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Your sorcerer spells and spell-like abilities count as psychic instead of arcane. You use thought and emotion components instead of verbal and somatic components when casting your spells.
This is possibly the one bloodline arcana that most fundamentally changes the base class. The first three points below are observations and the third is the rules question, but if I'm wrong on the observations I would like to be corrected as well.
1. You are no longer an arcane caster. You don't qualify for feats that arcane casters usually do, and you don't qualify for prestige classes that require you to be able to cast arcane spells either. Heck, if a prestige class says you need to be able to cast "arcane or divine spells", you still don't qualify because you cast neither. No arcane strike, and you can qualify for the Loremaster PRC, but not the Eldritch Knight PRC.
2. You no longer use somatic components, so you no longer need to worry about arcane spell failure. Go for that adamantine full plate if that's what you want (but make sure you shore up your will saves and concentration bonuses).
3. Since you cast psychic spells, you also gain access to psychic skill unlocks.
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4. This one is the big question for the thread. Is the sorcerer class itself still considered as an 'arcane spellcasting class' with this bloodline? Take for instance an alternate racial trait like this one:
Half-elves occasionally seek tutoring to help them master the magic in their blood. Half-elves with this racial trait have only one favored class and it must be an arcane spellcasting class. They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if 1 level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class). This racial trait replaces the multitalented racial trait.
Can a half-elven psychic-bloodline sorcerer pick sorcerer as his favoured class if he has this racial trait?
For that matter, if a cross-blooded arcane/psychic sorcerer takes familiar bond for his 1st level bloodline power, does he count as having a 'arcane spellcaster level" for the purpose of the improved familiar feat? (This is more than hypothetical btw, I am seriously considering taking this precise cross-bloodline combination.)
Basically, is 'arcane spellcaster class' defined independently of the bloodline arcana?
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Crossblooded Sorcerer with the Psychic Bloodline.
Now what happens!?
Cross-blooded sorcerer with ARCANE AND PSYCHIC bloodlines!
NOW what happens!!?
Btw if you are as mystified as me, do me a favour and hit the FAQ button?
4. This one is the big question for the thread. Is the sorcerer class itself still considered as an 'arcane spellcasting class' with this bloodline? Take for instance an alternate racial trait like this one:
Half-elves occasionally seek tutoring to help them master the magic in their blood. Half-elves with this racial trait have only one favored class and it must be an arcane spellcasting class. They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if 1 level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class). This racial trait replaces the multitalented racial trait.Can a half-elven psychic-bloodline sorcerer pick sorcerer as his favoured class if he has this racial trait?
For that matter, if a cross-blooded arcane/psychic sorcerer takes familiar bond for his 1st level bloodline power, does he count as having a 'arcane spellcaster level" for the purpose of the improved familiar feat? (This is more than hypothetical btw, I am seriously considering taking this precise cross-bloodline combination.)
Basically, is 'arcane spellcaster class' defined independently of the bloodline arcana?
The only way your FC racial is going to work is if you can choose a non-psychic sorcerer as your FC, yet only care about the "sorcerer" part when checking for FCB.
***Edit
There's no definition for "arcane spellcasting class" other than the common-sense "class that grants you the ability to cast arcane spells". So, Arcane Training must require you to choose a class that would grant you arcane casting if you were to take levels in it. A test that Sorcerer fails once you have the Psychic Bloodline Arcana.
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As for Improved Familiar, I remember reading one of the devs - not JJ - explaining that the "arcane caster level" should be read as "effective wizard level for purposes of the familiar"; that is, it's open to characters gaining familiars outside the arcane casting classes, and conversely closed to arcane casters progressing their casting with non-Familiar classes.
Crossblooded Sorcerer with the Psychic Bloodline.
Now what happens!?
Nothing, you're still a psychic caster. (sorry, wet blanket, get me coat etc.)
***Edit
There's no definition for "arcane spellcasting class" other than the common-sense "class that grants you the ability to cast arcane spells". So, Arcane Training must require you to choose a class that would grant you arcane casting if you were to take levels in it. A test that Sorcerer fails once you have the Psychic Bloodline Arcana.
