[Proposal] Familiar Advancement Idea


Classes: Cleric, Druid, and Paladin


After studying the most recent release on Animal Companions, I took it upon myself to do something similar for Familiars. Here's what I came up with.

Class Level: The character’s wizard level. The wizard’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to a familiar for the purpose of determining the familiar’s statistics.

HD: A familiar’s hit die and hit points are determined by his master. A familiar’s maximum hit points are always equal to half of his master’s hit points. Note that effects that alter a wizard’s hit points (such as casting Bear’s Endurance or failing a saving throw against a Chill Touch spell) do not effect the familiar unless the changes are of a permanent, inherent nature. Only the normal maximum hit points of the master are considered.

BAB: A familiar’s base attack bonus is always the same as his master’s but the familiar adds its own bonuses from attributes, feats, etc. to determine its final attack bonus. Familiars do not gain additional attacks using their natural weapons for a master with a high base attack bonus.

Fort/Ref/Will: An animal companion is considered to have good Fortitude and Reflex Saves, starting with a +2 base to each and a +0 base to Will Saves. However, as its master advances in levels, it may choose to use its master’s base saving throws (modified by its own attributes) if they are greater than its own.

Skills: This is the total number of skill points a familiar possesses. At 1st level, familiars may only assign their skill points to any of the skills listed under Animal Skills. At higher levels, familiars can purchase ranks in any skill. Once a familiar increases its Intelligence to 10 or higher, it gains additional skill points. An animal companion cannot have more ranks in a skill then its master has wizard levels. Note that because of the bond between the familiar and its master, the familiar can choose to use its master’s ranks in a skill if they are higher than its own.

Feats: This is the total number of feats possessed by a familiar. At first level, a familiar may only choose feats from those available to animals. At higher levels, they may choose any feat for which they qualify, although they are unable to utilize some feats (such as Martial Weapon Proficiency). Note that animal companions cannot select a feat with a requirement of base attack bonus +1 until their master attains a +1 base attack bonus.

Natural Armor Bonus: The number noted here is an improvement to the familiar’s existing natural armor bonus.

Int Score: This is the familiar’s Intelligence Score.

Special: This includes a number of abilities gained by familiars as they increase in power. Each of these bonuses is described below.

Empathic Link (Su): The master has an empathic link to his familiar to a distance of 1 mile. The master cannot see through the familiar’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Because of the limited nature of the link, only general emotions can be communicated.

Share Spells (Ex): The druid may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A druid may cast spells on her animal companion even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal).

Ability Score Increase (Ex): The animal companion adds +1 to one of its ability scores.

Devotion (Ex): An animal companion gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If the master is 3rd level or higher, a familiar can deliver touch spells for him. If the master and the familiar are in contact at the time the master casts a touch spell, he can designate the familiar as the “toucher.” The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the master would. As usual, if the master casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.

Imp. Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, an animal companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails

Alertness (Ex): While a familiar is within arm’s reach, the master gains the Alertness feat.

Speak with Master (Ex): If the master is 5th level or higher, a familiar and the master can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.

Speak with Animals of its Kind (Ex): If the master is 7th level or higher, a familiar can communicate with other animals of approximately the same kind as itself (including dire varieties); bats with bats, rats with rodents, cats with felines, hawks and owls and ravens with birds, lizards and snakes with reptiles, toads with amphibians, weasels with ermines and minks. Such communication is limited by the intelligence of the conversing creatures.

Spell Resistance (Ex): If the master is 11th level or higher, a familiar gains spell resistance equal to the master’s level +5. To affect the familiar with a spell, another spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check that equals or exceeds the familiar’s spell resistance.

Scry on Familiar: If the master is 13th level or higher, he may scry on his familiar once per day.

Animal Skills
Familiars can start withranks in any of the following skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Animal Feats
Animal companions can select from the following feats: Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Armor Proficiency (all), Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Die Hard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Overrun, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, and Weapon Focus.

Natural
Class Armor Int
Level Skills Feats Bonus Score Special
1 2 1 +1 6 Alertness, Imp. Evasion, Share Spells, Empathic Link
2 3 2 +1 6
3 3 2 +2 7 Deliver Touch Spells
4 4 2 +2 7 Ability Score Increase
5 5 3 +3 8 Speak with Master
6 6 3 +3 8
7 6 3 +4 9 Speak with Animals of its Kind
8 7 4 +4 9
9 8 4 +5 10 Ability Score Increase
10 9 5 +5 10
11 9 5 +6 11 Spell Resistance
12 10 5 +6 11
13 11 6 +7 12 Scry on Familiar
14 12 6 +7 12 Ability Score Increase
15 12 6 +8 13
16 13 7 +8 13
17 14 7 +9 14
18 15 8 +9 14
19 15 8 +10 15
20 16 8 +10 15 Ability Score Increase

What do you think? [Note the table will have the same problems as the one for Animal Companions.]


Just realized I put this in the wrong forum. My bad!

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