#familiar folio

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Familiar Folio Cover Art by Emily Fiegenschuh

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Fun with Feats 9: Familiar Feats

 While the stereotype is that familiars and animal companions get forgotten about, in the right hands they can be an iconic part of the team.

It only makes sense then, that some players would love a selection of feats that revolve around their familiars, which is what we will be focusing on today.

In particular, we’ll be looking at a handful of feats that were introduced in Familiar Folio, and revolve mostly around upgrades to the various familiar archetypes also found in this and other books at the time.

We’ll also take a look at some feats that also deal with familiars as well later.

 These archetype-centric feats are designed so that, if you choose to replace a familiar that lacks the archetype in the future, you can replace the feat the next time you level up with another feat that either matches the new archetype, or with one that lacks an archetype requirement. Additionally, these feats can be taken in place of a wizard bonus feat or witch hex.

With a Decoy’s Misdirection, a decoy familiar can reflexively assume your form while you redirect a scrying spell targeting you to it, allowing it to pose as you even to distant observers.

Powered as they are by the assurances of their deity, some emissary familiars are blessed by Emissary’s Emboldening, bolstering the courage of those nearby to stand against fear, eventually providing total immunity.

As quasi-real living illusions, figment familiars can learn Figment’s Fluidity, allowing them to change out their customizable evolutions much more often.

Guardian’s Return is a technique associated with protector familiars, guaranteeing that they are never far away from the mage they are the guardians of.

Mascot familiars are well-known for their ability to bond with more than just their mage master, and with Mascot’s Affection, this group of bonded characters only grows.

Mauler’s Endurance is a very important feat for mauler familiars to have, giving them the extra vitality required to stand up and fight alongside their master and other warriors.

Familiars without an archetype can choose to become Polyglot Familiars, learning to speak to a broad category of animal that is not necessarily the same general family as the familiar.

Sage familiars are full of useful advice, and their insight can bolster you or allies efforts to overcome foes and obstacles with the help of the Sage’s Guidance feat.

 There are also plenty of other feats that are related to familiars, such as Familiar Bond, which lets any class gain access to a lesser form of familiar, as well as it’s improved version to gain those special abilities; Unfettered Familiar, which allows a familiar to receive touch spells to transfer from further away; Wasp Familiar, granting a wasp familiar to worshippers of Calistria, or the Personal Chronicler feat, which grants a nosoi psychopomp familiar loyal to Pharasma; Evolved Familiar, which grants an eidolon evolution to the familiar; Shapeless Familiar, which grants them an additional form to take; Improved Familiar, which grants access to a large variety of more powerful outsiders and other beings as familiars; Companion Figurine, which allows you to take a figurine of wondrous power as a companion or familiar, as appropriate.

The list goes on and on, with plenty of options bolstering familiars or granting them new abilities. I’m sure I missed a few, or have covered them elsewhere.

 That will do for today, but tune in tomorrow for more!

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Synergist (Witch Archetype)

 I’ve said in the past that a concept that Pathfinder, or most other systems, don’t really touch on is the idea of fusion, that is to say, characters that gain power by merging their own with another, either another player character or an NPC ally associated with them. This is primarily because characters combining together is incredibly hard to handle without being either broken as heck or woefully underwhelming. (Either they’re super strong, or you basically lose a set of actions in that turn, usually.)

Now, we’ve briefly discussed familiars merging with their masters before (The nature-bonded magus in particular), but today we’re looking at something special, a witch that can merge their familiar with their own body not only to protect the vulnerable creature from hostility, but also to empower themselves!

In this state, the witch takes on animal traits associated with their familiar, not only in terms of appearance, but also their power set, making for a diverse selection of possibilities.

I can imagine that common patrons that grant this particular magical skillset might include patrons of animals, the moon, transformation, and other nature-y areas of focus, though if you can make it work for you, pick any patron you like!

 When they merge, the familiar grants various abilities based on its species and the mastery of their master, initially only granting sensory blessings. However, at later levels, the witch becomes even more like their familiar, gaining various movement methods and special abilities associated with the familiar’s species. Flight is hard for them to do at first, but they eventually master that as well. However, it is worth noting that they don’t gain additional defenses from this, so sadly familiars whose primary appeal is their armor, such as turtles and the like, are perhaps not the best choice. Additionally, some of the most powerful abilities that they can gain (since these abilities are drawn from the beast shape spells) are really only achievable with various magical beast Improved Familiars.