***
But you do not need to select a bloodline when you take the racial trait.
So...if I take this racial trait as a first level fighter (legally) and cross-class to sorcerer at level 2 (legally)... Does my racial trait suddenly become illegal? Invalid? Do I activate spell trigger items as a level 1 arcane caster and level 1 psychic caster? Does the fabric of reality strain and implode from the sudden contradiction?
Actually, there's an even more important question that arises. Can a psychic bloodline caster use arcane scrolls? Do we get an anomaly where a psychic sorcerer cannot use arcane scrolls in regular rules but can use scrolls for the same spells in PFS because scrolls in PFS are untyped? O_O
I guess this might also mean that a psychic-bloodline sorcerer cannot use rings of spell knowledge either. And we have the anomaly that such a sorcerer still gains the benefit of the very specifically named robe of arcane heritage despite not being an arcane caster. XD
You are only an arcane spellcaster if you cast arcane spells
Later choices absolutely can invalidate earlier choices. That's not in doubt. If you wanted to do things simple, you would take Arcane Training (Wizard) and be done with it.
Setting Arcane Training aside for a while, you're obviously* restricted to Psychic (or untyped) scrolls.
*The scroll rules actually mention "arcane casters", but clearly as a clarification, not a definition.
also say that this is the reason the bloodline needs errata. Add a line like "You still count as an arcane caster for meeting prerequisites only. You can use items as if you were a sorcerer without this bloodline."
Otherwise, it should have the line "Sorcerer now becomes an occult class for you."
A clarification or statement along these lines would be helpful.
If the psychic sorcerer is no longer an arcane class, it looks like the he might lose out on some of the sorcerer-specific gear and options though. A clarification might be needed on whether or not he can use arcane scrolls and similar gear. Or a clarification that he is still intended to be treated as an arcane class for purposes other than spell-casting.
I'd say: As soon as you get this arcana, you completely become a psychic caster. You gain everything connected to psychic casting but lose everything connected to arcane. Given that there is less material for psychic casting so far, that's probably a drawback, but you might have something specific in mind.
I don't see any conflict due to cross-blooded archetype, since no (?) other arcana changes the type of casting. If there would be one, it would be probably up to the player to decide in favor of one type - or gain access to both worlds. Either way, it might rulewise become messy though, from my gut feeling...
The trait simply wouldn't work by RAW, in my opinion. Just the same way as you would have taken cleric the rest of your career... I'd give the player the option to exchange the trait or allow it to work for psychic casters also - but that's just me.
Anyway, I FAQd.
The trait simply wouldn't work by RAW, in my opinion. Just the same way as you would have taken cleric the rest of your career... I'd give the player the option to exchange the trait or allow it to work for psychic casters also - but that's just me.
Anyway, I FAQd.
But as Sean pointed out, it would be anomalous that a later legal decision could make an earlier legal decision illegal. It's a cool class option, but because it so extensively changes a fundamental aspect of the class it should have some clarification as to just how extensive the change is (and how to deal with the text for other items and options that were written on the assumption that the sorcerer is an always an arcane class).
THanks for the FAQ.
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No, it makes it illegal. Here is why:
1. The option requires you to select an arcane class.
2. Sorcerer is a 'legal' (OP could have chosen a better word) option if it is an arcane class. It is an 'illegal' option if it is an occult class - I don't think 'psychic class' is a game term.
3. By default, sorcerer is an arcane class, so if you take the racial trait (which you usually choose at character creation) at level 1 and choose sorcerer but don't have any character levels in the sorcerer class, it is perfectly fine and 'legal'.
4. But as soon as you take a single level in the sorcerer class and gain the psychic bloodline arcana, suddenly sorcerer becomes a psychic class. The It is not that the racial trait gives you no benefit. The choice you made for the racial trait changes from a rules-legal choice to a rules-illegal choice, because a fundamental assumption about sorcerers is changed. You are suddenly in the same position as if you had chosen 'psychic' or 'medium' for the racial trait at character creation, except that this only became true when you leveled up and took your first level in sorcerer.
