Improved familiar familiar bond

[Chess Pwn]

Say I'm wanting to use familiar bond to get an improved familiar, do I need to take improved familiar bond before I can get the improved familiar?

[Meirril]

technically you should be able to get improved familiar using your total class level as your wizard level, but the improved familiar would have all the restrictions as a normal familiar because you haven't paid for improved familiar bond. So as an example no evasion or telepathy for the familiar.

[SorrySleeping]

Improved Familiar removes the ability to speak with animals of its kind.

Familiar bond does not give Speak with Animals of its kind. You have to have Improved Familiar Bond to get Improved Familiar.

[Mathmuse]

SorrySleeping wrote:

Improved Familiar removes the ability to speak with animals of its kind.

Familiar bond does not give Speak with Animals of its kind. You have to have Improved Familiar Bond to get Improved Familiar.

SorrySleeping may be mistaking Improved Familiar with the familiar archetypes.

The archetypes, such as Valet familiar and Mauler familiar, trade away Speak with Animals of its Kind in exchange for other abilities. Thus, the familiar needs the Speak with Animals of its Kind in the first place in order to trade it away for the archetype.

Improved Familliar says, "Improved familiars otherwise use the rules for regular familiars, with two exceptions: if the creature’s type is something other than animal, its type does not change; and improved familiars do not gain the ability to speak with other creatures of their kind (although many of them already have the ability to communicate)." This is not a requirement nor is it trading away the ability. Instead, the Improved Familar simply does not gain the Speak with Animals of its Kind ability. This means that Improved Familiars cannot take the archetypes, because they cannot trade away an ability that they never gained.