Does the blackblade act like a standard familiar?


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

Silver Crusade

I.E it can make rolls and share skill ranks and whatnot?


it does not act like a familiar since it is not a familiar.
It is an intelligent item and has it's own skills and can make checks.

"Languages and Skills: A black blade starts with Common as a language. As the black blade increases in Intelligence, it manifests knowledge of languages and arcane lore. Upon reaching an Intelligence of 12, it gains a bonus language of the GM’s choice, and gains 1 rank in Knowledge (arcana). Each time the sword gains a bonus to Intelligence, it gains another language and another rank in Knowledge (arcana)."

Silver Crusade

Chess Pwn wrote:

it does not act like a familiar since it is not a familiar.

It is an intelligent item and has it's own skills and can make checks.

"Languages and Skills: A black blade starts with Common as a language. As the black blade increases in Intelligence, it manifests knowledge of languages and arcane lore. Upon reaching an Intelligence of 12, it gains a bonus language of the GM’s choice, and gains 1 rank in Knowledge (arcana). Each time the sword gains a bonus to Intelligence, it gains another language and another rank in Knowledge (arcana)."

Ok but does that mean it can use things like perception and sense motive?


Senses: A black blade is aware of everything around it like a creature that can see and hear. It can be blinded and deafened as if it were a creature. It uses the saving throws of its magus, even if the magus is not currently wielding the black blade.

Yes, it can attempt all the skills that is can attempt which are all mental. It's Int, Wis, Cha are given to you to know what bonuses you have.
BTW, it's going to be really bad at skills since it only gets ranks in know(arcana) and it has bad stats.

Silver Crusade

Chess Pwn wrote:

Senses: A black blade is aware of everything around it like a creature that can see and hear. It can be blinded and deafened as if it were a creature. It uses the saving throws of its magus, even if the magus is not currently wielding the black blade.

Yes, it can attempt all the skills that is can attempt which are all mental. It's Int, Wis, Cha are given to you to know what bonuses you have.
BTW, it's going to be really bad at skills since it only gets ranks in know(arcana) and it has bad stats.

You see it as having bad stats. I see it as getting a second roll.


Malik Gyan Daumantas wrote:
Chess Pwn wrote:

Senses: A black blade is aware of everything around it like a creature that can see and hear. It can be blinded and deafened as if it were a creature. It uses the saving throws of its magus, even if the magus is not currently wielding the black blade.

Yes, it can attempt all the skills that is can attempt which are all mental. It's Int, Wis, Cha are given to you to know what bonuses you have.
BTW, it's going to be really bad at skills since it only gets ranks in know(arcana) and it has bad stats.

You see it as having bad stats. I see it as getting a second roll.

Aid Other is also a skill roll.

Silver Crusade

Volkard Abendroth wrote:
Malik Gyan Daumantas wrote:
Chess Pwn wrote:

Senses: A black blade is aware of everything around it like a creature that can see and hear. It can be blinded and deafened as if it were a creature. It uses the saving throws of its magus, even if the magus is not currently wielding the black blade.

Yes, it can attempt all the skills that is can attempt which are all mental. It's Int, Wis, Cha are given to you to know what bonuses you have.
BTW, it's going to be really bad at skills since it only gets ranks in know(arcana) and it has bad stats.

You see it as having bad stats. I see it as getting a second roll.
Aid Other is also a skill roll.

Oh right the black blade also counts for that doesn't it?


Malik Gyan Daumantas wrote:
Chess Pwn wrote:

Senses: A black blade is aware of everything around it like a creature that can see and hear. It can be blinded and deafened as if it were a creature. It uses the saving throws of its magus, even if the magus is not currently wielding the black blade.

Yes, it can attempt all the skills that is can attempt which are all mental. It's Int, Wis, Cha are given to you to know what bonuses you have.
BTW, it's going to be really bad at skills since it only gets ranks in know(arcana) and it has bad stats.

You see it as having bad stats. I see it as getting a second roll.

Lets say your magus is lv 6 and putting full ranks into perception and has a +1 from a little wis bump putting them at +7. The sword is at -1 to perception. The sword's max is 19, and it needs to roll 9 higher to have been better than you at the roll.

This only gets worse if you somehow get perception as a class skill or have a racial bonus to perception making your perception at lv6 a 10 or 12. Now the sword needs to roll 12 or 14 higher on the die to be better and the magus only needs a 7 to reach the highest perception the sword can do. The odds of the sword being the highest roll on something seem very tiny.
so a second roll that is so much lower doesn't seem like a meaningful bonus to me.


Chess Pwn wrote:
Malik Gyan Daumantas wrote:
Chess Pwn wrote:

Senses: A black blade is aware of everything around it like a creature that can see and hear. It can be blinded and deafened as if it were a creature. It uses the saving throws of its magus, even if the magus is not currently wielding the black blade.

Yes, it can attempt all the skills that is can attempt which are all mental. It's Int, Wis, Cha are given to you to know what bonuses you have.
BTW, it's going to be really bad at skills since it only gets ranks in know(arcana) and it has bad stats.

You see it as having bad stats. I see it as getting a second roll.

Lets say your magus is lv 6 and putting full ranks into perception and has a +1 from a little wis bump putting them at +7. The sword is at -1 to perception. The sword's max is 19, and it needs to roll 9 higher to have been better than you at the roll.

This only gets worse if you somehow get perception as a class skill or have a racial bonus to perception making your perception at lv6 a 10 or 12. Now the sword needs to roll 12 or 14 higher on the die to be better and the magus only needs a 7 to reach the highest perception the sword can do. The odds of the sword being the highest roll on something seem very tiny.
so a second roll that is so much lower doesn't seem like a meaningful bonus to me.

Lol now I kind of want to see a BB magus played like Duddly do-right where he just does really dumb stuff like play hide and seek with it and is somewhat surprised he always wins.

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