Heat Endurance

[FearlessGnome]

So. I was looking at Walker in the Waste from Sandstorm with more (less?) than a rational degree of appreciation for the Dry Lich transformation. Sadly, in addition to the two lost levels of spell progression, there is the Heat Endurance feat requirement.

Boohoo. Getting a +5 LA template (and undead immortality complete with five horcruxes) on my Cleric requires me to take a bad feat.

Also in Sandstorm, though, we get a couple more locations for the lovely Touchstone feat. One of these locations gives Improved Heat Endurance as a feat.

Walker in the Waste 1 gives Improved Heat Endurance as a bonus feat.

Walker in the Waste 1 explicitly says if you already have that feat, you can pick another one.

So...
1: Does having Improved Heat Endurance (from Touchstone) negate the need for Heat Endurance in qualifying for Walker?
2: Can I use Touchstone to qualify for Walker, take a level, get a bonus feat, and then visit some other location to get some other (better) use out of my Touchstone?

2 sounds less reasonable than 1, but as far as I can see, 1 seems more shaky by raw.

What say the playground?

[Curmudgeon]

1. No, Improved Heat Endurance and Heat Endurance are different feats. You need to match the stated requirements for the prestige class. There are ways to gain Heat Endurance without selecting it as a general feat, including the ACFs for Druid and Ranger (pages 47-48) and Lord of Tides 1.

2. As far as I know, Touchstone doesn't provide any way to get Heat Endurance, so that won't let you qualify for the PrC.

[Starbuck_II]

Boohoo. Getting a +5 LA template (and undead immortality complete with five horcruxes) on my Cleric requires me to take a bad feat.

Nope. You take the Prc or take +5 LA, you can't get both.