Should Dragonblood / Half-Dragon need Draconic Heritage for Draconic Feats ?

[Sarethus]

Having a small debate with my group.

Main question is whether a race which already has the Dragonblood sub-type or Half-Dragon template need to pick up the Draconic Heritage Feat to gain access to other Dragonic feats?

In this particular case it's a question on wheather a Half-Dragon should need to waste a feat on Draconic Heritage to gain Draconic Knowledge (Which will be needed for Knowledge Devotion) but like all good table debates the actual discussion has expanded to cover quite a few books and rules etc.

I don't mind the particular case but I am a bit wary of making it a general rule.

[GrayDeath]

I`d say this is an obvious case.

Not every rule needs to perfectly fit a certain situation. I`d rule in favour in this case and in other OBVIOUS similar cases (and make it clear that this does not open weedling for any and all racial bonuses a player might want!).

Only Munchkins would exploit a "Dragon Rule" born of this any way. And Dragons love munchkins. They are so .... munchy ^^

[Zaydos]

I'd say yes they still need to take it for dragonblood races, for example Silverbrow Humans trade bonus skills for access to slightly stronger feats they're already getting their little trade off and were made in a book that reprinted Draconic Heritage and made them have to take it. Balance wise silverbrow humans are better than humans on several builds (bard and totemist mainly) which make use of draconic stuff. Fluff-wise they show a small amount of draconic nature in certain aspects which isn't necessarily the same as being a sport throwback to a draconic ancestor like Draconic Heritage.

For half-dragon I'd say let 'em ignore the prerequisite they're typically worse than not being half-dragons, are definitely more feat starved, and predate Draconic Heritage but weren't truly intended for PC use (though DH was reprinted in the book that discussed them for PC use). Fluff-wise they're more dragon than a character with draconic heritage in every possible way.

[Extra Anchovies]

Right. So the core issue here is that Draconic Heritage is, on its own, garbage. It's terrible! You get +1 to a very short list of saving throws (vs magical sleep, magical paralysis, and effects of one of the four non-sonic elemental damage descriptors), and add a skill to your class list. My suggestion? Have all of the heritage base feats (Draconic Heritage, Fey Heritage, Fiendish Heritage, Aberration Blood) grant a feat they're required for as a bonus feat when you select them.

[Sarethus]

Thanks for the quick response all.

I think I'll allow it it in this particular case and discuss Extra Anchovies suggestion regarding Base Heritage feats with the rest of the group, probably expand that to other Base feats such as Vile Tongue or Devil-Touched feats.

[Troacctid]

Seems logical to me. Why does a half-fey need Fey Heritage for a +3 bonus on saving throws against effects she's immune to?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Isn't there a sidebar in Races of the Dragon to that very effect? I wanna say it's in the introduction.

[eggynack]

Consider not doing that for aberration wild shape. That feat is way too good, even with the feat tax. The core question at work here isn't really whether these categorical tax feats should exist, but whether feat taxes in general are justified. It's hard to argue that fey heritage is somehow illogical while combat expertise gets to roam free. So, instead of discussing with your group whether these category feats should be eliminated, maybe just ask the question of feat tax justification whenever it comes up with character builds. You can toss sacred vow for most vows and keep it for vow of poverty, or get rid of it for all vows, you can keep aberrant blood for aberration wild shape and ditch it for inhuman reach, and, likewise, you can get rid of combat expertise for improved disarm and keep it for improved trip. Or, again, keep it for both. Really, somewhere between a majority and an overwhelming majority of feat taxes are stupid.

Edit:
Isn't there a sidebar in Races of the Dragon to that very effect? I wanna say it's in the introduction.
There is a sidebar, but it doesn't look like it indicates this. The text indicates that you are hit by stuff like a dragon is, and you can use dragon items, but you only get to count as dragonborn for feats (which, really, could have gone without saying). I'm not even sure if a full on dragon could skip draconic heritage, by the rules. Draconic heritage is a hard line prerequisite that allows no apparent means of bypass. So, even if a dragonborn counted as a dragon for feats, you wouldn't necessarily get to skip the tax.

Double-edit: Really wish what I just said weren't the case. Using elan to skip aberration blood would make it a pretty interesting race for druids, approximating a human with some wacky abilities on top.