Simple question

[Svata]

I'm making a dread necromancer with an imp familiar. Since he only has 8 levels of DN before hitting his prestige class (Pale Master), would his familiar (in this case an imp) have the normal INT for a familiar or the normal INT of a creature of that type? Its only a one point difference, but I just wanna know.

[Darth Stabber]

I'm making a dread necromancer with an imp familiar. Since he only has 8 levels of DN before hitting his prestige class (Pale Master), would his familiar (in this case an imp) have the normal INT for a familiar or the normal INT of a creature of that type? Its only a one point difference, but I just wanna know.

I don't believe that the answer is ever clarified officially, personally I would rule that you take the better of the two. There is a DN in the game I am currently running, and that was the ruling I made at the time (hers is a quasit, but same idea), and I stand by it.

[Svata]

Ok, thanks

[Chronos]

The RAW seems to be that you'd use the number in the familiars-by-level table no matter what, since it just says that the familiar has that Int, with no exception mentioned. But personally, I would agree with Darth that you should take the higher of the two.

The same issue applies for the Improved Familiar feat, incidentally.

[Karnith]

The same issue applies for the Improved Familiar feat, incidentally.
Well, for what it's worth the Dread Necromancer's familiar ability says that a DN's familiar gains all of the benefits of the normal familiar progression, while the Improved Familiar feat just says that it uses the rules of regular familiar progression, so there's some pedantry to be had if you want to argue with your DM about it.

But, yeah, they both should just use the higher of the two Intelligence scores.