Schrodinger's Familiar

[legomaster00156]

Summon Familiar
At 2nd level, an adept can call a familiar, just as a wizard can using the arcane bond ability.

If I'm reading this correctly, by RAW, Adepts have a familiar and don't have a familiar. This is because, although they can conjure a familiar, nothing in this ability states that they use their Adept level as their effective Wizard level. So, they have the familiar of a level 0 Wizard - or, in other words, no familiar.

[BowStreetRunner]

Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master’s level.
Per the rules for Familiars (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#familiars), Class levels of any class that grants a familiar stack, so this is not a problem.

Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master's level.
This is true of Familiars (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/familiar) in Pathfinder too.

[legomaster00156]

Alright, that's one hurdle cleared. Another question: do they gain a familiar as a character of their Adept level, or their Adept level -1? :smallconfused:

[BowStreetRunner]

Alright, that's one hurdle cleared. Another question: do they gain a familiar as a character of their Adept level, or their Adept level -1? :smallconfused:
Despite not receiving the familiar until 2nd level, an Adept would still receive the full benefit of all of their class levels. This is clear in the rules since A) Adept is a class that grants a familiar and B) levels of classes that are entitled to familiars stack. There is no mention in the rule of levels not stacking if they haven't gained the familiar ability yet.

[grarrrg]

So, they have the familiar of a level 0 Wizard - or, in other words, no familiar.

I see nothing wrong with having a Familiar AND an effective Wizard level of 0.

Familiars (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/familiar) have two different scaling progressions:
"The basics" are derived solely from your Character levels (regardless of what class they may be), these are things like HP, Bab, Skills, and Saves.
"Specials" are dependent on "wizard" level, and gives bonuses such as Nat Armor, +INT, and 'special abilities'.

So having a 0-'wizard' level would just mean you get nothing "special", but it would still have 1/2 your HP, your Bab, etc...

[BowStreetRunner]

So having a 0-'wizard' level would just mean you get nothing "special", but it would still have 1/2 your HP, your Bab, etc...
Good point. In fact, if you look at the Obtain Familiar feat the prerequisite is Arcane Caster Level 3rd, something for which a 3rd level Warlock would qualify. However, the feat goes on to state that for determining your familiar's abilities "your levels in all classes that allow you to cast arcane spells stack." Since the Warlock class does not actually allow you to cast arcane spells - you get spell-like abilities instead - it would indeed be possible to have a familiar with an effective wizard level of 0 with this feat.

Some DMs would rule that RAI the feat was meant to allow Warlock levels to stack, but RAW it can be interpreted not to do so.