A character with an item familiar may choose to invest a single spell slot in his familiar and gain a bonus spell slot in return. The single spell slot must be of the highest spell level he can cast, and the bonus spell slot is always two levels lower than the slot invested in the item. Familiars Description Source: PRPG Core Rulebook A familiar is an animal chosen by a spellcaster to aid him in his study of magic. It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but is now a magical beast for the purpose of effects that depend on its type. I was looking at the list of familiars you can obtain with the Improved Familiar feat when I noticed none of them had a stat bonus like the normal familiars did.(Example: The Cat familiar grants 'Master gains a +3 bonus on Stealth checks') Are you sacrificing a feat slot AND the bonuses familiars grant to you to have a better familiar?
Home >Familiars are mystically bonded creatures tied to your magic. Most familiars were originally animals, though the ritual of becoming a familiar makes them something more. You can choose a Tiny animal you want as your familiar, such as a bat, cat, raven, or snake. Some familiars are different, usually described in the ability that granted you a familiar; for example, a druid's leshy familiar is a Tiny plant instead of an animal, formed from a minor nature spirit.
Familiars have the minion trait, so during an encounter, they gain 2 actions in a round if you spend an action to command them. If your familiar dies, you can spend a week of downtime to replace it at no cost. You can have only one familiar at a time.
Contents
- Familiar and Master Abilities
- Familiar Abilities
- Master Abilities
Familiar and Master Abilities
Each day, you channel your magic into two abilities, which can be either familiar or master abilities. If your familiar is an animal that naturally has one of these abilities (for instance, an owl has a fly Speed), you must select that ability. Your familiar can't be an animal that naturally has more familiar abilities than your daily maximum familiar abilities.
Familiars
Familiars are mystically bonded creatures tied to your magic. Most familiars were originally animals, though the ritual of becoming a familiar makes them something more. You can choose a Tiny animal you want as your familiar, such as a bat, cat, raven, or snake. Some familiars are different, usually described in the ability that granted you a familiar; for example, a druid's leshy familiar is a Tiny plant instead of an animal, formed from a minor nature spirit.
Familiars have the minion trait, so during an encounter, they gain 2 actions in a round if you spend an action to command them. If your familiar dies, you can spend a week of downtime to replace it at no cost. You can have only one familiar at a time.
Modifiers and AC
Your familiar's save modifiers and AC are equal to yours before applying circumstance or status bonuses or penalties. Its Perception, Acrobatics, and Stealth modifiers are equal to your level plus your spellcasting ability modifier (Charisma if you don't have one, unless otherwise specified). If it attempts an attack roll or other skill check, it uses your level as its modifier. It doesn't have or use its own ability modifiers and can never benefit from item bonuses.
Hit Points
Your familiar has 5 Hit Points for each of your levels.
Size
Your familiar is Tiny.
Senses
Your familiar has low-light vision and can gain additional senses from familiar abilities. It can communicate empathically with you as long as it's within 1 mile of you, sharing emotions. It doesn't understand or speak languages normally, but it can gain speech from a familiar ability.
Movement
Your familiar has either a Speed of 25 feet or a swim Speed of 25 feet (choose one upon gaining the familiar). It can gain other movement types from familiar abilities.
Familiar and Master Abilities
Each day, you channel your magic into two abilities, which can be either familiar or master abilities. If your familiar is an animal that naturally has one of these abilities (for instance, an owl has a fly Speed), you must select that ability. Your familiar can't be an animal that naturally has more familiar abilities than your daily maximum familiar abilities.
Familiar Abilities
Accompanist
Source PF2APG
Your familiar helps you perform. Whenever you attempt a Performance check, if your familiar is nearby and can act, it accompanies you with chirps, claps, or its own miniature instrument. This grants you a +1 circumstance bonus, or +2 if you're a master in Performance.
Amphibious
Source PF2CRB
It gains a swim Speed of 25 feet (or Speed of 25 feet if it already has a swim Speed).
Burrower
Source PF2CRB
It gains a burrow Speed of 5 feet, allowing it to dig Tiny holes.
