Feat Pre Req

[Ranting Fool]

I think I asked this in the RAW thread a few months ago but there was some debate so I'll ask GiTP opinion.

Can you get a feat of you don't meet the Pre-Req all the time.

Main example. Warlock who has Fell Flight (can fly for 24 hours as a spell like ability) would like to get Improved flight or fly by attack at some point. Which both need to be able to fly.
Should I allow this? "Well I can fly ALL the time anyway so couldn't I train myself to be better at flying?" (A valid point really)

The same would apply for other feats such as Power Attack. Say you don't have the 13th str. Could you get the feat but only use it when you get Bull Strength cast on you?

Thoughts? Reasoning?

[VGLordR2]

As I understand it (and I could be wrong) you must meet the prerequisite before taking the feat. So, in your second example, you could take the feat while already under the effects of Bull's Strength. As soon as the spell expires, you lose the benefit of the feat, but the feat is kept. As soon as you meet the prerequisites again, you regain the benefits of the feat. Again, it is very posiible that I am wrong, but that is how I interpret the rules.

[aeauseth]

Not sure about RAW, but most DM's I've been with allow this.

For example a Druid taking multiattack. Only works when wild shaped.

The only restricion I would make as a DM would be the character must be able to use the feat at some point before they reach the next level. Ideally show they meet the prereq before they take the feat. For example I would not allow a warlock taking Improved Flight before taking Fell Flight (or some mechanisim that allowed them to fly on a regular basis).

Taking power attack with a STR of 12 is iffy. Does the character have a regular means to improve his STR? How does he train this feat? The wizard helps him train, casting bull strength spell every X minutes? He will run out of spells before the day's end. Using a magic item would fix this issue.

[Keld Denar]

The FAQ does indicate that you can qualify for feats through non-permanent means. How temporary the means are, and whether our not you can qualify for them yourself is left vague for the most part. Can a character use gauntlets of ogre power to qualify for Power Attack? Yes. Could he use the bull Str spell? Unclear. Rage? Unclear. Enlarge Person cast by a friendly mage? Unclear.

The easiest way is to just allow it, but the feat is only usable when the conditions are met. This allows Brown Bear Raging Bear Warriors to take Knockback, for example, because most of the time when they are fighting, they are fighting in bear form. is the way they are used to fighting.

[Ranting Fool]

The power attack thing was just another example. The warlock has been flying 24 hours a day (he likes to hover off the ground totally invisible when ever he isn't needing to talk to someone, then he just flies round the corner, dismisses his spells, walks back and says hi)

[Keld Denar]

Again, the rules don't say you can't, and the FAQ suggests that you can. There really aren't any guidelines on what is and isn't allowed, however.

The best we can tell you is "ask your DM", and try providing him with some of the examples given here.


A feat sometimes requires you to have a certain ability score, which is the case with Two-Weapon Fighting (it requires Dex 15). A character has, say, Dex 13, but wears an item, in this case gloves of Dexterity +2, and now her Dex score is 15. Can she take the feat and have it be active only when she wears the item?
Actually yes, she could take the feat, but she would lose the use of the feat if, for whatever reason, she loses the bonus from the item.

For what it's worth...