Who could actually take the Planar Wild Shape feat?

[Rycaut]

So as I'm building my first Druid (actually a multiclass druid but that's not entirely relevant to this question) I saw the Planar Wild Shape feat from Ultimate Combat.

However I also noted the following requirements for this feat:

Quote:

Prerequisite: Wild shape class feature, Knowledge (planes) 5 ranks.

Druids have the Wild Shape class feature - so that's fine (some archetypes are a bit unclear as to when they actually get the wild shape class feature - but that's a different question).

The only other class I've found that get Wild Shape as a class feature is the Brightness Seeker Prestige Class (limited to Elves only however).

But neither Druids nor Brightness Seeker's get Knowledge (Planes) as a class skill. The only combination I've found that could do this (without multiclassing) would be an Urban Druid (archetype) who choose the Knowledge domain which in turn grants all Knowledge skills as class skills - but that druid would still need to allocate 5 ranks to Knowledge (Planes) which given how many other class skills the Druid gets (and needs to use) seems like a really massive investment.

Perhaps that is the intent but it seems like this feat wasn't well thought out in terms of the prerequisites.

Have I missed something? Another class combination that could get this feat?

[LazarX]

I don't see what the problem is. This just means that the feat can't be taken before 5th level.

[Corodix]

Can't you put ranks into that skill even if it isn't a class skill?

[ossian666]

A level in bard...

Or there could be a trait or 2 that my grant that knowledge.

[FireclawDrake]

Um, you can put ranks in any skill, not just class skills.

The only thing class skills grant is that +3 bonus.

[TriOmegaZero]

Corodix wrote:

Can't you put ranks into that skill even if it isn't a class skill?

Yes. A druid could put ranks into Knowledge (planes) and take Planar Wild Shape at 5th level, with the only downside being that he does not get the +3 class skill bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks.

[Jeraa]

FireclawDrake wrote:

Um, you can put ranks in any skill, not just class skills.

The only thing class skills grant is that +3 bonus.

Correct. And that +3 bonus never counts as ranks. So it doesn't matter if Knowledge(planes) is a class skill or not. You get can 5 ranks at 5th level either way.

[Kydeem de'Morcaine]

I think the OP may be saying that the druid would have to allocate 5 of his sparse ranks to a (to him) tertiary skill in order to qualify.

But I think that is perfectly reasonable. You should be able to change into a planar being until you have learned a little bit about them.

[Rycaut]

Ah for some reason I thought you could only put ranks into class skills or skills that were available untrained - I had the impression (which I guess was wrong) that trained-only skills were only available to put ranks into them if you had them as a class skill.

[Enaris]

Rycaut wrote:

Ah for some reason I thought you could only put ranks into class skills or skills that were available untrained - I had the impression (which I guess was wrong) that trained-only skills were only available to put ranks into them if you had them as a class skill.

You can put ranks into any skill- class skills grant a +3 untyped bonus when you place a single rank into the skill.

Skills available only with training mean you cannot roll that skill without ranks in it, at all- Knowledge is actually an exception to this rule. You MAY ROLL any knowledge check whenever you like, but, WITHOUT RANKS, you may not succeed on any DC higher than 10.

Other skills may have similar exceptions based on circumstances. Consult your GM on specific instances.

To answer the spirit of your question, there are a number of TRAITS that grant a specific knowledge as a class skill, and there could very well be a feat that allows you to use Knowledge(planes), but I've no specific knowledge of it.

[pathar]

Rycaut wrote:

Ah for some reason I thought you could only put ranks into class skills or skills that were available untrained - I had the impression (which I guess was wrong) that trained-only skills were only available to put ranks into them if you had them as a class skill.

An argument could be made, if one were in to that sort of thing, that for a no-untrained non-class skill, you would need to have some kind of RP-based reason for knowing it. However, with knowledges, that could be as easy as "I read some books on the topic."