Climber
Source PF2CRB
It gains a climb Speed of 25 feet.
Damage Avoidance
Source PF2CRB
Choose one type of save. It takes no damage when it succeeds at that type of save; this doesn't prevent effects other than damage.
Darkvision
Source PF2CRB
It gains darkvision.
Fast Movement
Source PF2CRB
Increase one of the familiar's Speeds from 25 feet to 40 feet.
Flier
Source PF2CRB
It gains a fly Speed of 25 feet.
Focused Rejuvenation
Source PF2APG
Pathfinder Familiar Stats
When you Refocus, you generate magical energy that heals your familiar. Your familiar regains 1 Hit Point per level whenever you Refocus.
Independent
Source PF2APG
In an encounter, if you don't Command your familiar, it still gains 1 action each round. Typically, you still decide how it spends that action, but, the GM might determine that your familiar chooses its own tactics rather than performing your preferred action.
Kinspeech
Source PF2CRB
It can understand and speak with animals of the same species. To select this, your familiar must be an animal, it must have the speech ability, and you must be at least 6th level.
Lab Assistant
Source PF2CRB
It can use your Quick Alchemy action. You must have Quick Alchemy, and your familiar must be in your space. This has the same cost and requirement as if you used it. It must have the manual dexterity ability to select this.
Manual Dexterity
Source PF2CRB
It can use up to two of its limbs as if they were hands to use manipulate actions.
Master's Form
Source PF2APG
Your familiar can change shape as a single action, transforming into a humanoid of your ancestry with the same age, gender, and build of its true form, though it always maintains a clearly unnatural remnant of its nature, such as a cat's eyes or a serpent's tongue. This form is always the same each time it uses this ability. This otherwise uses the effects of humanoid form, except the change is purely cosmetic. It only appears humanoid and gains no new capabilities. Your familiar must have the manual dexterity and speech abilities to select this.
Partner in Crime
Source PF2APG
Your familiar is your criminal associate. Despite being a minion, your familiar gains 1 reaction at the start of its turns, which it can use only to Aid you on a Deception or Thievery skill check (it still has to prepare to help you as normal for the Aid reaction). It automatically succeeds at its check to Aid you with those skills or automatically critically succeeds if you're a master of the skill in question.
Plant Form
Source PF2APG
Your plant familiar can change shape as a single action, transforming into a Tiny plant of a type roughly similar to the familiar's nature. This otherwise uses the effects of tree shape. You must have a familiar with the plant trait, such as a leshy, to select this ability.
Poison Reservoir
Source PF2APG
Your homunculus familiar has a reservoir for poison, allowing it to apply an injury poison to an adjacent ally's exposed weapon with a single Interact action. You must supply the poison and instill it into this reservoir using two consecutive Interact actions. You must have a homunculus familiar to select this ability.
Resistance
Source PF2APG
Choose two of the following: acid, cold, electricity, fire, poison, or sonic. Your familiar gains resistance equal to half your level against the chosen damage types.
Scent
Source PF2CRB
It gains scent (imprecise, 30 feet).
Skilled
Source PF2APG
Choose a skill other than Acrobatics or Stealth. Your familiar's modifier for that skill is equal to your level plus your key spellcasting ability modifier, rather than just your level. You can select this ability repeatedly, choosing a different skill each time.
Speech
Source PF2CRB
It understands and speaks a language you know.
Pathfinder Familiar Hp
Spellcasting
Source PF2APG
Choose a spell in your repertoire or that you prepared today that is at least 5 levels lower than your highest-level spell slot. Your familiar can Cast that Spell once per day using your magical tradition, spell attack modifier, and spell DC. If the spell has a drawback that affects the caster, both you and your familiar are affected. You must be able to cast 6th-level spells using spell slots to select this ability.
Toolbearer
Source PF2APG
Your familiar can carry a set of tools of up to light Bulk. So long as your familiar is adjacent to you, you can draw and replace the tools as part of the action that uses them as if you were wearing them. Your familiar must have the manual dexterity ability to select this.
Touch Telepathy
Source PF2APG
Your familiar can telepathically communicate with you via touch. If it also has the speech ability, it can telepathically communicate via touch with any creature if they share a language.
