How many animals can I have at any given time? - Phantoms


Pathfinder Society

Silver Crusade 4/5

9 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but the FAQ text may need to be updated to include Phantoms as a combat animal in addition to eidolons.

Grand Lodge 2/5

Is this a real question or are you just trying to point out that the FAQ doesn't preclude you from having a Phantom plus the one they've already limited you to?

I don't think any GM worth his salt will let you use two non-PC combatants (disregarding limited boon/vanity/summoned combatants), even if one isn't mentioned in the limit-to-one FAQ.

Grand Lodge 4/5 **** Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I think the question is in the subject because that is the name of the entry in the FAQ.

Scarab Sages 5/5 5/5 *** Venture-Captain, Washington—Spokane

1 person marked this as a favorite.

You're probably right that the current FAQ should be at least amended. FAQing post for this reason.

Silver Crusade

The text of the spiritualist's phantom ability itself precludes stacking it with some pets, though it would still be good to update the FAQ to explicitly include phantoms.

"Phantom Ability Text wrote:

Phantoms are self-involved, even jealous, creatures that do not play well with other summoned companions.

A phantom refuses to manifest (either fully or as part of a bonded manifestation; see Bonded Manifestation) in the presence of an eidolon or shadow summoned by the phantom's master. Furthermore, if a phantom is manifested when such a creature is summoned, it immediately retreats into its spiritualist's consciousness, and will not manifest again until the eidolon or shadow is dismissed.

Silver Crusade 4/5

The intent of the FAQ is pretty clear. It doesn't mention corpses that were animated by the party necromancer, either, but it's pretty clear you're only allowed one permanent combat creature other than the PC, regardless of where it comes from. Summons from spells that go away shortly don't count towards that limit.

3/5

Actually, I would be for some clarification on this issue. I have seen the number of corpses that can be resurrected by a necromancer turn into some pretty heated arguments.

Silver Crusade

Indeed.

Given the arguments I've seen/participated in, clarity is never a bad thing.

Paizo Employee 4/5 Developer

3 people marked this as a favorite.

Treat the phantom as a "combat animal" for the purposes of this FAQ. That is to say that a PC can only have one animal companion, eidolon, or phantom active at a time.

Scarab Sages 5/5 5/5 *** Venture-Captain, Washington—Spokane

Thanks John!!

Silver Crusade 4/5

Cheers John.

Grand Lodge 5/5

On the note of that FAQ,

Pathfinder Society Frequently Asked Questions wrote:

How many animals can I have at any given time?

During the course of a scenario, you may have one combat animal and as many noncombat animals as you like. Noncombat animals (ponies, horses, pet dogs, and so on) cannot participate in combat at all. If you have so many noncombat animals that their presence is slowing a session down, the GM has the right to ask you to select one noncombat animal and leave the rest behind. A summoner's eidolon is considered an animal companion for the purposes of counting combat and noncombat animals. If you have more than one class-granted animal companion (or eidolon), you must choose which will be considered the combat animal at the start of the scenario. In general, a mount, a familiar or mundane pet, and your class-granted animal(s) are acceptable, but more than that can be disruptive.

Note that it lists familiars and class granted animal(s).

I have run it that you cannot have your Eidolon, AC, Mount, whatever AND your familiar contribute to combat in a scenario. Is that correct, or are combat based familiars intended to be an exception that rule?

Edit:
By participate in combat I don't mean grant the passive familiar bonus, but be a miniature on the field taking combat actions, such as attacking, aiding another, delivering touch spells and actively contributing to success or failure.

Grand Lodge 4/5

Quintin Verassi wrote:

On the note of that FAQ,

Pathfinder Society Frequently Asked Questions wrote:

How many animals can I have at any given time?

During the course of a scenario, you may have one combat animal and as many noncombat animals as you like. Noncombat animals (ponies, horses, pet dogs, and so on) cannot participate in combat at all. If you have so many noncombat animals that their presence is slowing a session down, the GM has the right to ask you to select one noncombat animal and leave the rest behind. A summoner's eidolon is considered an animal companion for the purposes of counting combat and noncombat animals. If you have more than one class-granted animal companion (or eidolon), you must choose which will be considered the combat animal at the start of the scenario. In general, a mount, a familiar or mundane pet, and your class-granted animal(s) are acceptable, but more than that can be disruptive.

Note that it lists familiars and class granted animal(s).

I have run it that you cannot have your Eidolon, AC, Mount, whatever AND your familiar contribute to combat in a scenario. Is that correct, or are combat based familiars intended to be an exception that rule?

Edit:
By participate in combat I don't mean grant the passive familiar bonus, but be a miniature on the field taking combat actions, such as attacking, aiding another, delivering touch spells and actively contributing to success or failure.

One combat animal. Other creatures do not participate in combat at all, meaning they don't appear on the map, take any actions or provide any game effects.

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