Improved Familiar

[David_Bross]

I was looking at the FAQ on familiars and I found the discussion of animal companions and familiars slightly confusing. I believe the intent is that an improved familiar who is listed as either bipedal (hands) or serpentine can use those magical item slots without the need for extra item slots feat (as an animal companion would need, in the discussion), as the familiars have no feats to use. Is this correct?

[David_Bross]

nobody has any thoughts?

[Nefreet]

If your Familiar is "bipedal (hands)" you can equip it with whatever magic items you want.

My Quasit has Armor and a Headband, and I'm even thinking of giving him some Ioun Stones, for example.

My Druid's Spinosaurus, on the contrary, would need the feat to wear a Belt or Headband.

[FLite]

Nefreet, can you get me a source for that? My understanding was that it still needed the extra slot feat. (Except for Ioun Stones)

[FLite]

To answer the origional question:

Special: Feats that are meant for familiars can be switched out for a familiar's default feats (as listed in the familiar's statistics) if the familiar meets the prerequisites. Such feat replacements must be made when the PC first acquires a new familiar, and-like all new feats from supplemental sources-the new feats should be approved by the GM before being integrated into play.

[David_Bross]

Flite, show me where it says I can switch out my familiar's feats.

[David H]

@David: You'll find such rules in the Animal Archives book. Likewise, you'll have to own said resource to be able to swap familiar feats.

[BigNorseWolf]

David_Bross wrote:

Flite, show me where it says I can switch out my familiar's feats.

With Animal Archive only, you can swap out a feat of a familiar with one found in that book. You can't swap out feats for ones that are found in any other book. - Mike Brock

[Nefreet]

Uh-oh.

Apparently I have that wrong as well. I took the phrase "use the Biped (hands) section of the chart" to mean that they automatically got all the slots, since you can't swap out a Familiar's feats (normally).

I shall need to punish my Quasit for allowing me to make such a mistake.

(he actually really likes it when I do that)

In retrospect, I think it was a common practice before Animal Archive came out to give your Familiar magic items. I've seen headbands of Intelligence as a suggestion in multiple threads. I wonder if other players are aware of this?

[FLite]

Other people found it for me. It's in the top bar of the section that has the special feats for animal. So if you have the book you need to have the feat, you have the text that lets you swap.

[Nefreet]

I already swapped one feat out for him, and I'm not willing to swap out Weapon Finesse.

Looks like he's gonna get dumber.

[Illeist]

Nefreet wrote:

I already swapped one feat out for him, and I'm not willing to swap out Weapon Finesse.

Looks like he's gonna get dumber.

You don't want to swap out a feat that does absolutely nothing?

Familiar Abilities wrote:

Attacks: Use the master's base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar's Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to calculate the familiar's melee attack bonus with natural weapons. Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar's kind.

[Iammars]

Illeist wrote:

Nefreet wrote:

I already swapped one feat out for him, and I'm not willing to swap out Weapon Finesse.

Looks like he's gonna get dumber.

You don't want to swap out a feat that does absolutely nothing?

Familiar Abilities wrote:

Attacks: Use the master's base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar's Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to calculate the familiar's melee attack bonus with natural weapons. Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar's kind.

Unfortunately Mike Brock has said that if you trade out Weapon Finesse, the familiar no longer gets that feature.

[Sitri]

Nefreet wrote:

Uh-oh.

Apparently I have that wrong as well. I took the phrase "use the Biped (hands) section of the chart" to mean that they automatically got all the slots, since you can't swap out a Familiar's feats (normally).

I shall need to punish my Quasit for allowing me to make such a mistake.

(he actually really likes it when I do that)

In retrospect, I think it was a common practice before Animal Archive came out to give your Familiar magic items. I've seen headbands of Intelligence as a suggestion in multiple threads. I wonder if other players are aware of this?

You are ok

[Nefreet]

Thank you! I knew I had read that somewhere. Wish they'd add that to the FAQ.

I no longer has dumb Quasit.

[FLite]

Interesting, that is not clear from the faq.

Hmm... What body shape is a small air elemental?

[Nefreet]

Funnel-shaped?

[zefig]

FLite wrote:

Interesting, that is not clear from the faq.

Hmm... What body shape is a small air elemental?

I believe they expand to fill whatever container you put them in.

[BigNorseWolf]

zefig wrote:

FLite wrote:

Interesting, that is not clear from the faq.

Hmm... What body shape is a small air elemental?

I believe they expand to fill whatever container you put them in.

"So let me get this strait, you want an air tight octopus shaped suit with FOUR heads and 6 legs?"

"What, boots of haste, feather step AND striding and springing too much?"

[FLite]

From their entry:

Although all air elementals of a similar size have identical statistics, the exact appearance of an air elemental can vary wildly between individuals. One might be an animated vortex of wind and smoke, while another might be a smoky bird-like creature with glowing eyes and wind for wings.

A small air elemental is 4 feet long and weighs 1 pound.

So, basically, ummm.... I get to pick one when I get it? :)

[FLite]

Actually, I wouldn't be unhappy with Avian. Armor, belt, chest, eyes,
headband, neck, ring, wrist is pretty respectable.

On the other hand, it is going to be so hard to resist buying Eyes of the eagle for my hawk shaped air elemental... (an repping them on the mini as little John Lenin glasses perched on it's beak... )