It seems to me to be a rare case, but it might not be the only one, and it shows why the wording for this ability needs to be revisited. When a rule or option changes a fundamental part of a class, it should provide information for how to handle options and rules that are based on that assumption.
I think the cleanest way to handle it would be to add the following line:
"You still count as an arcane caster for racial traits and meeting prerequisites only. You can use items as if you were a sorcerer without this bloodline."
But if that is not the intention, then it should have the line "Sorcerer now becomes an occult class for you."
I will be GMing for the OP in an AP next year, and I already have an idea how I will rule it when I need to. But I believe he has a PFS character with this bloodline already, and I think there is a hole in the rules here that needs either a clarification or a fix.
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Similar issues would arise for a Blood Arcanist who selected the Psychic Bloodline.
This could be resolved in a similar manner to Dragon Disciple and Sorcerer levels. You are not required to have any Sorcerer levels to become a Dragon Disciple, but if you do take a Sorcerer level, you are required to select the Draconic bloodline.
So, if you are a half-elf, you can select the Arcane Training alternate racial trait and select Sorcerer as your favored class -- but when you gain your first level in the Sorcerer class, you are required to avoid the Psychic bloodline because that would contradict the requirements of your alternate racial trait.
Problem solved?
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That's how I would rule it. And I think it needs to actually be in the rules.
I suggest adding one of these lines depending intention of the developers:
"You still count as an arcane caster for the purpose of racial traits, feats, traits and class abilities (this includes meeting prerequisites). You can use items as if you were a sorcerer without this bloodline."
"The sorcerer class is now an occult class for you instead of an arcane class. If the sorcerer class is already an arcane class for the purpose of any racial trait, feat, trait or class ability you already possess, you cannot select this bloodline."
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The trait simply wouldn't work by RAW, in my opinion. Just the same way as you would have taken cleric the rest of your career... I'd give the player the option to exchange the trait or allow it to work for psychic casters also - but that's just me.
Anyway, I FAQd.
But as Sean pointed out, it would be anomalous that a later legal decision could make an earlier legal decision illegal. It's a cool class option, but because it so extensively changes a fundamental aspect of the class it should have some clarification as to just how extensive the change is (and how to deal with the text for other items and options that were written on the assumption that the sorcerer is an always an arcane class).
THanks for the FAQ.
Useless is different from illegal. You have chose sorcerer (arcane caster) as your favored class but you have taken Sorcerer (psychic) as a class. The racial ability is still valid, but don't applies to the Sorcerer (psychic) class.
I think that the Sorcerer (psychic) should have been a alternate class like the antipaladin, not a archetype, as it need a large quantity of rule clarifications.FAQed.
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The trait simply wouldn't work by RAW, in my opinion. Just the same way as you would have taken cleric the rest of your career... I'd give the player the option to exchange the trait or allow it to work for psychic casters also - but that's just me.
Anyway, I FAQd.
But as Sean pointed out, it would be anomalous that a later legal decision could make an earlier legal decision illegal. It's a cool class option, but because it so extensively changes a fundamental aspect of the class it should have some clarification as to just how extensive the change is (and how to deal with the text for other items and options that were written on the assumption that the sorcerer is an always an arcane class).
THanks for the FAQ.
Useless is different from illegal. You have chose sorcerer (arcane caster) as your favored class but you have taken Sorcerer (psychic) as a class. The racial ability is still valid, but don't applies to the Sorcerer (psychic) class.
I think that the Sorcerer (psychic) should have been a alternate class like the antipaladin, not a archetype, as it need a large quantity of rule clarifications.
FAQed.
The problem is that there isn't a sorcerer (arcane) class and a sorcerer (psychic) class. There is only one sorcerer class.
But in the end we agree that the bloodline is in need of rule clarifications.
It's really not the kind of issue that's worth cluttering up the FAQ system with.
Well, YOU don't want one, but I would like some clarification since I'm actually playing a sorcerer with this bloodline...
