Monsters and Feat Prerequisites

[the Jester]

If I'm a basic 9 HD monster with a BAB +9, can I take four feats with "Base Attack +9" as their prereqs?

Just checking- since, after all, if I'm making a 9th level human, I can't do that.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I'd say you'd have to choose the feats organically, just as if the monster were "levelling up." i.e. when it chooses it's first feat, it's only considered to have 1HD, 3HD when it gets its second, 6, then 9 for its last. So it could choose a +9 BAB prereq feat for its last feat, but not its first three.

But I can't recall reading anything on the subject, so this may not be correct.

 

[Pickaxe]

I'd say you'd have to choose the feats organically, just as if the monster were "levelling up." i.e. when it chooses it's first feat, it's only considered to have 1HD, 3HD when it gets its second, 6, then 9 for its last. So it could choose a +9 BAB prereq feat for its last feat, but not its first three.

But I can't recall reading anything on the subject, so this may not be correct.

I agree with this interpretation. The section on creating monsters does say that monsters must meet the prerequisites for feats just as characters must. Also, consider that animal companions, as they advance and gain hit dice, gain feats according to the way monsters advance, and they will meet prerequisites in much the same way that characters would.

If you are creating monsters, you can also assign a feat that you consider a "must have" for the creature concept as a bonus feat.

--Axe

 

[Thanee]

Well, there are monsters that look like they did indeed choose the feats with their full BAB as a prerequisite. A Kyton's (8 HD) Improved Critical (+8 BAB Requirement), for example.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Silveras]

I'd say you'd have to choose the feats organically, just as if the monster were "levelling up." i.e. when it chooses it's first feat, it's only considered to have 1HD, 3HD when it gets its second, 6, then 9 for its last. So it could choose a +9 BAB prereq feat for its last feat, but not its first three.

But I can't recall reading anything on the subject, so this may not be correct.

Actually, the MM directs you to handle feats as you handle skills.

For skills, the MM does not take into account when the creature got its stat boosts. Monsters, unlike PCs, get "retroactive" skill points this way, if their Int increases. You just divide up the current total without agonizing over it.