Using ability boosting magic items to qualify for feats?

[Li Shenron]

Is this allowed officially? If so, can someone help me locate a source for this? I've been pouring over my books and dragon magazine issues and searching what I can and have not found it.

I also seem to remember that something was said either in some FAQ or sage advice...

Normally I wouldn't allow it however, it's risky if you later lose the magic item and cannot use the feat anymore, and I don't like the idea of a character going to sleep with gloves, headband or cloak...

 

[Thanee]

I think the skill points issue with Int boosting items mostly has a clarifying nature, since it seemed to cause a lot of trouble how and when to apply that bonus to the skill points (not that I had any trouble with it, just in general).

Bye
Thanee

 

[glass]

what epic feat? I know it is late and I am tired, but what?

There are several feats in the ELH (3.0 I know, but I have seen nothing to make think things have changed) with ability prereqs well into the 20s.

For example, there is a feat with a Rage prereq that also requires Cha 25. I can't see a barbarian realistically having a Charisma of 25 without magical assistance, which strongly implies that inclusion of magic items was intended.


glass.

 

[robberbaron]

OK, this is where I sound a bit harsh:
I wouldn't allow it, unless I found a passage in the PHB/DMG that stated you could use items to give you pre-requisites for Feats. There may be one, but I haven't found it yet.

Do you also mean that if a character has a Hand of the Mage he can use it to fulfil one of the requirements to be an Arcane Trickster?

I'm not trying to take the mick here, just trying to understand how far you are willing to go with the premise.

 

[Len]

Do you also mean that if a character has a Hand of the Mage he can use it to fulfil one of the requirements to be an Arcane Trickster?

No, because using a magic item is not the same as casting a spell.

 

[Scion]

I think the skill points issue with Int boosting items mostly has a clarifying nature, since it seemed to cause a lot of trouble how and when to apply that bonus to the skill points (not that I had any trouble with it, just in general).

Bye
Thanee

Of course, making the item not grant it doesnt make this problem go away at all. All it does is make the item effectively worthless for any nonprimary casters and get rid of a source that people could look to for immediate help in the other cases.

Ahh well though ;/

There are several feats in the ELH (3.0 I know, but I have seen nothing to make think things have changed) with ability prereqs well into the 20s.

I know there are feats in the epic level handbook, but the reference I was confused about seemed to come out of no where Along with that, references from the elh arent helpful for a base game. People will argue with rules from other sources (even when they talk about it directly).

But like I had said, I was tired, I should've just said something like the above instead of assuming I was missing some other reference.

I wouldn't allow it, unless I found a passage in the PHB/DMG that stated you could use items to give you pre-requisites for Feats. There may be one, but I haven't found it yet.

SRD:
Some feats have prerequisites. Your character must have the indicated ability score, class feature, feat, skill, base attack bonus, or other quality designated in order to select or use that feat. A character can gain a feat at the same level at which he or she gains the prerequisite.
A character can’t use a feat if he or she has lost a prerequisite.


There you are, if you have the prereq then you can gain the feat. It doesnt say how long you must have it, under what conditions, if it has to be a permanant condition or not, or anything like that.

simply that if you have the prereq then you can gain it.

Unless there is something that says you 'cant' do it with items that directly give you an ability/attribute then it would seem that you can. No reason to assume otherwise.