You could also rule that although "your sorcerer spells and spell-like abilities count as psychic instead of arcane", your sorcerer class is still an arcane class?
Actually, do psychic scrolls even exist?
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I think all four of those question are actually pretty big in terms of gameplay. I'd like them to be cleared up.
The possibility of a fully armored crossblooded Dragon Disciple is very interesting.
I couple of things I wanted to say.
1) In my experience, a "X" class is defined by what spells they cast. A mindblade magus is, for example, a Psychic spellcasting class, because he casts psychic spells. The psychic is a Psychic Spellcasting class as well. The wizard and witch are arcane spellcasting classes, and the paladin and druid are divine spellcasting classes. While a class is typically one type, making some kind of character decision that changes that type of spell that you cast will change it in every context for that character because, for you, it is now that different type. I believe that this is the case for both Mindblade Magus and Psychic Sorcerer.
2) When you qualify for a feat, you can take the feat. It is entirely possible to no longer qualify for the feat, and the rules state that instead of losing the feat, you simply don't benefit from it until such a time as when you qualify again. I would say that the arcane training trait works the same way. Because a sorcerer is typically an arcane class, sorcerer qualifies for the arcane training trait. However, as soon as you select the psychic bloodline, the sorcerer class becomes, for you, a psychic spellcasting class and thus no longer qualifies for arcane training. Because the prerequisites are no longer met, you no longer benefit from the effects of arcane training.
Actually, do psychic scrolls even exist?
Scribe scroll has prerequisite "caster level first" and states that you can make a scroll of any spell that you know.
I'd say that psychic scrolls exist in just the same distribution compared to arcane/divine scrolls as psychic casters exist compared to arcane/divine casters. There's no rules against them existing, to be sure. How they show up is up to the DM.
Actually, do psychic scrolls even exist?Scribe scroll has prerequisite "caster level first" and states that you can make a scroll of any spell that you know.
I'd say that psychic scrolls exist in just the same distribution compared to arcane/divine scrolls as psychic casters exist compared to arcane/divine casters. There's no rules against them existing, to be sure. How they show up is up to the DM.
Page 255 of Occult Adventures:
Scrolls
Scrolls are divided based on the type of magic used to create the scroll; psychic spellcasters create psychic scrolls in much the same way arcane spellcasters create arcane scrolls and divine spellcasters create divine scrolls. Psychic scrolls follow all the same rules as other scrolls. A psychic scroll is a spell completion item that requires the user to decipher and read the scroll. The user must also provide all necessary components except material and focus components (which were provided by the scroll’s creator). This includes thought and emotion components.
Normally, there’s a 70% chance a scroll will be arcane and a 30% chance it will be divine. When determining treasure randomly in a game that includes psychic magic, use Table 7–5 instead.
That table gives 1-59 for Arcane, 60-84 for Divine, 85-100 for Psychic scrolls.
I'll FAQ this, if only primarily because it's not 100% concise.
I will however, point out that just because it counts as Psychic, doesn't mean that it actually is Psychic, just like how Spell-like Abilities do not mean they actually are Spells. Or how Weapon-Like Attacks do not mean they actually are Weapons. Or how Hands of Effort do not mean they actually are Hands. So there is definitely a precedent that just because it counts as something for a given purpose, it isn't actually that something, and is one that this will probably follow.
It also does go on to further state the specifics as to how it changes, such as requiring Thought/Emotion components instead of Verbal/Somatic, giving us an example as to what changes. A bigger question might be if this is the only change that occurs in making this switch.
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Well, YOU don't want one, but I would like some clarification since I'm actually playing a sorcerer with this bloodline...
You could also rule that although "your sorcerer spells and spell-like abilities count as psychic instead of arcane", your sorcerer class is still an arcane class?
Actually, do psychic scrolls even exist?
As Slithery D pointed out, they do. And so do some other consumable psychic items.
They do. The reason scrolls get mentioned and they don't is because scrolls needed clarification on how they work, given spell completion and the components of a psychic spell, whereas spell trigger and use-activated just work normally.Do psychic potions exist? I noticed there's no mention of them in the book.
