Aide another familiar questions

[Sir_Andrew]

hi everyone! i have a few questions that i can't seem to find answers to regarding aid another familiars (using valet archetype)

1) can a familiar aid another my attack roll? (or AC if need be)

2) can a familiar trade out their feat for a different feat? thinking about trading out skill focus (perception) on a thrush familiar for additional traits feat

3) IF it can get additional traits, what aid another traits are there that stack or is there a feat that would be better for aid another?

4) when does a familiar take its turn? does it have its own initiative roll or does it share my turn?

thank you all in advance for your help!

[Wheldrake]

1) Why not? But if it does, it is surely within attack range of your foe. Do you really want to endanger it like that? And if it comes right down to it, if you're such a good wizard, why are you in melee range to begin with?

2) Lots of people seem to do just that, but only your DM can answer your question for you.

3) Since traits reflect a character's upbringing and past history, I wouldn't allow this as a DM. But yours might. Not sure which traits miught grant such a bonus - I recommend searching the PRD and PFSRD websites.

4) Many DMs will have your familiar and any summoned critters and so on use your same intiative, just to simplify and streamline things. But he could certainly ask you to roll separate initiatives for them if he wanted. Since your bonuses to initiative are probably not the same, there really ought to be separate initiatives for any extra familiars, critters, NPCs or whatever.

[Sir_Andrew]

Wheldrake wrote:

1) Why not? But if it does, it is surely within attack range of your foe. Do you really want to endanger it like that? And if it comes right down to it, if you're such a good wizard, why are you in melee range to begin with?

2) Lots of people seem to do just that, but only your DM can answer your question for you.

3) Since traits reflect a character's upbringing and past history, I wouldn't allow this as a DM. But yours might. Not sure which traits miught grant such a bonus - I recommend searching the PRD and PFSRD websites.

4) Many DMs will have your familiar and any summoned critters and so on use your same intiative, just to simplify and streamline things. But he could certainly ask you to roll separate initiatives for them if he wanted. Since your bonuses to initiative are probably not the same, there really ought to be separate initiatives for any extra familiars, critters, NPCs or whatever.

to answer #1 whoops...i'm a swashigator with the bonded investigator archetype, i forgot to mention that. i'll try to keep it safe.

[Gallant Armor]

The familiar has to be threatening your opponent to aid another on attacks/AC. For tiny and diminutive familiars this would mean entering the enemy's space and provoking an attack of opportunity.

Protector familiars of any size can aid another on AC without entering your enemy's space. Small sized familiars and mauler familiars in battle form can aid another for AC or attacks.

[Sir_Andrew]

Gallant Armor wrote:

The familiar has to be threatening your opponent to aid another on attacks/AC. For tiny and diminutive familiars this would mean entering the enemy's space and provoking an attack of opportunity.

Protector familiars of any size can aid another on AC without entering your enemy's space. Small sized familiars and mauler familiars in battle form can aid another for AC or attacks.

so in order to make this work, i would have to either get a small familiar or get the evolved familiar feat for the reach evolution. (though figment archetype works as well, but i like valet better)

[Mark Hoover 330]

The Trait I see most often for non-Halfling characters to grant extra Aid Another bonuses is Helpful which gives +1 to Aid Another bonuses, for a total of +3 to AC or Attack. I'm sure there are others.

If you're looking at focusing on a Valet familiar and using it to grant Aid Another bonuses, there are 2 Formulae you need to consider taking: Enlarge Person or Longarm.

The familiar needs to threaten in order to use Aid Another. If going Tiny or Diminutive familiar, these spells immediately grant Reach allowing them to threaten. Using these, or brewing them as potions to keep on hand when needed can be very helpful.

Lastly, and this is a truly niche case... I had a wizard with an Owl familiar who in turn took the Valet archetype. This allowed the bird to cast Prestidigitation. The spell calls out that it can slowly manipulate up to 1 lb of material by the caster's will.

With the GM's grace I was allowed to have the owl use Prestidigitation to pull scrolls for it to use at later levels. While the weight is never given on potions in their physical description, similar alchemical items such as flasks of oil, acid and alchemist's fire are all labeled at 1 lb. You might ask your GM that, if you're carrying potions beneficial to the familiar, your familiar could use Prestidigitation to pull the potion out for you saving you a potential Move action.

Regardless of that ruling, whether you use extracts or potions of these spells you will have to drink them, then transfer their effect to your familiar as per the familiar rules. Once again, talk to your GM; Longarm specifically calls out the "arms" of the creature affected but many familiars don't have proper arms. Your GM however might let you slide with saying the spell extends the familiar's talons, paws, etc.