Can you take and benefit from the feats that grant extra class abilities before that class ability is available to you?


Rules Questions


For instance, can a Magus take extra arcanum at first level?


Vandread wrote:
For instance, can a Magus take extra arcanum at first level?

No. The requirement of the feats in question is to first have the class feature. If you do not have enough levels in a class to unlock the feature then you do not qualify for the feat.

PRD - Ultimate Magic - Feats - Extra Arcana wrote:

Extra Arcana

You have unlocked the secret of a new magus arcana.

Prerequisite: Magus arcana class feature.

Benefit: You gain one additional magus arcana. You must meet all the prerequisites for this magus arcana.

Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack, granting a new arcana each time you gain this feat.

This is true across the board for the Extra ____ feats.


Vandread wrote:
For instance, can a Magus take extra arcanum at first level?

As you dont meet the prerequisites? No.

Note this means that Magi that trade away their first Arcana (Bladebound, for instance) can't take the feat till 6, too.


If you mean:

Quote:

Extra Arcana

You have unlocked the secret of a new magus arcana.
Prerequisite: Magus arcana class feature.
Benefit: You gain one additional magus arcana. You must meet all the prerequisites for this magus arcana.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack, granting a new arcana each time you gain this feat.

Then no. You don't have the required Magus Arcana class ability. You have to meet the prerequisites of a feat to select it. If you could find a feat that increased the uses of an ability, but didn't require that ability in the feat prerequisites, then yes you could. But I don't know if any of those exist.


Is there anything in the RAW that say you have to take your feats at the appointed time?

Can you not save your feats, and take them later?

(I don't know that you can take your feats later; I've never seen it done before. I don't recall ever having read anything one way or the other about it. I'm just curious, and it seems it would solve the problem put forward by the OP.)

Dark Archive

Jo Bird wrote:

Is there anything in the RAW that say you have to take your feats at the appointed time?

Can you not save your feats, and take them later?

(I don't know that you can take your feats later; I've never seen it done before. I don't recall ever having read anything one way or the other about it. I'm just curious, and it seems it would solve the problem put forward by the OP.)

if the rules don't say you CAN do something, then you cant do it

also the steps for creating and leveling characters says "choose feats", not making it optional. you level up to the appropriate level, you take a feat.

Silver Crusade

Name Violation wrote:
if the rules don't say you CAN do something, then you cant do it

This is not in line with the spirit of the game. Even strictly speaking, that isn't right. With regard to the OP, this statement is sound, but even in this thread it should be kept in mind that creativity should be encouraged.

One may use the ring of the ram against an opponent grappling you, though there aren't rules covering it. Likewise, there's no rules for nauseating a nitpicky clean opponent with foul behavior.

Jo Bird wrote:
Can you not save your feats, and take them later?

Correct, you have to spend all your feats, skill points, favored class bonuses, etc, when you level. One must also level immediately upon receiving the experience necessary to level up.

Advancing Your Character:
A character advances in level as soon as he earns enough experience points to do so—typically, this occurs at the end of a game session, when your GM hands out that session's experience point awards.

The process of advancing a character works in much the same way as generating a character, except that your ability scores, race, and previous choices concerning class, skills, and feats cannot be changed. Adding a level generally gives you new abilities, additional skill points to spend, more hit points, and possibly an ability score increase or additional feat (see Table: Character Advancement and Level-Dependent Bonuses). Over time, as your character rises to higher levels, he becomes a truly powerful force in the game world, capable of ruling nations or bringing them to their knees.

When adding new levels of an existing class or adding levels of a new class (see Multiclassing, below), make sure to take the following steps in order. First, select your new class level. You must be able to qualify for this level before any of the following adjustments are made. Second, apply any ability score increases due to gaining a level. Third, integrate all of the level's class abilities and then roll for additional hit points. Finally, add new skills and feats. For more information on when you gain new feats and ability score increases, see Table: Character Advancement and Level-Dependent Bonuses.


I know what NV was trying to say, and I too have struggled with coming up with a good statement about rules regarding his statement taking into consideration nightskies statement.


Nightskies wrote:
Name Violation wrote:
if the rules don't say you CAN do something, then you cant do it

This is not in line with the spirit of the game. Even strictly speaking, that isn't right. With regard to the OP, this statement is sound, but even in this thread it should be kept in mind that creativity should be encouraged.

One may use the ring of the ram against an opponent grappling you, though there aren't rules covering it. Likewise, there's no rules for nauseating a nitpicky clean opponent with foul behavior.

Jo Bird wrote:
Can you not save your feats, and take them later?

Correct, you have to spend all your feats, skill points, favored class bonuses, etc, when you level. One must also level immediately upon receiving the experience necessary to level up.

** spoiler omitted **...

Just as an aside, a house rule that my players have always liked is just a more flexible approach to retraining for all classes. That is, it isn't limitless, but if a player comes forward and says, hey, this feat just doesn't suit who my PC is, can I change it for this other one?

And I'm much more flexible with new players learning the game. In fact, I expect them to want to swap out once or twice. :) Sometimes, rebuild.

It's all in the spirit of friendship and learning the game. And in knowing when to say hey, you're doing it a little TOO much, so not this time. Or, that choice is a little too cheesy. Can you look at something else, instead?


Nightskies wrote:


This is not in line with the spirit of the game. Even strictly speaking, that isn't right. With regard to the OP, this statement is sound, but even in this thread it should be kept in mind that creativity should be encouraged.

One may use the ring of the ram against an opponent grappling you, though there aren't rules covering it. Likewise, there's no rules for nauseating a nitpicky clean opponent with foul behavior.

Jo Bird wrote:
Can you not save your feats, and take them later?
Correct, you have to spend all your feats, skill points, favored class bonuses, etc, when you level. One must also level immediately upon receiving the experience necessary to level up.

Spirit of the game and friendship and creativity should all be taken into account.

However, accessing class abilities level(s) ahead of when your character should, would simply not be allowed at my table. This is not a matter of creativity (we don't have any context for this character), but a mechanical issue. This idea's acceptability has extreme repercussions for a multiclassed character.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Jo Bird wrote:

Is there anything in the RAW that say you have to take your feats at the appointed time?

Yes.. the feat requires that you posess the pre-req ability in order to select the ability, otherwise you could take Extra Arcana at first level, decide to leave the class by multi-classing and posess a feat that you never qualified for.

Yes the RAW is right there in front of you in the feat pre-req itself. You must HAVE the class feature to select the feat, not have it on a promissary note in future character development.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Nightskies wrote:


Correct, you have to spend all your feats, skill points, favored class bonuses, etc, when you level. One must also level immediately upon receiving the experience necessary to level up.

I allow people to delay their level up, but I put a ceiling on 5 percent of the next level's exp until they've done so.

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