They don't, so it's moot.
Sadly ^This^
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Really? But familiars gain hit dice, and feats are based on hit dice, right?
The example animals for familiars in the Bestiary each have a feat (usually weapon finesse). So those animals lose weapon finesse when they become familiars? I didn't see this mentioned in the familiars section in the core rulebook or in the Bestiary.
They have hit dice (the same number as a non-familiar animal of their kind), but they don't GAIN hit dice.
They are treated as having hit dice equal to their spellcasting master. This isn't the same thing as true hit dice (which increase base attack bonus, saves, hit points, skills, feats, etc.) and instead makes them immune to spells and effects with HD limits like sleep or deep slumber.
You DO gain the feats listed for a normal non-familiar animal of the same kind as your familiar. With GM's permission, you can even switch out that feat if it isn't a bonus feat, but that still only leaves you with one feat (plus bonus feats).
This isn't the same thing as true hit dice (which increase base attack bonus, saves, hit points, skills, feats, etc.)
The core rulebook has explicit rules regarding the familiar's base attack, saves, hit points & skills. There is no such explicit rule regarding feats.
Since feats are normally based on hit dice, I assumed this to be the case with familiars.
I have specifically asked the game designers whether or not familiars get feats in the past, and they said no.
I will see if I can drudge up the post though it would be many years old by now.
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Found this in a similar thread.
Actually guys, familiars don't gain additional hit dice when you level up. Check here on page 82:
A familiar is an animal chosen by a spellcaster to aid in his study of magic. It retains the appearance, hit dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was...
A couple paragraphs later we see hit dice appear again:
Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of hit dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher.
So, the familiar doesn't ever gain hit dice, but you get to pretend he does when figuring out how powerful his poison/burn/whirlwind/ect. is. This also means that the familiar won't gain feats or skill points.
Found the official ruling from the game developer.
For those too lazy to click the link, here's the quote:
James, do a familiar's racial abilities advance with their "effective hit dice?"
For example, would an imp's poison DC go up? Would a silvanshee gain increased healing from it's lay on hands ability?
What about more basic stats? Do they get +1 ability score boost every four hit dice? A new feat every odd hit dice?
The rules say: "For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher."
This means that effects that target HD, s
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Request to the sysops: can you move this thread to the "Rules" section please?
Sysops... that's a term you don't hear much any more :D
Click on the "Flag" link in the upper right corner of your post. One of the options is "Wrong Forum". You can flag your post with the request if you'd like so they can see what you are thinking.
The familiars listed in the Bestiary all have weapon finesse.
However the core rule book states that familiars use Dex or Str, whichever is higher, when using melee natural weapons. My familiar isn't going to be wielding a dagger or a rapier, so weapon finesse is useless.
Is it reasonable to take a different feat instead of weapon finesse?
Reasonable: Yes. Covered by the rules: No.
Ask your GM.
You can add (some) Evolutions to your Familiar by taking the Evolved Familiar feat yourself. That's about it, really - short of transmuting the critter.
The familiars listed in the Bestiary all have weapon finesse.
However the core rule book states that familiars use Dex or Str, whichever is higher, when using melee natural weapons. My familiar isn't going to be wielding a dagger or a rapier, so weapon finesse is useless.
Is it reasonable to take a different feat instead of weapon finesse?
Natural attacks and unarmed strikes are light weapons, and thus can be weapon finessed. Admittedly, you really should not be using your familiar to attack with its natural weapons. Maybe with alchemist's fire or something, but only a couple of the improved familiars should really ever consider melee. So yeah, the whole trade in thing with those familiar feats sound good.
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Weapon Finesse could still be useful if you use Alter Self to turn your familiar into a halfling alter-ego named Mr. Kibbles who smacks people with a merciful badminton racquet. There might be better plans.
The Beast-Bonded Witch archetype can give feat slots to her familiar. I'm not sure that a Witch/Fighter with a combat goat would really strike much terror into the hearts of enemies, but there might be some pretty cool teamwork feats you could take, and a familiar with a high Dex and Bodyguard might be a real boon to its master's AC.