Question(s) about Arcane Hierophant

[Bad Wolf]

Wasn't sure if this was small enough for the RAW thread, as I sorta had two questions.

1: Suppose I'm a Hexblade 4/Sorcerer 4/Druid 4/AH 1. As I only have one familiar at a time, the one I have is from sorcerer. I give it up on entry to the AH. Would I be able to use my Hexblade class to get another familiar?

2: Could I give up a familiar, then use Obtain Familiar to get it back?

[Bad Wolf]

Um...Bump?

[Rebel7284]

2. Almost certainly works.

1 is tricky.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

1. If you have multiple classes that would grant you a familiar, those levels simply stack when determining your effective level for its benefits. You don't gain the class feature multiple times.

2. Yes, unless the thing you trade it out for specifically says you can never ever gain a familiar, such as certain flaws.

[Bad Wolf]

Okay, suppose I had only three levels in Hexblade when I gave up my familiar. When I leveled up in Hexblade again, I'd be able to get a familiar again, right?

[Twurps]

Okay, suppose I had only three levels in Hexblade when I gave up my familiar. When I leveled up in Hexblade again, I'd be able to get a familiar again, right?

I don't think that's how it's supposed to work, and it might also not be how you want it to work. Arcane Hierophant merges your Animal companion and familiar into one, letting your (Full!) hexblade levels count against the familiar bonus this AnC would get.
Getting a seperate familiar from you're hexblade class would (if ruled possible by your DM, I wouldn't) negate this effect and leave you with both a weak(er) animal companion/familiar, and a very low-level familiar.

On a side note: Have you considered using the ACF on your sorcerer to trade in your familiar for an animal companion? Arcane Hierophant doesn't actually require you to have a familiar when you enter, and boosting the AnC bonusses might be more value for money.

[Bad Wolf]

I prefer to have a familiar and a companion.

I keep both the fluff and crunch aspects.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Okay, suppose I had only three levels in Hexblade when I gave up my familiar. When I leveled up in Hexblade again, I'd be able to get a familiar again, right?

If you're trading it out, then you can trade out each instance of it individually, but if you have it multiple times, the effective levels just get added together.

You don't need to be able to gain a familiar to take Arcane Heirophant. In fact, if you don't have a familiar at all, you still count all of your arcane spellcasting class levels toward the familiar benefits of your companion familiar, even if those class levels never gave any familiar benefits in the first place. For example, a Druid 8/ Suel Arcanamach 2/ Arcane Heirophant 10 would count as a Druid 18 for its animal companion benefits, and as a 12th level spellcaster for its familiar benefits.

[Bad Wolf]

If you're trading it out, then you can trade out each instance of it individually, but if you have it multiple times, the effective levels just get added together.

You don't need to be able to gain a familiar to take Arcane Heirophant. In fact, if you don't have a familiar at all, you still count all of your arcane spellcasting class levels toward the familiar benefits of your companion familiar, even if those class levels never gave any familiar benefits in the first place. For example, a Druid 8/ Suel Arcanamach 2/ Arcane Heirophant 10 would count as a Druid 18 for its animal companion benefits, and as a 12th level spellcaster for its familiar benefits.

Well, I still want a familiar, but thanks for the info.

[Chronos]

Note, incidentally, that the companion familiar does not gain all of the benefits of being a familiar. In particular, it doesn't get your skills, which is one of the most useful things about a familiar.