Item Bonuses on Familiars

[Ravingdork]

The familiar rules clearly state the following:

Your familiar’s save modifiers and AC are equal to yours before applying circumstance or status bonuses or penalties.

However, it also says this:

[The familiar] doesn’t have or use its own ability modifiers and can never benefit from item bonuses.

Please tell me if I'm interpreting this rule correctly: If I put armor on my familiar, it does him no good as he cannot benefit from item bonuses. However, if I put on armor, his AC increases to match mine, since I can benefit from item bonuses, and, per the first rule, its AC is equal to mine before applying circumstance or status bonuses (it makes no mention of status bonuses here).

[John Lynch 106]

Seems right to me.

[WatersLethe]

I believe you are correct.

[Ravingdork]

Meant to say "it makes no mention of item bonuses here"

[Ravingdork]

*Bump* My "Can I benefit from item bonuses when polymorphed?" thread reminded me of this one.

Anyone else care to weigh in?

[Baarogue]

What for? Even if you misspoke in the OP, the two respondents so far aren't the sort to answer without looking up the rule themselves. They would have caught your typo and answered accurately. In my opinion, they (and you) are reading it right.

If you're looking for some sort of fluff explanation for the way this works, I picture the familiar as hiding behind or in the folds of their master's clothes/armor - always positioning themselves to take advantage of their master's protective equipment, but unable to benefit from spells or specific situational bonuses the master is utilizing.

[K1]

Ravingdork wrote:

The familiar rules clearly state the following:

Your familiar’s save modifiers and AC are equal to yours before applying circumstance or status bonuses or penalties.

However, it also says this:

[The familiar] doesn’t have or use its own ability modifiers and can never benefit from item bonuses.

Please tell me if I'm interpreting this rule correctly: If I put armor on my familiar, it does him no good as he cannot benefit from item bonuses. However, if I put on armor, his AC increases to match mine, since I can benefit from item bonuses, and, per the first rule, its AC is equal to mine before applying circumstance or status bonuses (it makes no mention of status bonuses here).

Shortly, the familiar has your armor class.

You don't simply consider buffs or actions like raise shield

The familiar is However elegible to receive circ and status stuff on himself. Like bard inspire defense composition, or taking Cover to increase his ac.

[Ravingdork]

Baarogue wrote:

What for?

To generate discussion and solicit differing viewpoints of course!

Who doesn't love a good conversation?