Arcane Bond and a Forced Familiar?


Rules Questions


4 people marked this as FAQ candidate.

If a wizard has chosen to have an arcane bond and then takes a prestige class that automatically gives him a familiar does he
a) lose his arcane bond but get full familiar progression?
b) keep both arcane bond and full familiar progression?
c) keep arcane bond, but only get progression for familiar with those prestige class levels?
d) something else?

Lantern Lodge

Generally speaking, the ability of a PrC will give you how you calculate the gaining of a familiar. It would be helpful here to know what PrC you are talking about.

As far as his own bond goes, that surely would not change. He would retain his arcane bond.

If you could post up the wording on the class feature that grants you a familiar, that would help very quickly answer your question.


souleater is the class I am thinking about. At 1st level, the souleater gains a cacodaemon familiar, as if she had the Improved Familiar feat. If the souleater already has a familiar, the cacodaemon devours it (which does not penalize the souleater). The souleater counts as an evil outsider for the purpose of utilizing cacodaemon soul gems.

Lantern Lodge

I'm not sure exactly, but here is my gut reaction:

On your gaining of the souleater class, you gain the familiar as if you had taken Improved Familiar. Improved familiar only really changes what kinds of familiars you can have. Because it doesnt tell you to use your Souleater class level to determine ability, I believe it falls back on your wizard level to determine familiar stats.


You are only allowed to gain Arcane Bond once. However, the Souleater ability does not mention Arcane Bond. But Familiars are an Arcane Bond, yeah...this should be a FAQ.

BTW, both the familiar and a bonded object are an 'Arcane Bond'. Your title would be better phrased as Bonded Object and a Force Familiar?

- Gauss


oh sorry
EDIT: is there any way for me to change the title?


Also how would this work with the druid's animal companion? I mean it's not like the daemon could eat an entire bear and it says it would only eat a familiar, so would a druid gain an animal companion and a familiar?


Animal Companions and Familiars are two separate features. Arcane Bond-Bonded Object and Arcane Bond-Familiar are different aspects of the same feature: Arcane Bond. In short, it would not affect a Animal Companions in any way.

- Gauss

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