So, going through this, I am trying to use Herolab to select a Familiar and all these choices are there...
I am choosing a Monkey, but at 3rd level I have a choice between a Beheaded and a Dire Rat.
Is that right?
The book is not on d20pfsrd yet. If you put the rules text here it will be easier to figure it out.
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So, going through this, I am trying to use Herolab to select a Familiar and all these choices are there...
I am choosing a Monkey, but at 3rd level I have a choice between a Beheaded and a Dire Rat.
Is that right?
So what happens is that your familiar in civilian form will always be a monkey, no matter your level. However, when you magically transform, at third level your familiar transforms with you, gaining the stats of an improved familiar of your choice that you could have at level 3. This includes adding a celestial template to any 'normal' familiar, the beheaded or dire rat, or any other improved familiar at level 3. Levels 5 and 7 cause further shifts. It is worth noting that your familiar must be within one step law-chaos and good-evil wise from your vigilante's alignment.
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It's the alignment of your vigilante identity that matters, but yes beheaded are usually for evil casters.
I think the "Expectation" for the level 3 change is that your familiar becomes a celestial/fiendish/axiomatic/anarchic/counterpoised version of itself, but you don't have to do that.
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It's the alignment of your vigilante identity that matters, but yes beheaded are usually for evil casters.
I think the "Expectation" for the level 3 change is that your familiar becomes a celestial/fiendish/axiomatic/anarchic/counterpoised version of itself, but you don't have to do that.
Yeah, TBH, there isn't much of a choice here...
1st: regular familiar
3rd: aligned familiar
5th: elemental... that looks a bit like your familiar's initial form
7th: You're... pretty much short on ideas here...
- Rat, Dire Rat, Elemental, Ratling
- Cat, [Celestial] Cat, Elemental, either Cat Sith, Dweomercat Cub or Silvanshee agathion
- Lizard, [Celestial] Lizard, Elemental, eitehr Fearie, Tidepool or Pseudodragon
Kinda hard to keep a theme here :P
Furthermore, before you ask, no, you cannot apply any of the familiar archetypes here, because they cannot be applied to Improved Familiars. Sure, your initial familiar could get one, but it would lose it if it changes form.
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I also wonder what role the "animal Guide" would be. Combat?
That's actually a pretty big concern, as the magical girl gives up a huge part of the vigilante class (vigalante spec) for, essentially, a sometimes-on feat feat with free retrains at levels five and seven. Improved familiars aren't that great, so I would advise against sending them into combat.
There is speculation that, because of the wording (that the familiar 'takes on the form' of an improved familiar, but doesn't actually loose any abilities) that you can archetype them, which makes the class more appealing and actually makes it a decent class. The FAQ for ultimate intrigue isn't out though, so no one is sure.
Also: It would seem that Herolab doesn't have the right of it, so I would suggest setting it down, and going out and reading in the books about familiars and improved familiars, then doing it yourself. That way you can actually do it correctly instead of messing up because of a programming bug or whatnot. It isn't super difficult: just look up familiars in the core book in the wizard section (you use the same rules, just replace 'wizard levels' with 'magical girl levels'), and then read the improved familiar feat. Look up the website archives of nethys if you don't have access to the books right now.
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I am looking at Herolab right now, and it most assuredly is programmed as a Familiar and not an Animal Companion. Additionally, Improved Familiar states that it can be within one step "on each axis," this is different language from the Cleric deity selection (for example). Back to Herolab, it allows my Chaotic Good Magical Child to choose Mephit (N, one step on Law/Chaos, one step on Good/Evil), but not Imp (LE, two steps each on Law/Chaos and Good/Evil). RAW, I believe this to be correct. Do you have a local Venture Captain to consult with for rules questions, thaX?
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Yes. I do.
I am underwhelmed by the lack of 3rd level choices. (CG has choice of Beheaded and Dire Rat) I would have hoped to have something that can be an extension of the monkey or maybe even an improved form of the monkey. Just not sure how it fits altogether.
well, to the bestiaries I go...
Pretty sure you could make your familiar Celestial at 3rd level :)
Sigh... You do know there is this thing called the internet that allows you to search for stuff... Archives of Nethys and d20pfsrd lists this kind of stuff.
3rd level options.
Beheaded NE
celestial, entropic, fiendish, or resolute animal NG,CN,NE,LN
Coral Capuchin N
Dire rat N
Skvader N
Your options for CG is celestial and entropic animals it seems. If you shift to neutral good you open up most of the other options.
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Sigh... You do know there is this thing called the internet that allows you to search for stuff... Archives of Nethys and d20pfsrd lists this kind of stuff.
3rd level options.
Beheaded NE
celestial, entropic, fiendish, or resolute animal NG,CN,NE,LN
Coral Capuchin N
Dire rat N
Skvader NYour options for CG is celestial and entropic animals it seems. If you shift to neutral good you open up most of the other options.
Double check the improved familiar info. It says your familiar can be one alignment step away on EACH of the alignment axis, unlike cleric, where it can be one step away on only one. So all the TN choices are also open.
ThaX: So, as others have mentioned repeatedly, any normal familiar can be turned into a third level familiar by adding any of the resolute, celestial, fiendish, or entropic templates. So for third level you can make your monkey an entropic or celestial monkey.
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VampByDay: Not all familiars follow that. For instance, if you read the Beheaded entry only NE casters can take it while Coral Capuchin must be within one step of neutral [not on each axis]. In fact most that I looked at don't actually follow the feat. I didn't double check Dire rat and Skvader and you're right on those as they say nothing about familiars in their text.
If you want one to really throw you, look at Cassisian Angel. You have to be LG to take it but it's NG so you MUST be a different alignment from it.