While this archetype is extremely simple in mechanics, you can do a lot with the right familiar and build. Need an aquatic witch that is good at swimming? A scorpion-themed witch with her own poisonous sting? (Note that while the spell does use beast shape, you’re not specifically limited to familiars of the animal type) All of these are possible, just remember you miss out on a lot of hexes for a build with this archetype.

 By merging into one being, the familiar and witch share a closer understanding than most others, becoming a singular being and sharing their thoughts and emotions. This could, however, also mean that they share a more intimate relationship with their patron too, communicating their thoughts and desires to the witch when so bonded.

  Called a tengu enchantress by some, and a fiend of Pazuzu by others, Imaniera is actually neither, a reclusive elven witch with a raven familiar, she often merges with the bird while out and about, soaring through the air as she gathers her herbs to sell.

 Baerkpa’s Ruin is all that remains of the great industrial city of Gonnord, which was destroyed by nature’s wrath. Now, it is a rusted out place where rust monsters and goblins and worse dwell amongst the crumbling walls and abandoned derelicts of iron. The goblins in particular revere an aspect of decay within, and their sages can merge with the various vermin they take as familiars.

 A lethal assassin for hire, the witch known as Blue-Kiss is infamous for her iconic method of killing. By merging with her blue-ring octopus familiar (normally kept in an aquarium ball), she can deliver a lethal bite with her poison.

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Spirit Binder (Wizard Archetype)

 Grief is often the result of terrible tragedy, but it can also beget new tragedies of its own, especially when it besets someone with the power to do something about it, with far-reaching consequences.

Today’s subject can certainly draw upon those themes, it’s certainly set up to do so, but it can also be the focus of other sorts of stories, of how those who have passed never really leave us, influencing and guiding us through the impact they had on our lives.

The archetype in question is the spirit binder, a wizard who’s study into the arcane arts truly began when they sought to keep a departed loved one by their side, not by reanimating their body, but by finding a new one for their soul.

This resulted in their loved one being bound into their familiar, retaining access to their memories and personality, but now having a smaller, physically weaker form.

Such an act does keep the loved one from the cycle of souls, but given the psychopomp view on undeath being just a delay of the inevitable, it’s unlikely to result in the wizard being hunted, though certainly such an act is frowned upon by mortal and outsider alike.

 Given the nature of how they bonded with their familiar, the creature, be it vermin, animal, or something else, has its own morality and personality. Additionally, they retrain many memories of their past life, in particular whatever the combat skill and resiliences of their primary profession.

Due to the requirements to bind a soul in such a way, these mages must at least have a passing knowledge of necromancy. While not necessarily all necromancers, it is never one of their opposition schools.

As the wizard grows in power, the soul inside the familiar remembers more of it’s past skills, awakening various techniques associated with their past, or at least a close approximation of them, since many abilities require things the familiar no longer has.

A fascinating archetype, if you’d like a familiar that has a minor edge of another class, with a melancholy-laden backstory of its own, this archetype might be for you. Gaining the base saves and attack bonus of another class might suit some familiars more than others, depending on their role, but the bonus feats are also interesting, though mostly limited due to the familiar not actually being of the class they are connected to. I can see builds that have a combat familiar archetype like mauler combined with the familiar having a combat class as it’s baseline, along with combat feats. Others might hold a more utilitarian role, being advisors with knowledge-based feats. Meanwhile, the wizard themselves loses out on bonus feats themselves, so take that into consideration when building them.

 The fact that this familiar literally a deceased person given new life by the spirit binder leads to yet another familiar-focused archetype with a unique dynamic. How do the two feel about each other? Does the familiar resent the caster for holding them to this life, is their relationship healthy, or toxic?

  Shocked and alarmed by the concept of death, Ekka swore she would keep her mortal friends from experiencing it. So the gathlain bound her first mortal friend within a deathmask moth, developing her mastery of necromancy. Now, she goes about the world, making friends, and “preserving their friendship”, regardless of their opinions of the matter.

 Bound into the shape of a compsognathus by his wife, the former thief has grown frustrated with his current shape, barely able to lift a coin, let alone return to his life of crime. Still, he obediently serves, knowing that the only other option is the uncertainty after death.