Tough
Source PF2APG
Your familiar's maximum Hit Points increase by 2 per level.
Valet
Source PF2APG
You can command your familiar to deliver you items more efficiently. Your familiar doesn't use its 2 actions immediately upon your command. Instead, up to twice before the end of your turn, you can have your familiar Interact to retrieve an item of light or negligible Bulk you are wearing and place it into one of your free hands. The familiar can't use this ability to retrieve stowed items. If the familiar has a different number of actions, it can retrieve one item for each action it has when commanded this way.
Master Abilities
Cantrip Connection
Source PF2CRB
You can prepare an additional cantrip, or if you have a repertoire, instead designate a cantrip to add to your repertoire every time you select this ability; you can retrain it but can't otherwise change it. You must be able to prepare cantrips or add them to your repertoire to select this.
Raven Familiar Pathfinder
Extra Reagents
Source PF2CRB
Your familiar grows extra infused reagents on or in its body. You gain an additional batch of infused reagents. You must have the infused reagents ability to select this ability.
Familiar Focus
Source PF2CRB
It gains a swim Speed of 25 feet (or Speed of 25 feet if it already has a swim Speed).
Burrower
Source PF2CRB
It gains a burrow Speed of 5 feet, allowing it to dig Tiny holes.
Climber
Source PF2CRB
It gains a climb Speed of 25 feet.
Damage Avoidance
Source PF2CRB
Choose one type of save. It takes no damage when it succeeds at that type of save; this doesn't prevent effects other than damage.
Darkvision
Source PF2CRB
It gains darkvision.
Fast Movement
Source PF2CRB
Increase one of the familiar's Speeds from 25 feet to 40 feet.
Flier
Source PF2CRB
It gains a fly Speed of 25 feet.
Focused Rejuvenation
Source PF2APG
Pathfinder Familiar Stats
When you Refocus, you generate magical energy that heals your familiar. Your familiar regains 1 Hit Point per level whenever you Refocus.
Independent
Source PF2APG
In an encounter, if you don't Command your familiar, it still gains 1 action each round. Typically, you still decide how it spends that action, but, the GM might determine that your familiar chooses its own tactics rather than performing your preferred action.
Kinspeech
Source PF2CRB
It can understand and speak with animals of the same species. To select this, your familiar must be an animal, it must have the speech ability, and you must be at least 6th level.
Lab Assistant
Source PF2CRB
It can use your Quick Alchemy action. You must have Quick Alchemy, and your familiar must be in your space. This has the same cost and requirement as if you used it. It must have the manual dexterity ability to select this.
Manual Dexterity
Source PF2CRB
It can use up to two of its limbs as if they were hands to use manipulate actions.
Master's Form
Source PF2APG
Your familiar can change shape as a single action, transforming into a humanoid of your ancestry with the same age, gender, and build of its true form, though it always maintains a clearly unnatural remnant of its nature, such as a cat's eyes or a serpent's tongue. This form is always the same each time it uses this ability. This otherwise uses the effects of humanoid form, except the change is purely cosmetic. It only appears humanoid and gains no new capabilities. Your familiar must have the manual dexterity and speech abilities to select this.
Partner in Crime
Source PF2APG
Your familiar is your criminal associate. Despite being a minion, your familiar gains 1 reaction at the start of its turns, which it can use only to Aid you on a Deception or Thievery skill check (it still has to prepare to help you as normal for the Aid reaction). It automatically succeeds at its check to Aid you with those skills or automatically critically succeeds if you're a master of the skill in question.
Plant Form
Source PF2APG
Your plant familiar can change shape as a single action, transforming into a Tiny plant of a type roughly similar to the familiar's nature. This otherwise uses the effects of tree shape. You must have a familiar with the plant trait, such as a leshy, to select this ability.
Poison Reservoir
Source PF2APG
Your homunculus familiar has a reservoir for poison, allowing it to apply an injury poison to an adjacent ally's exposed weapon with a single Interact action. You must supply the poison and instill it into this reservoir using two consecutive Interact actions. You must have a homunculus familiar to select this ability.
