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I use my familiar as an expendable scout, an early warning system, or a distraction to remove pests from the vicinity (such as pesky town guards at the gate). It can also make a great lure to bring a beast within range of a party ambush. In a chase in which my old wizard couldn't keep up, I sent his familiar on ahead of to trip up and slow down the suspect that happened to be fleeing.
I also use it as a spy, tasking it with keeping watch over suspicious NPCs or casing locales while the party is off busy with more pressing matters. It's easy enough to give them excellent stealth abilities one day, then give them speech the next so that they can deliver their report.
I've heard a lot of people use them for reloading crossbows, grabbing and putting items in their hand, and the like, with fewer actions than it would normally take.
One of my characters is a blind witch who uses her familiar as her eyes.
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If you're playing a witch, a familiar can also serve as a daily source of nutrition when times are tough, or if it just needs to be punished severely.
That one action a round from Independent might be useful for keeping your familiar out of harm's way or to get them in position for use with Familiar Conduit.
If you take the Familiar Master Archetype, you can also use your familiar to increase the range of the spells you cast with the Familiar Conduit feat.
Independent + skilled (intimidate) = free demoralize each round.
Skilled (lore) let's you get get info on a lot of stuff. Remember you can change daily. So if you need to make beer for a festival, lore (brewing). If you are going to a ball, lore (society).
Fly + manual dexterity + rope can get you over many things, especially at low levels.
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Be prepared to have no one ever bother with familiars in your games, cavernshark, or really, bother with any creative ideas at all.
Independent + skilled (intimidate) = free demoralize each round.
Bwahahaha. Fear my terrifying tiny cute chinchilla.
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Skilled (lore) let's you get get info on a lot of stuff. Remember you can change daily. So if you need to make beer for a festival, lore (brewing). If you are going to a ball, lore (society).
I think I have mentioned this before in a different thread. But I don't see anywhere in the Skilled ability that gives the familiar proficiency rank - just the roll modifier. So the familiar is still untrained and can't use trained-only actions and activities - Such as Earn Income.
Edit: Though you can certainly use the Recall Knowledge action of Lore. Which is what you are suggesting. I am just pointing out that the other doesn't work.
Independent + skilled (intimidate) = free demoralize each round.Bwahahaha. Fear my terrifying tiny cute chinchilla.
Correction: That needs to be a terrifying talking tiny cute chinchilla.
Demoralize has the auditory trait, so the one doing it needs to be able to speak. Since there is no way to get the familiar to have skill feats, Intimidating Glare won't be available.
Independent + skilled (intimidate) = free demoralize each round.Bwahahaha. Fear my terrifying tiny cute chinchilla.Correction: That needs to be a terrifying talking tiny cute chinchilla.
Demoralize has the auditory trait, so the one doing it needs to be able to speak. Since there is no way to get the familiar to have skill feats, Intimidating Glare won't be available.
You do not need to speak for auditory. You are thinking linguist. Growing would work.
But you do need a speech for -4.
Independent + skilled (intimidate) = free demoralize each round.Bwahahaha. Fear my terrifying tiny cute chinchilla.Correction: That needs to be a terrifying talking tiny cute chinchilla.
Demoralize has the auditory trait, so the one doing it needs to be able to speak. Since there is no way to get the familiar to have skill feats, Intimidating Glare won't be available.
It has auditory, not linguistic, so it only has to be able to make sounds to Demoralize. It'd, of course, take the -4 for not speaking a language but they can make the roll.
Hmm...
Auditory actions and effects rely on sound. An action with the auditory trait can be successfully performed only if the creature using the action can speak or otherwise produce the required sounds.
Hmm....... Ah, here it is - in Demoralize itself.
If the target does not understand the language you are speaking, you’re not speaking a language, or they can’t hear you, you take a –4 circumstance penalty to the check.
Since Demoralize isn't a spell, I guess it doesn't trigger the rule on the Auditory trait saying that the effect only happens if the affected creature actually hears the effect.
A strange rule interaction to be sure though. And a Witch usually has plenty of familiar powers to spare one on familiar speech.
