Item familiar - when do you get the initial bonuses?

[martixy]

When you get the item familiar feat, can you invest this level's new skill points into the familiar?

I.e. I get the feat on level 3. Can I now, use the skill points I received for gaining level 3 with the "Invest skill points" feature?

[Crake]

When you get the item familiar feat, can you invest this level's new skill points into the familiar?

I.e. I get the feat on level 3. Can I now, use the skill points I received for gaining level 3 with the "Invest skill points" feature?

It would depend on the order in which you level up parts of your character. I believe skill points come before feats, so no, you wouldn't be able to invest skill points until you level up at level 4, or if you, say for example, get another feat at that level which also grants you skill points.

For example, you get item familiar at level 6, but you also already have vow of poverty, which grants you a bonus exalted feat at level 6, and you get nymph's kiss (not the best time to get it i know, but just for the example). You could pick up item familiar first, then nymph's kiss, which would get you skill points after you got the feat, thus letting you invest them.

[OldTrees1]

The Open Mind feat shows that feats come before skills. (However feats have specific permission to be taken if their prereqs are fulfilled later in the level up process) So yes you can invest the level's skill points into the Item Familiar.

[martixy]

2 posts, 2 differing interpretations. How delightfully conflicting.
But my general experience has been that you cannot level a feat at the same time you level the prerequisite skill, suggesting answer 2 is correct. Gonna have to ask my DM.

[OldTrees1]

2 posts, 2 differing interpretations. How delightfully conflicting.
But my general experience has been that you cannot level a feat at the same time you level the prerequisite skill, suggesting answer 2 is correct. Gonna have to ask my DM.

Um, that is explicitly permitted.

A character can gain a feat at the same level at which he or she gains the prerequisite. For example, at 3rd level, Krusk, the halforc barbarian, could spend 1 skill point on the Ride skill (gaining his first rank in Ride) and select the Mounted Combat feat at the same time.

However I have to correct myself. Pages 58-59 confirm that it is Skills, then Feats, then Class Features.