A familiar that is not the "active pet" and bloodline familiar powers.

[Michael Haneline]

If I have both an animal companion and a bloodline familiar, and the animal companion is selected as my "active pet" role while the familiar is selected as my "familiar" and "mount" roles, are any of the following bloodline familiar's abilities legal for use?

Aberrant—Squeezer (Ex): The familiar gains the compression ability, allowing it to move through an area as small as one-quarter its space without squeezing or one-eighth its space when squeezing.

Arcane—Spell Catalyst (Su): Spells you cast that target your familiar are treated as having a caster level 2 levels higher than your actual caster level.

Celestial—Heavenly Touch (Su): A number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modif ier, your familiar can grant fast healing 1 to an allied creature it’s touching. This effect lasts a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modif ier (minimum 1) or until the familiar stops touching the creature, whichever comes first. At 10th level, the familiar grants fast healing 2 instead. At 20th level, the familiar grants fast healing 3 instead.

Draconic—Dragon’s Flight (Ex): The familiar can sprout draconic wings, granting it a fly speed of 30 feet with average maneuverability for a number of minutes per day equal to 1/2 your caster level (minimum 1). These minutes need not be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute increments. At 10th level, the familiar’s fly speed increases to 60 feet with good maneuverability. At 20th level, the familiar’s fly speed increases to 90 feet.

Infernal—Hellish Aura (Su): Animals don’t willingly approach the familiar unless the animal’s master succeeds at a DC 15 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. This DC increases to 20 at 10th level, and to 25 at 20th level. Animal companions, familiars and mounts are immune to this effect.

Undead—Unliving Physiology (Su): The familiar is alive, but is treated as undead for all effects that affect undead differently from living creatures, such as cure spells and channeled energy.

The FAQ says the following:
At the beginning of each adventure, you may select one companion creature to be your active pet. This creature may be a class-granted creature, such as an animal companion, familiar, eidolon, or phantom, or it may be a creature that you purchase, such as a combat-trained bison. This creature may participate fully in combat, skill checks, and other challenges in the scenario. In addition to the active pet, you may bring up to two additional creatures. The first is a mount or beast of burden, such as a horse or mule, which may only take move actions. The second is a familiar or mundane pet that does not participate in combat or other challenges. Such familiars grant their basic special ability, such as a bat's +3 bonus on Fly checks, the Alertness feat, and access a witch's spells. They do not grant other bonuses, such as a wysp's resonance ability (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 5 282).

[Michael Haneline]

For the record, I can't find anything anywhere that says what kind of action Heavenly Touch is.

[GreySector]

Michael Haneline wrote:

For the record, I can't find anything anywhere that says what kind of action Heavenly Touch is.

It is a supernatural ability, and unless otherwise stated supernatural abilities are a standard action. Reference.

PRD wrote:

Supernatural Abilities (Su): Using a supernatural ability is usually a standard action (unless defined otherwise by the ability's description). Its use cannot be disrupted, does not require concentration, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

[Belafon]

I'd say "they do not grant other bonuses" pretty much rules out everything except the listed basic abilities.

[Michael Haneline]

Kevin Willis wrote:

I'd say "they do not grant other bonuses" pretty much rules out everything except the listed basic abilities.

If it's just filling the Familiar/Pet slot I get that, but the Mount/Beast of Burden slot restriction is that it can only take move actions, so wouldn't the passive abilities be allowed? Like Arcane—Spell Catalyst?

[Chess Pwn]

three slots
Active, gets to do stuff
mount, can only move and nothing else, not even free or passive abilities from the sound of it.
non-active familiar, can do nothing, but is there near you.

[Michael Haneline]

Thomas Hutchins wrote:

mount, can only move and nothing else, not even free or passive abilities from the sound of it.

And how do you come to that conclusion? It just says it may only take move actions. When a PC is staggered at your table do you disable all their class features that don't require any actions? Sorry Mr. Paladin, you Divine Grace doesn't work because your staggered.

