Weapon Focus (claws) as 1st level human

[ckdragons]

Can my human character take Weapon Focus (claws) at 1st level if he is going to gain the ability of having claws at 7th level?

[Java Man]

Is your character proficient in claws? This is the principal RAW hangup I can see.

[burkoJames]

Until you have the natural weapons, you do not have proficency in them.

If you need the weapon focus in that early feat slot, retraining is your best option.

[blahpers]

Weapons wrote:

All characters are proficient with unarmed strikes and any natural weapons they gain from their race.

No claws, no proficiency. No proficiency, no Weapon Focus. Besides, it's a dead feat, so you might as well take something useful instead and retrain it when you actually have claws.

Interestingly, I'm not certain if there's a rule stating that characters are automatically proficient with natural weapons gained from other abilities (e.g., class features, spells, magic items). But I've never seen anybody rule otherwise.

[Dave Justus]

I'm not sure I agree with the above.

I think the best way to view proficiency is whether you take a non-proficiency penalty in making an attack with that weapon (natural weapon in this case.) If that is so, then either a lot of abilities that give natural attacks other than race are supposed to have a non-proficiency penalty or their is really no such thing as non-proficiency for natural attacks (in other words, everyone is proficient).

Ruling otherwise, that proficiency is required for weapon focus(natural attack) means that a good number of characters that gain claws could never get weapon focus (claw) because there is no method to gain the proficiency.

Unless you rule that a character that was the target of a polymorph spell that gives natural attacks would take a non-proficiency penalty with those attacks, I think you have to rule that the character is proficient with natural attacks, and therefore could take the weapon focus feat.

[LordKailas]

There are spells, effects and even class features that go out of their way to specify that you are proficient with the natural weapon granted by it.

Magic wrote:

In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks.

Shifter wrote:

She is also proficient with the natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) from the shifter claws class feature and of forms she assumes with wild shape.

Druid wrote:

They are also proficient with all natural attacks (claw, bite, and so forth) of any form they assume with wild shape (see below).

I think by RAW you could assume that you do automatically have proficiency with natural weapons. However, as has been pointed out there isn't a feat a character could take to gain proficiency in natural weapons.

For simplicity (and what I think most DMs assume). If you have a natural weapon from a source then that source also gives you proficiency with said weapon. Otherwise you are not proficient with them.

IMO I don't see an issue with taking weapon focus (claw) at first level. but I would talk to your DM, do they allow retraining? will they let you leave the feat unassigned? you might be able to grab another feat (like toughness) until you actually have claws that will benefit from the feat.

[Dave Justus]

LordKailas wrote:

There are spells, effects and even class features that go out of their way to specify that you are proficient with the natural weapon granted by it.

Magic wrote:
In addition to these benefits, you gain any of the natural attacks of the base creature, including proficiency in those attacks.

Huh, I was looking right at that sentence and still didn't see where it was granting the proficiency. Reading comprehension fail!

In any event, I still don't see how a character like a draconic sorcerer would ever be able to take Weapon Focus (claw) since they only get the proficiency on a temporary bases if you rule that the proficiency requirement applies to weapon focus (claw).

[blahpers]

Just make sure you level up with your claws out. : D

[KahnyaGnorc]

I believe if you can meet the prereqs of the feat, even temporarily, you can take the feat, although you only can benefit from the feat when you have the prereqs. (Synthesist Summoner can take Power Attack, even if they only have sufficient strength when their eidolon is out). However, if you cannot qualify for the feat at the time you choose said feat, you cannot take it.

You can retrain later on though.

[Firebug]

Adoptive Parentage - Advanced Race Guide wrote:

Humans are sometimes orphaned and adopted by other races. Choose one humanoid race without the human subtype. You start play with that race’s languages and gain that race’s weapon familiarity racial trait (if any). If the race does not have weapon familiarity, you gain either Skill Focus or Weapon Focus as a bonus feat that is appropriate for that race instead. This racial trait replaces the bonus feat trait.

Pick a race like Tengu that have claws but don't have weapon familiarity. Weapon Focus normally also requires that you have BAB +1, but this also allows you to ignore that prereq since its a bonus feat.

I use that racial alternate trait on my "pregen" level 1 Medium for WF(Longsword), again using Tengu since they have Swordtrained which is close but not quite weapon familiarity. In addition, I pick up the faith trait Chosen of Iomedae for a free masterwork longsword for another +1 to hit and the other trait is Arodenite Sword Training for Proficiency in Longsword. And finally Spirit Focus(Champion) for another +1 to hit and damage. Its nice having +8 to hit with +8 to damage and not being a barbarian at level 1.

[Cavall]

Bonus feat or not you need to have BAB 1 to take the feat.