Improved Familiar - Positive Energy Elemental?

[Lune]

Improved Familiar says that you can get an Elemental as a Familiar. It doesn't really go into it. All it says is "Elemental, Small (any type)". Could you gain a Small Positive Energy Elemental?

Also, can a Positive Energy Elemental purposefully cause a target to benefit from their slam attack without actually attacking them? In other words can they purposefully just touch something and heal them without damaging them?

One other thing... what the hell is up with that language?!

[darkwarriorkarg]

That's from a 3rd party, I think. A true healbot! Ask your gm.

[Lune]

Ah. So you are correct. What about a lightning elemental?

[darkwarriorkarg]

Well, what are you looking for? Best imp familiar I know is the faerie dragon, as it has sorcere levels andcan use wizards/sorc wands without UMD.

For 3rd party, I'm partiAl to gravity elementals. Small black hole that follows you around...

[Lune]

Well, I should make a separate post about this. I had a thought invade my brain about a Aasimar (Peri-Blooded) Arcanist getting Improved Familiar and Celestial Servant. So I was thinking about what kind of familiars would be cool to add the Celestial template to.

I'm thinking that the Positive Energy Elemental is so powerful as a familiar that most DMs would likely smite it with a banhammer even if it wasn't 3rd party. I could fluff a fire, air or maybe a lightning elemental as being a positive energy glow that seems to follow my character about. This would be more of an extension of the character than an actual separate being. Or I could just go with an entirely different familiar and just get those feats for it.

Meh, I dunno... just thinkin.

[Darkbridger]

While that elemental would probably not be acceptable familar material as-is, I don't think that's reason to throw out the concept. If you are working on the character with a DM, tell him what you're trying to do and see if you can find a compromise and create a positive energy elemental that would work.

But even then, applying the celestial template wound not make any sense. As a DM, I don't think I'd allow changing a elemental to a magical beast.

[Bob Bob Bob]

Honestly, pretty much anything with the name "X elemental" that also has size Small as one of the options is probably what it means. So no Time Elemental (because it's Common, Noble, and Royal) but all the others are probably fine. The only Paizo ones are Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Lightning, Ice, Mud, and Magma, 3PP ones are a bit outside the balancing. All the Paizo ones are CR 1, the highest the others get is CR 2, it's probably not unbalanced. And no, the positive elemental can't do a touch attack. It can only whack people and hope the 1d4 healing beats the 1d4 damage. So... not that useful.

[deuxhero]

It could alternate lethal and non-lethal

[Lune]

Ooo, yeah. Striking for non-lethal at -4 penalty. ;) I like it.

[Dafydd]

If you are looking for a heal bot familiar there are 2 very good options in the main rules.

Silvesheen Agothian: It has a Lay on Hands ability equal to a paladin of your level. Since familiars use your "wizard" level for their HD for abilities that are effected by HD, you basically Lay on Hands like a paladin of your level.

Homunculus: In the alchemical handbook, there are variant Homunculi. One ability is giving it a SLA. Give it Cure Light Wounds SLA, it can use CLW wands with no UMD check. You can do it with Infernal Healing, CMW and CSW too.