I have a player who is taking Imprvd Familiar and this is my first time playiing with someone who has taken (or cared) about a familiar. He is taking a Pseudodragon at 7th level (he is a Magus) and were wondering what is changed.
For example:
The Pdragons SR of 12... is that altered any or does it remain 12th until he gets the benefit actually listed under on the familiar table?
Does the Pdragon gain feats as it's HD (which is equivalent to the caster's level) increases?
Any help appreciated
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8
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I have a player who is taking Imprvd Familiar and this is my first time playiing with someone who has taken (or cared) about a familiar. He is taking a Pseudodragon at 7th level (he is a Magus) and were wondering what is changed.
For example:
The Pdragons SR of 12... is that altered any or does it remain 12th until he gets the benefit actually listed under on the familiar table?Does the Pdragon gain feats as it's HD (which is equivalent to the caster's level) increases?
Any help appreciated
The most important thing to note is that the familiar's HD don't actually increase along with the master's.
Rather, they treat their HD as equal to the master's with regard to effects related to HD. Familiars then have a sort of 'virtual HD', which they use in some circumstances in place of their real HD.
Only Real HD count for feats though, so no, the familiar does not gain feats (or skill points, or stat increases, etc.).
As to SR, the argument could be made that SR is an "effect related to HD", being based off HD, and thus should increased. Creative Director James Jacobs recently disagreed, saying only external effects that check their targets' HD (such as the spells sleep or circle of death) use the master's HD in place of the familiar's, and that derived statistics like special ability DCs or SR, do not. But then later he questioned his decision on that, so it's all sort of up in the air right now. Since the rules are somewhat ambiguous, you as GM will have to make a ruling.
Personally I'd keep SR at 12 until the character reaches high enough level to grant SR to his familiar, and then use whichever value is higher.