My question is about the feat Aspect of the Beast. There are special rules for Rangers and Lycans to take the feat without the prerequisites, so what about a character that has taken the Draconic Blood line power for Sorcerer? Should they be allowed to take the feat to manifest their claws?
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it doesn't seem to be a great feat for a sorcerer, what do you want to do with it?
edit: If a GM is going to make an exception he should know what it is for. although this doesn't seem to be horrible on the surface. non retractable claws could be a large disability too. Maybe s/he could add something special too.
The PC in my game is wanting to take it so they gain a more permanent version of the claws, because they are planning on taking the Dragon Disciple Prestige Class and want to use their claws as a Secondary/Off-Hand weapon and want to be able to upgrade the damage through the class ability.
Aspect of the Beast
Whether by magic or a curse of your blood, some part of you is more beast than man.
Prerequisite: wild shape class feature, see Special.
Benefit: Your bestial nature manifests itself in one of the following ways. You choose the manifestation when you choose the feat, and then you cannot change it.
Night Senses (Ex): If your base race has normal vision, you gain low-light vision. If your base race has low-light vision, you gain darkvision out to a range of 30 feet. If your base race has darkvision, the range of your darkvision increases by 30 feet.
Claws of the Beast (Ex): You grow a pair of claws. These claws are primary attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage (1d3 if you are Small).
Predator's Leap (Ex): You can make a running jump without needing to run 10 feet before you jump.
Wild Instinct (Ex): You gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks and a +2 bonus on Survival skill checks.
Special: A character that has contracted lycanthropy can take this feat without having to meet the prerequisites. A ranger who selects the natural weapon combat style can take this feat without having to meet the prerequisites (even if he does not select Aspect of the Beast as a bonus feat).
A single-classed sorcerer with the draconic bloodline does not meet the prerequisites of "wild shape class feature," "lycanthropy," or "ranger who selects the natural weapon combat style." However, a two-level dip in ranger with the natural weapon combat style isn't a a horrible choice for a dragon disciple (and, since you don't necessarily need to use the combat style feat on Aspect of the Beast , you can even pick up Rending Claws).
My question is about the feat Aspect of the Beast. There are special rules for Rangers and Lycans to take the feat without the prerequisites, so what about a character that has taken the Draconic Blood line power for Sorcerer? Should they be allowed to take the feat to manifest their claws?
No. My ruling would match the actual ruling on the feat.
A better question, I think, is why would you allow it?
Permanent claws...reminds me of when my girlfriend for a costume party had superglued on VERY long fake nails...she had to bribe the babysitter 10 dollars to get her dressed that night...I don't know why...I would have done it for free...if I could have stopped laughing!
Not sure this is the right forum for this. The rules are crystal clear (a rarity.) No, the sorcerer cannot take the feat, they don't meet the prerequisites.
Would I allow it? Maybe. It seems to fit the flavor and not be overpowered, though I might come to these boards and ask the public since I'm not familiar with dragon disciples in play.
I'm kinda of two minds.
I also think this also shouldn't be in the rules section. Your probably after advice or homebrew. Rules are quite explicit here. Wild shape, lycan or Ranger who is a lil feral. Descriptive text at the top of a feat is description, not rules. There are enough 'other' things around that get natural attacks 'sometimes' that to overlook ALL of them seems a little unlikely. Sorcs have multiple bloodlines that can. Lesser Beast totem rage power. Feral Muta. And that's just that give you the natural attack 'sometimes' option. The odds of it being an oversight is minimal, and even if it were... RAW still says no until it's errata-ed
Anyways.... to your request for advice.
Draconic bloodline claws scale in effectiveness (Magic at 5th, increase dice size at 7th, Elemental damage bonus at 11th), something that the feat in and of itself doesn't do. Natural weapon focus for rangers lets you take eldritch claws and improved natural attack which are both pretty close to things that Draconic does get, but they are feats (albiet 'free' weapon style feats) that you need to take. Maybe it balances out. Maybe not. I'm of the mind that feats are feats, whether bonus or not. Just because I took empower spell with a bonus feat doesn't mean the feat means any less.
The flip side is that giving someone a pair of weapons that are D6 + D6 elemental and no enhancement bonus (until he starts using arcane strike anyway).... probably not too much of a game breaker for an 11th level char. If someone really wants him disarmed, they'll just put each of his hands in some breed of chainmail bag then bind them together anyway... He is a caster after all. I'd be more threatened by the fact he can throw fireballs and kill my whole bodyguard and me from across the room than him having to charge through said bodyguards.
What I'd probably do is let him take it as written, not a permanent version of the Draconic claws. D4 damage claws ALWAYS. Doesn't scale. Don't become magic. You can spend your rounds from your bloodline pool to empower them up to 'full power' of D6 + D6 + magic, but the feat is exactly as written there. I also wouldn't allow stacking of improved natural attack. Or rather you could take it to make them D6 always, but your dice size when 'empowered' would still be D6. From there, watch the player and the reaction. If he looks heartbroken that you just destroyed is most awesome combo that was going to rule the world and goes away saying 'oh.... it's ok... I changed my mind.'... Pat yourself on the back for a job well done. If his reaction is one of "Great. Still want it." watch for the combo anyway... if it doesn't come forth, he wants it for fluff reasons. Assess over the course of a few months and if it's not broken, let him have the version he wants.