Besmaran Familiars

[Tom_Servo]

A ranger of Besmara may take a familiar (from a limited list) instead of an animal companion, effective wizard level = ranger level - 3. The "effective level" idea I think was very easy to apply with animal companions, a bit more tricky with familiars.

The stuff listed in the table in the familiar section is easy enough to figure out (natural armor, int, special). Master Class = Ranger class - 3. But what about the other stuff?

How many hit die? Use the master's actual character level or his "effective wizard level"?

Hit points I think is pretty straight forward.

Attacks? My main question. Use the ranger's BAB or a Wizard's BAB 3 levels lower?

Saving Throws? Linked to master's actual saves or the saves of a wizard 3 levels lower?

Skills, again I think is pretty straight forward.

Finally, does the Besmaran familiar gain the favored enemy and favored terrain bonuses like the animal companion would?

What is the consensus/official ruling on this stuff?

[cartmanbeck]

Tom_Servo wrote:

A ranger of Besmara may take a familiar (from a limited list) instead of an animal companion, effective wizard level = ranger level - 3. The "effective level" idea I think was very easy to apply with animal companions, a bit more tricky with familiars.

The stuff listed in the table in the familiar section is easy enough to figure out (natural armor, int, special). Master Class = Ranger class - 3. But what about the other stuff?

How many hit die? Use the master's actual character level or his "effective wizard level"?

Hit points I think is pretty straight forward.

Attacks? My main question. Use the ranger's BAB or a Wizard's BAB 3 levels lower?

Saving Throws? Linked to master's actual saves or the saves of a wizard 3 levels lower?

Skills, again I think is pretty straight forward.

Finally, does the Besmaran familiar gain the favored enemy and favored terrain bonuses like the animal companion would?

What is the consensus/official ruling on this stuff?

How many hit die? Use the master's actual character level or his "effective wizard level"? I would think probably his effective wizard level here.

Hit points I think is pretty straight forward. Yep, half the ranger's hit points

Attacks? My main question. Use the ranger's BAB or a Wizard's BAB 3 levels lower? I would think the ranger's BAB here. Possibly the ranger's BAB - 3?

Saving Throws? Linked to master's actual saves or the saves of a wizard 3 levels lower? Linked to the master's actual saves, for sure

Skills, again I think is pretty straight forward. Yep.

Finally, does the Besmaran familiar gain the favored enemy and favored terrain bonuses like the animal companion would? Definitely not. You're replacing animal companion with familiar, so you get familiar abilities instead

What is the consensus/official ruling on this stuff? WISH I KNEW! :-P

[Tom_Servo]

cartmanbeck wrote:

Finally, does the Besmaran familiar gain the favored enemy and favored terrain bonuses like the animal companion would? Definitely not. You're replacing animal companion with familiar, so you get familiar abilities instead

I thought so to at first glance, but then I realized that this ability came from Hunter's Bond and not from the Animal Companion section. The Besmaran ability replaces "Animal Companion" with "Familiar", nothing is mentioned about Hunter's Bond.

[Andy Ferguson]

Where does it talk about Besmara's Rangers getting familiars in place of Animal Companions?

[Mort the Cleverly Named]

Andy Ferguson wrote:

Where does it talk about Besmara's Rangers getting familiars in place of Animal Companions?

Besmara article in The Wormwood Mutiny (Skull & Shackles #1).

[Tom_Servo]

Bump.

[blackbloodtroll]

It's not all that different than a PC with the Eldritch Hertage feat.

[Coraith]

As always best place to find obscure answers or an official ruling is the Ask James Jacobs thread. If you get tired of waiting for an answer, shoot a question on there.