Oh and wands too.
Psychic spell books must also exist although only a Blood Arcanist (Psychic Bloodline) would need them
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I'll FAQ this, if only primarily because it's not 100% concise.
I will however, point out that just because it counts as Psychic, doesn't mean that it actually is Psychic, just like how Spell-like Abilities do not mean they actually are Spells. Or how Weapon-Like Attacks do not mean they actually are Weapons. Or how Hands of Effort do not mean they actually are Hands. So there is definitely a precedent that just because it counts as something for a given purpose, it isn't actually that something, and is one that this will probably follow.
It also does go on to further state the specifics as to how it changes, such as requiring Thought/Emotion components instead of Verbal/Somatic, giving us an example as to what changes. A bigger question might be if this is the only change that occurs in making this switch.
I'm pretty sure none of those things actually say they count as something else though. SLAs are never said to count as spells, for example. I think this is getting to the point of splitting hairs. I see no reading of it that doesn't make them as psychic as, well, a Psychic.
It seems really odd given the nature of psychic spells that a psychic spellbook would exist at all. I wonder if this was an unintended 'side-effect' and that a better way to rule it would be that the blood arcanist learns from an arcane spellbook, but processes it such that he casts the spells psychically.
For that matter, I wonder if the psychic bloodline should work the same way, that he uses psychic powers to access arcane magic, since his spells aren't spells that a psychic caster can usually cast.
A thought just occurred to me: are psychic powers governed by Nethys? If it isn't, then the psychic bloodline sorcerer would be truly unique in the sense that he uses his psychic talents to access the magic governed by Nethys. I wonder if that would make them pariahs of the church of Nethys.
In any event, the rules state that the effect of their spellcasting, (the "output") is psychic in nature, but perhaps the a caster with the psychic bloodline operates as a kind of transformer or converter.
So normally:
Arcane source => arcane process => arcane effect
Psychic source => psychic process => psychic effect
But for the psychic bloodline:
Arcane source => psychic process => psychic effect
If this is how it works, psychic bloodline casters can be seen as 'stealing' from Nethys' domain in a sense.
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SLAs are never said to count as spells, for example.
A spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability or spell description. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell.
Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled.
In contrast:
Supernatural abilities are magical but not spell-like. Supernatural abilities are not subject to spell resistance and do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated (such as an antimagic field). A supernatural ability's effect cannot be dispelled and is not subject to counterspells.
At the very least spell-resistance "counts" them as spells, making them distinct from other supernatural abilities. But at the same time:
Spell-like ability FAQA spell-like ability is not a spell, having a spell-like ability is not part of a class's spell list, and therefore doesn't give the creature the ability to activate spell completion or spell trigger items.
I guess the conclusion is that spell-like abilities were quite a unique feature that needed a whole lot of clarifications as to what they were precisely and what they did and did not do. I'd suggest that the psychic bloodline's spellcastng is a similarly curious artifact that needs some clarifications as well.
This ever been resolved?
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The question in this thread is more evidence that the Psychic Sorcerer should have been made an archetype instead of a Bloodline -- like Id Rager for Bloodrager. (And while we're at it, Sage and Empyreal Sorcerer should remain archetypes, but the rest of the Wildblooded Bloodlines SHOULDN'T be archetypes -- things would be a lot less confusing this way.)
I disagree,
Sorceror itself (vanilla) is never defined as "Arcane Spellcasting Class" in the first place,
the rules seemingly leave that association to be derived from actual spellcasting/slots.
The FCB issue is separate and basically impugns rules assumptions that shouldn't have been made, but doesn't dictate the original question.
I could see similar issues from mechanics based on "CHA based caster" and then choosing Bloodline changing Casting Stat.
Likewise I would see no ground to suggest that Sage/Empyreal Sorcerors still should count as CHA-based Casters.
It doesn't need to be. A straightforward reading of the rules should resolve it if you are willing to accept the conclusions they lead to.
Psychic sorcerer is not an arcane casting class. Period, the end.
