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Hey, can you have any familiar with the Valet Archetype or do you have to have a Improved Familiar? I wanted to have an arctic hare as a familiar for the bonus to initiative, but I don't see how it can assist in crafting. Or is it more a mental thing rather than physical? A voice in the head reminding you that it's 3 eyes of newt instead of 2. Help me out here plz.
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The Valet familiar, like most familiar archetypes, swaps out the 'Speak with Animals of its Kind' ability... and thus is unavailable to most Improved Familiars as they also lose that ability.
HOW exactly a familiar helps with crafting is an interesting question. A monkey familiar might be physically able to perform most of the required tasks, but virtually all of the others would have difficulty doing so... yet the archetype makes no mention of this.
The archetype also says the familiar is treated "as if" it had Cooperative Crafting and the other crafting benefits... possibly suggesting that it provides the same benefits without actually doing the same work. Finally, the archetype description says that the valet acts as a "consummate personal servant, able to fetch, deliver, and perform for its master's every need".
Based on that, I would treat it as anticipation of the master's needs. Just when you get to the part where you need to find the fine pick to do detail work fluffy has already carried it over. When your attention starts to waiver the little guy has a mug of kava ready for you to pour in the hot water. If you forget something, he makes sure to remind you. Et cetera. The familiar might not be able to physically craft things, but it can provide countless little services which make it easier for the master to do so.
An extra pair of eyes can be as useful as an extra pair of hands.