
Quandary |

According to latest FAQ: http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9utx
"In general, you can take Improved Familiars for class-granted variant familiars like a shaman’s spirit animal"
So even class-variant familiars that don't include choice of familiars (or restrict later change of that choice) CAN benefit from Improved Familiar's new choices, despite that Improved Familiar doesn't have any language specifically overcoming type restrictions from a variant familiar ability. Since Animal Domains (unlike Shaman) don't even have language specifically barring other choices of familiar (they simply didn't offer the choice in the first place), I don't see why they shouldn't be able to benefit from a choice granted by compatable ability, whether Improved Familiar Feat, or stacking with Bloodline Familiar which has the choice mechanic built in. Unlike Ranger Companions which have a specific restricted list, Animal Domains simply don't have a choice, but there is no reason we can't simply treat the given creature type as if it were selected from the full list.

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I don't have any doubts about Improved Familiar. But I'm unsure as to what kind of regular familiar to choose for Malachi, who is intended to be a martial character focused on dirty tricks with tentacles (insert your own joke here).
As a Besmaran the parrot is my first choice, but that isn't open to the druid. Besmaran clerics can get monkey familiars, and the monkey domain is available. But I already have a monkey tumour familiar on my alchemist.
Hawk kind of fits with the Tengu, and the Eagle domain is good, although I probably won't take more than 4 druid levels.