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{. . .}
The FCB issue is separate and basically impugns rules assumptions that shouldn't have been made, but doesn't dictate the original question.
{. . .}
Favored Class Bonus us something that should have been made alterable by archetype (and in fact altered when the archetype replaces something that the Favored Class Bonus advances).
This is pretty similar to taking multiple archetypes at the same time. If one of the archetypes says it changes a class feature, it changes the class feature regardless of what the other archetype says.
In this case, Arcane Bloodline does not say it changes your caster type. Psychic Bloodline does. Thus, your caster type as a whole changes to psychic casting. To answer your original question, no you no longer cast arcane spells.
I'll post a link to this thread on the "let's be clear" PFS thread and see if Mr Compton has any views on this for PFS.
4. This one is the big question for the thread. Is the sorcerer class itself still considered as an 'arcane spellcasting class' with this bloodline? Take for instance an alternate racial trait like this one:
Half-elves occasionally seek tutoring to help them master the magic in their blood. Half-elves with this racial trait have only one favored class and it must be an arcane spellcasting class. They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if 1 level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class). This racial trait replaces the multitalented racial trait.Can a half-elven psychic-bloodline sorcerer pick sorcerer as his favoured class if he has this racial trait?
For that matter, if a cross-blooded arcane/psychic sorcerer takes familiar bond for his 1st level bloodline power, does he count as having a 'arcane spellcaster level" for the purpose of the improved familiar feat? (This is more than hypothetical btw, I am seriously considering taking this precise cross-bloodline combination.)
Basically, is 'arcane spellcaster class' defined independently of the bloodline arcana?
The only way your FC racial is going to work is if you can choose a non-psychic sorcerer as your FC, yet only care about the "sorcerer" part when checking for FCB.
Considering that the half-elf FC racial doesn't do anything, save perhaps maybe help you cast a level 2 scroll without a check if you're a Level 3 sorcerer, it's pretty much a wash.
Reread it again it says your spells and spell like abilities count as Psychic. You are still technically an Arcane class but your spells change becoming psychic. Psychic spells require different components and are cast a bit differently. You at heart are still a Sorcerer and yes Psychic Scrolls Exist as do other magic items.
But where does it say the sorcerer is an arcane class? I thought it was because it cast arcane spells, which the selection of the psychic bloodline takes away.
Don't get me wrong. I'd love it if it were ruled that sorcerer was arcane regardless of the bloodline selected so I could take certain prestige classes that grant +1 level of arcane casting.
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99% sure that you become a psychic spellcasting class. An Onmioji spiritualist becomes a divine spellcasting class, and a mindblade magus becomes psychic. There are a few archtypes that change Up your spellcasting type now.
For example, certain Vigilante archetypes give the class spells. Do they not count as spellcasters because the base Vigilante isn't one? No, they probably count as arcane/divine spellcasters now.
Official Rules Response
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Psychic Bloodline Sorcerer: Psychic bloodline’s bloodline arcana changes the psychic bloodline’s spells from arcane spells to psychic spells. Clearly this means that a psychic bloodline sorcerer qualifies for abilities that require the “ability to cast psychic spells” and not abilities that require “the ability to cast arcane spells”, but what about abilities that require an “arcane spellcasting class” like the half-elf’s arcane training, where you might be selecting the class before you even took levels in sorcerer and chose the psychic bloodline? Does this apply generally to abilities that change my spellcasting between arcane, divine, and psychic?
This particular combination leads to a complex interaction; at the time of the half elf ability, the term “arcane spellcasting class” was unambiguous because archetypes were new and we were still years away from any archetypes or bloodlines that changed which type of spells a character casts. Essentially, a half-elf with the arcane training ability that chooses sorcerer is choosing “the arcane spellcasting class sorcerer”. If she then takes levels in psychic bloodline sorcerer, she isn’t taking levels in her favored class. The ability would still have a small effect, though, in that since she had no levels in her favored class, she would still count as a 1st-level “arcane spellcasting sorcerer” and be able to activate arcane scrolls accordingly (whereas normally she would need Use Magic Device to use arcane or divine scrolls even if they were on her spell list).This is the first time to our knowledge of this principle being necessary, but it would apply in other situations that switch your type of magic and even beyond that, such as if an alternate racial trait restricted your favored class bonus to “a single class that grants proficiency in heavy armor” and you picked fighter but then took levels in fighter with an archetype that traded out proficiency in heavy armor, your chosen archetype of fighter would not be your favored class.
