I know Improved Familiar get this automatically. I also know that all base familiars do not posses this ability afaik.
Are there any spells with long duration that I could use to make my familiar able to wield wands?
So far the only thing I was able to find is Alter Self and Anthropomorphic Animal.
I would be able to cast both of them on my Familiar, but Alter Self doesn't specifically give the ability to speak. Some DMs might rule it can't speak and therefore can't use wands that have activation words.
On the other hands Anthropomorphic Animal gives the ability to speak, lasts 1 hour/level, but it says:
The creature's Intelligence increases to 3, and it gains the ability to speak one language you know
My familiar would have a higher INT and if we take wording as it is I could argue that since it's already higher than 3, it cannot "increase"(decrease) to 3, because it doesn't say that it changes INT to 3.
Is there anything else I could use to make my familiar able to use wands?
I don't really feel like taking Improved Familiar, and once I get to level 5 I can speak to it, so it becomes a much better scout on its own.
I don't think you actually can target a familiar with Anthropomorphic Animal.
It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but is now a magical beast for the purpose of effects that depend on its type.I'm also pretty sure that they need hands to be able to use wands, so a Monkey could probably do it.
Remember that Familiars are not considered to have your spells on their spell list, meaning they'd have to use UMD to activate wands.
Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).
Thing is, it was said that for PFS and I think James Jacob said it too, that you need Humanoid Hands slots or something like that to activate wands.
Monkey can't speak, can't use Activation Word to use the wand.
I think PFS only Improved Familiars can't use it.
My advice: Gettin a non-improved familiar to activate wands is very difficult, most ways are questionable, and the few ways that aren't questionable aren't really worth the investment. Just take improved familiar and pick something up. It's an absolutely fantastic feat anyways.
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I think the biggest issue is going to be the UMD check for the familiar to use the wand (barring Improved Familiar). The check for a wand is 20. UMD isn't a class skill for the familiar or the wizard (so the wizard probably doesn't have ranks in it, either). Most animals don't have impressive Cha stats, though some are OK. Most GMs rule that you can't "Take 10" in combat since that rule states it can only be used when "your character is not in immediate danger or distracted." Consequently, to get even a 50% chance of success in combat, you need a +9 in UMD; for reliable in combat usage, you probably want a +14.
Not impossible, but would take some specific planning to accomplish.
I've never made a wizard that didn't take clever wordplay, which makes UMD int-based. If you want it as class skill, add dangerously curious as well. It's not an issue.
I was planning on get a Sage Familiar
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/familiar/familiar-arche types/sage-familiar-archetype
Basically it's more intelligent, gets 2 skills points per level and can help me with Knowledge Checks when it can speaks to me at level 5.
So my familiar would've UMD on its own and I don't need to invest. I'm still facing the issue of low CHA.
I think my only way is to take the Improved Familiar but I was hoping to avoid it.
We already have a Ninja and I don't want to take the Scout role of the way and usually Improved Familiars are all about that.
I think I'll just go Faerie Dragon. It's a Sorcerer level 3 and I don't need UMD for arcane spells at all.
I can even add the Sage Archetype and it has +3 INT modifier, so it's gonna be pretty decent at Knowledge checks, or at least I get another roll if I fail.
I think the biggest issue is going to be the UMD check for the familiar to use the wand (barring Improved Familiar). The check for a wand is 20. UMD isn't a class skill for the familiar or the wizard (so the wizard probably doesn't have ranks in it, either). Most animals don't have impressive Cha stats, though some are OK. Most GMs rule that you can't "Take 10" in combat since
that rule states it can only be used when "your character is not in immediate danger or distracted."Consequently, to get even a 50% chance of success in combat, you need a +9 in UMD; for reliable in combat usage, you probably want a +14.Not impossible, but would take some specific planning to accomplish.
You cannot Take-10 on UMD because the skill states you cannot. Not even in the peace and quiet of the local inn at 4AM.
The familiar gets the better of your ranks and its ranks in any skill. It then applies its modifiers. That likely means it gets your ranks and its modifier. Most familiars have negative modifiers.
At 5th level, the familiar gets Speak-With-Master, unless traded out. Some get a language right out of the gate as a special ability. That covers being able to speak the words to activate the wand. They are intelligent enough to know what a wand is and how to use it. Some familiars have hands (monkey, racoon, ...) while others can use a foot (birds) to manipulate. A case could be made for nearly any familiar, based on real world animals. If they cannot easily manipulate, I could see a GM requiring a full round action instead of a normal standard, or even a two standard actions to do this.
PFS has special rules. No base familiar can use an item. Only certain improved ones can do so. See the PFS rules for details.
/cevah
Sutff
Indeed. I'm trying to abide by PFS rules, but I'm gonna ask my DM anyway. Maybe changing to a Monkey will solve the issue of hands.
The problem still persist if they can't speak a language. I do have a workaround this and it's taking an Archetype which gives the familiar the ability to speak, but I'm still facing the same issue, low CHA modifier, which means my familiar won't reliably activate wands.
The second work around on this is Figment Archetype, which gives an evolution point at level 3, which means I can take Racial UMD for a +8.
That's at level 3 a +11 to UMD (minus CHA). I can easily give the familiar stuff to increase CHA checks. If I take this archetype I go back to some issue, lack of ability to speak a language.
If I get an archetype so familiar can speak > low UMD
If I get an archetype for evolution points > familiar can't speak
In both cases I'm facing an issue. I'm gonna ask my DM and check what he thinks.
IMO the spell A. Animal it's perfect and it should work. If I take Figment Familiar (evolution points) it only get 1/4th HP, so it's gonna be squishy
You can get an evolution point without figment by taking the evolved familiar feat.
