Improved Familiar vs Animal Companion

[SangoProduction]

(Pathfinder specifically.)

Animal Companions tend to be strikers, mounts or tanky bodies, also as a pseudo-skillmonkey. Considering you can just buy a mount, let's ignore that one. Also, let's ignore dinos, since many DMs do not want them in their game of fire breathing lizards.

Improved Familiar has the benefit of intellect, and can be strikers or pseudo-mages, using items or SLAs.

Since they really only overlap where being a striker is concerned, which one is generally better at that?

And overall, which one is actually better? Probably the Improved Familiar, right?

[Eldariel]

Improved Familiar has spells/spell-likes, AC doesn't so the overall superiority is kind of a wash right from the get-go. Now, as strikers, Druid has an easier time buffing the companion and animal companions generally have favourable numbers anyways, not to mention they don't have halved HP or things of that nature, so generally I'd rather put my AC into battle. That said, familiar does have Share Spells with some great ones off the Wizard-list so there's something going on for it. But usually, unless I'm Polymorphing the thing, I'm gonna use Improved Familiar as a second set of spells (and a spell trigger activator) rather than a set of attacks. Most improved familiars are pretty small for frontline combat anyways so they don't do much damage even if they have the AC and the hit stats to ride with it. However, some of them do have useful combat abilities (poison, supernatural attacks, etc.).

[Florian]

And overall, which one is actually better? Probably the Improved Familiar, right?

Improved Familiar stops developing. No new feats or abilities, HP always 1/2 character. A lot of them are tiny, will get an AoO when going into an enemy square and don't provide flanking while doing so.
As Striker, they flat out suck, even with the Mauler template.

[upho]

Considering you can just buy a mount, let's ignore that one.I don't think you should, because a mount you buy is not even remotely close to the same thing as an AC, and most of them are basically useless in combat after the first few levels.


And overall, which one is actually better? Probably the Improved Familiar, right?As Florian said, the AC is hands down a far better striker than any Improved Familiar is, regardless of any polymorph shenanigans. This becomes especially clear when considering stuff such as the Monstrous Mount feats and specific class abilities such as the barb's Ferocious Beast/Mount rage powers. For example, you could have a griffon with base Int 5 and good defenses who fly-pounces with a Str greater than most Str-based PCs, along with several primary natural attacks. And you can also use it as a mount to vastly improve your own striker power.

[Psyren]

An Eidolon beats both, but sticking to the two being covered by the thread premise...


That said, familiar does have Share Spells with some great ones off the Wizard-list so there's something going on for it. But usually, unless I'm Polymorphing the thing, I'm gonna use Improved Familiar as a second set of spells (and a spell trigger activator) rather than a set of attacks. Most improved familiars are pretty small for frontline combat anyways so they don't do much damage even if they have the AC and the hit stats to ride with it. However, some of them do have useful combat abilities (poison, supernatural attacks, etc.).

The downside to this is that involving your familiar in combat means many GMs will consider them fair game to target, particularly directly. This isn't as big a deal in 3.5, which has a much more robust set of buffs to share with the thing (e.g. Ironguard) - and more importantly, 3.5 shapeshifting is much stronger as it replaces your familiar's meager stats instead of being based on them. As PF doesn't have that luxury, you're generally better off stowing the familiar (or at least acting like it is) when a fight starts.


I don't think you should, because a mount you buy is not even remotely close to the same thing as an AC, and most of them are basically useless in combat after the first few levels.

This. It's especially important if you're trying for any sort of mounted build - getting your weakling 1HD horse chopped out from under you when a nearby mook sneezes just means half your build gets disabled at the drop of a hat. So even for the noble steed usage, you want an AC. (Again though, Eidolon is overall better than both.)