Design / Errata Question: Final Embrace Horror Requirements

[Andrew S.]

I know this is talked about in another thread (http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinder RPG/rules/finalEmbraceFeatLineIsReallyMessedUp) but was hoping to get an official response on the following issue.

Namely, Final Embrace Horror currently requires Ability Focus (Constrict), a feat that does nothing to augment or apply to a constrict attack under the grapple rules. Should this requirement be removed from the feat chain or replaced with a different feat?

I am using a constrictor Eidolon in PFS currently and was hoping to use the feat chain as it is very much in line with my character concept to cause "horror" with constriction. Any clarification or official ruling would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

-Andrew

[AlecStorm]

If it is a useless feat just ignore it.

[Andrew S.]

AlecStorm wrote:

If it is a useless feat just ignore it.

I'd like to. I don't want to get audited at a convention or something and have someone take issue with it though. Technically it is a prereq, even if it applies nothing to constrict.

[Feral]

It's either a typo that's intended to be something else or it's a tax intended to draw resources from a character that wants the benefit.

Either way you have to just suck it up and deal with being down a feat if you want to use it for PFS. There hasn't been any errata or explanation anywhere yet.

[Frankthedm]

Andrew S. wrote:

Namely, Final Embrace Horror currently requires Ability Focus (Constrict), a feat that does nothing to augment or apply to a constrict attack under the grapple rules.

It is a clear and obvious feat tax. Ability focus has always worked the same way, so it isn't like any rules changed from 3E to Pathfinder or the Dev thought the feat did something it didn't. The prerequisites makes the feat you are interested in cost two feat slots for all intents and purposes.

It is an ingenious way to discourage players from taking monster feats TBH. Big grabby critters often have feats to burn, so charging double for a feat is no big loss for the critter. But a player trying to take it has to suck up going for 3 levels with a literally dead feat slot. :)