Choice of feat for familair

[Alokue]

inb4 familiars don't get feats.

I have an improved familiar Blink Dog. Blink dogs come with two feats, and, since I have reared this Blink Dog from an adolescent, my DM has been gracious enough to allow me to pick them. We are in a pretty high OP game, so I'm looking for good advice on what those feats should be. Ideas? I'm coming up a bit blank...combat feats seem silly. Vow of poverty only advances with your HD (and would probably be too cheesy for my DM anyway.) Martial Study and Shape Soulmeld both have the problem that familiars do not get HD.

Also, with Improved Familiar, just so I'm sure that I am reading this right -- the familiar's HP has a high likelihood of decreasing, as does its intelligence? That sounds so wrong, but it looks like it's true. :(

[limejuicepowder]

I'm not sure about the hit point thing, but I'm almost positive there's a clause in the improved familiar feat in the DMG that says they keep their own intelligence scores (since the improved familiars are already intelligent creatures, unlike basic familiars).

As for feats...not sure. What kind of character do you have? Since you chose a blink dog I'm guessing you have a character that benefits from a flanking buddy, since that's what the dogs do best. Unfortunately there aren't any great flanking feats that come to mind.

Darkstalker might be worth it, if you want a teleporting scout.

[Flickerdart]

Interestingly, the 3.0 Improved Familiar feats explicitly stated that the familiar doesn't lose HP or HD if it would have less than normal. Thanks, 3.5.

[Alokue]

I'm playing a factotum explorer type character, who runs around and just *learns everything* and I took the Blink Dog almost entirely on a fluff whim. Really, if I could find some way to increase his utility, that'd be amazing.

[Karnith]

I'm not sure about the hit point thing, but I'm almost positive there's a clause in the improved familiar feat in the DMG that says they keep their own intelligence scores.
Nope. Per the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedFamiliar):
Improved familiars otherwise use the rules for regular familiars, with two exceptions: If the creature’s type is something other than animal, its type does not change; and improved familiars do not gain the ability to speak with other creatures of their kind (although many of them already have the ability to communicate).
This was never errata'd (or, at least, neither the PHB errata nor the DMG errata mention it), and hence improved familiars use the Intelligence progression on page 53 of the PHB. Yes, even if it makes the familiar have a lower intelligence than it had before it became a familiar. The familiar will also have hp equal to one-half its master's, as normal for a familiar.

Interestingly, the 3.0 Improved Familiar feats explicitly stated that the familiar doesn't lose HP or HD if it would have less than normal. Thanks, 3.5.To be fair, neither improved familiars nor regular familiars lose HD in 3.5, and for the purpose of spells and effects they use either the master's character level or the creature's base HD, whichever is higher.

[limejuicepowder]

Nope. Per the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#improvedFamiliar):


Ahg that really stinks....if I was the DM I would change that. It makes absolutely no sense, and I'd be willing to bet that it's an oversight.