Chosen One's True Form

[Captain Temπ Ænaut Fugit]

I have a 2nd level Paladin. He could get an emissary bat familiar from his lawful good god, Kelinahat gained from the “Chosen One” archetype. The familiar can get access to the Espionage Subdomain.

Does that mean his bat detects as lawful good? After all, A paladin may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are lawful good.

Most of my confusion arises from trying to interpret the following archetype ability:

True Form (Ex):

At 7th level, a chosen one’s familiar reveals its true form, transforming into an outsider improved familiar that matches the chosen one’s patron’s alignment (typically an arbiter, a cassisian, a harbinger, or a silvanshee, but potentially any lawful neutral, lawful good, or neutral good outsider familiar depending on the patron). The familiar gains the change shape universal monster ability if it doesn’t already have it, which it can use at will to transform into its original form or back to its true form.

1. Here is a list of the Outsiders that fit into the criteria of "True Form" as well as their default alignment:

• Archon (Lawful Good)
  
• Angel (Neutral Good)
  
• Agathion (Neutral Good)
  
• Azata (Chaotic Good)
  
• Kami (Lawful Neutral)
  
• Other – a Celestial animal (Neutral Good?)

2. The god's, the familiar's, and/or the paladin's alignment...
With the conflicting rules, there are three interpretations:

• Pick one of the above and switch its alignment to lawful good, because a familiar is also treated like a henchman/follower/cohort for alignment restriction.
  
• Pick one of the above outsiders and switch its alignment to the one that matches the paladin's god
  
• Restrict your familiar's options to the one(s) that have the god's alignment. (if this is the case, neutral good gods have the most options.)

Also if the familiar starts out as neutral, but becomes lawful good later, due to "improved familiar", then I should probably drop paladin before 7th level so that he doesn't detect as L/G and blow my cover.

Personally for my build, since he's trying to serve the god of intelligence gathering, he'd benefit the most if it turned into a Cassisian. Its got the ability to be a dog or a fish; which would be great for stakeouts. Additionally, it can erase it's own memories, making it easier to keep secrets to a need-to-know basis.

A runner-up, a lyrakien azata would be nice. Her high charisma or wisdom would make the “Deep cover” ability more usable. (Side question: Which attribute should be driving the familiar's domain ability?) I'd paint her wings black and light blue, matching Kelinahat's heraldry.

A lantern archon would also make for great flavor and its the same starting CR as the other lawful good archon (and I'd like to build a stained-glass bat miniature that actually glows), but not sure if the rules are permitting a lantern archon to be a familiar, since I exclusively play PFS.

The harbinger archon is not a great fit for this character concept. (...and its going to be damn hard to model.)

What's your take/advice?

[Saethori]

A familiar is neither a henchman, a follower, nor a cohort. It is a familiar. As such, that line does not apply.

I believe it can be generally assumed that your god is completely okay with any familiar he or she sends to you.

[Melkiador]

It's also unclear what alignment a familiar actually has. You are never told to use the alignment of the base animal. People just assume that, because nothing says otherwise either.

[Mark Seifter]

Having written the rule, this option "Restrict your familiar's options to the one(s) that have the god's alignment. (if this is the case, neutral good gods have the most options.)" is correct.

[Captain Temπ Ænaut Fugit]

Thanks Mark. That mostly helps clear things up. Guess I'm gonna have to sculpt a flying orrery next.

[hint] Hopefully there will be more options to come, too. [/hint]