Why can only certain Improved Familiars make use of our UMD skill

[Rogar Stonebow]

while others cannot? If an improved familiar can speak, and grasp things, its hard for me to believe that they cannot make use of the UMD skill.

[Bbauzh ap Aghauzh]

Because that's the way the campaign management have ruled. Until (and a huge if) they change their mind, that's what we have to work with for this campaign.

I wouldn't expect an explanation for why they ruled they way they ruled.

[Michael Brock]

Removed a post that has no reasoning but to start a flame war. Keep it civil.

[Michael Brock]

Andrew is correct. We usually don't explain every decision because more often than not, it devolves into an argument and sometimes a flame fest. Suffice to say we have our reasons.

[Nuku]

Are you suggesting there may be a boon to allow other familiars to use UMD at some point?

[Dennis Baker]

Nuku wrote:

Are you suggesting there may be a boon to allow other familiars to use UMD at some point?

I believe he's suggesting that there are or will be boons that will allow additional familiars which can use UMD.

Edit: This made more sense before a post above was edited.

[Michael Brock]

Dennis, I'm not suggesting anything. Suffice to say we have our reasons and I'm not going to discuss it further at this time. There are no guarantees or promises you will ever see any other familiars that can use UMD than what is currently available.

[Nuku]

There are no promises here.
Hope springs eternal.
We will wait and see.

A haiku for you.

[Michael Brock]

Nuku wrote:

There are no promises here.

Hope springs eternal.
We will wait and see.

A haiku for you.

A haiku usually has 5 syllables on the first line, 7 syllables on the second line, and 5 syllables on the third line. It can also have other patterns such as 2,3,2, but is generally found in a 5, 7, 5 format.

[Chris Mortika]

(Nuku, not to derail the active back-and-forth of this thread, but:
Haiku: three-line poems
with syllabication of
5, 7, and 5.)

EDIT: It seems appropriate for a post on Japanese poetic forms to be ninja'ed.

[Hawkwen Agricola]

Magic Item Use
Able Familiar Does Need
Do Not Hold Your Breath

[Victor Zajic]

What ones can use UMD?

[CRobledo]

Victor Zajic wrote:

What ones can use UMD?

It's in the FAQ:

FAQ wrote:

That said, a creature is limited by its anatomy. Something without shoulders can't wear a cloak, and something without fingers can't wear a ring. For the sake of PFS, animal companions can wear barding and neck-slot items. All other slots aren't really appropriate for animals (or even magical beasts). The only exception to this would be an brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, or quasit familiar gained with the Improved Familiar feat. One could reasonably face either of these wielding a wand or wearing a circlet of persuasion in combat, and after investing a feat to gain their service, they are not limited by the same restrictions as normal bonded creatures like animals (whether treated like animals or magical beasts and regardless of Int scores).

This is specifically related to wands though, but that is what most people use UMD on familiars for.

That said, UMD is independent of the ruling above. For your familiar to use UMD either the familiar needs to already have ranks in it, or the master needs to have ranks in it. A lyrakien azata for example, has no innate UMD so it could not use a wand if the master didn't have ranks in UMD.

Also, any other familiar could use UMD to activate a barding or neck item that requires a command word, I'd assume. Those are legal item slots. :P

[Dylos]

So, if an imp familiar can use UMD can the diobolist's imp companion too?

[Victor Zajic]

it's allowed to take ranks in UMD, so I don't see why it could not.

[Garble Facechomper]

Garble want brownie!

[Chris Mortika]

Not that kind of brownie, Garble.

We're not talking about desserts. We're talking about the little girls who aren't Girl Scouts yet. I think.

[Garble Facechomper]

Chris Mortika wrote:

Not that kind of brownie, Garble.

We're not talking about desserts. We're talking about the little girls who aren't Girl Scouts yet. I think.

Baby longshanks! Oooo, so tender and juicy! Gimme!

[Fromper]

So that's what Girl Scout Cookies are made of.

[Rogar Stonebow]

By the way, Thanks for all your hard work Michael Brock. It's not the answer I was looking for, but it was an answer. Getting to level 5 was easy enough, getting to level 7 will be just as easy.