I don't know how much more straightforward I can make this.
Can a caster that knows the fly spell take the feat Flyby Attack?
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3 Answers
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Unless a feat's prerequisites say otherwise, the feat's prerequisites must be met—not met occasionally but not right now but actually met—to take a feat, even in the case of feats with the type monster. The raw ability to cast the spell fly does not itself grant a fly speed, so just being able to cast the spell fly doesn't meet the prerequisite for the feat Flyby Attack.
Carefully timing level advancement (as described in answers to this question and this question) so that the spell fly is active when the character gains a level that entitles the character to a feat—so that the character has an actual fly speed when he advances—allows the character to meet the Flyby Attack feat's prerequisite and take the feat, but such careful timing is difficult and the practice is unusual and the idea should be cleared with the GM before marrying it.
However, game balance is not likely to be disrupted were the GM to allow a creature that can only fly under special circumstance to take anyway the feat Flyby Attack. It's an okay feat, but unlikely to be horribly overpowered in the hands of a caster that can already cast the spell fly.
answered Jul 1, 2017 at 20:35
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\$\begingroup\$ So it's one of those "Up to the DM" kinda situations.....meh. \$\endgroup\$– MasakanCommented Jul 1, 2017 at 21:41
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3\$\begingroup\$ @Masakan Sort of? I mean, technically, the answer is No, but, in truth, you can do whatever the GM lets you do, so you should explain to the GM what you want the character to do and the GM should look at the character's sheet, and then the GM should decide if that technical No should stand. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1, 2017 at 22:34
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\$\begingroup\$ Yeah, officially you can't take it because its a monster feat. Your GM has the option of allowing it anyway. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 3, 2017 at 13:15
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1\$\begingroup\$ @Ifusaso I don't see anything that says monster feats are normally unavailable—requiring special permission to be taken by PCs—, only that most PCs can't meet monster feats' prerequisites. Was such a limitation added later? \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 6, 2017 at 11:29
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\$\begingroup\$ I guess you're right... I thought I read it somewhere but don't know where \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 6, 2017 at 14:04
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In pathfinder, with regard to monster feats, it appears, if your character has a class or other source that qualifies (such as the power to fly) for the feat, unless the GM specifically makes a house rule against it, you can take it. The Eagle Shaman Druid can take it for instance.
As a GM, I personally would require you to have experience with the fly spell first, and attacking while flying, but that's my own personal house rule, and not RAW.
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This may be an overly pedantic reading of the fly spell, but it does not explicitly grant the target a fly speed, which is the prerequisite of Flyby Attack.
As such, I would rule that no you cannot, unless you have some other means of generating a fly speed for yourself.
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3\$\begingroup\$ I cannot agree with this when the spell description says: "can fly at a speed of 60 feet". \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jul 1, 2017 at 12:41