best familiar for a bard

[Deca4531]

so I was looking around trying to find a familiar that might boost my performed check but couldn't find one. I was thinking of just going with the Raven since it can talk, and I might be able to get my DM to allow a Proform boost if it acts like my backup singer. But I was just wondering if there's a better way to go about it, like maybe using the improve familiar feat. This is the first time I have ever attempted to use a familiar so I'm not well read up on them. Thanks in advance for the help :-)

[ArcturusV]

Well... remember that Familiars all have your skill ranks in addition to their own. Aid Another is piss easy, and any familiar can use that to be your "backup singer/dancer" effectively. It's just a +2 bonus, but it's there.

[Vaz]

Mirror Mephit, but then again, there's not really much that doesn't benefit from Simulacrum SLA.

[Deca4531]

Well... remember that Familiars all have your skill ranks in addition to their own. Aid Another is piss easy, and any familiar can use that to be your "backup singer/dancer" effectively. It's just a +2 bonus, but it's there.

well part of my class bills requires a good perform sing check so I would like to have a familiar that can talk. I read a little about something about some familiars having their own spell like abilities and other such things, but like I said I don't know much about familiars so I was hoping someone who had used a familiar as a bard might be able to suggest something compatible

[Waker]

The best familiar for a Bard is obviously a monkey. Then you take ranks in Perform (Organ Grinder) and you are set for life.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Obligatory handbook link (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/08/familiars-handbook.html).

Ravens are great choices-- not only can they aid your perform checks, but the speaking means that they can use your other social skills all by themselves. (When I last played a bard, I had a raven familiar). If you take Improved Familiar, you can grab some rather nice outsiders like Imps and Mephits, who can do all of the above and also have hands.


The best familiar for a Bard is obviously a monkey. Then you take ranks in Perform (Organ Grinder) and you are set for life.
Also, yes.

[Fitz10019]

Is the campaign range levels 1-20, or 3-6?

[Deca4531]

Is the campaign range levels 1-20, or 3-6?

1-20 and we start at level 8.

[the_david]

Bards normally don't gain familiars, so this is gonna cost you a feat. (Both in D&D and Pathfinder)

Your DM might allow you to customize your familiar, you just have to ask. For example, a thrush that doesn't speak one language but gives a +3 bonus to perform (sing). (And then you use the aid another trick.)

The monkey is also kinda cool.

[Chronos]

Your DM might allow you to customize your familiar, you just have to ask. For example, a thrush that doesn't speak one language but gives a +3 bonus to perform (sing). (And then you use the aid another trick.)
This is the route I went with my bard, though I chose a mockingbird. We used the stats for a raven, except with a little higher Cha, a little lower Wis, and no attack.

[gorfnab]

You could consider going with a cat familiar and then take the feat Animal Friends for even more cats. Take ranks in Perform: Keyboard and then build your own katzenklavier. Beware of Druids if you decide to do this.

[Juntao112]

Raven. It speaks.

[Deca4531]

I think I'm going to have to go with Raven on this one. I can't imagine gene Simmons or Ozzy jamming out with a monkey or a songbird.originally I was planning on being chaotic good but I might go chaotic neutral and pick up the imp later on.

[Socratov]

well, hummingbird is always a solid choice. You can't go wrong with more initiative, especially on a caster and buffer...

[Waker]

I think I'm going to have to go with Raven on this one. I can't imagine gene Simmons or Ozzy jamming out with a monkey or a songbird.originally I was planning on being chaotic good but I might go chaotic neutral and pick up the imp later on.

Check and mate my friend. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMk-8pmTpgU)

[Flickerdart]

I think I'm going to have to go with Raven on this one. I can't imagine gene Simmons or Ozzy jamming out with a monkey or a songbird.originally I was planning on being chaotic good but I might go chaotic neutral and pick up the imp later on.
Chaotic Good? Get a Coure Eladrin (BoED) with Celestial Familiar. They are ridiculously good scouts, and can put on a nice show for you with faerie fire, dancing lights, and a solid Charisma score. Plus they're super cute.

[Vortenger]

I believe Complete Adventurer has rules for having Aid Another have bonuses greater than +2. Something to the tune of +1 more for each additional 10 you roll. If your familiar's skills are optimized like your own, they can grant +3-5 to perform pretty easy.

[Thurbane]

I think I'm going to have to go with Raven on this one. I can't imagine gene Simmons or Ozzy jamming out with a monkey or a songbird.originally I was planning on being chaotic good but I might go chaotic neutral and pick up the imp later on.
Be careful with that - isn't there a rule somewhere that if a familiar dies or is dismissed, you have to wait a year for another? Not sure if it applies to Improved Familiars as well.

[TimeWizard]

Your DM might allow you to customize your familiar, you just have to ask. For example, a thrush that doesn't speak one language but gives a +3 bonus to perform (sing). (And then you use the aid another trick.)

Thrush's actually all possess Tongues as a permanent spell like ability. Source (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBcIu9XnG3A&t=1m11s)

[Deca4531]

Chaotic Good? Get a Coure Eladrin (BoED) with Celestial Familiar. They are ridiculously good scouts, and can put on a nice show for you with faerie fire, dancing lights, and a solid Charisma score. Plus they're super cute.

This is awesome, kinda like a cherub, and the light show thing totaly wirks out.

[Deca4531]

Be careful with that - isn't there a rule somewhere that if a familiar dies or is dismissed, you have to wait a year for another? Not sure if it applies to Improved Familiars as well.

24h and 100xp per caster lv

[Deaxsa]

Raven would be great, but you could always home brew a canary familiar... Which would probably have good charisma all by itself, which would make aid another easier at low levels.

[RustyArmor]

Would have to be a cat! Have you not seen them things on youtube they can do everything!

[aldeayeah]

raven familiar refluffed as parrot familiar

[Thurbane]

24h and 100xp per caster lv
From the SRD (bolding mine):

If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the sorcerer, the sorcerer must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means he loses 200 experience points per sorcerer level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However, a sorcerer’s experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a familiar’s demise or dismissal. A slain or dismissed familiar cannot be replaced for a year and day. A slain familiar can be raised from the dead just as a character can be, and it does not lose a level or a Constitution point when this happy event occurs.
As I said, I'm not sure of this rule carries over to Improved Familiars.

[ArcturusV]

There's a few exceptions out there. I know one is the Diabolist PrC, which mentions that an Imp shows up, eats your familiar, and instantly replaces it.

[Thurbane]

By the way, "for a year and day" - the grammar makes me cringe. The error is in the PHB as well as the SRD.