So I was thinking on the Vigilante class, specifically how it applies to non-intruige games. While it is entirely possibly to ignore any detection immunity and be in Social form 24/7, I wanted somebody who has reason to switch even if they are not interested in any sort of coverup.
The Magical Child archetype not only changes faster at an irrelevant cost if going Tony Stark, but also has different abilities for their familiar in either form. This led to an interesting idea: start combat in Vigilante form with a wand-using or flight-capable improved familiar, buff/position round 1, and then switch to social to use the Mauler archetype for the rest of combat.
Does this work, and are there any other cool combos for immediate familiar switching in combat?
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A: The familiar can change form independently of the character. Thus, there would be no need to "switch to social" to activate a Mauler archetype.
B: There is considerable debate over how (or if) familiar archetypes interact with the Magical Child's companion.
My take has always been that each form of the familiar should be able to take (or not) a separate archetype subject to the normal rules (e.g. an improved familiar form could not take an archetype that switches out 'speak with kind'). Others try to apply a single archetype across all forms, allow an archetype only for the first form (possibly even only the non-social version of the first form), or do not allow archetypes at all.
Because I don't think of Familiars as appearing different than the normal animal, I was thinking that the normal form was accessible only in social identity between levels 3 and 9. This would mean that, between those levels, use of any archetype that trades out Speak With Animals of its Kind is restricted to Social Identity.
I have also been assuming that the familiar is automatically in the same identity state as the vigilante. Is this incorrect, and if so, what time does it take for the familiar to change.
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*repeatedly changes identity to get attention, making a cacophonous mess*
Maybe I'll get more input with a different alias.
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Because I don't think of Familiars as appearing different than the normal animal, I was thinking that the normal form was accessible only in social identity between levels 3 and 9.
It seems clear that there is intended to be a different appearance between the social form (which applies to all levels) and the 1st level vigilante form. There would pretty much have to be... otherwise the presence of the familiar would quickly give away that the social and vigilante forms of the character were the same person.
I have also been assuming that the familiar is automatically in the same identity state as the vigilante. Is this incorrect, and if so, what time does it take for the familiar to change.
I recall when the archetype came out it was stated that the familiar had its own transformation sequence. However, as that isn't explicitly stated in the book GM interpretations may vary.
That's unfortunate. Waiting to 9th level and losing action economy for Change Shape really puts a damper on this idea.