Can Alertness from familiars be used to meet Alertness feat prereq? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can Alertness from familiars be used to meet Alertness feat prereq? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
drowlich
12-05-04, 08:16 PM I was wondering if a wizard/sorcerer with a familiar can use the Alertness ability gained from the familiar to fulfill the Alertness requirement to join prestige classes?
SD
12-05-04, 08:25 PM As I understand the rules, yes, but you lose all features of the prestige class if your familiar is ever beyond arm's reach. Also, RP-wise, your familiar would need to be within arm's reach for the entiretime that you are training in the prestige class. All this makes it really, really easy to cripple yourself through something as simple as sending your familair on a scouting run or have the DM (or an intelligent enemy) cripple you by targeting your familiar.
evangelion1010
12-05-04, 09:52 PM You might also consider an ioun stone (DMG) that grants alertness for 10,000 gp.

Thats if its allowed. Theres been several debates about taking feats before you meet pre-reqs, or using items to meet pre-reqs. Its all up to your DM, but i'd strongly discourage it, or lower the pre-reqs (for stats) if the player rolled poorly /was new.
drowlich
12-06-04, 05:29 PM As I understand the rules, yes, but you lose all features of the prestige class if your familiar is ever beyond arm's reach. Also, RP-wise, your familiar would need to be within arm's reach for the entiretime that you are training in the prestige class. All this makes it really, really easy to cripple yourself through something as simple as sending your familair on a scouting run or have the DM (or an intelligent enemy) cripple you by targeting your familiar.

I hadn't thought about that plus the party's companions and familiars have a distressing mortality rate
trapspringer
12-06-04, 05:37 PM There are advantages, too. If you have a low will save and happen to be the party slaughter-bot, when you get mezzed your familiar just floats to 10-ft away and you lose all those dangerous special abilites. Even if your aren't the human chainsaw, we all roll ones sometimes, and a captivated wizard is far more dangerous at higher levels.
Unmitigated Lie
12-06-04, 05:42 PM I am fairly certain that the alertness feat granted by your familiar does not qualify you for a PrC, because it is not really a permanent bonus. Simularly, the ioun stone would not qualify you for the PrC eigther. This is the same reasoning used when you do not add boosted intelligence to new skills when you level up.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
drowlich 12-05-04, 08:16 PM	I was wondering if a wizard/sorcerer with a familiar can use the Alertness ability gained from the familiar to fulfill the Alertness requirement to join prestige classes?
SD 12-05-04, 08:25 PM	As I understand the rules, yes, but you lose all features of the prestige class if your familiar is ever beyond arm's reach. Also, RP-wise, your familiar would need to be within arm's reach for the entiretime that you are training in the prestige class. All this makes it really, really easy to cripple yourself through something as simple as sending your familair on a scouting run or have the DM (or an intelligent enemy) cripple you by targeting your familiar.
evangelion1010 12-05-04, 09:52 PM	You might also consider an ioun stone (DMG) that grants alertness for 10,000 gp. Thats if its allowed. Theres been several debates about taking feats before you meet pre-reqs, or using items to meet pre-reqs. Its all up to your DM, but i'd strongly discourage it, or lower the pre-reqs (for stats) if the player rolled poorly /was new.
drowlich 12-06-04, 05:29 PM	As I understand the rules, yes, but you lose all features of the prestige class if your familiar is ever beyond arm's reach. Also, RP-wise, your familiar would need to be within arm's reach for the entiretime that you are training in the prestige class. All this makes it really, really easy to cripple yourself through something as simple as sending your familair on a scouting run or have the DM (or an intelligent enemy) cripple you by targeting your familiar. I hadn't thought about that plus the party's companions and familiars have a distressing mortality rate
trapspringer 12-06-04, 05:37 PM	There are advantages, too. If you have a low will save and happen to be the party slaughter-bot, when you get mezzed your familiar just floats to 10-ft away and you lose all those dangerous special abilites. Even if your aren't the human chainsaw, we all roll ones sometimes, and a captivated wizard is far more dangerous at higher levels.
Unmitigated Lie 12-06-04, 05:42 PM	I am fairly certain that the alertness feat granted by your familiar does not qualify you for a PrC, because it is not really a permanent bonus. Simularly, the ioun stone would not qualify you for the PrC eigther. This is the same reasoning used when you do not add boosted intelligence to new skills when you level up.