Resistance
Source PF2APG
Choose two of the following: acid, cold, electricity, fire, poison, or sonic. Your familiar gains resistance equal to half your level against the chosen damage types.
Scent
Source PF2CRB
It gains scent (imprecise, 30 feet).
Skilled
Source PF2APG
Choose a skill other than Acrobatics or Stealth. Your familiar's modifier for that skill is equal to your level plus your key spellcasting ability modifier, rather than just your level. You can select this ability repeatedly, choosing a different skill each time.
Speech
Source PF2CRB
It understands and speaks a language you know.
Pathfinder Familiar Hp
Spellcasting
Source PF2APG
Choose a spell in your repertoire or that you prepared today that is at least 5 levels lower than your highest-level spell slot. Your familiar can Cast that Spell once per day using your magical tradition, spell attack modifier, and spell DC. If the spell has a drawback that affects the caster, both you and your familiar are affected. You must be able to cast 6th-level spells using spell slots to select this ability.
Toolbearer
Source PF2APG
Your familiar can carry a set of tools of up to light Bulk. So long as your familiar is adjacent to you, you can draw and replace the tools as part of the action that uses them as if you were wearing them. Your familiar must have the manual dexterity ability to select this.
Touch Telepathy
Source PF2APG
Your familiar can telepathically communicate with you via touch. If it also has the speech ability, it can telepathically communicate via touch with any creature if they share a language.
Tough
Source PF2APG
Your familiar's maximum Hit Points increase by 2 per level.
Valet
Source PF2APG
You can command your familiar to deliver you items more efficiently. Your familiar doesn't use its 2 actions immediately upon your command. Instead, up to twice before the end of your turn, you can have your familiar Interact to retrieve an item of light or negligible Bulk you are wearing and place it into one of your free hands. The familiar can't use this ability to retrieve stowed items. If the familiar has a different number of actions, it can retrieve one item for each action it has when commanded this way.
Master Abilities
Cantrip Connection
Source PF2CRB
You can prepare an additional cantrip, or if you have a repertoire, instead designate a cantrip to add to your repertoire every time you select this ability; you can retrain it but can't otherwise change it. You must be able to prepare cantrips or add them to your repertoire to select this.
Raven Familiar Pathfinder
Extra Reagents
Source PF2CRB
Your familiar grows extra infused reagents on or in its body. You gain an additional batch of infused reagents. You must have the infused reagents ability to select this ability.
Familiar Focus
Source PF2CRB
Once per day, your familiar can use 2 actions with the concentrate trait to regain 1 Focus Point, up to your usual maximum. You must have a focus pool to select this.
Innate Surge
Source PF2APG
Once per day, you can draw upon your familiar's innate magic to replenish your own. You can cast one innate spell gained from an ancestry feat that you have already cast today. You must still Cast the Spell and meet the spell's other requirements.
Pathfinder Bat Familiar
Lifelink
Source PF2CRB
If your familiar would be reduced to 0 HP by damage, as a reaction with the concentrate trait, you can take the damage. If you do, you take all the damage and your familiar takes none. However, if special effects when a hit damages your familiar (such as snake venom) still apply to your familiar.
Share Senses
Source PF2APG
Once every 10 minutes, you can use a single action with the concentrate trait to project your senses into your familiar. When you do, you lose all sensory information from your own body, but can sense through your familiar's body for up to 1 minute. You can Dismiss this effect.
Spell Battery
Source PF2CRB
Pathfinder Familiar Magic Item Slots
You gain one additional spell slot at least 3 levels lower than your highest-level spell slot; you must be able to cast 4th-level spells using spell slots to select this master ability.
Pathfinder Familiar Slots Online
Spell Delivery
Source PF2CRB
Familiar Feats Pathfinder
If your familiar is in your space, you can cast a spell with a range of touch, transfer its power to your familiar, and command the familiar to deliver the spell. If you do, the familiar uses its 2 actions for the round to move to a target of your choice and touch that target. If it doesn't reach the target to touch it this turn, the spell has no effect.
