Patron Familiars
System: Pathfinder | SRD | Type: Subclass (Archetype) of Familiar
Witches’ familiars are often tied to their patrons, enhancing and reinforcing the spellcasters’ connections to the sources of their magical might. Just as a sorcerer can gain a bloodline familiar, a witch can gain a patron familiar by choosing one at 1st level in place of her standard familiar. A patron familiar acts in all ways like a standard witch’s familiar, with the addition of the special ability indicated below according to the witch’s patron. In addition, the witch gains her patron spells 1 level later than she normally would—gaining the patron spell she’d normally receive at 2nd level at 3rd level instead, and so on.
Class Abilities
Agility—Supernatural Speed (Su) (addition)
: The familiar is incredibly fast for its type. It gains an enhancement bonus of +10 feet to each of its movement speeds. This bonus increases to +20 feet at 10th level, and to +30 feet at 20th level.
Animals—Animal Speaker (Su) (addition)
The familiar gains the ability to speak with animals of its kind at 1st level. If it would normally gain this ability at 7th level, the familiar gains the ability to speak with all animals (as though constantly under the effects of speak with animals) at 7th level.
Deception—Distracting (Su and Sp) (addition)
The familiar gains Bluff and Sense Motive as class skills. At 10th level, the familiar can throw its voice at will, as if using ventriloquism .
Elements—Elemental Touch (Su) (addition)
Choose an energy type: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. The familiar gains resistance 5 to the selected energy type. Whenever the familiar delivers a touch spell that deals energy damage, it can change the type of energy damage dealt to the selected energy type.
Endurance—Endure Afflictions (Su) (addition)
The familiar is unnaturally talented at resisting bodily corruption. The familiar and any ally touching it gains a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws against nonmagical poisons and diseases. At 10th level, this bonus also applies against magical diseases and poisons. At 20th level, this bonus also applies against curses.
Plague—Diseased Touch (Ex) (addition)
Once per day, the familiar can inflict filth fever with its natural attacks for 1 round. At 10th level, the familiar can inflict red ache instead. At 20th level, it can inflict demon fever instead. See page 557 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook for details on these diseases. The familiar may be able to inflict other injury diseases instead at the GM’s discretion.
Shadow—Fearsome Shadows (Sp) (addition)
Once per day, the familiar can use cause fear as a spell-like ability as long as it is in an area of normal or dim light, affecting a single living creature with a number of Hit Dice up to the familiar’s Intelligence score. Thus, creatures normally immune to cause fear because they have 6 or more Hit Dice may not be immune to the familiar’s cause fear spell-like ability.
Strength—Strength of Mind (Su) (addition)
A number of times per day equal to its master’s Intelligence modifier (minimum once per day), the familiar can swap its Strength and Intelligence scores as a standard action. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1/2 the master’s caster level.
Transformation—Shapechanging Familiar (Su) (addition)
The familiar is able to transform itself. For a number of minutes per day equal to its master’s witch level, the familiar can alter its appearance so that it looks like a different creature of its type and size. The duration doubles at 8th level, and triples at 16th level. This duration need not be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 minute increments. For instance, a cat familiar could appear as any Tiny animal. This change is purely cosmetic, and doesn’t alter the familiar’s statistics.
Trickery—Familiar’s Illusions (Sp) (addition)
The familiar has a mischievous predilection toward simple illusions. Once per day, the familiar can use a 0-level illusion spell on its master’s spell list as a spell-like ability. At 10th level, it can also use a 1st-level illusion spell on its master’s spell list once per day. At 20th level, it can also use a 2nd-level illusion spell on its master’s spell list once per day.
Water—Amphibious Familiar (Su) (addition)
The familiar can breathe water for a number of minutes per day equal to 1/2 its master’s witch level. These minutes need not be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute intervals. If the familiar can already breathe water, it can breathe air for the same duration. At 10th level, the familiar gains a swim speed of 30 feet (or a land speed of 30 feet if it already has a swim speed) while using this ability. At 20th level, the familiar can move through water as though under the effects of freedom of movement while using this ability.
Wisdom—Preternatural Wisdom (Su) (addition)
The familiar gains a Wisdom score of 6. This score increases by 1 point at 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter (at the same rate as its Intelligence score). This may cause a familiar whose Wisdom score is typically higher than 6 to start with a lower Wisdom score than normal.
Source: Familiar Folio pg. 17
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