Can a tumor familiar be an improved familiar


Rules Questions


I am already pretty certain that you can but my friend is trying to tell me you cant.


Improved Familiar FAQ wrote:
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.

Nope. They can't be Improved.


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That FAQ just came out. Before that I would have thought it possible too. It's one of those weird rulings that comes around from time to time. I'd just ignore it in a home game.


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Ah. Thanks for the clear up! It was just so I could get the familiar to say "I'm a tumor" in the Swartzinager voice anyways.

Just going to have to use a Raven now.


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Melkiador wrote:
That FAQ just came out. Before that I would have thought it possible too. It's one of those weird rulings that comes around from time to time. I'd just ignore it in a home game.

It doesn't seem weird to me. I've never thought that Improved Familiar could be applied to Tumor Familiars. But that's what always happens when these FAQs come out. To some people they are obvious clarifications of the way the rules have always worked, while to others they are weird and/or horrible retroactive rules changes.


derpdidruid wrote:
Ah. Thanks for the clear up! It was just so I could get the familiar to say "I'm a tumor" in the Swartzinager voice anyways.

And that is awesome! A method for doing this must be found or created!


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Gisher wrote:
derpdidruid wrote:
Ah. Thanks for the clear up! It was just so I could get the familiar to say "I'm a tumor" in the Swartzinager voice anyways.
And that is awesome! A method for doing this must be found or created!

You just have it take the form of a raven, which can speak one language of the master's choice.

Sczarni

Melkiador wrote:
That FAQ just came out. Before that I would have thought it possible too. It's one of those weird rulings that comes around from time to time. I'd just ignore it in a home game.

+1


Serisan wrote:
Gisher wrote:
derpdidruid wrote:
Ah. Thanks for the clear up! It was just so I could get the familiar to say "I'm a tumor" in the Swartzinager voice anyways.
And that is awesome! A method for doing this must be found or created!
You just have it take the form of a raven, which can speak one language of the master's choice.

Oh. I get it now.


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I think it'd be weird if you can have a tumour that turns into the shape of "fire".


Milo v3 wrote:
I think it'd be weird if you can have a tumour that turns into the shape of "fire".

Well, it's magic. And an elemental has its own shape, which is typically humanoid or serpentine.


Melkiador wrote:
And an elemental has its own shape, which is typically humanoid or serpentine.

Actually, elementals can take any shape that fits their element that they want in Pathfinder. The bestiary even says that all elementals have unique shapes and appearances.

The elemental subtype for unchained eidolons is rather dumb and limiting. You can't even do many of the things from the Bestiary like birds made from smoke, dogs made from stone, bats made from ash, or octopus made from sea water.

Very good for GM's IMO. Makes summon monster a lot more interesting when people summon elementals since you can have a so much fun with their appearance.


Milo v3 wrote:
I think it'd be weird if you can have a tumour that turns into the shape of "fire".

That is one bulk order of Pepto Bismal


Milo v3 wrote:
Melkiador wrote:
And an elemental has its own shape, which is typically humanoid or serpentine.
Actually, elementals can take any shape that fits their element that they want in Pathfinder. The bestiary even says that all elementals have unique shapes and appearances.

Which just goes to show that the tumor shouldn't have any trouble taking the form of an elemental. For comparison, the tumor can take the shape of a bird, but isn't made of bird. So, it could be in the shape of a fire elemental, while not actually being made of fire.


Melkiador wrote:
So, it could be in the shape of a fire elemental, while not actually being made of fire.

Which means it wouldn't get fire elemental stats, it's just have the stats of the familiar it is shaped as.... meaning you've spent your feat on nothing... congratulations?


Milo v3 wrote:
Melkiador wrote:
So, it could be in the shape of a fire elemental, while not actually being made of fire.
Which means it wouldn't get fire elemental stats, it's just have the stats of the familiar it is shaped as.... meaning you've spent your feat on nothing... congratulations?

No. It's shaped as a fire elemental, meaning it has fire elemental stats. The fact that fire elementals can have variable shapes is irrelevant.


I always thought improved tumours meant the chemo started working.


Melkiador wrote:
No. It's shaped as a fire elemental, meaning it has fire elemental stats.

If it was a tumour shaped like a fire elemental shaped like a cat, would make it have cat stats. The animal is it shaped like determines it's stats. There is no configuration of biomass that would cause the tumour to be able to set people on fire with a touch.


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OK,
We understand you are enchanted with the possibility of a a lump of flesh successfully evolving into an outsider of whatever ilk you favor. It doesn't work that way, with improved familiar you are getting a familiar that has pre-existed you,hence alignment restrictions and minor variations in familiar "bond". If you were actually creating a reasonable facsimile of whatever being the familiar is supposed to be the alignment issue would be pointless.

If you can get a GM to home rule you an exception, don't feel bad if the concept doesn't fly elsewhere.


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On the OP's goal- the Decoy archetype for familiars grants speech to any familiar at fifth. Added bonus of being able to split off part of yourself as a body double.


I'm still trying to figure out how something not on fire or made of fire but shaped of something that fire could be is somehow now an elemental of fire.

I'm worried about my bones minis burning my house down now.


Welp, there goes my charmander kobold alchemist with the burning lump on his tail

Silver Crusade

Ridiculon wrote:
Welp, there goes my charmander kobold alchemist with the burning lump on his tail

continual flame is a thing :3

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