Can you have multiple familiars?


Rules Questions


For some reason I thought you could only have 1 familiar at any given time, however I can't find any rule on that.

I'm then guessing that a Lvl 1 Arcana Sorcerer / Level 1 Wizard could then have two familiars, even of the same type, gaining double the special ability bonus?

Lantern Lodge

Kor - Orc Scrollkeeper wrote:
For some reason I thought you could only have 1 familiar at any given time, however I can't find any rule on that.

You might have read something similar in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organised Play, where you can't use more than one combat-effective animal companion, warhorse etc in the same encounter, because it gives you too many actions on your round and slows down play making the game less fun for other players at your table. This is one of the reason some classes have been given alternatives to animal followers, eg a Paladin's bonded weapon, a Druid's nature domain etc. so they're not unfairly penalised for multi-classing and having companions they're unable to use.


The closest thing I can find right now is the Sorcerer description of Arcane Bond under the Arcane Blood line:

PRD wrote:
Arcane Bond (Su): At 1st level, you gain an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to your sorcerer level. Your sorcerer levels stack with any wizard levels you possess when determining the powers of your familiar or bonded object. This ability does not allow you to have both a familiar and a bonded item.

Other than that I know in one of the Dragon Magazines there was a feat that specifically allowed you to have more than one Familiar which would imply that you normally can never have more than one.

I remember something about never being allowed more than one Familiar, but I can't remember where it was from. It was 3.5 though so Pathfinder may have intentionally changed that. Though, in the spirit of the quote above, I doubt it.


Myself I would not allow it.

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16

Shadowlord quoted the relevant text. They're the same class feature; you don't gain it twice. Rather, your levels in classes which grant that feature stack as if they were all from a single class, just like levels which grant an animal companion or unflankability-except-by-5-levels-higher-rogues.

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