Feat Question

[Datt]

I don't have my books with me today so I was hoping someone could look something up for me. Please post what book and what page it says that a Feat must be taken on the level it is attained. Bascially where does it say that you have to take your level 3 feat at level 3. Why can't you hold off on it until level 4? I know it can be house ruled that you can, but I would like to know where it says that you MUST take it on the level that it is attained.
Thanks,

 

[Arcturus_Rugend]

The PHB says you get a feat at X character level. It doesn't say you get the feat at a later level when you can do something more interesting with it. Basically, you get the feat at X character level, meaning as soon as you are a level X character. To do otherwise would be to ignore the level progression.

 

[mystraschosen]

The PHB says you get a feat at X character level. It doesn't say you get the feat at a later level when you can do something more interesting with it. Basically, you get the feat at X character level, meaning as soon as you are a level X character. To do otherwise would be to ignore the level progression.

Sorry ,but he pretty much nailed it on the head.

 

[Crothian]

PHB 146. As it says nothing about holding a feat till another level you cannot do it.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Am I missing something? Why would a character want to gain a level and not take the feat right away? So they can qualify for a different feat that they really want by getting an ability score increase or something?

 

[Desdinova]

Nowhere in the PHB or DMG does it state this explicitly.

However, there is an entry on this topic in the FAQ, which basically states that you must spend them as soon as you get them.
It does note, however, that there is no need for the DM to be absolute on this, but that any further advancement should be withheld until the benefits from any previous levels are spent.

So there is your answer, it appears in the FAQ... page 63 to be precise (at least for now).

 

[Datt]

Again, as I don't have my book with me so I am going off of memory. It simply states that you get the feat at X level. But where does it say you have to use it when you get it.

Merak a reason would be for a rogue to hold his first level feat until second level so he could get Weapon Finese.

 

[Murrdox]

Another good example is Improved Critical, which requires a BAB of +8... hang on to your lvl 6 feat then you don't have to wait until lvl 9 to get it.

 

[Arcturus_Rugend]

Again, as I don't have my book with me so I am going off of memory. It simply states that you get the feat at X level. But where does it say you have to use it when you get it.

Don't think of the feat as something you "use," rather think of it as a part of the level progression. If you had a fighter character, you wouldn't say "Do I have to take my BAB increase right now, or can I do it later?" The only reason it seems different with feats is because you can derive some benefit from waiting until later to get one. In a hypothetical situation where you could derive a benefit from delaying your BAB increase, just because you could benefit from it doesn't mean you could do it. The progression is set up that way for a reasonand characters must follow it as they reach each new level.

 

[Emerald]

Which do you get first, the ability increase or the feat, or are they simultaneous (sp?)? In otherwords, if you are a fighter and you get both an ablility increase and a bonus feat at 8th level, your dex is 12, and you want a feat that requires a dex of 13, can you when you level to 8th, increase you dex to 13 and take the feat or do you have to raise you dex this level and take the feat next?