Familiars

[Mindleshank]

Familiars grow with you according to your caster level right so in that case what class grant you access to "leveling up" your familiar? Another question would be what would it take to have the improved familiar feat? Also when it comes to spells how many can you charge through your familiar?

[Jack_Simth]

Sort of.

By default, they grow in power based on your levels in classes that grant you your familiar (and they grow in accordance with the table in the Wizard entry. Normally, this is based on class levels - it doesn't matter what your caster level is, just how many levels you have in Sorcerer or Wizard.

However, if you pick up the Obtain Familiar feat, it's no longer tied to your Sorcerer or Wizard levels, but to your caster level (although it still follows the same progression).

If you're referring to the Familiar's "Deliver Touch Spells" bit, your familiar can only hold one spell at a time... and if you try to cast anything before the familiar delivers the spell, that first spell dissipates. You can use the ability as often as you have touch spells to cast, though.

The Improved Familiar feat doesn't have that much in the way of requirements - just that you be able to summon a familiar, and have a level and alignment sufficiently compatible with the familiar you're after.

[Godskook]

However, if you pick up the Obtain Familiar feat, it's no longer tied to your Sorcerer or Wizard levels, but to your caster level (although it still follows the same progression).

Do you have a link of that ruling?

[JackMage666]

Do you have a link of that ruling?

It's written pretty clearing in the Obtain Familiar feat in Complete Arcane.

[Eldariel]

Do you have a link of that ruling?

It's spelled out in the feat itself. "For purposes of determining familiar abilities that depend on your arcane class level, your levels in all classes that allow you to cast arcane spells stack." In other words, though it's not spelled out, it could be argued that even Shooting Star Ranger/Paladin would allow you to advance your familiar with this feat.

EDIT: Everything is better with ninjas!

[Godskook]

I only ask because I've searched ever site that I could find, and none give a description of that feat beyond "You may obtain a Familiar as if you were a Sorcerer or a Wizard".

That's too vague for any real use. Mainly, I want my clr3/wiz3/theurge's familiar to progress, and a feat would be worth it.

[The Glyphstone]

While Obtain Familar is under discussion, has anyone ever found a rule/FAQ that prevents a character from having more than one familiar via said feat?

[Sinfire Titan]

While Obtain Familar is under discussion, has anyone ever found a rule/FAQ that prevents a character from having more than one familiar via said feat?

That would be solved by the Familiar class feature itself. If one of your other classes grants you a familiar (even through the feat), the levels in other classes that grant one only stack to determine it's abilities.

[arguskos]

While Obtain Familar is under discussion, has anyone ever found a rule/FAQ that prevents a character from having more than one familiar via said feat?

I asked about this some time ago, and was told the general consensus was that it couldn't happen. Sucked too, since I wanted a horde of Improved Familiars to do my evil bidding.

[Chronos]

Note that many of a familiar's abilities don't depend on wizard (or equivalent) at all, and scale with any class. A familiar has the same HD (with half hit-points), skills, saves, and BAB as its master, and all of those not only advance with any level at all, but almost all classes will advance them more than sorcerer or wizard would.

While Obtain Familar is under discussion, has anyone ever found a rule/FAQ that prevents a character from having more than one familiar via said feat?

There's a different feat, Extra Familiar, precisely for that purpose.

[BlueWizard]

Just get me to DM your wizard.

[Jack_Simth]

Note that many of a familiar's abilities don't depend on wizard (or equivalent) at all, and scale with any class. A familiar has the same HD (with half hit-points), skills, saves, and BAB as its master, and all of those not only advance with any level at all, but almost all classes will advance them more than sorcerer or wizard would.

Heh, yes; you get the important specific abilities (Speak with Master, Deliver Touch Spells, Improved Evasion, Share Spells, Empathic Link) at 5th or earlier; the rest is either not dependant on your casting class level (saves, HP) or is not really all that useful (Spell Resistance, Scry on Familiar).

There's a different feat, Extra Familiar, precisely for that purpose.

Yes, but it's also a feat from Dragon Magazine....

[Fizban]

And the Eberron Campaign Setting main book.