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so I've been looking around and haven't found a solid awnser to this question. There's probably an obvious awnser I jus cant find. In the riding rat description it states
"A ratfolk with the animal companion, mount, or similar class feature can select a riding rat as her mount."
In pfs, assuming you have the ratfolk boon, is there anything, by raw, that would keep someone from choosing a riding rat as a familiar?

Chess Pwn |
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"animal companion, mount, or similar class feature"
is clearly pointing to animals using the animal companion progression table. So similar is probably like plant companions, or vermin companions class features.
that or follow the president in PFS where a list of stuff plus "and other riding animals" for mount is just the list, so "animal companion, mount, or similar class feature" turns into "animal companion or mount"

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It depends on whether you consider Familiar a similar class feature to Animal Companion/Mount.
I wouldn't, there are very big differences between those two class features. Familiars are very different from animal companions.
so what if the player were to consider that the animal companion or mount class features is similar to the familiar class feature, would the player then would he be able to play with a riding rat familiar or would it be up to someone elses interpretation as to what is similar and who would that be?

Chess Pwn |

Ascalaphus wrote:so what if the player were to consider that the animal companion or mount class features is similar to the familiar class feature, would the player then would he be able to play with a riding rat familiar or would it be up to someone elses interpretation as to what is similar and who would that be?It depends on whether you consider Familiar a similar class feature to Animal Companion/Mount.
I wouldn't, there are very big differences between those two class features. Familiars are very different from animal companions.
Nope, the GM is the one that decides any "unclear" rules. And I'm pretty sure that most if not all PFS GM's would rule against the riding rat medium sized animal being considered a familiar, where the largest is small.
Also the riding rat has an animal companion stat block, but no familiar stat block. Also that the riding rat base is a giant dire rat, much more suited for animal companions and very out of line for familiars.
Yeah, it's very clear that it's for things using the animal companion stats and in no way is for familiars.

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no, expect no, not table variation. Because it should be no to anyone that looks at it as the answer is clearly no.
Agree.
By "similar class feature," they mean similar to Animal Companion or Mount. Which is to say, the Nature Oracle Bonded Mount(Su) is a similar class feature to the Mount class feature. The Lunar Oracle Primal Companion (Ex) is a similar class feature to the Animal Companion class feature.
Familiars are not similar to either. Expect "no" at most tables.
There is a rat familiar option, and there is a familiar archetype that can make it a medium creature, so you could make your own ridden rat familiar, you just couldn't use the riding rat animal companion statline for it.

Samasboy1 |

Agree with Chess Pwn and Murdock.
The "or similar class feature" covers abilities that work like Animal Companion, but with a different name (like Lunar Oracle's Primal Companion, Mammoth Rider's Steed, etc).
It would not apply to any Familiar granting ability as those are not similar to Animal Companion.

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Animal companions have their own HD, which advances as the character levels. They gain their own skills, feats etc.; while remaining an animal and having animal-level intelligence. None are smaller than Small, and they can go up to Large normally.
Familiars leech off the master's HP, skills, and have true sentience and gradually increasing intelligence. They're usually Tiny, sometimes smaller but never bigger than Small. They're sort of Magical Beasts and are altogether much more magical than animal companions or mounts.
Those are really very different class features.