|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Mark had previously clarified here that half-elves could take elf-only archetypes, such as the Spire Defender Magus: Link
Does this apply to the new archetypes/feats/spells from the Advanced Race Guide as well? What about a half-orc or half-elf taking a human-only feat or using a human-only spell?
|
| 3 people marked this as FAQ candidate. 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Alternate racial traits, racial archetypes, racial feats, and racial spells are only available for characters of the associated race. Racial equipment and magic items can be purchased and used by any race as long as the specific item permits it (for example, only halflings can purchase and use solidsmoke pipeweed).
So, no, a half-orc or half-elf may not take a human-only feat.
|
|
It does not apply to all previous rulings in other books. This applies to the Advanced Race Guide. You can find my official ruling in the Additional Resources.
Very specific question for clarification:
Half-elf becomes due to its own racial trait "the associated race" if it is human or elf.
Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Despite this being one of the very-core half-elf essential traits, does your previous answer mean a half-elf can't take the racial feats, archetypes, traits, and spells of its own two ancestral races (humans and elves) the Elf Blood would otherwise allow?
In this case, does it mean a half-elf has automatically the right to replace this useless racial trait?
Thanks, is this a permanent decision about the ARG or up to possible change in the future?
My understanding of Elf Blood, which a lot of my characters have, is that it refers to in-game references to race, not to character building options. So for feats, PrCs, archetypes (if any), traits etc the half-elf counts as a half-elf, not an elf or a human. In-game, so spells, items, favoured enemies, ghoul paralysis etc, the half-elf counts as both elf and human (for better or worse). Build options like feats are not 'effects'.
Is anything in that wrong or changing?
Director of Brand Strategy
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Note that qualifying for a feat or learning a spell is not an effect. The elf blood racial trait applies to things like the bane special weapon property or a ranger's favored enemy class feature.
If a feat or other character option has a prerequisite of "elf subtype", then a half-elf would qualify, as half-elves have both the human and elf subtypes. If, however, something requires a character to be of the elf race, then only elves need apply, as half-elves aren't elves, rather half-elves.
|
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.Note that qualifying for a feat or learning a spell is not an effect. The elf blood racial trait applies to things like the bane special weapon property or a ranger's favored enemy class feature.
If a feat or other character option has a prerequisite of "elf subtype", then a half-elf would qualify, as half-elves have both the human and elf subtypes. If, however, something requires a character to be of the elf race, then only elves need apply, as half-elves aren't elves, rather half-elves.
Well, I do play a necromancer...so here goes. Please hear me out.
I think there's some confusion here even among the developers because of the fact that for many races both the race and the subtype share the same or a very similar name.
To break this down it helps to think of it more like a computer program or database query, in which case an Elf would break down something like this:
race_ELF
type_HUMANOID
subtype_ELF
Notice that race_ELF and subtype_ELF are two completely different things.
It is the subtype_ELF which allows a ranger with Favored Enemy (Elf) to get bonuses against a race_ELF, not the race_ELF itself.
To really drive this home we use race_DROW as an example.
race_DROW
type_HUMANOID
subtype_ELF
Notice the subtype is still subtype_ELF but the race is now race_DROW, and that there is no Racial Trait granting the subtype_ELF property. If the ranger's Favored Enemy feature were checking race and not subtype, it would not work against race_DROW! But it does, because race_DROW has subtype_ELF. Similarly, Half-elves are subject to Favored Enemy (Elf) because of the subtype, not because of Elf-blooded which actually does not grant a subtype at all.
What this means is that it is not Elf-blooded which grants Half-elves the subtype_Elf. It is an inherent "property" of the race just as it is for race_DROW and race_Elf.
race_HALFELF
type_HUMANOID
subtype_HUMAN
subtype_ELF
Now let's look at Feats (and by extension other things such as Archetypes with RACE requirements).
Feats and archetypes with racial prerequisites do not look at subtype, they look at race. When you are trying to take something like the Spire Defender Magus Archetype, the race is checked for eligibility, not the subtype. This is very strongly inferred by the presence of feats and archetypes which specifically list race_HALFELF and race_HALFORC as requirements. Whenever a subtype is required as a prerequisite, it is always listed (e.g. "Prerequisites: Orc subtype" not "Prerequisites: Orc") In any case, there is no such property as subtype_HALFELF or subtype_HALFORC. By extension we can assume that unless a subtype is specifically called out, racial requirements for feats and archetypes are checking race_???? for eligibility, not subtype_????.
What does this mean for Elf-blooded? Well, according to Mark's post it appears that Elf-blooded does nothing. Not a single thing. But primary racial traits do not grant subtypes as suggested by Mark's post (alternate ones might), they're already an inherent property of the race. Elf-booded it seems is intended to grant benefits beyond those granted by the subtype_ELF property that is currently a part of race_HALFELF (as further evidence by the Racial Heritage feat which of course has race_HUMAN as a requirement, not subtype_HUMAN as one because there's no such thing). And it appears that the intended benefit of Elf-blooded is that whenever anything tests your character for race_ELF, that test comes back positive and eligibility or ineligibility are affected appropriately. This now gives Elf-blooded an effect in excess of subtype_ELF which makes much more sense and seems to be RAI at the very least.
I know it's been YEARS since this ruling was made, but I felt compelled to bring this up because it may affect a character I am building for PFS.
Thanks for your time <3
Sinistrad
|
|
Correct. In PFS, Racial Heritage can only open up options found in books other than the Advanced Race Guide.
I thought it was for options for books published BEFORE the ARG with anything in the ARG and published thereafter being right out, but I'm not finding the ruling.
I'd be happy to be wrong, however, especially with Inner Sea Races on the horizon...-TimD
