[DMG] Improved Familiar

[andargor]

The subject has never come up before in our campaign, but the question was raised about the Improved Familiar feat, now rolled into the DMG 3.5.

Specifically this quote:

Granted abilities: In addition to their own special qualities, all
familiars grant their masters the Alertness feat, the benefit of an empathic link, and the ability to share spells with the familiar. See page 53 of the Player's Handbook for details.

Does this mean that an Imp familiar grants Alternate form, damage reduction 5/good or silver, darkvision 60 ft., fast healing 2, immunity to poison, resistance to fire 5 to his master?

is this only within 5 feet?

Andargor

 

[Diirk]

I think it means that the familiar keeps his special qualities, and in addition gains the empathic link and share spells qualities, and gives his master the Alertness feat.

 

[James McMurray]

What Diirk said.

 

[andargor]

Not to sound obtuse, but the special qualities are mentionned in "Granted abilities", meaning granted to the master.

It could very well be argued that the paragraph means that the master gets Alterness, etc., in addition to the special qualities of the familiar.

Consider this rearrangement of the phrase:

All familiars grant their masters the Alertness feat, the benefit of an empathic link, and the ability to share spells with the familiar, in addition to their own special qualities.

Whose language is equivalent to the original quote. So both interpretations are valid, no?

Is there a FAQ or Sage ruling on this?

Andargor

 

[Darklone]

AFAIK, they mean the special bonus that each familiar grants it's master... E.g. Toad 3.0 +2 Con.

 

[MorganKiller]

Andargor: Your quote may also be read as
"granting alertness to his master, empathic link and share spells are familiar special qualities in addition to the ones it already possesses"

Of course IMO.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Andargor: Your quote may also be read as
"granting alertness to his master, empathic link and share spells are familiar special qualities in addition to the ones it already possesses"

Of course IMO.

Yep, this is how I read it. Improved familiars don't grant special abilities (that is, beyond the abilities all familiars give) like standard familiars do -- no +2 save, no +3 skill, and certainly no DR or other SQs.

 

[andargor]

Ah, you are saying that "Granted abilities" are abilities granted to the familiar, and not to the master (unless specifically stated). Got it.

It was a question asked by another player, and I personally had found the feat to be rather powerful if it allowed the granting of SQs. So I just wanted to make sure that we had the correct interpretation.

Andargor

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think the general rule of "if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is" applies quite nicely here.

If the feat did grant those special qualities to the master it would be so overwhelmingly good that it would be worth it for any wizard to slaughter his incumbent familiar and grab an improved one! It is better than any spell which he could gain at that level or for another 6 levels or so.

In the light of this, I can't see how it is possible to even hope that the designers intended the SQ to be granted...

Cheers

 

[Black Knight Irios]

I think that [Improved Familiar] does not grant any of the SQs of the Creature you select as your familiar to yourself.
The Feat simply allows you to select creatures that are more powerful theirselves, but you don't gain any other benefits from this feat or the familiar. In all other respects the familiar is treated as normal familiar.
Any one another sensible version to interpret this feat.
That's my opinion and I think that's how the feat works and is intended to work.