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1:
Can a familiar/companion equip and use armor spikes provided they have the feats for both the armor and the martial weapon proficiency?
2:
If my character begins play with training in simple and martial weapons, am I considered having the weapon proficiency feats for each simple and martial weapon? Likewise, the armor training feats? If not, can I take feats for to gain proficiency with weapons/armor I'm already trained in?
2: Nope. That is a class ability. Not a feat.
Yes, it means your familiar is not getting your proficiencies unless you specifically take an exotic weapon (admittedly, that is a better deal than usual, since you are doubling up on the effect).
Most of the familiars are not going to be very good with weapons. I usually look towards maneuvers (with a mauler, which had decent CMB), teamwork feats, and anything skill based. A double dirty trick build has abilities that could effectively take a character out of the entire combat in a single round. And some feats like disheartening display break when you start getting more than one character using it.
If you are looking for a weapon familiar, I think an improved familiar (can eldritch guardian take that?) to grab an earth elemental is best. Earth elementals start off with 16 str, decent starting natural armor, power attack, and perhaps simple weapon proficiency (a bit hard to say- depends on whether they are 'humanoid' shaped'- a fuzzy area as well). Heck, since they come with power attack, you could go a dex build while it goes str build.
If you are looking for a weapon familiar, I think an improved familiar (can eldritch guardian take that?) to grab an earth elemental is best.
Yes. Any familiar user can take Improved Familiar, because it's not a caster level requirement, it's a class level requirement (wizard or sorcerer when the feat was written, effective wizard level in PF). But Improved familiars can't be Maulers.
Yes. Any familiar user can take Improved Familiar, because it's not a caster level requirement, it's a class level requirement (wizard or sorcerer when the feat was written, effective wizard level in PF). But Improved familiars can't be Maulers.
If you are looking for a weapon familiar, I think an improved familiar (can eldritch guardian take that?) to grab an earth elemental is best.
Well, that is why I suggested the earth elemental. It has the minimum of a 'decent' str score to start off with. Enough for a battle pet that ends up with effective full BAB at least.
Other note for #2- if you are spending the feat to give your familiar weapon proficiencies anyway, you mgiht as well go exotic. Give it a falcata, or a fauchard. The nice shiny high crit ones.
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2: Nope. That is a class ability. Not a feat.
So if they are not feats, am I prevented from taking them? Can an Eldrich Guardian take Martial Weapon Proficency (spiked armor)? I'm not seeing any rules preventing me, just common sense as the fighter wouldn't normally benefit from it.
And still, #1, can the familiar/companion even equip the armor spikes to begin with.
And #3, can the familiar/companion use armor spikes untrained? The weapon does take pretty low penalties for untrained use, as it's already only a x2 crit weapon and doesn't occupy hands. I'd still need to be wearing the appropriate armor.
Yes. Any familiar user can take Improved Familiar, because it's not a caster level requirement, it's a class level requirement (wizard or sorcerer when the feat was written, effective wizard level in PF). But Improved familiars can't be Maulers.
If you are looking for a weapon familiar, I think an improved familiar (can eldritch guardian take that?) to grab an earth elemental is best.
You can take it but you can't gain any of the familiars since you don't have arcane Spellcaster levels.
You can take it but you can't gain any of the familiars since you don't have arcane Spellcaster levels.Yes. Any familiar user can take Improved Familiar, because it's not a caster level requirement, it's a class level requirement (wizard or sorcerer when the feat was written, effective wizard level in PF). But Improved familiars can't be Maulers.
If you are looking for a weapon familiar, I think an improved familiar (can eldritch guardian take that?) to grab an earth elemental is best.
"Arcane spellcasters levels" being something that chesspwn conflates with caster levels, despite a closer look pointing towards the interpretation of "effective wizard level".
a fighter isn't an arcane spellcaster.
you only have effective wizard levels for the purposes of your familiar.
The improved familiar feat ISN'T your familiar.
Thus you don't have any arcane spellcaster levels or effective wizard levels for the improved familiar feat.
"Familiar (Ex): At 1st level, an eldritch guardian gains a familiar, treating his fighter level as his effective wizard level for the purpose of this ability. This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 1st level."
To be clear, you treat your fighter level as wizard levels for "this ability", not merely for "this familiar". "This ability" could be considered to be broad enough to encompass any time the familiar class feature is at play.
A fox with the Mauler archetype is going to have a higher strength at 7th level than an Earth elemental anyway. Plus with the archetype, it's strength will only continue to go higher and higher. If you're looking for combat viability, the Fox familiar is the absolute best fit for the Mauler archetype. At 3rd level it has a strength of 16.