Hmm....... Ah, here it is - in Demoralize itself.
Yep, I covered that: "It'd, of course, take the -4 for not speaking a language but they can make the roll".
Since Demoralize isn't a spell, I guess it doesn't trigger the rule on the Auditory trait saying that the effect only happens if the affected creature actually hears the effect.
It has Auditory but it doesn't have the Linguistic, so any sound works [bark, hoot, roar, ect]. Auditory just means the target has to hear it.
Linguistic
Source Core Rulebook pg. 633 1.1
"An effect with this trait depends on language comprehension. A linguistic effect that targets a creature works only if the target understands the language you are using."
If an effect requires speech, It'll (should) have both Auditory and Linguistic. See Coerce, Lie, Make an Impression, Request, Perform [Act, comedy, orate or sing], ect. Just Auditory, like Command an Animal, Demoralize, Perform [instrument], Point Out, Follow the Expert, ect just require sounds.
Hmm....... Ah, here it is - in Demoralize itself.Yep, I covered that: "It'd, of course, take the -4 for not speaking a language but they can make the roll".
Indeed. It was your comment that sent me back to the rules for a second look.
It is a horrible habit of mine - I don't take the word of anyone on the forums alone. I am more than happy to admit when I am wrong or uninformed though.
Speaking of which...
I don't see any traits on Follow the Expert: Auditory, Linguistic, or otherwise. The rest of them all make sense, so I haven't checked them. But that one struck me as odd that you have to make noise in order to follow the lead of someone else - especially for something like sneaking.
So am I missing something, or do you have this confused with something else?
It is a horrible habit of mine - I don't take the word of anyone on the forums alone.
I understand: IMO, it's not a bad habit at all. Feel free to ask me for a quote, source and or page number if I don't provide them. ;)
Speaking of which...
Follow the Expert
On Archives of nethys, go to Actions/Activities, Exploration, and scroll down to Follow the Expert. I tried to link it but it keeps coming up "The requested URL was not found on this server, or you do not have permission to access this area." It has the tags: Auditory, Concentrate, Exploration, Visual
Cool.
I wonder why that one has the traits listed, while the one I linked to earlier didn't.
And that still doesn't explain why I have to make noise in order to follow the party's Rogue more quietly... But I'll leave that up to the GM to enforce or override.
It has auditory, not linguistic, so it only has to be able to make sounds to Demoralize. It'd, of course, take the -4 for not speaking a language but they can make the roll.Independent + skilled (intimidate) = free demoralize each round.Bwahahaha. Fear my terrifying tiny cute chinchilla.Correction: That needs to be a terrifying talking tiny cute chinchilla.
Demoralize has the auditory trait, so the one doing it needs to be able to speak. Since there is no way to get the familiar to have skill feats, Intimidating Glare won't be available.
The -4 can be negated with the Speech familiar ability, plus a casting of a Level 3 Comprehend Language spell in the case of creatures that don't understand common. Overkill? Maybe. But a free demoralize action every round with a decent possibility of success might be worth it.
And that still doesn't explain why I have to make noise in order to follow the party's Rogue more quietly...
Auditory and Visual have provisos: "This applies only to sound-based parts of the effect, as determined by the GM" and "This applies only to visible parts of the effect, as determined by the GM." With Follow the Leader, it's up to the Dm to determine if either, both or neither apply. For instance, lets say you're party is on a horse in exploration mode and you follow the leader for Command an Animal: since the skill action has auditory, so does the Follow the leader activity.
Not sure what was up with the no trait Follow the Leader but I'm not sure why I couldn't make the link either... It must be a deep state conspiracy! :P
The -4 can be negated with...
Note the specific example. "Independent + skilled (intimidate) = free demoralize each round." My comments where on that specific example that lacked an ability to speak. Sure there where ways to avoid the -4 but that wasn't what we where talking about.
But a free demoralize action every round with a decent possibility of success might be worth it.
With 10 min temporary immunity after use, being able to get one off per round is unlikely. It can be as low as once per combat.
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If you're playing a witch, a familiar can also serve as a daily source of nutrition when times are tough, or if it just needs to be punished severely.