 Performing a ritual to contact their deceased patron gives the party a strange result. Expecting that his soul has been stolen, the party embarks on a quest, only to discover that he is no prisoner, but rather, has become a tutor of sorts for his niece, a novice mage. The fact that he now is a particularly large and rotund bullfrog doesn’t seem to bother him.

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School Familiar (Familiar Archetype)

Today’s entry is a bit of a departure from the norm, as this is the one archetype I know of that actually stems from a feat, and therefore does not actually replace any class abilities, instead being granted by the feat.

Normally, such a design choice would be superfluous, since the entire idea of feats is to grant abilities beyond what the normal class allows, but today’s archetype is complex enough that I’d say it warrants it.

Taken from the School Familiar and Greater School Familiar Feats, this archetype is for the familiars of school specialist wizards (or perhaps, the odd school savant arcanist, with vanilla arcanists being technically possible, but missing out on the full capabilities).

Essentially, early in their careers when they just start to get truly powerful magic, wizards can choose to interweave their specialized school of magic into the bond they share with their familiars, linking their preexisting powers to their familiar, as well as unlocking new ones.

While all school familiars share some abilities, what sets them apart is how each individual school of magic adds its own unique abilities.

 Due to the focused nature of their bond, these familiars are only able to share and deliver spells that match that school.

Additionally, they also learn a single cantrip from that school that they can use at will.

More impressively, a wizard can channel their various limited-use abilities through their familiar, but doing so is expensive, taking up twice the energy to do so.

With the abjuration school, the basic power grants them a magical ward that dulls the brunt of energy damage, the type changeable with minimal effort, while also warding them against magic missiles like a shield spell. Furthermore, a single ally can receive the elemental protection benefits as well. Taking things further, such familiars can also deliver a dispelling charge of magic with their natural weaponry.

With conjuration, the wizards find their familiar is never far away, teleporting to them from afar. Investing in improving the bond allows the familiar to merge bodily with a summoned creature as it is coming into local reality, lending its intellect and familiar abilities to a larger, stronger form.

Divination familiars are supernaturally prescient, and are rarely caught off guard. Additionally, their connection to their master can allow said wizard to react faster to the onset of combat. With a greater bond, the wizard, regardless of level, can scry with great clarity on their familiar at any time.

The familiars of enchanters serve as a conduit for their master’s mind-bending spells, making them harder to resist if the creature is intimately close to the target. More powerful bonds allow the familiar to charm a foe with physical contact, though only once before the creature becomes immune forever. How effective the charm is varies on whether the familiar is able to speak and communicate with the target, but it can give an edge in the right circumstance.

Evokers use their familiars as channels for the deadly energies they wield, their familiars becoming resistant to a single element, but bolstering the harm of spells that deal the same type of damage. What’s more, the stronger bond make the familiar fully immune to that energy type, and allows their master to cast that sort of spell into their familiar to be unleashed later.

In the hands of the masters of illusion, this bond allows a familiar to take over concentrating on an illusion spell for their master, their bond slightly enhancing the believability of the spell as well. Those that master the bond further can spawn hundreds of illusionary duplicates of their familiar, creating a phantom swarm that can engulf, psychosomatically harm and distract foes, and provide some manner of protection to the actual familiar within.

Channeling unearthly energies, the school familiars of necromancers can aid their allies against incorporeal foes, allowing them to strike fully and true against such beings, and even sapping the energy of bodiless haunts. With a greater focus, these familiars become truly one with the dead, able to heal from negative energy, becoming imperceptible to the undead, and ignoring energy drain while also draining energy from living foes.

Transmuters are loath to see their works undone, so their familiars can hold a reserve of magical energy from a sacrificed spell, expending it to negate such a dispelling attempt on a nearby transmutation spell. More powerful mages can unstick the form of their familiar, allowing it to shapeshift into any sort of creature that is a viable familiar option (not including improved familiars), gaining all the advantages of that form, and even providing the appropriate bonus to their master that such a familiar would normally give.

As you can imagine, this archetype is very useful for any school specialist build that wants to rely heavily upon the bond between master and familiar, with some serving as excellent spies, while others providing an extra edge during combat or spellcasting. Consider all your options when building such a character, as well as the limitations of the wizard class as well.

 While not listed, the section on the feat and archetype suggests that school familiars for the elementalist schools might exist, which sounds to me like a job for the homebrew enthusiasts out there. With that in mind, consider what subtle effect these bonds might have on the familiar, if any, similar to how the spirits of shamans affect their spirit animals, but perhaps less pronounced.

