Getting an imp familiar

[Ravingdork]

What are some good ways to get an imp familiar as a sorcerer?

[HumbleGamer]

I can think of the familiar master archetype

1- Natural ambition > Familiar ( or being a gnome, gnoll, kitsune, etc... )
2- Familiar master ( enhanced familiar )
4-
6- Improved Familiar
8-
10- Incredible Familiar

And you are set.

An imp requires 8 abilities ( 6 with improved familiar ) and as far as I know, incredible familiar is archetype only ( so with a sorcerer, you'll be stick with 4 abilities and -2 on the number of requires skills to get an imp ).

Not sure whether there's a faster route or not ( Play a wizard with the familiar thesis and pretend to be a sorcerer :d ).

[Gisher]

I think HumbleGamer has correctly identified Familiar Master as the best way for those who aren't Witches or Wizards to get an Imp. I do have a list of ways to get familiars and increase their number of abilities. It might help you explore ways to mix and match options.

• Gisher's Guide to Acquiring Familiars

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Edit: I realized that Witch MC also works.

2: Witch Dedication (1 ability)

4: Basic Witchcraft 4 → Enhanced Familiar 2 (4 abilities)

8: Advanced Witchcraft 6 → Improved Familiar 4 (reduces Imp requirement to 6 abilities)

16: Advanced Witchcraft 6 → Incredible Familiar 8 (6 abilities)

[Gisher]

I've looked through everything I can find, and I think those are the only two paths for a Sorcerer: the Familiar Master archetype or the Witch Multiclass archetype.

You need both Improved Familiar and Incredible Familiar, and those archetypes are the only two ways to get either of those feats.

[HumbleGamer]

Gisher wrote:

I've looked through everything I can find, and I think those are the only two paths for a Sorcerer: the Familiar Master archetype or the Witch Multiclass archetype.

You need both Improved Familiar and Incredible Familiar, and those archetypes are the only two ways to get either of those feats.

Yeah...

I would have really appreciated the improved and incredible familiar on the shadowcaster archetype, obviously at higher levels compared to the familiar master ( +4 > lvl 10 for the former and lvl 14 for the latter ).

[Ravingdork]

Well, alright then. Thank you for your help. It looks like something I'd likely only do with Free Archetype then.

Now, does anyone know how to transform or effectively disguise said imp familiar into a cat?

[HumbleGamer]

Baleful polymorph on the imp until they critically fail a saving throw.

[Gisher]

For most familiars I'd suggest giving them the Spellcasting Familiar Ability and having them cast Pest Form, but in this situation we've used up all of the available abilities just to make it an Imp.

[HumbleGamer]

Familiar tattoo and a normal cat could also do the trick.

The imp will come out invisible, walking for 10 minutes per hour next to the cat, doing stuff in its place.

Eventually, consider drawing some whiskers on the imp and see how it goes.

[Gisher]

HumbleGamer wrote:

Familiar tattoo and a normal cat could also do the trick.

The imp will come out invisible, walking for 10 minutes per hour next to the cat, doing stuff in its place.
...

That's brilliant! Belphior and Mittens could get up to all sorts of shenanigans. :)

[Nicolas Paradise]

On a purly fluff level you could have it start as an imp. Use your first 2 abilities for flight and darkvision. Next two for speech and manual dexterity ect building up to the full imp kit at 8 abilities.

[Gisher]

Gisher wrote:

HumbleGamer wrote:

Familiar tattoo and a normal cat could also do the trick.

The imp will come out invisible, walking for 10 minutes per hour next to the cat, doing stuff in its place.
...

That's brilliant! Belphior and Mittens could get up to all sorts of shenanigans. :)

Just for fun, I think the Imp should be the one named Mittens.

[HumbleGamer]

What about:

- Familiar casting Master's Form
- Sorcerer casting Familiar Form ( cat ).

[Gisher]

HumbleGamer wrote:

What about:

- Familiar casting Master's Form
- Sorcerer casting Familiar Form ( cat ).

The Imp doesn't have any extra abilities available for Master's Form.