits, similar to losing alignment requirements.
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Heirloom weapon does not give you the equivalent of weapon proficiency.
Actually, does in fact do exactly that.
It gives proficiency and only proficiency.
So it works for prerequisites like:
"proficient with X weapon"
but it doesn't works for prerequisites like:
"Exotic Weapon Proficiency X"
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No it doesn't. Proficiency gives you the ability to use a weapon type without penalty. Heirloom weapon gives you the ability to use a specific weapon, not a type, without penalty.
You are *considered* proficient with a specific weapon. Considered is the word used in the trait. That is not weapon proficiency.
As per the core rulebook there are three types of weapon proficiency. These are simple, martial, and exotic.
Each allows you to select one weapon of the indicated type.
"Choose a type of martial weapon. You understand how to use that type of martial weapon in combat.
Benefit: You make attack rolls with the selected weapon normally (without the non-proficient penalty).
Normal: When using a weapon with which you are not proficient, you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls."
Since the trait does not provide the benefit to "a type of" weapon, it does not provide the benefit of the feat, and thus isn't even a "virtual" feat.
i would allow it to count, but remember that if you ever lose that weapon weather its destroyed or stolen you have lost the use of a lot of feats forever, they just end up being wasted feats. for that reason alone i would allow it.
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Since the trait does not provide the benefit to "a type of" weapon, it does not provide the benefit of the feat, and thus isn't even a "virtual" feat.
This is how I read it, too. But until I saw the Aldori Dueling Mastery feat as revised in the inner sea world guide I viewed it the other way.
It wouldn't be nearly as much of a problem if the trait wasn't society legal (as a house rule could fix it), but it is, and you see people doing things with it that basically give all the benefit of exotic weapon prof and none of the drawbacks. I was almost one of them until this epiphany made me revise the legality of doing so.
Which means I'm going to see people with these builds when I GM, and it'd be great if I could just tell them whether or not their build was legal.
I can see both readings, but it just seems to me the language "considered" does take out virtual feat usage.