Retrain PcC requirements

[citabogue]

Hi, iam currently a level 5rogue/1barb aiming for swashbuckler next level and Ninja spy at level 8. Ninja Spy requires Dodge as a feat so i took it a level 6. I read, DMG 176 that you must meet the requirements before you can take your 1st level of a prestige class and I read in PHB2 192 that you can retrain a feat.

My question is : Can i retrain my Dodge Feat the same level i take my 1st level in Ninja spy? as per the RAW, i needed that requirement ''before'' i hit level 8, and i retrain ''during level advancement''.

The rules also seem to allow me to keep taking levels in that prestige class even though i dont have the requirements for the 1st level anymore (mentioning just to be sure).

[ExLibrisMortis]

This is a bit of an unresolved issue. Ask your DM, and explain that Dodge is a terrible feat. It's not like retraining it is going to unbalance the game, is it?

If you can't retrain Dodge, there are two better versions of the feat, that still allow you to qualify: Expeditious Dodge and Midnight Dodge. The first provides +2 AC if you move 40' in a round, the second provides 1 point of essentia (look at Magic of Incarnum for fun uses of that).

[Cosi]

By RAW, you can. The DMG is very clear that you need to have the prerequisites to take the first level of a PrC, and do not need them after that point.

There are some weird cases (like Complete Warrior), where the 3.0 rule that you must constantly maintain prerequisites is erroneously reprinted. But in any case, such an error would apply only to the PrCs in that book.

All that said, your DM may rule against you if they (not unreasonably) feel that shuffling away your prerequisites is cheesy. Further, there may be rules in the PHB II against retraining specifically things that are prerequisites. I wouldn't know, I haven't checked.

[nyjastul69]

Hi, iam currently a level 5rogue/1barb aiming for swashbuckler next level and Ninja spy at level 8. Ninja Spy requires Dodge as a feat so i took it a level 6. I read, DMG 176 that you must meet the requirements before you can take your 1st level of a prestige class and I read in PHB2 192 that you can retrain a feat.

My question is : Can i retrain my Dodge Feat the same level i take my 1st level in Ninja spy? as per the RAW, i needed that requirement ''before'' i hit level 8, and i retrain ''during level advancement''.

The rules also seem to allow me to keep taking levels in that prestige class even though i dont have the requirements for the 1st level anymore (mentioning just to be sure).

I believe you can do this assuming that PrC prerequisites only have to be met at 1st and not subsequent levels. The first step in character advancement is choosing a class(PH pg58). Assuming you qualify for Ninja Spy at level 7 the process is, I choose Ninja Spy for my next level because I qualify. The retraining rules state to retrain before implementing new class features. Retrain Dodge into something that you qualified for when you originally took dodge. That is your retraining option for that level and you may now level up accordingly.