I'm playing a psyche with alchemist dedication and have been thinking about taking alchemical familiar at level 4 via basic concoctions. What I can't figure out is this whole familiar and master abilities.
Does it only get two familiar abilities? Do you get any bonus abilities due to level or is that only a feature for witches and wizards? And where do master abilities come into the play?
With only two, it seems like it might be less useful than I initially thought.
I'm playing a psyche with alchemist dedication and have been thinking about taking alchemical familiar at level 4 via basic concoctions. What I can't figure out is this whole familiar and master abilities.
Does it only get two familiar abilities? Do you get any bonus abilities due to level or is that only a feature for witches and wizards? And where do master abilities come into the play?
With only two, it seems like it might be less useful than I initially thought.
It technically gets 3 abilities: Construct (free ability), and two you pick. Two is standard for a familiar when nothing else says they have more.
And yes, the Alchemical familiar is pretty limited on its own. Alchemist doesn't have ways to get it more abilities in-class. Generally speaking an Alchemist that wants to boost the familiar takes Familiar Master archetype to get more.
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Yes, familiars are quite limited power-wise, but a few things can be nice even with only 2 abilities.
My bard has a familiar with accompanist (+2 circumstance to performance) and ambassador (auto crit success for aid, aka +2 circumstance to diplomacy) - very difficult to get otherwise and quite helpful.
Skilled and second opinion can be useful for every character specializing in a knowledge skill, also a +2 circumstance bonus to the check - more expensive with 2 abilities though.
Spell battery, for example, is a master ability that gives name to the "battery familiar", one that has only master abilities and is basically carried around in a satchel.
Alchemical gut is also a niche but helpful ability that can save quite some money.
Still, power-wise a familiar is rather niche unless you have a certain idea about using an ability (or are a witch).
There are three lists of abilities to consider: Pet Abilities (PC page 213), Familiar Abilities, and Master Abilities.
The Alchemical Familiar gets the Construct Familiar Ability for free and then you get to select a total of two other abilities from any of those three lists.
There are a variety of ways to increase the number of abilities that you can choose each day. The most powerful are Witch Multiclass and Familiar Master.