Can a shaman gain the benefit of Improved Familiar

[MichaelCullen]

ACG States wrote:

If a spirit animal is lost or dies, it can be replaced after
24 hours through a special ritual that consumes material
components worth 500 gp per shaman level. The ritual
takes 8 hours to complete. The new spirit animal must be
of the same sort of creature as the previous one.

Does this mean a Shaman can not gain the benefit of an Improved Familiar?

[MichaelCullen]

Any thoughts?

[Captain K.]

It probably works just like a Witch.

They are attuned to the familiar more than a Wizard is, but they can still take Improved Familiar.

Unless the new book says differently, Shamans are almost certainly eligible.

[LazarX]

MichaelCullen wrote:

ACG States wrote:

If a spirit animal is lost or dies, it can be replaced after
24 hours through a special ritual that consumes material
components worth 500 gp per shaman level. The ritual
takes 8 hours to complete. The new spirit animal must be
of the same sort of creature as the previous one.

Does this mean a Shaman can not gain the benefit of an Improved Familiar?

That is correct to me. Spirit Animals are not familiars. They are your totem spirits.

[MichaelCullen]

ACG wrote:

Spirit Animal

This ability uses the same rules
as the wizard’s arcane bond class feature and is treated
as a familiar (see pages 78 and 82 of the Core Rulebook),
except as noted below.
.....
.....
If a spirit animal is lost or dies, it can be replaced after
24 hours through a special ritual that consumes material
components worth 500 gp per shaman level. The ritual
takes 8 hours to complete. The new spirit animal must be
of the same sort of creature as the previous one.

CRB wrote:

Improved Familiar
Prerequisites: Ability to acquire a new familiar, compatible alignment, sufficiently high level (see below).

Benefit: When choosing a familiar, the creatures listed here are also available to you. You may choose a familiar with an alignment up to one step away on each alignment axis (lawful through chaotic, good through evil).

The heart of the question is which rule trumps which?

[MyTThor]

Since Improved Familiar applies to several different classes, I'd say that the ACG is the more specific rule and would trump Improved Familiar.

[graystone]

Seems clear. "This ability uses the same rules as the wizard’s arcane bond class feature and is treated as a familiar." If it's treated as a familiar then it qualifies for Improved Familiar. To do otherwise would mean that you aren't using "the same rules as the wizard’s arcane bond class feature" and treating it "as a familiar'. So totally follow the ACG. it's got the rules that say 'use the familiar rules'.

[K177Y C47]

This would get interesting though with the Nature shaman. The nature shaman at level 15 (I think) gets the ability to also get all the benefits of being an animal companion with their familiar. Combining the stat buffs with some improved familiars can get pretty interesting...

[graystone]

"Has your fairy dragon been working out?" LOL

[K177Y C47]

pretty much xD