How do you "acquire" a familiar - (question relates to Improved Familiar)...

[Shadow Star]

So I am about to start a new campaign and me and the GM are wondering about the Improved Familiar feat. It states in the rules that part of the per-requisits is the "Ability to acquire a new familiar".

Well, what does that mean exactly? I assume a familiar, at the begging of the game if Arcane Bond is chosen for a Wizard, is just given to you.

So what does that mean for improved familiar? Do I have to do the ritual of 1 week, 200 gold per level, and 8 hours to conjure or summon the improved familiar? Or can I just dismiss my existing familiar and automatically get the new one?

[Weirdo]

A character who currently has a familiar is generally able to acquire a new one by dismissing the current familiar.

Gaining your new, improved familiar is free upon selecting the feat. However, should you upgrade your familiar again (for example, changing a celestial cat to a silvanshee agathion) you will need to spend time and gold.

FAQ

[Shadow Star]

Thanks for the clarification.

EDIT:

Sorry I missed your FAQ link where it clearly answers my and my GM's questions.

Thanks again.

[Symon_Mx]

I have a wizard and just leveled up to 5th. Thing is, at the beginning of the game I choose the arcane bond not the familiar. Now I really want a familiar and my question is with the IMPROVED FAMILIAR Feat, can I get one?

[Artofregicide]

Symon_Mx wrote:

I have a wizard and just leveled up to 5th. Thing is, at the beginning of the game I choose the arcane bond not the familiar. Now I really want a familiar and my question is with the IMPROVED FAMILIAR Feat, can I get one?

Unless you retrain or get one from another source, you don't qualify.

[Symon_Mx]

Artofregicide wrote:

Symon_Mx wrote:

I have a wizard and just leveled up to 5th. Thing is, at the beginning of the game I choose the arcane bond not the familiar. Now I really want a familiar and my question is with the IMPROVED FAMILIAR Feat, can I get one?

Unless you retrain or get one from another source, you don't qualify.

Man, that's a bummer! Well thanks for the info. Stay safe everybody and happy role playing!

[Ryan Freire]

Symon_Mx wrote:

Artofregicide wrote:

Symon_Mx wrote:

I have a wizard and just leveled up to 5th. Thing is, at the beginning of the game I choose the arcane bond not the familiar. Now I really want a familiar and my question is with the IMPROVED FAMILIAR Feat, can I get one?

Unless you retrain or get one from another source, you don't qualify.

Man, that's a bummer! Well thanks for the info. Stay safe everybody and happy role playing!

it couldn't hurt to ask your gm about the retraining rules if you're really into an improved familiar.

[Artofregicide]

Ryan Freire wrote:

Symon_Mx wrote:

Artofregicide wrote:

Symon_Mx wrote:

I have a wizard and just leveled up to 5th. Thing is, at the beginning of the game I choose the arcane bond not the familiar. Now I really want a familiar and my question is with the IMPROVED FAMILIAR Feat, can I get one?

Unless you retrain or get one from another source, you don't qualify.

Man, that's a bummer! Well thanks for the info. Stay safe everybody and happy role playing!

it couldn't hurt to ask your gm about the retraining rules if you're really into an improved familiar.

I'd second this. Sometimes a kindly GM will even fiat for change in return for good roleplaying.