Aquiring Feats

[Mista Collins]

I was looking at my Player's Handbook and I noticed that for skill points you have to spend them when you get them. This brought me to wonder if the same goes for feats. No where in the PHB does it stat you can't wait until a different level to choose a feat. For example, say I want to get the whirlwind feat ASAP. If I can't "bank" feats for a later use the soonest I can get it is 6th level as a fighter. If I can "bank" a feat, I could end up getting it at 4th level. The break-down would look like this.

1st lvl - Dodge, Mobility (Fighter Bonus)
2nd lvl - Expertise (Fighter Bonus)
3rd lvl - bank this feat to spend at 4th lvl
4th lvl - Spring Attack (banked feat), Whirlwind Attack (Fighter Bonus)

Is this possible?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

No. By the rules (3.0) you must spend a feat when you get it. Some DMs allow you to save them, though.

 

[Mista Collins]

No. By the rules (3.0) you must spend a feat when you get it.

That is what I thought, but where in the rules does it stat you have to spend it when you get it?

 

[Arc]

Well, it seems to make sense. A feat earned at lower levels is less valuable than a feat gained at higher levels, because of the BAB or skill requirements of many feats. By delaying feat acquisition, you're increasing the value of that feat, and unbalancing your character. The argument could be made that you're temporarily at a disadvantage for the levels you delay... but I've never been a fan of 'it's weak at this point, so it can be strong later' justifications.

 

[the Jester]

That is what I thought, but where in the rules does it stat you have to spend it when you get it?

Where it talks about gaining levels, it lists what you do. Nowhere does it say "...or wait til next level and choose your feat then" or anything similar.

 

[Winternight]

Where it talks about gaining levels, it lists what you do. Nowhere does it say "...or wait til next level and choose your feat then" or anything similar.

It's an option to take the feat, if you do not you can't take it some levels later.

 

[James McMurray]

I believe I remember a passage somewhere in 3.0 that discussed saving feats. The example given was gaining the Iron Will feat as you were abou to fail a saving throw.

I personally don't see it as too unbalancing, unless you are generating a higher level character. If you're starting from level 1 and decide to go three levels without a feat, then you've given something up in order to gain something. If you're starting at level 10, and want to say you went three levels without a feat, then it isn't actually a penalty and is therefore (slightly) unbalanced.