Alter self, racial bonus feats & elves

[shilsen]

According to the alter self spell, one gains the racial bonus feats of the chosen form. Elves get martial weapon proficiency in longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow as bonus feats. So does this mean that, for example, a dwarf wizard casting alter self would be proficient with those weapons for the duration of the spell? I would house rule that possibility away in my campaign, but I just want to know whether it is actually possible under the RAW, which is what it looks like to me. Am I missing something?

 

[Hypersmurf]

According to the alter self spell, one gains the racial bonus feats of the chosen form. Elves get martial weapon proficiency in longsword, rapier, longbow and shortbow as bonus feats. So does this mean that, for example, a dwarf wizard casting alter self would be proficient with those weapons for the duration of the spell? I would house rule that possibility away in my campaign, but I just want to know whether it is actually possible under the RAW, which is what it looks like to me. Am I missing something?

Skip's Rules of the Game articles on Polymorphing don't seem to address racial proficiencies with Alter Self directly, but according to part 3, you do gain Type proficiencies via Polymorph; for example if you polymorph into an ogre, you gain proficiency with all simple and martial weapons, per the Giant type.

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Nope, that's exactly how it works. You can change into a Kobold and gain a +2 in Profession (Miner), too.

 

[shilsen]

Thanks for the quick replies.