I'm trying to avoid taking a feat, otherwise I can just get Improved Familiar and get Faerie Dragon who casts as a level 3 sorcerer, and I don't need UMD anymore (I think I only need to do a CL check to use spells higher than the dragon).
Thanks for suggestion!
I won't annoy you with homebrew because you are playing PFS.
Ask your GM if nobody targets familiars in their game. If your familiar starts using a damage causing wand, that may go away.
Generally, if the familiar becomes aggressive, it becomes fair game. If it is passing out cures with a happy stick*, it might become a target.
/cevah
*Wand of Cure Light Wounds
Soo, could you learn the trigger for a wand and teach it to a parrot? You still need some way for the parrot to hold the wand ...
Soo, could you learn the trigger for a wand and teach it to a parrot? You still need some way for the parrot to hold the wand ...
They can hold it in their mouths as they don't have to move their beaks to speak/vocalize.
My plan is making a Buffer Familiar.
Haste number 1
Improved Invisibility for the Ninja
Protection from Evil for me for example
Those things that are cool to have, but not worth an action.
We had a wipe, so I'm making myself a Wizard Summoner, I need to act as fast as I can with my summons.
Just keep in mind that once your Familiar becomes a combattant by participating actively im combat, like when it starts throwing out buffs, enemies will treat is as a combattant.
Just keep in mind that once your Familiar becomes a combattant by participating actively im combat, like when it starts throwing out buffs, enemies will treat is as a combattant.
I'm planning on taking the Figment Archetype if I can use A Animal spell.
That way my familiar won't die, just resurrect next day. Much cheaper, and it gets an evolution point for a +8 racial to UMD
If DM doesn't let me use A Animal, I'll just take Improved Familiar Faerie Dragon and be done with it.
I don't need to invest in UMD because it's a sorcerer, and it can use Wands.
I was hoping to save myself the feat
I was hoping to save myself the featRealistically, if you could get the power of an improved familiar without a feat, everyone would do it all the time every day. A basic familiar that can't cast spells is still a huge force multiplier - give it the ability to cast spells via items and it gets crazy pretty fast what you can accomplish in a single round. That should be your first indication that what you're trying to do probably doesn't exist in the strictest sense of the rules.
Well, legally A Animal works. The only thing that is confusing is the "intelligence increases to 3". How can something increase to 3 if it's already 6 on my familiar.
The other things of the spell works perfectly.
I know Improved Familiar get this automatically.
They do not.
Some Improved Familiars come with this ability, but this is not automatic, but dependant on the specific creature.
Well, legally A Animal works. The only thing that is confusing is the "intelligence increases to 3". How can something increase to 3 if it's already 6 on my familiar.
No. It does not work.
A Familiar is a Magical Beast. To become a Familiar it needs to be a Animal.
Awaken Animal targets an Animal.
Once you have either awakened or familiarised an Animal it is no longer a possible target for the other effect.
P.S.
"Increases" as opposed to "sets to" or "becomes" means that it it is already higher it would not shrink.
The best way to get what you want is to pay the feat for Improved Familiar and get a Fairy Dragon. But consider that a Improved Familiar cant be a Figment Archetype, as you need to trade in the ability to speak with other creatures of their kind, which improved familiars dont get. Thus cant take this Archetype.
sutff
Familiars can be affected by any spells
Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself.
A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).
Since it increases it's not the same as it becomes, it's a totally valid option.
Also I can pick Archetypes with Improved familiar, but only Figment and Sage, the others all replace Speak with Animals, those 2 I mentioned do not.
I'm checking with my DM, but it's legal considering it doesn't sets your int to a lower one.
I'm not looking into big damage spells anyway. If I take the Figment archetype my familiar it's gonna be super squishy, but at least it doesn't die.
A Animal cuts your speed, and leaves only base land speed, so I'll eventually have to switch it.
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Familiar Tactics sidebar Device Guru: If you have enough ranks in Use Magic Device or choose magic items that don’t require such checks, your familiar can activate a wide variety of magic items for you. As long as the familiar can speak (like most improved familiars and a few birds) and hold or wear the item as necessary, it can activate command word items and attempt the necessary check to activate a wand, scroll, or staff. Faerie dragons (who can activate wands without a skill check), lyrakien (who have high Charisma scores), and pookas (who gain Use Magic Device as a class skill) are all excellent choices.
Aniimal Magic Item SlotsCreature body types marked with an asterisk(*) are able to grasp and carry one object at a time in their paws, claws, or hands, including weapons, rods, wands, and staves
So, we know the PFS rule basically prevents any normal familiar from using UMD.
But, in general Pathfinder rules, it appears at least two familiars can do so.
The Raven and Thrush both speak a language, and hold carry wands (per AA). This fulfills the requirements noted in the Familiar Folio for using UMD on a wand.
Getting into Familiar Archetypes, the Figment does allow for a much better UMD bonus and prevents it from permanently dying if targeted by enemies. But it restricts the familiar to within 100' of the caster, limiting the other benefits of flying familiars (such as scouting and message carrying).
If you go with Decoy, at 5th level they speak all the caster's languages. So all the familiars noted as being able to hold a wand in AA (bat, compsognathus, dodo, hawk, monkey, osprey, owl, parrot, raven, rhamphorhynchus, snail kite, thrush, and toucan) could then UMD.
*This list should really also include the otter and raccoon as well, but that's just my opinion*
These Decoy familiars will have a lower skill bonus, and can be targeted and killed by opponents, but you have greater variety of options and less restriction in other uses.
Sage gives the familiar bonus skill points, allowing for a familiar that is skilled at UMD even if the caster doesn't want to invest in the skill himself.
No need for Anthropomorphic Animal or a ruling on if Speak with Master is sufficient for command words.