Can my tumor familiar make me fly?

[JasonKain]

So, I've been working on an Aberrant Bloodline Eldritch Scion Magus idea for a while now, and I had Aberrant Tumor slotted in as my 5th level feat. I had originally planned on taking the protector archetype, but just stumbled onto the errata that that isn't possible anymore. So, I started looking at other ideas...

And then I started to wonder if I could get flight.

Tumor familiar states The tumor acts as the alchemist’s familiar whether attached or separated (providing a skill bonus, the Alertness feat, and so on). which, to me, indicates it can take actions. Especially when considering the text As a standard action, the alchemist can have the tumor detach itself from his body as a separate creature. So, it can take actions on its own, but it's a standard action to detach. Well... what if we didn't want it to?

Figment familiar archetype gives 2 points worth of eidolon evolution points that don't require a base form requirement. Flight is a 2 point evolution, to grant "large wings, like those of a bat, bird, insect, or dragon, gaining the ability to fly". Doesn't require a base form.

We apply flight to a Compsognathus form tumor familiar. It has strength 8. We craft muleback cords for it, which increases it's strength to 16 for the purpose of carrying capacity. We then put a heavyload belt on it, which triples it's strength for carrying capacity, giving it a light load of 228 lbs or less. After the flight evolution, it would gain a fly speed equal to it's base speed - 40ft, with good maneuverability as it is Tiny.

At that point, would my imaginary flying tumor compy be able to merge onto my back, and use its move actions to carry me while flying? Or have I just been getting too little sleep?

[toastedamphibian]

No, nothing says or implies it can take actions while attached. It says you treat it as your familiar while it is attached.

You could do the same thing though, with rope.

Additionally, as a tiny creature, it's light load would be 1/2 that of a medium creature, or 114 lbs in this case. Could be tight. Consider being a small race.

[JasonKain]

I knew I was forgetting something. Well, it could still theoretically carry me while detached, right? At that point, if it was built off a wallaby with it's natural 12 strength, it could still end up with a light load Max of 299 lbs after the reduction from small size, if my math is right.

[Grollub]

toastedamphibian wrote:

No, nothing says or implies it can take actions while attached. It says you treat it as your familiar while it is attached.

You could do the same thing though, with rope.

Additionally, as a tiny creature, it's light load would be 1/2 that of a medium creature, or 114 lbs in this case. Could be tight. Consider being a small race.

Tumor Familiar says: The tumor has all the abilities of the animal it resembles (for example, a batlike tumor can fly) and familiar abilities based on the alchemist’s caster level (though some familiar abilities may be useless to an alchemist). The tumor acts as the alchemist’s familiar whether attached or separated (providing a skill bonus, the Alertness feat, and so on). When attached to the alchemist, the tumor has fast healing 5.

I read this as, when its attached its still the creature it is. it may have limited actions, as its attached, but still has actions.

[Melkiador]

The die for your master feat from the same source lets us know that the familiar has actions when attached. But you don’t get it’s movement type and since it’s probably size tiny its little wings aren’t going to get you off the ground.

[Tacticslion]

I love this.

...

...

...

How I imagine a conversation wrote:

“Woah, dude! How are you flying?!”

“I grew a tumor.”

“WHAT?! A-are you dying?! We need to get you a cleric, quick!”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, man, it’s a little kangaroo who lives in my back and talks to me and also is imaginary. So anyway, that’s how I’m flying.”

“O.o”

XD

(It would almost certainly never happen like that in a real game, but it made me smile so.)

[Mark Hoover 330]

RAW I don't know; the feat is only worded to say the tumor familiar, while attached, still functions as a familiar in that it provides a skill bonus, the Alertness feat, and "so on." This vague statement suggests, to me as a GM in my own games, that the familiar provides its master/mistress all passive benefits of being a "familiar" whether attached or not, but while attached it is literally attached and thus has no Actions it can take in a round that would involve using it's own body, except communication. At least, that's what I told the ratfolk investigator who was considering this thing before just taking levels in wizard to gain a standard familiar.

Anyway, unfortunately the RAW on this is open to interpretation. Another thing up for debate is whether or not your flying familiar can fly carrying a Medium or Heavy load. No, carrying is not wearing and the act of carrying does not make your tumor familiar a mount, so a GM could rule either way to have your familiar carry more than a light load while flying.

Consider though: crafting both the Muleback Cords and the Heavyload Belt costs 1500 GP and the Craft Wondrous Items feat. Buying a potion of Fly outright is 750 GP. You could simply buy 2 potions of Fly, drink them yourself, and call it a day.

Better yet, if you insist on your familiar being your "wings", change that to buying potions of Levitate. Get 10 potions of Levitate, drink one whenever you're feeling flighty, and either manipulate yourself around or, if the GM is willing, have the Levitate effectively make you weightless and then the familiar is carrying you effortlessly while you attack from above.

Eventually you can take Craft Construct. Then build yourself an Animated Object. With a price of 5000 GP (crafting cost of 2500 GP, or slightly more than your cords/belt idea) you have a Medium sized Animated Object with 2 Construction Points. It requires 1 CP to give the object a Fly speed. So now, you've got a Medium sized flying object to ride around on.

So... Take your Tumor Familiar. Give it the Valet archetype. Use the familiar as a boost to your skills through Aid Another and Cooperative Crafting to quickly whip up a masterwork... I don't know, a broom or a carpet feel thematic, but you can make it whatever you'd like.

Craft Construct DOES make you wait until level 5, which is poopy. Until then the Levitate or Fly potions, scrolls, or the harness solution above, but once you hit level 5 and have 2500 GP to burn, your PC is riding around on a Medium sized object that is technically a CR 3 monster, under your control, with a 30' Fly (Clumsy) speed, maybe 2 Slam +5 attacks/round dealing 1d6 +3, and 36 HP with a 14 AC.

And don't even get me STARTED on doing all this with a Homunculus familiar...

[Melkiador]

Quote:

Die for Your Master

Source Ultimate Magic pg. 148
Your tumor familiar goes to any length to save your life.

Prerequisites: Tumor familiar alchemist discovery.

Benefit: If your tumor familiar is attached, and you would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the familiar throws itself in the way of the attack as an immediate action. If it makes a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt), it takes all the damage from the attack; if it fails, it takes half damage and you take half damage.

The familiar must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to use this ability, and it can only do this once per day—if it is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC, it can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow the familiar to make a Reflex save for half damage, its improved evasion ability does not apply on this saving throw.

Again, this is from the same source as the Tumor Familiar itself. It's pretty clear that an attached familiar can act.