once you start a PrC, can you lose its requirements and still continue the PrC?

[Amazing Triangle]

Well, your FAQ quote says that if you no longer meet the requirements of a PrC, you lose class features.

The fact that the ability is gained at level 10 is beside the point - the Dragon Apotheosis class feature makes the Dragon Disciple a half-dragon. He no longer meets the "cannot be a half-dragon" requirement of the PrC, so he loses the Dragon Apotheosis class feature, which means he is no longer a half-dragon, which means he regains his class features.

Which makes him a half-dragon, which...

-Hyp.

Emphasis mine

Dragon Apotheosis
At 10th level, a dragon disciple takes on the half-dragon template. His breath weapon reaches full strength (as noted above), and he gains +4 to Strength and +2 to Charisma. His natural armor bonus increases to +4, and he acquires low-light vision, 60-foot darkvision, immunity to sleep and paralysis effects, and immunity to the energy type used by his breath weapon.

It does not say you become a half dragon it says you take on the half dragon template which, since "become/are" is different than "takes on", this loop is non-existent. He in no way becomes a half dragon just takes on their traits.

 

[Hypersmurf]

It does not say you become a half dragon it says you take on the half dragon template which, since "become/are" is different than "takes on", this loop is non-existent. He in no way becomes a half dragon just takes on their traits.

The requirement is "Race: Any nondragon".

What happens when you "take on the half-dragon template"?

"The creature’s type changes to dragon."

You are no longer a humanoid; you are now a dragon. You are, thus, no longer "any nondragon".

-Hyp.

 

[Storme]

So, wait... an assassin who has a change of heart and repents his evil ways can't keep using the abilities he learned as an assassin for good causes instead? Atoning for his misdeeds means he forgets how to cast feather fall? Really?

Well, yes and no.

No, that's not what I said.

And yes, he would be unable to progress further in a class who's primary focus is murder for profit. Only a morally bankrupt individal would consider murder for profit as a good deed...murder for profit "for the cause of good." Hehehe.

Whether he can continue to use the existing class features are up to the DM. As you saw in my post, I think he should retain his features but no longer progress for the most part. Campaign needs are the determining factor.

What you're talking about is, YES, a paladin who becomes lawful neutral can no longer cast spells from that class, nor any other class feature beyond his proficiency, attack bonus' and saves. Sorry...but there it is.

 

[Amazing Triangle]

The requirement is "Race: Any nondragon".
What happens when you "take on the half-dragon template"?
"The creature’s type changes to dragon."
You are no longer a humanoid; you are now a dragon. You are, thus, no longer "any nondragon".
-Hyp.

Any nondragon (cannot already be a half-dragon).

This one took me a few more minutes than I thought it would but

If a template changes the base creature’s type, the creature also acquires the augmented subtype unless the template description indicates otherwise. The augmented subtype is always paired with the creature’s original type. Unless a template indicates otherwise, the new creature has the traits of the new type but the features of the original type.

According to this you would be come Dragon (Augmented Humanoid [x]) (examples in RotD in the back confirm the label). I think because you are an Augmented Humanoid you are actually a "non-dragon".

In Races of the Dragon it says Monster Manual: True dragons, behir, dragon turtle, kobold,
pseudodragon, ravid, wyvern are dragon type and puts half-dragon in a separate category.

 

[Hypersmurf]

According to this you would be come Dragon (Augmented Humanoid [x]). I think because you are an Augmented Humanoid you are actually a "non-dragon".

If you're a Dragon (Augmented Humanoid) and you get hit with a Dragonbane sword, you take the extra damage - your type is Dragon. If you get targeted with a Hold Person spell, you are unaffected - your type is not Humanoid.

If your type is Dragon, you are a dragon, not a humanoid. Augmented Humanoid is your subtype, not your type.

In Races of the Dragon it says Monster Manual: True dragons, behir, dragon turtle, kobold, pseudodragon, ravid, wyvern are dragon type and puts half-dragon in a separate category.

