Improved Natural Attack question

[Diachronos]

For the most part Improved Natural Attack is pretty straightforward, but there's one question that I haven't been able to find a clear ruling on...

How does the feat work with natural attacks granted by temporary abilities, like the claws granted by a sorcerer's draconic bloodline or natural attacks granted by a druid's wild shape? Can the character even take the feat if their only natural attacks are ones granted by a class ability with a per-day limit?

[grarrrg]

How does the feat work with natural attacks granted by temporary abilities, like the claws granted by a sorcerer's draconic bloodline or natural attacks granted by a druid's wild shape? Can the character even take the feat if their only natural attacks are ones granted by a class ability with a per-day limit?

The generally accepted answer is "No, you may only qualify for feats with permanent/always-on features".
While the rules do not explicitly mention such, it is generally assumed.

A commonly cited reference is how Ability Score increases from Items/other count as "temporary bonuses" for the first 24 hours, but then count as "permanent bonuses (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/basics-ability-scores/ability-scores)" after 24+ hours of continuously providing a bonus.
Under this interpretation, anything "temporary" counts as "permanent" if it lasts longer than 24 hours.

So Draconic Bloodline Claws, being measured in Rounds, would never let you qualify for Imp. Natural Attack.
Druid's Wildshape could potentially qualify after level 8 (3 uses, at 8 hours each is 24 hours).


In any case, the actual rules are kinda 'meh' on the subject, so ultimately check with your DM. Most will allow you to take a feat you can only use for X many rounds per day.

Do note that:

A character can't use a feat if he loses a prerequisite, but he does not lose the feat itself. If, at a later time, he regains the lost prerequisite, he immediately regains full use of the feat that prerequisite enables.

[Psyren]

The generally accepted answer is "No, you may only qualify for feats with permanent/always-on features".
While the rules do not explicitly mention such, it is generally assumed.

As the quote you posted at the end shows, this is not true at all. You can qualify for Multiattack as a Druid who is not constantly wild-shaped for instance.

As an example, the Dwarven Dragon Disciple in NPC Codex has Weapon Focus (Claw) despite his claws only being temporary. Similarly, the Half-Orc DD has Weapon Focus (bite) and Weapon Focus (claws.)

[Daimon]

Necroeing just to thanks Psyren for the amazing explanation and examples. :smallbiggrin: