[PF] calculating Familiar stats

[Story]

I am currently trying to create a level 7 Wizard with a Faerie Dragon familiar, but I am a bit lost as for how to determine the familiar's skills.

The Familiars page says


Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the master's skill ranks, whichever is better

So I first have to figure out how to determine the monsters normal skill ranks. How do I do this?

The Faerie Dragon stat block says


Str 9, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Feats Acrobatic, Dodge
Skills Acrobatics +8 (+0 when jumping), Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Fly +23, Perception +8, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +17, Swim +13, Use Magic Device +9

Is this its skill ranks or its total skill bonuses? Why are some skills not listed? With 14 Wisdom it should have at least a +2 on Survival for instance.


Also, the familiars page says


Familiars treat Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim as class skills.

Does this override the normal class skills for its type (Dragon)?


Appraise, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Fly, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all), Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth, Survival, Swim, and Use Magic Device.

P.S. The familiar uses the masters HD for HD dependent effects, and this includes feats, right? Does this mean that I get to pick two more feats for it? Can I change Acrobatics and Dodge while I'm at it?

[Jeraa]

So I first have to figure out how to determine the monsters normal skill ranks. How do I do this?

The Faerie Dragon stat block says

Is this its skill ranks or its total skill bonuses? Why are some skills not listed? With 14 Wisdom it should have at least a +2 on Survival for instance.

The skills listed for a creature are their total modifiers. Just remove the ability modifiers, any bonuses from feats, and and any racial bonuses they receive (and any other modifier, as well) to determine the creatures skill ranks.

Some skills aren't listed because there is no reason to. The creature doesn't have ranks in them, nor does it receive a bonus when using them (besides the normal ability bonus).


Also, the familiars page says


Familiars treat Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim as class skills.
Does this override the normal class skills for its type (Dragon)?

No, it doesn't override the normal class skills for its type. It just adds to them.


P.S. The familiar uses the masters HD for HD dependent effects, and this includes feats, right? Does this mean that I get to pick two more feats for it? Can I change Acrobatics and Dodge while I'm at it?

As familiars don't actually gain hit dice, they don't gain feats (or additional skill ranks, or ability score increases every 4 hit dice). They get "virtual" hit dice, which only count toward determining if a hitdice-based effect (like a Sleep spell) affects them.

[Story]

So to find the actual skill ranks, I have to subtract all of the following right?

Ability bonuses
Racial bonuses (Faerie Dragon doesn't have any, right)
Feat bonuses (Acrobatics)
Size bonuses
Maneuverability bonuses
Class skill bonuses (but only Dragon class skills, since it doesn't factor in Familiar skills)

Is that it?

For skills that aren't listed, I assume they have 0 rank, right?

[Jeraa]

So to find the actual skill ranks, I have to subtract all of the following right?

Ability bonuses
Racial bonuses (Faerie Dragon doesn't have any, right)
Feat bonuses (Acrobatics)
Size bonuses
Maneuverability bonuses
Class skill bonuses (but only Dragon class skills, since it doesn't factor in Familiar skills)

Is that it?

That looks like it.


For skills that aren't listed, I assume they have 0 rank, right?
Correct. If a skill is not listed, then the creature has 0 ranks in it. (Even if a skill is listed, doesn't mean there are actually ranks in it, but most likely there will be.)


Str 9, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Feats Acrobatic, Dodge
Skills Acrobatics +8 (+0 when jumping), Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Fly +23, Perception +8, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +17, Swim +13, Use Magic Device +9

After removing all the bonuses, we find that the faerie dragon has 3 ranks each in Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Fly, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Swim, and Use Magic Device. That is 27 skill points total.

Dragons receive 6+Int modifier skill points per racial hitdice, and faerie dragons have 3 racial hit dice. Thats 27 skill points, which is what we found it had above.

[Crake]

Even if a skill is listed, doesn't mean there are actually ranks in it, but most likely there will be.