Major Curse: Those who displease Gozreh are shunned by nature itself. All animals and nonsapient plant creatures are hostile to you, and any animal companion or familiar abandons you. Sapient plants’ attitude toward you begins two categories worse than normal, as something about you seems repugnant to them. While plants and animals might not attack you outright if it’s not normally in their nature to do so when they are hostile, dogs growl at you, cats hiss, and so on.
I don't think I can pull this off before level 12 - the point where I can cast 6th level spells. Someone correct me if I am wrong on that and can do this or something like this sooner.
A Witch with Vigilante archetype. Can give the familiar Manual Dexterity and Speech so as to get Master's Form. Also give it Spellcasting and the spell Illusory Disguise. The familiar can then cast Illusory Disguise to hide the obvious residual familiar anatomy. You can then use your Deception skill to dress your familiar as your other persona. Then you can both be seen together in public to discourage rumors and speculation about the two of you being the same person.
Sanctuary + familiar conduit + flier + familiar eyes +toughness, damage avoidance, resistance + blur + (Needle of Vengeance?)...
Now you can lob spells though third floor windows, with a high chance of keeping your familiar alive for long enough to deal some real damage.
Main issue is sanctuary is not on a list where you get good attacks. But it there are some like telekinetic projectile.
Sanctuary + familiar conduit + flier + familiar eyes +toughness, damage avoidance, resistance + blur + (Needle of Vengeance?)...
Now you can lob spells though third floor windows, with a high chance of keeping your familiar alive for long enough to deal some real damage.
Main issue is sanctuary is not on a list where you get good attacks. But it there are some like telekinetic projectile.
Adaptive Adept?
Adaptive Adept?Sanctuary + familiar conduit + flier + familiar eyes +toughness, damage avoidance, resistance + blur + (Needle of Vengeance?)...
Now you can lob spells though third floor windows, with a high chance of keeping your familiar alive for long enough to deal some real damage.
Main issue is sanctuary is not on a list where you get good attacks. But it there are some like telekinetic projectile.
that works.
Then you can go primal for chilling ice.Setup, sanctuary.
Turn 1, conduit + flaming sphere/personal blizzard / whatever.
Turn 2+, sustain +conduit +chilling ice.
Bark/stoneskin/resist energy can also be added in place of blur.
Something I noticed: Your familiar natively gets better skill bonuses in untrained skills than you do.
If you are not trained in a skill, your roll modifier is just your ability modifier.
Your familiar is always untrained in the skill, but the modifier is equal to your level.
For low levels the modifier may be higher, but it may not. It depends on the skill. For levels higher than 5, the level will always be higher than the ability modifier.
So taking Skilled as a familiar ability is useful - it lets you add your primary ability modifier as well. But it really isn't necessary in order to make your familiar better than you at a skill that you are lacking.
I really like this idea, but I don't think you really need to wait as long as you are to do this.I don't think I can pull this off before level 12 - the point where I can cast 6th level spells. Someone correct me if I am wrong on that and can do this or something like this sooner.
A Witch with Vigilante archetype. Can give the familiar Manual Dexterity and Speech so as to get Master's Form. Also give it Spellcasting and the spell Illusory Disguise. The familiar can then cast Illusory Disguise to hide the obvious residual familiar anatomy. You can then use your Deception skill to dress your familiar as your other persona. Then you can both be seen together in public to discourage rumors and speculation about the two of you being the same person.
It probably depends on the GM. Having the humanoid form is required. Without that I don't see any reasonable GM allowing the mundane disguise to work. But with Master's Form, it states "it always maintains a clearly unnatural remnant of its nature, such as a cat's eyes or a serpent's tongue." My interpretation is that it is going to still have the penalties for being a different race....
Which I am trying to find. I'm remembering that there are penalties for trying to disguise as something dissimilar to what you actually are. The Illusory Disguise spell references that it allows you to ignore those penalties. But I am not finding where those penalties are actually listed out.
Because yes, being able to pull off this trick of disguising your familiar as yourself at earlier levels would be fantastic.