Familiar Alertness as Pre-Req for Prestige Classes

[Yogibear41]

If a prestige class has the Alertness feat as a Pre-Req is having a familiar that provides the feat(when its close enough to you) satisfy the Pre-Req to take the prestige class levels? Would the familiar moving more than 5ft away from you cause you the loss of the prestige class abilities?

[Forrestfire]

Yes, if you have the familiar near you while you level up. If you're using a Prestige Class out of Complete Warrior or Complete Arcane, then you would lose the abilities when they leave you, but outside of those two books, you merely need the prerequisites to take a level in the PrC, not to keep its abilities.

[Yogibear41]

Cool, Thanks. :smallsmile:

[marphod]

If a prestige class has the Alertness feat as a Pre-Req is having a familiar that provides the feat(when its close enough to you) satisfy the Pre-Req to take the prestige class levels? Would the familiar moving more than 5ft away from you cause you the loss of the prestige class abilities?

If the familiar is within the range when you level, you can (debatably) use alertness to satisfy prerequisites.

If the familiar dies`or is out of range, you lose all the dependent class features until the situation is rectified.

[A_S]

If you're using a Prestige Class out of Complete Warrior or Complete Arcane, then you would lose the abilities when they leave you, but outside of those two books, you merely need the prerequisites to take a level in the PrC, not to keep its abilities.

If the familiar dies`or is out of range, you lose all the dependent class features until the situation is rectified.
These are points of substantial contention around these parts. There's no real consensus on whether the rules in those books about ceasing to meet prerequisites apply to only the classes in those books, or to all classes.

If this is for a game you're actually in, it's probably worth asking the DM what will happen if your familiar dies, before you count on it.

[Psyren]

These are points of substantial contention around these parts. There's no real consensus on whether the rules in those books about ceasing to meet prerequisites apply to only the classes in those books, or to all classes.

If this is for a game you're actually in, it's probably worth asking the DM what will happen if your familiar dies, before you count on it.

This. Our groups have ruled that these lines apply to all PrCs, believing that prereqs exist for a reason. We'd rather houserule an annoying prereq away than, say, allow a Thrall of Jubilex or Disciple of Dispater to turn good aligned and continue to be sponsored by an archfiend.