[crashcanuck]

As a kind of tangent to this, would there be any issue with a familiar using skills out of combat if it isn't the active pet?

[BretI]

Graham Wilson wrote:

As a kind of tangent to this, would there be any issue with a familiar using skills out of combat if it isn't the active pet?

Yes, there would be issues.

If you want the familiar to do anything other than grant a passive bonus to a skill and the alertness feat, you must declare it a combat animal.

[Murdock Mudeater]

BretI wrote:

Graham Wilson wrote:

As a kind of tangent to this, would there be any issue with a familiar using skills out of combat if it isn't the active pet?

Yes, there would be issues.

If you want the familiar to do anything other than grant a passive bonus to a skill and the alertness feat, you must declare it a combat animal.

Or a mount. Don't need to ride the mount to occupy the "mount slot." Though, specifically, move actions only if it counts as a mount.

As for the non-combat pet, it really is in your pocket, or on your shoulders, or something else, where it doesn't really do anything. I suppose, if the GM hit you with a gust of wind and insisted that it blew off your shoulder perch and into a pit, then you could probably use the Draconic Flight ability above, just to have the familiar fly back to your shoulder to resume being useless....

[Murdock Mudeater]

Michael Haneline wrote:

If I have both an animal companion and a bloodline familiar, and the animal companion is selected as my "active pet" role while the familiar is selected as my "familiar" and "mount" roles, are any of the following bloodline familiar's abilities legal for use?

Aberrant—Squeezer (Ex): The familiar gains the compression ability, allowing it to move through an area as small as one-quarter its space without squeezing or one-eighth its space when squeezing.

Arcane—Spell Catalyst (Su): Spells you cast that target your familiar are treated as having a caster level 2 levels higher than your actual caster level.

Infernal—Hellish Aura (Su): Animals don’t willingly approach the familiar unless the animal’s master succeeds at a DC 15 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. This DC increases to 20 at 10th level, and to 25 at 20th level. Animal companions, familiars and mounts are immune to this effect.

Undead—Unliving Physiology (Su): The familiar is alive, but is treated as undead for all effects that affect undead differently from living creatures, such as cure spells and channeled energy.

You could probably use these, as a familiar role.

Mind you, you can't actually give them actions, so like you could use the Squeezer ability to have your PC jam them into a bottle for comic value, but the familiar can't go into the bottle of their own volition because they can't take move actions.

Spell Catalyst would work, but again no actions. So you might need to cast a water breathing spell on them if you go underwater, or endure elements if you go into the hot or cold climates. But you can't use this to make them able to help you in combat, or anything useful like that.

Hellish Aura should work as written. Though again, with no actions, it really doesn't matter much if enemy creatures are unable to approach your useless familiar. This ability wouldn't prevent animals from approaching a character that was holding your familiar.

Unliving Physiology would definitely apply. Channels will happen, and if your familiar is not concealed in your clothing, they will be subject to the channel effects.

[BigNorseWolf]

BretI wrote:

Graham Wilson wrote:

As a kind of tangent to this, would there be any issue with a familiar using skills out of combat if it isn't the active pet?

Yes, there would be issues.

If you want the familiar to do anything other than grant a passive bonus to a skill and the alertness feat, you must declare it a combat animal.

Hmmmm... if you declared it the mount, it could take move actions. That would let everything but draconic flight and Heavenly touch work (with a good argument for draconic flight turning it into your winged steed)

[Ascalaphus]

The original rule was that you could have only one critter do anything. That was made a little bit more lenient, but the original intent remains that you only have one critter that really does things.

[crashcanuck]

I just found the relevant section of the Guild Guide (The wording may change in a few weeks time)

"In the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, a
character may have only one class feature entity active
during a session."

So if you have an Animal Companion and a Familiar you have to pick one to do anything, even if you use your Familiar as your Mount (Familiars still provide their passive benefits)