Familiars of former spellcasters...


Rules Questions


So, we know what happens when a spellcaster loses their familiar.

What happens if a familiar survives the death of their spellcaster?

Presumably, they would lose the special abilities linked to spellcaster level (spell resistance, speak with master, etc) but do they retain any of the other features?

Witch familiars lose their accumulated spells in 24 hours, but the book(s) are silent on the other classes familiars and features.

Does a raven familiar retain the ability to speak one language? Does any familiar retain the classification as a magical beast?

Does a former familiar of a powerful spellcaster retain any sort of magical aura? Any knowledge of its previous master?

Would a former familiar of a powerful spellcaster be more or less likely to become a familiar to a new, up and coming spellcaster?


I don't recall are any rules covering this, nor do I think there sould be any rurels about it imho. This is more a question about the flavour of your campaign.

A familiar of a (not so) powerful spellcaster could go search for a new master in order to take revenge on the killers of his former master.

It is up to you to rule if any of it's abilities would remain. Although I like the idea of familiars keeping something special after their master has died, keep in mind any balance issues if another spellcaster would take that familiar as his own.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I've always ruled that in most cases, familliars die soon after their master do. Or become one off oddball magical creatures if I use them in a story plot.

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