Talk:Familiar

Edition- and revision-specific mechanical ambiguity

Bonds and death

In Pathfinder First Edition, familiars have a bond with their spellcaster's soul. Dismissing that bond takes an hour. Barring the Improved Familiar feat, acquiring a new familiar requires a week of downtime, then a ritual that requires eight hours and 200 gold pieces. This is specifically addressed in the Core Rulebook FAQ/errata.

Pathfinder Second Edition Core Rulebook 217, which covers general familiars, asserts that familiars that die can be replaced by spending a week of downtime, and the process does not cost anything. It also asserts that the bond is derived from the magical connection, and does not mention a soul connection. It does not describe whether it is possible to dismiss a familiar.

Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project Player Core 212 about general familiars omits any references to what happens when a familiar dies, or how to replace one. It is unclear whether the enforced downtime from Core Rulebook was intentionally removed. (The line notably remains in place for animal companions on Player Core 206.) -Oznogon (talk) 17:24, 19 April 2025 (UTC)

Class restrictions

In First Edition, familiars are restricted to certain class or archetype features.

In Second Edition, the familiar master archetype allows a character of any class to take a familiar, and certain ancestries have feats that allow them to take a familiar regardless of their class. -Oznogon (talk) 00:36, 20 April 2025 (UTC)