Feat and prerequisites

[Pelor3.0]

Hello to all! Can I take a feat if i don't meet the prerequisites? Example I'd like to give Rend to my animal companion, but it's normal size is medium. Can i get it to it? If i use Animal Growth, it can use the feat?
Have a gg.

[Biggus]

I don't know of an answer to that in an official book, the nearest thing I've seen to it is in the FAQ for the Epic Level Handbook. Someone asked whether ability scores enhanced by magic items allow you to qualify for feats and they said yes, you always use your current ability score to qualify for a feat, no matter how you arrived at it. Whether that applies to spell effects isn't entirely clear, and also they say that if you lose the prerequisite, you lose use of the feat until you get it back.

EDIT: also, Animal Growth only increases your size category by one, and Rend requires Huge size or larger...

[Kelb_Panthera]

Strictly speaking; no. You cannot choose any option with prerequisites if you don't meet them at the time you would choose that option.

Personally, I'd be willing to allow you to choose something you don't qualify for as long as you qualified in the past and will qualify in future, e.g. I'd allow a human that makes frequent use of the enlarge person spell or expansion power to select a feat that requires he be large though, as the rules sayl, he wouldn't be able to actually use that feat when at his normal, medium size. That's just a houserule I allow though. YMMV.

[Gruftzwerg]

You need to fulfill the prerequisites at the time of taking and using the feat. How you accomplish this is up to you. By raw it is allowed to use magic items and spells to qualify and use feat. Just remember that as long as you aren't fulfilling the requirements you are treated like you wouldn't had the feat. Means any feat or ability who builds further on this (and be it just as a prerequisite) is unavailable.

Example: Power Attack/Cleave
If your Str score somehow becomes less than 13 you loose access to anything Power Attack and Cleave related (e.g. some of Frenzied Berserker abilities that build upon them).

So, if you want to take rend for your animal companion, it needs to be "Huge" at the time of taking it and every time it wants to make use of it.

Imho it's easier to get an animal companion that actually has Rend (and more useful stuff) by default. Like Fleshraker (MM III). Can be obtained for a –3 adjustment to the druid’s level for purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities.

[Pelor3.0]

Ok now I understand. With the fleshraker, What type of feat is better take?

[Gruftzwerg]

Ok now I understand. With the fleshraker, What type of feat is better take?

since it has pounce, I would go for charge related stuff comes first into my mind..

Power Attack & Leap Attack would come first into my mind. (and other ubercharger feats like Shock Trooper)

Improved Initiative can also be nice.

Improved trip only if you know that you are not going to fight big creatures. But if you mostly fight medium sized enemies, this is almost a must have.

Martial Study(Cloak of Deception) + "Martial Stance:Assasine's Stance":
The first gives you once per encounter greater invisibility until end of your turn, the other gives a permanent stance with 2d6 sneak attack dmg which works with Leaping Pounce. Pinned enemies are subject to sneack attacks. If the enemies are to big to pin, it still works for flanking.

[Falontani]

Example: Power Attack/Cleave
If your Str score somehow becomes less than 13 you loose access to anything Power Attack and Cleave related (e.g. some of Frenzied Berserker abilities that build upon them).


Everything about your post is correct. However I want to make the op aware that the rule referencing losing access to prestige class abilities if you stop meeting the prerequisites is a dysfunctional rule only present within complete warrior. There are many examples where the rule referenced makes a prestige class no longer meet the prerequisites for itself, such as Ur-priest, Dragon disciple, and more (which I can't think of off the top of my head atm).

Gruft is correct that the rule absolutely exists for Complete Warrior which Frenzied Berserker is from, and has no real bearing on the conversation at hand.

[Gruftzwerg]

Everything about your post is correct. However I want to make the op aware that the rule referencing losing access to prestige class abilities if you stop meeting the prerequisites is a dysfunctional rule only present within complete warrior. There are many examples where the rule referenced makes a prestige class no longer meet the prerequisites for itself, such as Ur-priest, Dragon disciple, and more (which I can't think of off the top of my head atm).

Gruft is correct that the rule absolutely exists for Complete Warrior which Frenzied Berserker is from, and has no real bearing on the conversation at hand.

Ah I did know that Frenzied Berserker was a bad example..^^ No I was not referring to losing entire access to your class abilities like in Complete Warrior..
I was talking about things like Supreme Cleave which enhances Cleave/Great Cleave. If you loose access to Cleave, you can't use Supreme Cleave was my point. But Frenzied Berserker would loose entire access to his abilities due to being a prc form CW..

I can't think of any other example right of the bat..^^