|
As the title says. Id like to take the mauler archetype for the Shikigami familiar the Kami Medium archetype gains at level 3 in order to have a rideable flying mount, but the wording of the ability is a little unclear. Thoughts?
Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any wording that states your 'familiar' is actually treated as the class feature. There's nothing stating that it gets any of the abilities a familiar usually gets, except at 5th level- And even then it never mentions any scale, intelligence, any detail...
I would vote 'No' until 5th level; First, it simply inhabits a piece of paper that ACTS like an animal of its kind. Then it hits 5, and uses you as the ward. Nothing suggests it actually gains the features of a Familiar that could be exchanged by the Mauler archetype until then, where it "gains the abilities" of a shikigami familiar. Even then, it may simply be a reference to the Shikigami's statistics, found at that particular bestiary entry, and happens to be categorized as an improved familiar... But the mention of prerequisites seems to imply you actually do acquire it as a full-fledged familiar.
.
Thereafter, it's treated as your little Kami buddy which has the new and improved ability to become its original origami animal. It can probably be a Mauler then.
You'd only get two levels of it being able to take an archetype, unless it doesn't replace Speak With Animals of its Kind.
Completely missed that.... It loses the ability to speak with animals of it's kind. Agreed with the above two, then; Because the feature is removed, it can no longer take the archetype at 5th level. Until then, yes.
|
|
Heh, funny. I figured it would be the other way around ..
Shikigami (Ex): At 3rd level, a kami medium learns to fold an origami animal to serve as a temporary ward for a minor shikigami. Initially, the merged minor shikigami can’t leave the paper body and acts in all ways as an ordinary animal familiar of the origami animal’s type, although it still appears to be made of paper. At 5th level, it gains the abilities of a shikigami improved familiar (Bestiary 3 163), even if the kami medium doesn’t meet the prerequisites for having a shikigami as a familiar. The shikigami treats the kami medium as its ward. Additionally, it gains the ability to use change shape to change between its full shikigami form and its origami form at will (as beast shape II).
(Emphasis mine)
The first bolded part seems to imply that it could do anything a normal familiar could, including taking archetypes.
The second bolded part seems to imply that it would only "gain the abilities of", as opposed to "become an" improved familiar. This is relevant because it would imply its type would change and it would not lose the Speak with animals of its kind ability, allowing it to keep its mauler archetype.
Also, if it would become an improved familiar "without needing to meet the prerequisites of", wouldnt that also mean it could become an improved familiar without needing to lose the ability to speak with animals of its kind?
I don't think so. "even if the kami medium doesn’t meet the prerequisites for having a shikigami as a familiar."
It's the Medium that isn't meeting prerequisites.
I missed the bit about turning back into the original form when I read it last, so I think you're probably right on your other point.