  Famous for its arcane academy and the fashionable school familiar technique, the mountain city of Skytower has gone dark recently, and merchant caravans heading that way are never heard from again. It turns out a magical experiment gone wrong spawned a mountain blight, one that delights in laying siege to the mage town.

 Eerie and impossibly old, Master Buborix has ruled over a vast region with his magic for many a generation of man, the owl-faced syrinx maintains order with dominated servitors, many of which were former heroes seeking to free the land. The most vexing are put to death in a circuitous manner, using his thrush familiar Thredony to charm foes from a distance, the talking bird promising the secret to unmaking him lying in all manner of deathtraps and monster dens.

 Hailing from primieval lands, Chaku, a lizardfolk master of magic, commands the primal forces of nature, channeling the elements through himself and his archaeopteryx familiar. Though seemingly brutal or primitive on the surface, he is very much a brilliant wizard, and his treatise on magic have been translated and passed around to various academies.

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Sage (Familiar Archetype)

While most all familiars are blessed with incredible intellect for their kind, their mage typically remains the more intelligent and knowledgable of the pair.

The familiars known as sages, however, focus specifically on intelligence and knowledge, adding their knowledge to the mage’s own.

Exactly how and why this occurs may vary. Witches and shamans with patrons or spirits associated with knowledge may be supported by familiars or spirit animals that act as living conduits to the vast intellect of those otherworldly beings. Meanwhile, wizards and the occasional sorcerer or other class may be using them as a similar conduit, or perhaps establish this variant bond as a form of study aid, their familiar absorbing information at an accelerated rate, able to recount it to their master later.

Regardless, these mystically-imbued beasts can prove a boon to those in need of knowledge.

 Sage familiars grow in intellect at an accelerated rate, but their supernatural durability is much slower to develop.

Additionally, their knowledge grows as the mage grows, allowing them to be fairly competent in terms of knowledge and perhaps other skills as well.

A simple archetype, but also one that can help your wizard character succeed a lot more knowledge checks with their limited skill rank pool than most, letting the familiar roll alongside the wizard. Furthermore, their increased skill ranks allow them to be more competent at other skills as well, which can be used in various ways, such as lookouts, dexterous disablers of devices, and so on. With than in mind, remember to pick a familiar based on how you plan to use it.

 Sage familiars already behave very differently than most creatures of their species, but I imagine that these in particular act with a cunning and maturity beyond their age, being slow, but decisive, when acting. Alternately, their knowledge could go to their head and they could be precocious and egotistical.

  Looking very much the part, loremaster Nerrik’s new familiar is a gishvit, an extraplanar multi-legged book. Like most of its kind, this gishvit feeds on information absorbed from other creatures, but thanks to the bond, it retains much of it, making it an excellent spy for its master.

 Unapologetic for her interest in the arcane, the hobgoblin Bashaa chose to exile herself far from all civilization to continue her studies. Luckly, her owl familiar seems to have an uncanny knowledge of the arcane secrets she seeks hidden in his mind, leaving only the most exotic lore beyond her grasp for now.

 Having stumbled into a wizard’s tower by arcane accident, the party must find their way out amid the strange trinkets and magical traps. The wizard himself is absent, but his familiar, a hedgehog name Barpholomul, could guide them out, but that would require a spell for communicating with animals and convincing him that the party are only intruders by accident.

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Protector (Familiar Archetype)

Both real life and fiction is full of moments where a loving and well-cared-for pet comes to the aid of its master or their family, lashing out at an attacker, even one that outclasses it in size and might.

While one might see any familiar perform such acts for their masters, today’s archetype, the protector, specializes in exactly that. The exact reason for this may vary. Perhaps the creature’s loyalty is that strong, or the mage in question or another power imbued them with such defensive powers to keep the master safe.

Regardless of their origins, few familiars fight harder to protect their masters, and while they may not be as strong as a mauler familiar, they never give up while they still live.

 Though they are not mighty, these familiars nevertheless strike and claw at foes nearby, hoping to knock their attacks off course, and can do so repeatedly in a short span.

Furthermore, the bond between master and familiar is so strong they can share any harm that comes to them between them, trying to keep each other alive.

Loyal as they are, these familiars will not hesitate to leap in front of a strike to shield their master, and the magic that bolsters them in the first place increases their vitality, allowing them to survive such blows with greater regularity.

