Tumor Familiar = 2 standard actions for +3 to almost any skill?

[Reynard_the_fox]

I was looking at the Tumor Familiar alchemist discovery.

Tumor Familiar:

The alchemist creates a Diminutive or Tiny tumor on his body, usually on his back or stomach. As a standard action, the alchemist can have the tumor detach itself from his body as a separate creature vaguely resembling a kind of animal suitable for a familiar (bat, cat, and so on) and move about as if it were an independent creature. The tumor can reattach itself to the alchemist as a standard action. The tumor has all the abilities of the animal it resembles (for example, a batlike tumor can fly) and familiar abilities based on the alchemist’s caster level (though some familiar abilities may be useless to an alchemist). The tumor acts as the alchemist’s familiar whether attached or separated (providing a skill bonus, the Alertness feat, and so on). When attached to the alchemist, the tumor has fast healing 5. An alchemist’s extracts and mutagens are considered spells for the purposes of familiar abilities like share spells and deliver touch spells. If a tumor familiar is lost or dies, it can be replaced 1 week later through a specialized procedure that costs 200 gp per alchemist level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

It seems like you can use a different animal every time you detach it from your body, each type of animal gives a different bonus, and absorbing and re-detaching a familiar takes only a standard action apiece. Therefore, by absorbing and detaching a familiar, an alchemist gets +3 to almost any skill he wants.

Is this correct?

[Cheapy]

Nope.

You only create the tumor once.

[OldManAlexi]

I would assume that the tumor familiar never changes animal. Otherwise, it would be far superior to a normal familiar. Plus, from a pure concept point of view, it would seem odd for a piece of human flesh to essentially have advanced shapeshifting capabilities.

[Iggy Toymaker]

I agree that the text here is very vague and doesn't really say one way or the other if the tumor is a fixed creature or not.

As a standard action, the alchemist can have the tumor detach itself from his body as a separate creature vaguely resembling a kind of animal suitable for a familiar (bat, cat, and so on)

My read of this suggests that the 'creature' is created as a standard action.. which means that potentially it is created every time it is released... from like the goop of the tumor. Honestly, this is very potent since, as the original poster suggests, you could have quite a wide variety of bonuses. The text also doesn't suggest when the bonuses change and it does say that the bonuses are retained even after the tumor is reabsorbed... which gets pretty wonky if you can change it.

I would suggest some clarification text be added to the description of this ability.
The creature type, once selected, cannot be changed.
Or something like that.

Personally, I'm not the sort of Alchemist to dabble in this sort if shenanigans.. mutating one's self for sport... eww..
Anyway...

[Quantum Steve]

How do you read a creature is 'created'? I don't see the word 'create relating to a creature at all, and certainly not used as a standard action. The only thing that's 'created' is the tumor, presumably when the discovery is taken as the discovery gives no other option to create the tumor.

So the tumor is only 'created' once, then, when it comes off and resembles a creature. The tumor doesn't 'change' into something else when it detaches, furthermore, the tumor always give it's bonuses even while in tumor form. If you have a 'bat' familiar, it's always a bat whether in bat form or in tumor form.

The discovery gives no method of changing your familiar, so it doesn't need separate text saying you can't change the familiar anymore than the Wizard ability does.

[Pupsocket]

Reynard_the_fox wrote:

I was looking at the Tumor Familiar alchemist discovery.

** spoiler omitted **

It seems like you can use a different animal every time you detach it from your body, each type of animal gives a different bonus, and absorbing and re-detaching a familiar takes only a standard action apiece. Therefore, by absorbing and detaching a familiar, an alchemist gets +3 to almost any skill he wants.

Is this correct?

Given that the creature provides a bonus while attached, it is clear that the form of the familiar is defined even before the very first detachment.

Also, 3 FAQ clicks? Seriously, people? Grow some common sense, wouldya?

[Iggy Toymaker]

The tumor 'transforms' from a tumor into a blob of flesh resembling a creature.. it isn't actually a creature at all. The thing merges and unmerges with the Alchemist on a regular basis. There is nothing to suggest that it always has to remain the same.

[Owly]

That and any village will burn you at the stake for being too weird to live.

[Grollub]

my god people.. dont try to abuse stuff... its like any other familiar.. you pick a type and thats it.. ONCE..

btw. if i was your gm.. i would have to slap you

[chaoseffect]

Pupsocket wrote:

Reynard_the_fox wrote:

I was looking at the Tumor Familiar alchemist discovery.

** spoiler omitted **

It seems like you can use a different animal every time you detach it from your body, each type of animal gives a different bonus, and absorbing and re-detaching a familiar takes only a standard action apiece. Therefore, by absorbing and detaching a familiar, an alchemist gets +3 to almost any skill he wants.

Is this correct?

Given that the creature provides a bonus while attached, it is clear that the form of the familiar is defined even before the very first detachment.

Also, 3 FAQ clicks? Seriously, people? Grow some common sense, wouldya?

Just FAQ'd it out of spite. You don't tell me what to do!

That said, if the topic premise actually did work it would make Improved Familiar Tumor all that more amusing.