Doesn't it list Half-Dragon as one of the dragonkind races found in Races of the Dragon and in Draconomicon?

I don't have the book in front of me, but doesn't the sidebar say:

Just as City of the Spider Queen expanded and enumerated the various spiderkind races, Races of the Dragon defines several existing races as dragonkind and adds some new ones. (Some of the stranger creatures, such as the ravid and the spellweaver, work very well as spawn of Tiamat - mortal enemies of the dragonborn who serve Bahamut.) The dragonkind races detailed in various D&D books (some of them appearing in more than one source) are as follow.

Races of the Dragon: Dragonborn, spellscale, kobold, draconic creatures, half dragons

Draconomicon : Dragonkin, dragonnel, elemental drakes, faerie dragon, fand dragon, spiked felldrake, landwyrms, planar dragons, shadow dragon, storm drake, draconic creatures, half dragon

Fiend Folio : Sea drake, sunwyrm

Monster Manual : True dragons, behir, dragon turtle, kobold, pseudodragon, ravid, wyvern

Monster Manual II : Gem dragons, felldrakes, frost salamander, hellfire wyrm, linnorms, spellweaver

Monster Manual III : Ambush drake, dracotaur, dragon eel, rage drake, ssvaklor

-Hyp.

 

[jaelis]

I suppose you could argue that the half-dragon template is not really a "class feature or other special ability", but rather a permanent racial change. Then you wouldn't lose it when you stopped qualifying for the PrC. You'd lose all the other abilities, but it doesn't matter because you get them from the template anyway. According to the FAQ, you'd keep your skill points, hit points, save bonuses and BAB, which is all you would need.

Hmm, you'd lose the bonus spells though.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I suppose you could argue that the half-dragon template is not really a "class feature or other special ability", but rather a permanent racial change.

If a 10th level Dragon Disciple loses a level, does he retain the template?

If a 10th level Dragon Disciple loses ten levels, does he retain the template?

-Hyp.

 

[jaelis]

If a 10th level Dragon Disciple loses a level, does he retain the template?

If a 10th level Dragon Disciple loses ten levels, does he retain the template?

-Hyp.

I don't know. If a level 10 green star adept lost a level, would he no longer be a construct? (Would you have to remember his old Con score, or would you roll a new one? If he were 10,000 years old, would he instantly die of old age?)

If I made up a PrC in which a level 5 special caused your ears to fall off, would they reappear if you were drained down to level 4?

I really have no idea.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't know. If a level 10 green star adept lost a level, would he no longer be a construct? (Would you have to remember his old Con score, or would you roll a new one? If he were 10,000 years old, would he instantly die of old age?)

He's not subject to energy drain, but let's say he dies and is Raised. He is no longer a 10th level Green Star Adept, and no longer has the Emerald Perfection class feature.

If he dropped from 7th to 6th, he'd need to eat, breathe, and sleep, and would be subject to poison and fatigue, right? He's lost the Null Metabolism class feature. Is it any different to a 4th level Shadowdancer who gets drained and loses the ability to Shadow Jump?

And is losing Null Metabolism any different to losing Emerald Perfection?

If I made up a PrC in which a level 5 special caused your ears to fall off, would they reappear if you were drained down to level 4?

This is probably closest to the wizard question - a wizard gains, say, 5th level. As a part of the Spellbook class feature, she gains two free spells added to her book - in this case, Fireball and Haste. She then meets a wight, and gets energy drained, and ends up being level 4 again. Are Fireball and Haste still scribed in her spellbook?

-Hyp.

 

[jaelis]

Guess you must be right. Level loss says specifically that you lose all "special class abilities" which would presumably be everything listed under the "special" heading of the class table. So yeah, it's not a good solution for DD. Doesn't work for the bonus spells anyway.

(I've seen the spellbook question before. I figure the spells don't disappear, but they would be like spells in another wizard's book... you'd have to make a spellcraft check and recopy them before being able to use them.)