Usually the most common skills listed that don't have ranks are ones that get synergy bonuses from other skills

[Keneth]

Fairy Dragon skill ranks:
Acrobatics: 3 (ranks) + 3 (Dex) + 2 (feat) = +8 (+0 for jumping on account of land speed)
Bluff: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 3 (Cha) = +9
Diplomacy: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 3 (Cha) = +9
Fly: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 3 Dex + 8 (maneuverability) + 4 (size) + 2 (feat) = +23
Perception: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 2 (Wis) = +9
Sense Motive: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 2 (Wis) = +8
Stealth: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 3 (Dex) + 8 (size) = +17
Swim: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 3 (Dex) + 8 (racial) = +17
Use Magic Device: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 3 (Cha) = +9
Total: (6+3)*3 = 27

No idea why the stat block says "Swim +13", maybe there's some -4 modifier I'm not seeing, like wings making it harder to swim or something.

Anyway, there's no surprises here. It's got 3 HD, gets 9 skill points per HD, and there's 9 skills listed in its entry. You don't need to be a genius to figure it out.

Unfortunately familiars suck, with the rare exception of the occasional Imp (and the Diabolist's Imp Companion which is just ridiculous), so they don't really get anything of value and their existing abilities stagnate. I usually house rule it, so the effective HD also applies to their caster level and existing abilities (such as the breath weapon). The only real use for familiars however, is their value in social and general role-play situations, and more importantly their ability to use wands and other trinkets. Casting Dazing Burning Gaze on them is also pretty damn sweet.

[Jeraa]

Swim: 3 (ranks) + 3 (trained) + 3 (Dex) + 8 (racial) = +17

No idea why the stat block says "Swim +13", maybe there's some -4 modifier I'm not seeing, like wings making it harder to swim or something.

Swim is Strength based, not Dexterity.
Swim: 3 ranks + 3 (trained) - 1 (Str) + 8 (racial) = +13

Though the Bestiary does say:

Presented here are the base animal statistics for all of the most commonly used familiars—of course, these statistics can also be used for normal animals as well. Small animals like these use Dexterity to modify Climb and Swim checks.

Faerie dragons aren't animals.


Usually the most common skills listed that don't have ranks are ones that get synergy bonuses from other skills

Most likely in 3.0 and 3.5. However, Pathfinder doesn't have skill synergies (and this is a Pathfinder question).

[Keneth]

Right, I keep forgetting that ridiculous wording. We fixed that from "Small animals like these..." to "Tiny or smaller creatures..." years ago.

[Story]

Ok, here's what I have. Did I calculate everything correctly?

CG Tiny dragon
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +12

DEFENSE
AC 22, touch 16, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, 2+4 natural, +2 size)
hp 18 (36/2)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +7
Immune paralysis, sleep; SR 13;
Improved Evasion


OFFENSE
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (perfect), swim 30 ft.
Melee bite +8 (1d3-1) (+3 dex, +3 BAB, +2 size)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon (5-ft. cone, euphoria, Fort DC 12 negates, usable every 1d4 rounds)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +6)

3/day greater invisibility (self only)

Spells Known (CL 3rd; concentration +6)

1st (6/day) grease (DC 14), silent image (DC 14), sleep (DC 14)
0 (at will) dancing lights, flare (DC 13), ghost sound (DC 13), mage hand, open/close

STATISTICS
Str 9, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 16
Base Atk +3; CMB +4; CMD 14 (18 vs. trip)
Feats Acrobatic, Dodge
Languages Common, Draconic, Elven, Sylvan; telepathy 100 ft.

SKILLS
Skill Ranks:
Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Fly, Perception, Sense Motive, Stealth, Swim, Use Magic Device: 3

Masters skill ranks where higher -
Appraise, Linguistics, Sleight of Hand: 1
Perception, Spellcraft: 7
Knowledge Arcana, Nature, Religion, The Planes: 7
Knowledge Dungeoneering: 4
Knowledge all others: 1


Class skills: Appraise, Acrobatics, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Fly, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all), Linguistics, Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth,

Survival, Swim, and Use Magic Device

Other bonuses: (not counting abilities, ranks or class skill bonus)
Acrobatics: 2
Fly: 14
Stealth: 8
Swim: 8


SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon (Su)

5-foot cone, euphoria for 1d6 rounds, DC 12 Fort negates. Creatures affected by euphoria are staggered, sickened, and immune to fear effects for the duration. A faerie

dragon can use this breath weapon once every 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Spells

A faerie dragon casts spells as a 3rd-level sorcerer.