RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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I noticed on the d20pfsrd that under the listings of familiars there is Raven (Parrot). This made me start wondering if a wizard could actually pick a parrot as a familiar and not have to call it a reskin. After mining the messageboards here I found no mention of it (except in a few threads where wizards had parrot familiars and no one batted an eye). The only "precedent" I can find for this reskin is for the Sea Singer bard archetype in the APG (page 86) which states:
"Familiar: At 2nd level, a sea singer acquires an exotic pet—a monkey or parrot (treat as raven)—that gains abilities as a wizard's familiar, using the sea singer's bard level as his wizard level. This ability replaces versatile performance."
Does this mean that wizards can aquire parrots as familiars? Or is it restricted to Sea Singer bards?
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I noticed on the d20pfsrd that under the listings of familiars there is Raven (Parrot). This made me start wondering if a wizard could actually pick a parrot as a familiar and not have to call it a reskin. After mining the messageboards here I found no mention of it (except in a few threads where wizards had parrot familiars and no one batted an eye). The only "precedent" I can find for this reskin is for the Sea Singer bard archetype in the APG (page 86) which states:
"Familiar: At 2nd level, a sea singer acquires an exotic pet—a monkey or parrot (treat as raven)—that gains abilities as a wizard's familiar, using the sea singer's bard level as his wizard level. This ability replaces versatile performance."
Does this mean that wizards can aquire parrots as familiars? Or is it restricted to Sea Singer bards?
same thing. whats it matter?
hit the ran with a color spray and make it a parrot.
or prestidigitate it to be colorful.
just call the imaginary bird on your sheet a parrot
The parrot's been on the familiar lists since 1st edition, though usually not in the main book. It's almost always been treated as a raven with a different color scheme and a diet of fruit and nuts instead of human eyeballs.
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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For most games, yes, a parrot is available and it has the exact same stats as a raven.
There may be a hangup in PFS, however. Since sometimes the precise species of a critter is vital, if only a raven is available, it had better be a raven.
In my game, however, it can be a parrot, no problem, sure.
This was my major concern, hence the post. I'd just rather have the parrot be a viable familiar or not -- instead of dubbing it a "reskin" and all the drama/problems that can entail.
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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Jeez. Wow, a parrot must be incredibly unbalancing to cause so much drama. Not directed to the poster, but to rulebound GMs who would enforce such nonsense on players.
This is the sort of thing I'd wish my Wizard pirate with a parrot in PFS to avoid.
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Jeez. Wow, a parrot must be incredibly unbalancing to cause so much drama. Not directed to the poster, but to rulebound GMs who would enforce such nonsense on players.This is the sort of thing I'd wish my Wizard pirate with a parrot in PFS to avoid.
My advice is:
Call it a parrot until the question "Is it a parrot or a raven?" comes up. Then, it's a raven. It might mean that Random Mean Guy takes a potshot at the Sea Singer's familiar and not yours, despite them both looking like parrots, or vice versa.
Also, note that the rules don't say that your raven has to be black. All it says is:
The raven is an omnivorous scavenger that eats carrion, insects, food waste, berries, and even small animals.
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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My advice is:Call it a parrot until the question "Is it a parrot or a raven?" comes up. Then, it's a raven. It might mean that Random Mean Guy takes a potshot at the Sea Singer's familiar and not yours, despite them both looking like parrots, or vice versa.
Also, note that the rules don't say that your raven has to be black. All it says is:
The raven is an omnivorous scavenger that eats carrion, insects, food waste, berries, and even small animals.
True words sir, true words. Thanks ;)
I guess it doesn't say they have to be size small avian creatures either! Heh.
Seriously, though, I don't see it being worth getting bent out of shape about.
"I new a gnome wizard with a parrot once, he was a good companion and I liked adventuring with him. He also had a good sense of humor."
I am of the opinion that this falls under the "who gives a crap" category. If it's mechanically identical to a raven you can have a miniature peacock or tufted titmouse for all I care.
Since parrots can imitate human speech and familiars are intelligent, could a parrot familiar speak normally to people other than his master?
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Since parrots can imitate human speech and familiars are intelligent, could a parrot familiar speak normally to people other than his master?
Since it is statted off of the Raven, and the raven states this as a bonus power:
*A raven familiar can speak one language of its master's choice as a supernatural ability.
I would say that it can speak to others.
This is at the bottom of the table describing familiar bonuses found here.
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RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 8
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This is at the bottom of the table describing familiar bonuses found here.
I found the Raven (Parrot) thing originally here. And while I'd agree that 99.9% of the time it falls under the "who gives a crap" category, in Pathfinder Society I'm sure that, given enough time, eventually there's going to be a scenario that that has either people having raven pets or having parrot pets and, perhaps, my parrot (raven) thing would cause unnecessary headache. Since it is for a society character, what I will likely do is have it biologically be a raven. However, as was pointed out to me, the color of ravens are not defined in the rules, it will be parrot colored.
While my pirate calls it a parrot, he will, if pressed, admit that it is not a parrot. It is a raven that he had a bit of a ...magical mishap with when making it his familiar. In addition to the rainbow colors, the parrot-style word repeating that his raven does is part of its personality -- it has a bird-sized case of mental trauma. Eventually, at level 7, he'll get an Imp familiar that will change its form into that of a parrot looking raven too. This imp will know my pirate wizard's lofty intention of eventually ruling the roiling seas of Golarion, and, fueled by my sinful ways, he will gladly lie to both players and npcs, passing himself off as a true parrot.
While not ideal, it just gives my character more flavor to play with, which suits me just fine.