Familiars get your level added to all skill checks they make. "It uses 3 + your level as its modifier for Perception, Acrobatics, and Stealth, and just your level as its modifier for other skill checks"
This means that when it rolls demoralize or RK, it gets your level added to the check, and it can do both of those - they're untrained actions. Demoralize benefits from the speech ability but doesn't require it, and RK probably needs speech to tell you anything useful about the enemy (as funny as it is for your familiar to know the enemy's weak save and have no way to convey this).
For RK, it's best off rolling lores for the DC reduction, and can be... ok at it? Better than a character with no investment at all in RK, which is extremely funny.
For demoralize, it's always going to suck, but if you weren't going to use that independent action anyways may as well take your shot right?
Spellcasters can also select the Skilled ability to add their spellcasting attribute modifier and level to the familiar's Demoralize or Recall Knowledge skill proficiency. Spellcasting attribute modifier is generally at least +3 and usually higher.
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which is extremely funny.
For demoralize, it's always going to suck, but if you weren't going to use that independent action anyways may as well take your shot right?
I know, I deliberately cut out some context in my quote to make my point.
The whole concept of my cat hissing or my toad puffing up and scaring the big bad monster or seasoned warrior is absolutely hilarious :-).
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Hey, hey, hey - Keep it down. If you talk about it too loudly, this will get nerf'd too.
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I think most people know familiars can do this, it's just normally a bad action.
Demoralize benefits from the speech ability but doesn't require it, and RK probably needs speech to tell you anything useful about the enemy (as funny as it is for your familiar to know the enemy's weak save and have no way to convey this).
Without speech, Demoralize is a level-4 roll so... not worth drawing attention to your familiar. Even with speech, a level roll is a bad action: better to take cover to avoid possible area attacks.
For RK, it's best off rolling lores for the DC reduction, and can be... ok at it? Better than a character with no investment at all in RK, which is extremely funny.
With crit fails giving incorrect info, a check with bad chances is better off not being rolled IMO.
Spellcasters can also select the Skilled ability to add their spellcasting attribute modifier and level to the familiar's Demoralize or Recall Knowledge skill proficiency. Spellcasting attribute modifier is generally at least +3 and usually higher.
You're better off using Snoop, Second Opinion, Partner in Crime or Ambassador to giving your familiar the ability to Aid you to boost your own roll. It's a free +1-4 on your rolls which is means it's at least on par with what the familiar can roll and the character can benefit from speech and items what can buff the rolls that the familiar can't.
Ill be honest, my familiar having a decent probability of spouting off incorrect info is a selling point of this idea for me. Too bad since I'm normally the GM this is mostly going to mean its on me to come up with answers when they eventually (inevitably) botch the roll XD
Crunching some numbers:
Level 10 enemy: DC 27 -> DC 25 for unspecific lore
Level 10 bonus: +10
6/20 success, 5/20 crit fail.
Yea that ain’t worth unless we can guess a specific lore and we usually can’t. It’s not unusable if you know what you’re fighting though.
Against a lower level enemy though:
Level 8: DC 24 -> 22
2/20 crit fail, 9/20 success
Perfectly reasonable odds for an independent action we weren’t otherwise gonna use. Gotta treat it with a grain of salt but it’s reasonable to trust i.e. weak save off that.
At higher levels it’ll be worse because you familar doesn’t scale as fast as the standard DC, and at lower levels it’ll be better. I think it works basically fine as long as you use it tactically and your DM doesn’t f%!@ you with rarity increases (but that’s true for a player as well).
Yea that ain’t worth unless we can guess a specific lore and we usually can’t.
Neither is trying to grapple an enemy as a tiny creature, or casting a max-5 Rank spell attack spell at them.
Yet, here we are - nerf'd anyway.
Lmao, true