Also, you could use this principle in reverse. If the half-elf ability requested you to choose a psychic spellcasting class instead of arcane, you could pick sorcerer expecting to take the psychic bloodline, but the racial trait in that case wouldn’t do anything until you had actually taken levels in sorcerer with the psychic bloodline, since sorcerer isn’t normally psychic without the psychic bloodline.
Also, as to the other example, Improved Familiars, we have a separate ruling, which we're giving early because it's related and we didn't address Improved Familiar in the first FAQ:
Improved Familiars: There are various ways for characters other than arcane spellcasters to gain familiars at this point, and some of those options even grant Improved Familiar as a bonus feat, but technically each Improved Familiar option requires a certain arcane spellcaster level to take it. Does that mean that non-arcane characters with Improved Familiar have a dead feature? How does it work? If it does work, can I take an Improved Familiar as some kind of variant familiar or a temporary familiar like the occultist’s soulbound puppet?
The Improved Familiar description was written back when only arcane spellcasters could have familiars, and it wasn’t sufficiently future-proofed. To that end, you can always substitute your effective wizard level for the purpose of determining your familiar’s abilities for “arcane spellcaster level” to determine the available improved familiars for your character. In general, you can take Improved Familiars for class-granted variant familiars like a shaman’s spirit animal, with a few exceptions: First, temporary familiars like the occultist’s soulbound puppet can’t become Improved Familiars from the Improved Familiar feat, and those class features don’t qualify you to take the Improved Familiar feat. Second, tumor familiars, as lumps of flesh in the shape of animals, can’t become Improved Familiars. In other cases, treat Improved Familiar as if it was an archetype to see if it stacks with other familiar options: since the two things it alters from a regular familiar are that it removes the ability to speak with animals of its kind and it prevents changing the creature type for non-animals, you couldn’t make a familiar that changes the creature type of non-animals or alters or removes speak with animals of its kind an Improved Familiar.
And with that, our next FAQ Friday won't be until after GenCon!
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Questions on Improved Familiar and Shaman Spirit Animal, which seems to be assumed to work by FAQ:
How does Shaman Spirit Animal work with Improved Familiar given Spirit Animal line:
Assuming that line is somehow (?) over-ridden when first taking/using Improved Familiar Feat, should we allow a one time transformation into Improved Familiar, but after that no further changes are allowed? Or does taking Improved Familiar Feat somehow over-ride that line completely? (to the point of allowing swapping into different "standard" Familiars granting different auxiliary bonus e.g. Init/Perception/HP?)
Likewise, how does following line fit into the FAQ concept re: "changes to same feature not stacking":
Does that conflict with Improved Familiar's change to type change mechanic?
Obviously the "uses [stats] of a specific ANIMAL" line is anachronistic when combined with many Improved Familiars, which is seeming evidence of the type of conflict the rules for archetype combination is meant to avoid. I suppose said line can be read as not "actually" changing type, but merely "for purposes of spells, etc", thus not interfering with/ preventing usage of Improved Familiar, even if literal text becomes confusing (per above).
If so, are Dragon, Fey, Magical Beast, etc. Improved Familiars also treated as Native Outsiders for Spells/Abilities? (and Native Outsider Improved Familiars are not functionally affected by the "for purposes of..." rule?)
"To that end, you can always substitute your effective wizard level for the purpose of determining your familiar’s abilities for “arcane spellcaster level” to determine the available improved familiars for your character. "
You have no idea how relieved I am to hear this. I had an eldritch guardian with a sprite familiar that I adore as a character, but always had to get DM fiat to make it possible. Now even in PFS it'll be a legal character! :D