Unlike most familiars, protectors are more likely to constantly be by their master’s side, rather than out and about scouting. However, they can do both. Be sure to recall them by mundane or magical means when the mage comes under fire so they can provide their protections, and consider loading them before a battle with a nasty touch spell, freeing yourself up to cast other spells while the familiar punishes foes that move into melee range.

 Since its clear that these familiars care for their master’s very much in most cases, consider doing some research into animal behavior to better understand how different animals show their affection and socialize with others. Alternatively, if the familiar is evil, say one of the various types of small fiends available from improved familiar, it might be possible that their protection is of a more jealous, sinister sort. Meanwhile other outsider familiars might have similar quirks of behavior in their protection.

  The wolliped herders of Shaku are more than mere shepherds for the giant beasts, they are also quite capable warriors and magic users, many taking flying familiars to better keep watch of the beasts, and defending them from predators with sword and spell. Their familiars in turn also watch their backs, snapping at worgs and the like that try to flank their masters.

 Awakening in a torn-asunder laboratory with jumbled memories, Helban the android soon discovered their master of magic, and has taken one of the large centipedes they had been feeding with them. The centipede, named Snacker, for its part sees Helban as a source of food and protection, and, with its burgeoning magical intelligence, also as a source of companionship.

 The clockwork familiar Kapulin, built in the shape of a brass owl, would die for her mistress, and has done so repeatedly, taking blows that surely would have slain her otherwise. However, now the mechanical marvel has gone missing, atypical considering her devotion.

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Mauler (Familiar Archetype)

Most of the time, a familiar is seen as a precious commodity, an ally that the mage must consider carefully before asking them to serve in battle. After all, the creature is often a dear friend, and relatively fragile, though they do have their benefits.

For the master of the familiars known as maulers, however, the opposite holds true. Their familiars are savage and deadly, trading magically-augmented cunning for greater might and combat prowess.

This variation of the binding ritual is typically used by mages with a bit of a bloodthirst, whom wish for a familiar that they can sic upon their foes to great effect, rather than serve in other ways. They might belong to callous societies that host familiar battling rings, or warlike nations that have little interest in the stealth and guile that other familiars bring to the table.

 The bond of these savage familiar is one of a shared love of bloodshed, and both master and familiar grow more vicious when they bring low powerful foes. However, this is a silent bond of shared emotions, rather than words, for these familiars gain no ability to communicate with others.

While far from mere beasts, these familiars gain little in the way of enhanced intelligence as their master grows in power. Instead, their physical might grows, making them uncannily strong for their size.

Being so small does reduce their combat effectiveness though, which is why this bond has been engineered to allow the familiar to grow in size and muscle mass, achieving a human-sized battle form.

They also grow more durable, making up for their frail forms.

If you’re interested in playing any sort of combat mage with a familiar, this archetype can turn your pet into a ferocious foe in its own right, giving you an ally to spend your buffs on when others are not available, not to mention often having mobility that other party members might lack. I would recommend a mixed buffing and damage dealing build, so that you and your familiar can unleash your fury on foes. Magi and certain druids can use this quite effectively, or you could be a blasting caster and obliterate foes with evocation while your familiar weaves between blasts, tearing at survivors. Just keep in mind that most arcane classes lack healing, so it is better to buff them up rather than regret it later.

 With only limited ability to convey emotions and reduced intelligence, these familiars might be particularly brutal in their thinking, or disturbingly naïve and innocent as they obey their master’s commands to tear at foes and destroy them.

  As unpredictable and vicious as a feral predator, Princess Sildri delights in toying with her guests, pushing the boundaries of hospitality and graciousness. Her true viciousness, however, she reserves for those who actually offend her, commanding her housecat, actually an esipil sahkil to grow in size and tear apart foes while she watches and supports it with her magic.

 Always eager as he was to prove himself in the area of spell duels, High Mage Erbranz invested in mystic rituals to turn his dwarf caiman into a much more fearsome crocodilian. However, while a fearsome fighter indeed, the beast was unable to do much to help when its master, having experimented with abyssal energies, accidentally brought a mass of lab equipment to life as a deadly urannag.

 A shaman devoted to the ruined places of the world, the wyvaran mystic Huhanra is no stranger to defending herself from forgotten horrors, but she is not alone, using the power of her spirit to enhance her centipede spirit animal into a serpentine, many-legged horror to match what she finds in the dark.