Azothath's Homebrew: Flamingo CR:0.33 (Familiar)

[Azothath]

Flamingo {Phoenicopterus ruber, roseus}

Source: Azothath (see profile)
NN Sml animal (avian) CR 0.33 XP 135
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, taste; Prcp +5

DEFENSE
AC: 16, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+3 Dex, +1 dodg, +1 ntrl, +1 sz)
HP: 6 (1d8 +1)
Saves: Fort +3, Rflx +5, Will +1 +4 vs many aquatic type [dis, poi]

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft, Fly 60 ft (average).
Ntrl: bite +3 (1d3-1 c20 *2)B {prim}, kick -2 (1d3-1 c20 *2)B {scndry}
AoO/rnd: 1.
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. biped wading avian 4-4.5×2×3 ft (Ht Wt Dp) with 6 ft wingspan, 4-7 lbs.

STATISTICS
Abil: Str 8(-1), Dex 16(+3), Con 12(+1), Int 2(-4), Wis 12(+1), Cha 12(+1)
BAB(0.75): +0, Str -1, sz -1; CMB -2; CMD 11
MIBS: avian: barding(armor), belt/sash, chest(exotic saddle), eyes, head, headband, neck, ring(2), wrists(wing base or legs). Grasp:Y. Spl cast:N.
Wpn & Armr Prfc: none.

Feats(1): Weapon Finesseᴮ: lgt wpn use DEX for STR on atk {not dmg}. Dodge: +1 dodg AC. Bonus Feat(ᴮ).

Skills(ranks 1): Acroᶜ +6(0), Clmbᶜ +2(0), Flyᶜ +8(0){2}, Prcpᶜ +5(1), Stlthᶜ +10(0){4}, Srvlᶜ +5(1ᴮ), Swimᶜ +4(0){2}. Cls Skl(ᶜ), Skl Fcs(ˢ)
Lang: none. Ling(ᒻ)

Fly (Ex) Fly (wings) 60 ft (average), Sml +2 sz to Fly skill & Fly as class skill.
Familiar (Ex) a master of a flamingo familiar gains +1 to a chosen Perform skill and Acrobatic (jump & fall) checks. When the familiar is visible and within reach once per day the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check.
Taste (Ex) see Scent CRB. Using taste to track a creature (rather than Scent) using Survival requires a move action and licking a surface or sample which affords the creature two checks; Survival to identify the taste of the creature and approximate age of the mark, then if successful the creature’s type or ability. The creature types (not specific species) are; dragon, ooze, outsider, undead, amphibian subtype. Abilities are any creature with; Breath Weapon(Su), Poison(Ex){if used within 1 hour before leaving the mark}, Poisonous Blood(Ex), Stench(Ex), Bitter armor quality, or Repugnant Taste. Environmental effects degrade the trail marks at the same rate as Scent.
A creature can learn or identify up to Int number of specific creatures using taste that they have interacted with within the last 2-3 weeks.
Wading Poison Resistance (Ex) +4 crcm vs poison or disease from a creature with; special quality(amphibian), subtype (aquatic, water), or name(invertebrate, crab, eel, jellyfish, shrimp, slug, snail, worm).
Wading animal (Ex) wading animals have long legs and webbed feet. They gain a size larger in land speed, +2 comp Swim skill and are generally water resistant (feathers/fur shed water easily).

Gear & Equip: none.

Cash: none.

ECOLOGY
Environment shoreline, swamp, lakes, wetlands.
Organization group (2-4), flock(flamboyance) (30-150).
Treasure none.

