Custom Ability and Feat Assignment

[Kendall-DM]

I'm in a bit of a pickle, and I can't seem to find any help in a thorough search of the board. It feels like it is something I should be able to do, but can't figure it out as much as I try.

I have a Rogue class that I re-vamped where it gets +1d6 Sneak Attack every odd level, and a Special Ability (which includes all the standards, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, etc.) at every even level. So, using the Special Ability given to a Rogue at 10th level, I was able to make this work. I can get all choices (with prerequisites of course) to choose correctly, except for one. One of the Special Ability options I decided to add was a choice of Rogue-type feats. So, I selected several feats available as a bonus feat to Rogues, and now I want to all a Bonus Feat as a Special Ability selection, where that bonus feat is a selection from the Rogue bonus feats. And this is wear I'm stuck. I can get the list to show up by using the Custom Expression "BonusFor.Rogue" from All Things, but it lists each feat independent of whether it already exists on the character, has already been chosen previously, or does and does not meet the prerequisites to take the feat. Then there is the problem of assigning the feat once it is chosen.

As it stands, I am able to see the list of feats as a choice, and I can select a feat. But I'm not sure how to assign the feat to the character once it is chosen. That is one problem.

A second problem is, what do I need to add to this Custom Expression to ensure that a feat on the list is a valid choice. I've tried a few approaches without success ("& thing.valid", "& thing.prereqok", etc.), but these are obviously not answers. I've looked to see if the feats have a validity field, or a tag associated with that, but couldn't find any (problem is, I can only see the fields and tags associated with what is on the hero, not before it arrives on the hero).

And the third quandary, how does one go about excluding feats for the list that are already chosen (either through this ability, or from normal feat selection). Again, I've tried several approaches, including adding "& !HasFeat.f?", which did not work at all.

Spent several hours on this before I gave up, and I tried alot more things than are listed here, but it's all a jumble now. Can a brother get some help here? Or am I just flailing away at an unsolvable dilemma?

[bodrin]

Have you looked at weapon focus and how it selects the weapon.

You can also try assigning a special tag to your Rogue feats similar to the General, Divine, Combat etc. this would allow your special to select from the appropriate feats!

Just a suggestion! Hope it helps.

[Kendall-DM]

The selection process works fine. I can access all the feats I want to. Weapon Focus is not help, since it selects from things on the hero & proficient (and thus, setting up correct validity tests). So, all the feats appear in the list and no others that I don't want included in the list. However, I would like only those feats whose prerequisites have been met AND feats that have not been selected already to appear in the list. As of now, all those Rogue feats appear in the list, regardless of whether the prerequisites are met, or if they've already been selected. I'll look at Weapon Focus, but I'm not sure that will be much help, unfortunately.

[Mathias]

All classes have a bonus feat table - why not set up the BonusFor.Rogue as the normal list of feats allowed for your variant class, then have the bonus feat ability add 1 to the number of bonus feats the class is allowed to take.

[Mathias]

Prereqs are only calculated for those things that are currently shown in the list of things you're selecting from, while you're selecting them (and only in those locations where it's showing you the description text and the red reports of what prereqs aren't satisfied - not for a drop-down menu). (and they're calculated for all the things that are added to the character).

[Kendall-DM]

Originally Posted by Mathias

All classes have a bonus feat table - why not set up the BonusFor.Rogue as the normal list of feats allowed for your variant class, then have the bonus feat ability add 1 to the number of bonus feats the class is allowed to take.

The problem is, I want to add it as an option to add a feat, not as an actual bonus feat. So, when you get a special ability selection, you can take one of many special abilities listed OR a bonus feat. So the table doesn't help here unfortunately.

[Kendall-DM]

Originally Posted by Mathias

Prereqs are only calculated for those things that are currently shown in the list of things you're selecting from, while you're selecting them (and only in those locations where it's showing you the description text and the red reports of what prereqs aren't satisfied - not for a drop-down menu). (and they're calculated for all the things that are added to the character).

This pretty much tells me what I need to know. I can't check validity in a drop down menu. No problem, I had a workaround and I was trying to make cleaner code. As it stands, I've just included a Special Ability called "Bonus Feat: <feat>" that if selected bootstraps the feat to the hero. I've got a condition that checks if the feat was already chosen. I just have to duplicate the Expr-Req from the actual feats to the Special Ability. Just not as clean as I wanted it, but it works. Thanks for the reply Mathias!

[Mathias]

Originally Posted by Kendall-DM

The problem is, I want to add it as an option to add a feat, not as an actual bonus feat. So, when you get a special ability selection, you can take one of many special abilities listed OR a bonus feat. So the table doesn't help here unfortunately.

One of the abilities you can take is "Bonus Feat" - when you select that, it adds 1 to the bonus feats table, so you can select the feat.

[Kendall-DM]

Originally Posted by Mathias

One of the abilities you can take is "Bonus Feat" - when you select that, it adds 1 to the bonus feats table, so you can select the feat.

Ah, I did not understand that the first time. Gotcha. Now that would work! Thanks Mathias, I'll give it a shot and let you know if it worked.

[Kendall-DM]

Thanks Mathias!! Works exactly like I want now. I never thought of going the bonus feat route this way, gives me all the requirements I want. Awesome!