Language rule-interpreting

[stewstew5]

My character has an animal companion that in a few levels will get the following feature: “...your animal companion benefits from all racial features that do not increase a stat”

I am playing a feat-variant human, so there are a few possible interpretations

-Since gain a feat is the racial feature and the feat itself isn’t, and the feature doesn’t expressly increase a stat, it can gain one
-It can gain a feat only if the feat in question does not increase a stat
-It gains the feat I have since gain a feat is the racial feature
-It gains the feat I have, but only if it doesn’t increase a stat
-It gains all non-stat increases of the feat
-since a feat could potentially increase a stat it can’t gain one

Which one seems to be the most in-line with the initial feature?

[Naanomi]

Hard to know the intent of unusual contextless homebrew features but...

Feat without statboost if it has one is my best guess

[Man_Over_Game]

My character has an animal companion that in a few levels will get the following feature: “...your animal companion benefits from all racial features that do not increase a stat”

I am playing a feat-variant human, so there are a few possible interpretations

-Since gain a feat is the racial feature and the feat itself isn’t, and the feature doesn’t expressly increase a stat, it can gain one
-It can gain a feat only if the feat in question does not increase a stat
-It gains the feat I have since gain a feat is the racial feature
-It gains the feat I have, but only if it doesn’t increase a stat
-It gains all non-stat increases of the feat
-since a feat could potentially increase a stat it can’t gain one

Which one seems to be the most in-line with the initial feature?

5e doesn't take everything TOO seriously. Likely, that was only put in place so that the racial stat benefits aren't applied to your companion. After that initial check (of not including stat benefits), I'd probably say anything else was fair game.

So remove the stat benefits of the Human Variant (before including feats). Now do whatever you want with what's left, leaving it open to spend that feat option on a half-feat.

I'm not sure if the option is balanced, though. Variant Humans have the least amount of stats and get a feat to compensate, so you just happen to be the race with the most overpowered potential with this interpretation.

[stewstew5]

For further discussion would race-specific feats be given to it as well, or would it be able to gain them given the opportunity?
If a feature gives me a 1/long rest spell would both I and the companion get to cast it 1 or would we share the casting?

[Man_Over_Game]

For further discussion would race-specific feats be given to it as well, or would it be able to gain them given the opportunity?
If a feature gives me a 1/long rest spell would both I and the companion get to cast it 1 or would we share the casting?

5e always takes the simplest path, if possible.

The beast would never be considered the same race, it just happens to have some of the same benefits. Both a Tiefling and a Drow can cast Darkness and have similar stats, but that does not mean that Drow = Tiefling.

You both are different creatures and have separate features (that just happen to be identical when it comes to your racial features). It'd make the most sense that you both have your own separate castings, as there is no evidence that a single feature can be shared across two different creatures.

[8wGremlin]

From the information you have given the variant human has the following features that are not stat related.

* get a feat of you choice
* get a skill of your choice

Now the racial ability to gain a feat isn’t stat related. But if you pick a feat that has a bonus to a stat that is the effect of the feat and not the racial feature.

So I’d go with pick any feat you like.

[Tallytrev813]

My character has an animal companion that in a few levels will get the following feature: “...your animal companion benefits from all racial features that do not increase a stat”

I am playing a feat-variant human, so there are a few possible interpretations

-Since gain a feat is the racial feature and the feat itself isn’t, and the feature doesn’t expressly increase a stat, it can gain one
-It can gain a feat only if the feat in question does not increase a stat
-It gains the feat I have since gain a feat is the racial feature
-It gains the feat I have, but only if it doesn’t increase a stat
-It gains all non-stat increases of the feat
-since a feat could potentially increase a stat it can’t gain one

Which one seems to be the most in-line with the initial feature?

My interpenetration would be that the companion does not gain whatever feat you took as Variant human.

Basically, variant human has a racial that allows them to gain a feat at level 1 - but that feat is not a racial feat. The racial allows them to gain a non-racial feat (if that makes sense).

For example, I take Sharpshooter as my feat for Variant human. My animal gains my racial feats - the feat i chose is not a racial feat, my racial just allowed me to start with a non-racial feat of my choice.

I know this is probably the worst interpenetration for your characters optimization, so what i would do (to make it fair for you) is i would rule that you cannot give the companion a non-racial feat from the feat section at all, but because the Variant Human allows you to gain a feat - i would allow you to chose any racial feat (from whatever race you want) and use that for your animal companion so long as it does not increase a stat.

[Tallytrev813]

From the information you have given the variant human has the following features that are not stat related.

* get a feat of you choice
* get a skill of your choice

Now the racial ability to gain a feat isn’t stat related. But if you pick a feat that has a bonus to a stat that is the effect of the feat and not the racial feature.

So I’d go with pick any feat you like.

So, i agree with the first half, only the text specifically says to gain a racial feat and the Variant Human results in gaining a feat from the feat section (non-racial feats).

A racial feat is like Savage attacks on Half Orc, or Fire resistance on Tiefling.

Because Variant human allows you to gain a feat of your choice, what i view as the most FAIR interpenetration is that you may chose 1 RACIAL feat from another race and bestow that upon your companion.

I feel that choosing any feat from the feat section would be too good and potentially game breaking for a companion.

Picking, for example, Magic initiate and having an animal companion who has 2 cantrips and 1st level spell would make a companion so much stronger, Or Ritual caster.

[stewstew5]

My interpenetration would be that the companion does not gain whatever feat you took as Variant human.

Basically, variant human has a racial that allows them to gain a feat at level 1 - but that feat is not a racial feat. The racial allows them to gain a non-racial feat (if that makes sense).

For example, I take Sharpshooter as my feat for Variant human. My animal gains my racial feats - the feat i chose is not a racial feat, my racial just allowed me to start with a non-racial feat of my choice.

I know this is probably the worst interpenetration for your characters optimization, so what i would do (to make it fair for you) is i would rule that you cannot give the companion a non-racial feat from the feat section at all, but because the Variant Human allows you to gain a feat - i would allow you to chose any racial feat (from whatever race you want) and use that for your animal companion so long as it does not increase a stat.

Racial feats are feats that are limited to a race when they get the option to gain a feat.

The animal companion gains racial featURES, and gaining a feat is a human racial feature. My question is how that interacts with the “that does not increase a stat” condition

[Joe the Rat]

Wait, so a wolf chilling with wood elves gains five feet of move, darkvision, and immunity to sleep spells, while a wolf with dwarves gains stonecunning and poison resistance?

I've heard of pets and owners looking alike, but...

[Vogie]

Wait, so a wolf chilling with wood elves gains five feet of move, darkvision, and immunity to sleep spells, while a wolf with dwarves gains stonecunning and poison resistance?

I've heard of pets and owners looking alike, but...

Not to mention languages.

Not only does the dwarven wolf has stonecunning, so they're proficient in history related to the origin of stonework, but they will talk your ear off about it.