Hello everyone, today I have doubt about my crow familiar. I have a fighter 1/wizard 1 pg with the trait magical knack so my caster level is 2. I have 22 HP: 13 for the fighter and 9 for the wizard... and my crow have 11 HP or 4 HP? It gains talent every 2 level and Skill ranks every level? Furthermore where I have to apply my +2 on Caster level? Only in the effects of my spells or also in familiar ability, prerequisite for talents (like Arcane Armor Training and Item Creation talents) etc...?
PS sorry for my bad English
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Caster Level only effects your
- Any Numerical Effect in a Spell (Duration/Area of Effect/Number of Damage Dice) that is modified by level
- Concentration Checks
- Anything else that specifically calls out Caster Level
I haven't looked at the familiar rules, but I imagine it means your class level, not your caster level.
Your crow has 11 hp, half of his master's hp.
Gaining skill points and feats is not an effect related to the number of hit dice, so the reference on page 82 to Hit Dice under Familiar Basics does not apply. It's talking about (primarily) things like spell effects like sleep that can only affect creatures of a certain HD or less, or other spells that have differing effects based on the HD of the target.
Your familiar gains only what the table on page 83 says it gains, based on the master's CLASS level (the number of character levels the master has in classes that grant familiars).
Your familiar uses the master's skill ranks but it's own ability modifiers (unless it has more skill ranks for an animal of its type).
Thanks SlimGauge, now I've a last question: when I want to do a Perception Test I use my perception bonus, my familar bonus (that it's better then mine) or I roll for the two of us? Furthemore if I have skill rank in Linguistics my familiar can learn languages that I don't know (for example I spend a skill rank to lear Abissal and my familiar lear Draconic)?
when I want to do a Perception Test I use my perception bonus, my familar bonus (that it's better then mine) or I roll for the two of us?
It depends on what you're doing. If you are looking for which of the runes painted on the wall matches a particular age, that's probably not something a crow can help out with.
However, if you're walking along the path, and looking out for dangerous creatures, the crow can certainly make it's own perception check in addition to yours.
Furthemore if I have skill rank in Linguistics my familiar can learn languages that I don't know (for example I spend a skill rank to lear Abissal and my familiar lear Draconic)?
No. Learning a language comes from spending a rank in linguistics. The familiar did not put a rank in that skill, so it doesn't learn a language.
While the familiar can use your ranks in a skill if higher than it's own, some skills may remain beyond the familiar's ability to use. Detecting forgeries or translating texts is probably beyond the ability of a crow, even a very smart one.
You and your familiar are individuals, so you each get a perception check. Your check is made with your ranks and your modifiers (remember the bonus from alertness if your familiar is close by enough). Your familiar checks with your ranks but HIS modifiers (assuming you have more ranks than he does). You may find it better for your familiar to aid you (see the Aid Another action) rather than make his own check depending on the nature of the check. If your familiar has darkvision and you don't, it might be better for you to aid your familiar instead. The difficulty might come when the familiar attempts to communicate the results of his perception check to you, unless you're of high enough level to have the "speak with familiar" benefit.
As to Linguistics, your familiar is NOT gaining a rank in linguistics, YOU are, and your familiar is only "borrowing" those ranks when it has to make a check. Your familiar can only use your ranks on languages it knows independently.
A crow familiar start with a language, why it can't learn any more language? I can understad if we talk about profession, craft or similar ability... but it talks! It's different from the other familiars because they don't talk. Furthermore he start with 6 in Intelligence (like Ettins)
A 6 INT isn't enough for a bonus language. To quote the rulebook, "A character knows a number of additional bonus languages equal to his or her Intelligence modifier (see page 17)."
You'll have to find a way for the crow to gain a skill rank of its own or find a way to boost his int. Perhaps a magic item of INT +N with skill points/languages set to linguistics ? (Unless you're willing to wait until you wizard level reaches 13, when your familiar with get a 12 INT, gaining a bonus language that way).
Unless you're willing to wait until you wizard level reaches 13, when your familiar with get a 12 INT, gaining a bonus language that way
You only get bonus languages for high intelligence at the start of the game.
I was not clear enough, Grick. The familiar will get additional skill points when his INT mod goes positive. He can spend the (minimum 1, if he was a 1 HD crow) on a rank in linguistics and gain a "new" language, that I confusingly called a bonus language.
Ok I've understand now, thanks everyone =)