Familiar with Weapon Proficiency via Eldritch Guardian

[Covert Operator]

I am a Goblin Magus
I want to take Eldritch Guardian levels and give my familiar proficiency with any weapon in the Heavy Blades group. I would rather not take a Weapon Proficiency feat, but it I have to then I can work around it.
Any ways you know of?

[scootalol]

I've seen it argued that your innate weapon / armor proficiencies 'count' as their respective feats. I have no idea if that's how the rules actually work, though.

barring that, you'll probably have to take a feat.

Truthfully, you're probably better investing in natural weapons for your familiar (I'm pretty sure goblins get some natural weapon feats?)

Ride around on your Mauler wallaby boxer. be amazing. be a goblin!

[lemeres]

scootalol wrote:

I've seen it argued that your innate weapon / armor proficiencies 'count' as their respective feats. I have no idea if that's how the rules actually work, though.

barring that, you'll probably have to take a feat.

Truthfully, you're probably better investing in natural weapons for your familiar (I'm pretty sure goblins get some natural weapon feats?)

Ride around on your Mauler wallaby boxer. be amazing. be a goblin!

No feats worth writing home about, and none that would actually work (remember, eldritch guardians only get combat feats onto their familiars)

Maulers can do many things...but they are not very good with weapon builds (so few options with both decent stats and hands). Typically, you want an improved familiar for that. Earth elementals, for example, have decent strength and they can use simple weapons if they have a humanoid-shaped form.

[Covert Operator]

I was thinking I could get an extremely-high-dexterity familiar and then equip them with a teeny little scimitar (I have Dervish Dance), or I could take Martial Versatility (which my GM is letting any race take) and do anything in the Heavy Blades group.

[lemeres]

Covert Operator wrote:

I was thinking I could get an extremely-high-dexterity familiar and then equip them with a teeny little scimitar (I have Dervish Dance), or I could take Martial Versatility (which my GM is letting any race take) and do anything in the Heavy Blades group.

You might want to get an air elemental, imp, quasit, or lyrakien then.

The only base familiar with hands that comes to mind is the monkey...and its stats are subpar, even for a dex build.

[Covert Operator]

Thanks Lemeres!
Your insights on the subject are great for me; I've concluded that Improved Familiar is a must for this.

[Melkiador]

If going for improved familiar, you will want to give it the emissary archetype. It trades out the things you can't use anyway.

[MarkasLin]

Melkiador wrote:

If going for improved familiar, you will want to give it the emissary archetype. It trades out the things you can't use anyway.

Most likely familiar archetypes don't stack with improved familiar.

[Lorewalker]

MarkasLin wrote:

Melkiador wrote:

If going for improved familiar, you will want to give it the emissary archetype. It trades out the things you can't use anyway.

Most likely familiar archetypes don't stack with improved familiar.

Make that a definitely don't stack. There's a FAQ for this.

[Markov Spiked Chain]

Emissary doesn't trade out Speak with Kind, so it's one of the few that works (Sage is also useful.)

OP, Consider a Mephit familiar. They're Small sized (so they get 5' reach by default,) can fly, use wands, talk, and already have proficiency with martial weapons through the Outsider type. I have one with my Skald, and took two levels of Eldritch Guardian late. He's quite effective with Fly, Power Attack, Outflank, Fauchard proficiency from a cracked Ioun Stone, and all the Skald buffs.

[thelemonache]

Lorewalker wrote:

MarkasLin wrote:

Melkiador wrote:

If going for improved familiar, you will want to give it the emissary archetype. It trades out the things you can't use anyway.

Most likely familiar archetypes don't stack with improved familiar.

Make that a definitely don't stack. There's a FAQ for this.

Well just to be clear, emissary archetype should stack. Some improved familiars can use some archetypes, the FAQ is to treat "improved familiar" as an archetype to see what other archetypes it could stack with. Emissary only loses share spells, alertness, and deliver touch spells, so it would stack with the "archetype" model of improved familiar that only replaces "speak with animals of its kind" and it's type change. And you can have multiple archetypes as long as there is no conflicts with swaps.

Also, it is important to look up your creature type before worrying about weapon proficiency feats, for example, if your familiar is an outsider it already is proficient with all simple and martial weapons (like a Cassisian Angel familiar). :)

[Lorewalker]

thelemonache wrote:

Lorewalker wrote:

MarkasLin wrote:

Melkiador wrote:

If going for improved familiar, you will want to give it the emissary archetype. It trades out the things you can't use anyway.

Most likely familiar archetypes don't stack with improved familiar.

Make that a definitely don't stack. There's a FAQ for this.

Well just to be clear, emissary archetype should stack. Some improved familiars can use some archetypes, the FAQ is to treat "improved familiar" as an archetype to see what other archetypes it could stack with. Emissary only loses share spells, alertness, and deliver touch spells, so it would stack with the "archetype" model of improved familiar that only replaces "speak with animals of its kind" and it's type change. And you can have multiple archetypes as long as there is no conflicts with swaps.

Also, it is important to look up your creature type before worrying about weapon proficiency feats, for example, if your familiar is an outsider it already is proficient with all simple and martial weapons (like a Cassisian Angel familiar). :)

I should have included the fact that two archetypes do stack. But the rest do not.