I'm planning my Bloodrager to have a familiar gained from a 2 level dip into Eldritch Guardian(therefore sharing all [Combat] feats with it) and want to know what you guys think would be the best, most effective way to optimize the combat ability of a Pooka, to make her as deadly as possible. I plan on Dodge + Mobility, because I intend to go into Shadowdancer with my character, but aside from this, my options are very open to suggestions. Ideally I would like to use an Earthbreaker, but if there is another build option that is simply overwhelmingly good for both character and familiar, I'm willing to change it up. For reference,he is a mage hunter, specializing in killing spellcasters.
He hasn't been built yet, I'm still collating info before I make the character. Race is Tiefling with the ability to use weapons as if he was Large. I'm not sure if the shared Rage feats apply to Bloodragers, since the Bloodrage is not Rage for purposes of feats as far as I know.
My DM is willing to let me switch Weapon Finesse with one feat that she qualifies for, if that helps. I was thinking possibly EWP or something for a good weapon for her to use alongside mmy character?
Do you have to go with eldritch heritage? Blood ragers can switch out their first bloodline power for a familiar (with a little quirk depending on your bloodline).
Anyway, can improved familiars take the mauler archetype? I was always unclear, since they can't speak with creatures of their kind, but the mauler talks about how the familiar can't speak (which is not really much of a concern with most base familiars when it comes to that wording).
If you can grab an earth elemental and go mauler, then you cna make something downright beefy. 16 base strength before the battle form stuff (I am a bit iffy on the details, but if it gets bonus str from size change, then it has more str than you do while raging). 7 base natural armor (6 really due to 8 dex) before the scaling bonus as a familiar. You can put armor on it (remember- there is no problem if the armor check penalty is 0, which includes most light masterwork armor, and some mithral medium armor).
And depending on how far you can go, it might even be able to use weapons. Elementals gain simple weapon proficiency if they are in a human like form. If your GM lets you do that, then grab a club, mace, or spear and go to town.
No Eldritch Heritage, I'm gaining a familiar and shared Combat feats via Eldritch Guardian(Fighter archetype). I'm fairly set on the Pooka because of their overall abilities. As far as I know, Mauler only applies towards "regular" familiars, and can't be applied to Improved Familiars like the Pooka. Atleast, that's how our DM is interpreting it.
No Eldritch Heritage, I'm gaining a familiar and shared Combat feats via Eldritch Guardian(Fighter archetype). I'm fairly set on the Pooka because of their overall abilities. As far as I know, Mauler only applies towards "regular" familiars, and can't be applied to Improved Familiars like the Pooka. Atleast, that's how our DM is interpreting it.
Whoops, sorry about that, saw 'eldritch' in a familiar thread, and my mind wrote in the rest.
Hmm... first time seeing this archetype, but it still leads to questions. Does having armor proficiency count as having the feat for that? Could this pooka be decked out in bunnyman fullplate?
Anyway, the phrase that makes me question whether the mauler can be used with improved familiars or not comes form this:
A mauler isn't impressed by fancy words—only furious battle. A mauler can't speak, even if it's a type of creature that normally could.
While ravens can speak, it is due to a bonus as familiars, rather than being creature that 'normally could'. So this looks like an issue that only comes up with improved familiars usually (since they count as the vast majority of naturally talking familiars)
I might be missing some key line from the book though, since I am only relying on the online stuff. Who knows. If you can argue for this, then this could be even better for your Pooka, since you can bring it up to medium size (+8 for growth from tiny, +2 for battle form). Give it a nice simple weapon and let him smash some heads.
it's only a +4 str from tiny to medium for the battle transformation (with another +2 from the ability still.), you use the polymorph rules for changing size. And pooka can't have the Mauler archetype because improved familiars don't have speak with others of their kind to trade for it.
it's only a +4 str from tiny to medium for the battle transformation (with another +2 from the ability still.), you use the polymorph rules for changing size. And pooka can't have the Mauler archetype because improved familiars don't have speak with others of their kind to trade for it.
I feel like I have already explained my rational for improved familiars.
But it is likely for the best. This archetype would fit well with a highly optimized fighter I have been working on...and then it would make my familiar completely overshadow my fighter. Even the fact that it only has 1/2 my health is not as big a deal since this thing has DR.
Also, I am glad that someone finally pointed me to the appropriate table for this size change business. I have been confused by that ever since I first read the mauler. I had thought it was the monster advancement table, but this makes more sense.
And I formally retract my advice to get an earth elemental (if you could get mauler). Pooka get similar strength (16 vs. 18), but they get DR and a ton of SLAs and flight.
If you're looking to go Mauler and share combat feats it kind of depends on what your character's focus is. With Bloodrager I'd assume strength and DPR, but if you're going to go Shadowdancer you might be thinking more stealth/Dex. Anyway here's my 2cp:
If Str/DPR, go goat: starting Str is 12 and size Small. Since it only gains +2 Str and a bigger damage die for its Gore attack when it achieves Battle Form this will give it a handy 14 Str and no Dex penalty. Tack on some sympathetic rage and a Power Attack and you're off to the races.
If Dex/Stealth, go owl: this bad boy has a 17 Dex and a +4 racial mod to stealth. This means even in battleform it still has a 15 Dex and that racial mod for a base bonus flying in the door of +6. Alongside that in battle form it's got 2 talons and a strength of 13, so it's got 2 talon attacks of 1d8+1 each before combat feats. Throw in maybe a piranha strike or something and suddenly this is a decent combat buddy.
Hope that helps.
He'll be a strength/dpr build, but I'm going to be using the Thunder and Fang feat line and two weapon fighting with him. I was thinking of maybe switching the Weapon Finesse feat out for some sort of double weapon for the Pooka and giving her gauntlets/belt of +Str so she is hitting harder when raging alongside my character. They're basically going to be stealthy brutes, mixing the roles of the traditional barbarian-ish attacker with the stealth and utility of an assassin type character(may eventually dip a level or two in the Assassin PrC if I think it's worth it.)
I haven't been able to decide on a weapon for the Pooka, but I think maximizing on her stealth and the shared twf feats would be a good idea.
I hear what you're saying, but you might consider just leaving her as a finesse type. She'll already pickup your 2weapon feats through EG archetype, so she can finesse 2 weapons (scimitar and kukuri) and threaten a lot of crits.
The fact is that, even enlarged she's never going to deal lots of damage. Since you're taking a str-based DPR build she's not going to get a lot of ranged feats, maybe none at all. That means she's going to be in melee next to you or hanging nearby throwing out weak poison dust clouds and absorbing a couple hits via mirror image.
If you want your pooka then to take advantage of the 2weapon feats you'll need to ensure she can hit. Wielding a double weapon in melee or attacking with 2 separate ones is still going to be 2 attacks at -2 penalty, so you want her to hit cranked as high as it can go. If you take Weapon Finesse she's attacking with Str modifier (Str 10, so no mod) whereas if you levave that feat your pooka is walking in the door with your BAB +3 from Dex before feats/items/buffs modify that.
Since she's size Tiny and fighting in melee she's never going to deal a lot of damgage. Better to capitalize on her to hit and see if you can grind out some crits than trying to bump up her damage output.