Familiar Creation?

[JadeKraken]

How do I create a familiar?

[damned]

Generally the GM will create an NPC and share it with you.

[JadeKraken]

I am the GM. How do I share the familiar with the player? Can he change it during his daily prep?

[Zacchaeus]

See this video on sharing NPCs with players https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?43513-Video-Giving-player-control-of-an-NPC&p=387176#post387176

It's for 5e but it'll be the same in any ruleset. In answer to your second question it will depend on what NPCs you share with the player whether they can pick and choose.

[JadeKraken]

Thanks, that was helpful as a work around, but there really needs to be something built for the PF2 ruleset as its familiars are fundamentally different from previous editions and 5e. They also need to be able to change during play.

[damned]

Thanks, that was helpful as a work around, but there really needs to be something built for the PF2 ruleset as its familiars are fundamentally different from previous editions and 5e. They also need to be able to change during play.

Thats not very specific JadeKraken
What needs to change during play?

If you want more flexibility as a player then create the Familiar(s) as PCs and select one as a second character when needed.

[JadeKraken]

Sorry for the inspecificity. Unlike previous editions of D&D or Pathfinder what kind of animal you pick has no relevance at all to your familiar’s stats. It’s almost entirely window dressing. The choice of a familiar's species only dictates which abilities you must purchase and which animals they're allowed to speak with if you take kinspeech. The only requirement that’s given is it must be a tiny animal (plant if druid, constructs for alchemist). All familiars have the same stats:

Traits: Minion
Size: Tiny
Senses: Low-light vision, empathy with master 1 mile range
Movement: 25 ft or Swim 25 ft (chosen at familiar creation)
AC and Saves: Equal to Master’s before applying circumstance or status bonuses or penalties.
HP: 5 x Master’s level
Perception, Acrobatics, and Stealth modifiers: Equal to Master’s level plus spellcasting ability modifier.
Attack roll or other skill check: Master’s level

*It doesn’t have or use its own ability modifiers and can never benefit from item bonuses.

If there were a way to make a creature template that linked to a character which automatically updated the familiars stats based on the master’s that would be awesome. Additionally, you could have check boxes or something next to each of the abilities available to the caster so that during daily prep you could pick the abilities you want for your familiar.

Every day during spell preparation, the familiar’s master can choose a number of different abilities (based on class and level) for his familiar.

Amphibious: It gains a swim Speed of 25 feet (or Speed of 25 feet if it already has a swim Speed).
Burrower: It gains a burrow Speed of 5 feet, allowing it to dig Tiny holes.
Climber: It gains a climb Speed of 25 feet.
Damage Avoidance: Choose one type of save. It takes no damage when it succeeds at that type of save; this doesn’t prevent effects other than damage.
Darkvision: It gains darkvision.
Fast Movement: Increase one of the familiar’s Speeds from 25 feet to 40 feet.
Flier: It gains a fly Speed of 25 feet.
Kinspeech: It can understand and speak with animals of the same species. To select this, your familiar must be an animal, it must have the speech ability, and you must be at least 6th level.
Lab Assistant: It can use your Quick Alchemy action. You must have Quick Alchemy, and your familiar must be in your space. This has the same cost and requirement as if you used it. It must have the manual dexterity ability to select this.
Manual Dexterity: It can use up to two of its limbs as if they were hands to use manipulate actions.
Scent: It gains scent (imprecise, 30 feet).
Speech: It understands and speaks a language you know.

Master Abilities

Cantrip Connection: You can prepare an additional cantrip, or if you have a repertoire, instead designate a cantrip to add to your repertoire every time you select this ability; you can retrain it but can’t otherwise change it. You must be able to prepare cantrips or add them to your repertoire to select this.
Extra Reagents: Your familiar grows extra infused reagents on or in its body. You gain an additional batch of infused reagents. You must have the infused reagents ability to select this ability.
Familiar Focus: Once per day, your familiar can use 2 actions with the concentrate trait to regain 1 Focus Point, up to your usual maximum You must have a focus pool to select this.
Lifelink: If your familiar would be reduced to 0 HP by damage, as a reaction with the concentrate trait, you can take the damage. If you do, you take all the damage and your familiar takes none. However, if special effects when a hit damages your familiar (such as snake venom) still apply to your familiar.
Spell Battery: You gain one additional spell slot at least 3 levels lower than your highest-level spell slot; you must be able to cast 4th-level spells using spell slots to select this master ability.
Spell Delivery: If your familiar is in your space, you can cast a spell with a range of touch, transfer its power to your familiar, and command the familiar to deliver the spell. If you do, the familiar uses its 2 actions for the round to move to a target of your choice and touch that target. If it doesn’t reach the target to touch it this turn, the spell has no effect.

[kaernunnos]

Creating another character to handle a familiar or animal companion doesn't work very well in the long run. A monster works better, but requires the GM to handle everything. It would be nice if the class feats and abilities created a new tab when added to the character where you could handle all the information.

[Trenloe]

Companion and familiar functionality is on the list. But it's low in in priority as a NPC can be used (with the work arounds/limitations mentioned above).

[JadeKraken]

@Trenloe Thanks for the reply, I know you're a busy man so keep up the good work.

[theMaXX]

I've created a Familiar PC with daily uses for those familiar abilities, so the player can "prepare" each day.

[JadeKraken]

For the familiar powers, did you put them under the abilities tab? Does Fantasy Grounds account for them?

[theMaXX]

For the familiar powers, did you put them under the abilities tab? Does Fantasy Grounds account for them?

I've created "spells" for those.
You still need to track the benefits manualy, or create specific actions... but at least your player can decide what to use and select it each day.
30995