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2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |

I've seen this asked before, but I haven't seen a definitive answer. For Improved Familiars, are you meant to apply the intelligence score for familiars detailed in the table, or is it assumed that the familiar keeps the intelligence score of a creature of its type?
For example, a Lyrakien Azata has 14 intelligence, but going by the chart you'll see it ought to have 9.
Which ability score are you meant to go by?

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Though I do not recall ever reading a direct ruling in any of the books I've always gone by 'whichever score is higher'. So far I've also never heard of anyone else ruling otherwise. It doesn't make sense to me otherwise.
Makes sense to me - if you get an Azata to serve as your familiar, why would it become LESS intelligent? The whole point of the increasing intelligence is to increase the intelligence beyond a normal animal's int.

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Yeah, that's the issue. It makes no sense for a familiar to lose intelligence, but the actual material says that you are treated no differently that a regular familiar in that regard.
I've heard some people say it's only the "dumb" familiars that get bound, justifying their outlook, but that to me implies familiars are slaves or indentured servants.
I thought there might be official word out and was looking forward to looking dumb having not found it.