I have two questions about Familiars.
[Question 1]
I have been trying to figure out when it is possible that a person can have multiple Familiars. I am making a Character Sheet website and have set it up to where a Familiar is totally customizable, but I need to know if there are times where a person can have two Familiars. I've done some reading and it seems the way multiple Familiars are handled is to combine their stats. But, it also seems like I read there are certain instances when an extra Familiar can be a thing.
So far, these are the different ways I am aware of gaining a Familiar:
- Wizard
- Witch
- Arcane-bloodline Sorcerer
- 3rd level Magus with Magus Arcana: Familiar
- Alchemist with Discovery: Tumor Familiar
[Question 2]
Can a Familiar roll for Skill checks that it doesn't have in its default list. Basically, does it have access to all Skills or just the default ones for being a Familiar and the extra ones listed in its description?
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1: I've never seen a build with more than one familiar.
2: A familiar can make a skill check with any skill just like a PC can. They also are allowed to use their master's skill ranks if the master has more ranks in a skill than the familiar, though they use their own ability and other modifiers (racial, size, skill focus, etc). The familiar description simply defines which skills are considered class skills for the familiar (and thus get the class skill bonus if the familiar or master has a rank in that skill).
They only skills a familiar can't use at all are ones they lack the physical ability to use. For example, a pig might not be able to make a Climb check, and a cat can't use Use Magic Device to activate a wand because they can't hold the wand.
Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the master's skill ranks, whichever is better. In either case, the familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a familiar's total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar's ability to use. Familiars treat Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim as class skills.
I could be wrong, but as far as I know there isn't a rule that spells out "you cannot have more than 1 familiar". However, you cannot gain the same ability from multiple sources. For example, the Arcane Bond gained by a Wizard or Sorc does not give you a new companion, it just stacks (as per the text of the ability). On the other hand, the Magus Arcana Familiar ability is named simply "Familiar", making it technically a different ability even though it grants a similar ability.
That said, there is a general rule that players shouldn't individually control too many units, or things start to get out of hand.
As a side note, anyone using Skill Focus + Eldritch Heritage can gain the Sorc's Arcane bloodline familiar. The NPC Adept also has a familiar called Summon Familiar, but it functions as the Wizard's Arcane Bond, so stacks with anything else that stacks with Arcane Bond.
The closest thing I can think of that would look like two familars is someone with both a familiar and an animal companion. So a Wildblooded: Sylvan sorcerer with Eldritch Heritage: Arcane would have an Animal Companion and a Familiar.
An Infernal Binder Wizard (or Arcane Sorc, Tattooed Sorc, regular Wizard, etc. with Improved Familiar) with the Diabolist Prestige Class. In this case, you would end up with two imps, one a familar, one a companion.
1: I've never seen a build with more than one familiar.
2: A familiar can make a skill check with any skill just like a PC can. They also are allowed to use their master's skill ranks if the master has more ranks in a skill than the familiar, though they use their own ability and other modifiers (racial, size, skill focus, etc). The familiar description simply defines which skills are considered class skills for the familiar (and thus get the class skill bonus if the familiar or master has a rank in that skill).
They only skills a familiar can't use at all are ones they lack the physical ability to use. For example, a pig might not be able to make a Climb check, and a cat can't use Use Magic Device to activate a wand because they can't hold the wand.
Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the master's skill ranks, whichever is better. In either case, the familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a familiar's total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar's ability to use. Familiars treat Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim as class skills.
A pig can absolutely make a Climb check. It can't use a rope, though.
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A pig can absolutely make a Climb check. It can't use a rope, though.
Googled it and whaddayaknow.
Which means most of the animals on the familiar list are only limited by lack of opposable thumbs for fine manipulation of tools - and some by lack of wings for making Fly checks without the aid of magic.
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I could be wrong, but as far as I know there isn't a rule that spells out "you cannot have more than 1 familiar". However, you cannot gain the same ability from multiple sources. For example, the Arcane Bond gained by a Wizard or Sorc does not give you a new companion, it just stacks (as per the text of the ability). On the other hand, the Magus Arcana Familiar ability is named simply "Familiar", making it technically a different ability even though it grants a similar ability.
That said, there is a general rule that players shouldn't individually control too many units, or things start to get out of hand.
As a side note, anyone using Skill Focus + Eldritch Heritage can gain the Sorc's Arcane bloodline familiar. The NPC Adept also has a familiar called Summon Familiar, but it functions as the Wizard's Arcane Bond, so stacks with anything else that stacks with Arcane Bond.
Eh, not really. All of those different classes all reference back to the regular familiar entry to determine what the familiar can do and THAT entry has this line in it.
Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master's level.
Since they all stack a strong case can be made for you being limited to just one familiar at a time.
So far, these are the different ways I am aware of gaining a Familiar:
- Wizard
- Witch
- Arcane-bloodline Sorcerer
- 3rd level Magus with Magus Arcana: Familiar
- Alchemist with Discovery: Tumor Familiar
Don't forget that Rogues can gain a familiar through the Advanced Rogue Talent, Familiar.
As far as gaining multiple familiars, I know of no way if you stay strictly within Paizo material. However, Super Genius Games published a feat that would allow a second familiar called Second Bond.
My Wizard in our homebrew campaign has two familiars.