Description
Flamingos are a relatively large wading bird with remarkable rosy to red body plumage, black wing tips, markings, and beak tips, white to gold eyes. They reach maturity in about 4 years, breed at 6 years, lay chalky white eggs, and live 40-60 years in the wild. In general they form mated pairs, triplets, or quadruplets that stand, eat, and sleep together. Flamingos exhibit a high degree of synchronized movement within a flock. They are sociable and playful animals more comfortable in groups or flocks than individual or pairs. They can be socialized to 1-2 owners (transferrable with a successful Hndl Anml 12 check over a week’s time) if raised in captivity.
Birds are a palatable meal for humanoids but the charming colors of flamingos generally assuage predation. Their color comes from their diet as they are naturally white. Dark red flamingo feathers are prized by alchemists for aphrodisiacs, breathing associated healing unguents, and the flamingo kidney & salt glands for purifying water.

Tactics: usually run or fly away, honking alarms, defending nests en mass.
by Azothath

[Andostre]

Azothath wrote:

When the familiar is visible and within reach once per day the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check.

It seems obvious what your intent is, but in a RAW sense, this can be interpreted two different ways depending on where the comma should be:

When the familiar is visible and within reach, once per day the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check. The master gets the bonus only once per day and only when the familiar is near.

-OR-

When the familiar is visible and within reach once per day, the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check. So long as the familiar is near at any point during the day, the master always gets the bonus, even if the familiar isn't near at that moment.

[Azothath]

Andostre wrote:

Azothath wrote:

When the familiar is visible and within reach once per day the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check.

It seems obvious what your intent is, but in a RAW sense, this can be interpreted two different ways depending on where the comma should be:

When the familiar is visible and within reach, once per day the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check. The master gets the bonus only once per day and only when the familiar is near.

how would you interpret it as a run-on sentence?

sometimes I am caught by my own editing. I edited out my 6th, 11th, 16th level familiar abilities as I think they should provide scaling flavorful benefits beyond the Familiar Chart. I didn't want to create/post more than RAW as it could be a distraction. Taste (Ex) seemed enough.
I'll note the perform choice is taken with the familiar though it could be retrained but not switched about daily or on demand.

My concerns with low CR creatures are basic. Higher ability scores than they should be (as seen in nature. I believe it's a game rule compensation), applying class skill bonuses without ranks, bonus feats are a mess, abilities that should count as a feat whereas others are trying to capture the flavor/abilities of the animal as a racial/species/adaptation ability.
Secondly Familiar feats can be changed. I assume this requires GM agreement but in PFS it's a thorny topic. It stems from sloppy design writing using weapon finesse on tiny or smaller creatures and not noting it is duplicative.

[Andostre]

Azothath wrote:

how would you interpret it as a run-on sentence?

I'm not sure what you mean. I don't think it's a run-on sentence; it's just missing a comma, and depending on where the comma is placed, it changes the effect of the ability.

I'm sure every veteran player remembers a scenario where someone tries to use a RAW interpretation of an ability to do something obviously not RAI, and this can be easily rectified by including the comma.

Azothath wrote:

When the familiar is visible and within reach once per day the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check.

I'd actually re-write it like this:

"Once per day, the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check when the familiar is visible and within reach."

And honestly, it's a hilarious visual. When a giant pink bird is nearby, this distraction makes a person 10% more susceptible to being won over by the murder hobo that owns the bird.

[Azothath]

they could take Perform dance('flamingo') using castanets... lol

it's margharita time somewhere!

[Azothath]

Andostre wrote:

...

Azothath wrote:

When the familiar is visible and within reach once per day the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check.

I'd actually re-write it like this:

"Once per day, the master may gain +2 on a Diplomacy check when the familiar is visible and within reach."

I prefer the If-Then conditional statement and I use a lot of abbreviations. You could call it Hash-Talk... my shorthand is;

Familiar (Ex) master gains +1 Pfrm(choose one specific kind/type when familiar is bound) and Acro(jump & fall). When the familiar is visible and within reach, the master may gain +2 Diplo once per day. At higher familiar granting class levels it confers more; 6th +2 comp Fly check & +2 chosen Pfrm & Acro(jump & fall) checks; 11th +3 to the checks and Diplo usable [2]/day; 16th +4 to the checks and Diplo usable [3]/day.