Can alternate classes (Samurai, etc.) take racial favored class bonuses?

[Belafon]

So I haven't been able to find anything one way or the other. Other than changing "lay on hands" in the halfling Paladin option to "touch of corruption" (but the antipaladin can't be played in PFS anyway) and "rogue talent" in the human rogue option to "ninja trick" I don't see anything that would be different from the base class.

This may have already been answered, but if so I haven't been able to find it. Thanks!

[Enevhar Aldarion]

So far as I have seen, an alternate class can do anything that a regular classe can do except multi-class with the class they are based on and they cannot use any archetypes until some are specifically written for that alternate class.

[Starglim]

Ultimate Combat wrote:

An alternate class operates exactly as a base class, save that a character who takes a level in an alternate class can never take a level in its associated class — a samurai cannot also be a cavalier

So the most adverse reading could be that an alternate class is a new class separate to its source and, specifically, that a samurai is definitely not a cavalier.

The presence of the ninja trick Rogue Talent also reinforces that a ninja is not a rogue (or maybe just that a ninja doesn't have the Rogue Talents class ability) and can't take options available to a rogue without a specific rule that allows it.

However, a GM might reasonably assume that the race in question probably could have a racial favoured class option for, say, the samurai that has just not been published yet, which might happen to be the same as for the cavalier if that option also seems appropriate for a samurai.

[Starbuck_II]

Enevhar Aldarion wrote:

So far as I have seen, an alternate class can do anything that a regular classe can do except multi-class with the class they are based on and they cannot use any archetypes until some are specifically written for that alternate class.

No, you can archetype if you still have something to trade. Ninja lacks trapfinding/Trapsense (removing most archetype). Samurai lack some cavalier stuff, etc.

[Fozbek]

Alternate classes are still the class they derive from. The proof for this is provided by the Antipaladin, the first alternate class.

In the APG, the Antipaladin is specifically called out as being not a separate class from the Paladin ("this villainous warrior can't truly be considered a new character class by its own right"), and it is listed in the Archetypes section of the Paladin class.

Then, in UC, the Knight of the Sepulcher, an archetype specifically for Antipaladins, is listed as a Paladin archetype.

So, yes, alternate classes can take racial favored class bonuses, class-specific feats, and even archetypes, so long as they have the class features that those things affect. An antipaladin cannot take an archetype that gives up Smite Evil, for example, because it does not have that class feature; a Samurai cannot give up Cavalier's Charge, because it does not have it. A Samurai can give up Mount, Challenge, Order, Banner, Greater Banner, and bonus feats, so if an archetype is ever written for Cavaliers that gives up only class features from that list, a Samurai could take it. None currently exist (even Beast Rider gives up Expert Trainer, which Samurai don't get, alas--Samurai on exotic mounts is a cool concept).

[Starglim]

Fozbek wrote:

Then, in UC, the Knight of the Sepulcher, an archetype specifically for Antipaladins, is listed as a Paladin archetype.

Good point - that seems to clarify their intent.

[LazarX]

Yes, but you have to have the class feature to surrender on taking an archetype. If an archetype requires the deletion of a class feature your alternate has already sacrificed, than it's a no go.

[Arkhios]

So, how about in the case of, let's say, Human rogue racial favored class bonus? Per se, ninja can take rogue talents in place of ninja tricks as long as they still qualify for it (likewise, a rogue can take ninja tricks instead of rogue talents as long as they meet other prerequisites!). Human gets one extra rogue talent per six levels as a favored class benefit if they choose that.

I would say that, yes - a human could get the extra talent or trick with their favored class bonus, but I'm not an official Paizo representative so it would be nice if there was an official statement if this is legal for e.g. Pathfinder Society

Edit: or perhaps, if there is one, being redirected to it would be awesome, thanks! :)