Two familiar questions

[Noumenon]

I never actually bought the book with the arcane familiar feats in it. (I was only porting over one 3.5 character and it would have taken three books to make him the same.) So when your familiar goes active, does he stay on your body, in your space, or placed in an adjacent space? The difference being whether I can use Serpent's Startle and take him with me, or whether I have to leave him behind to get squelched by whatever I was running away from.

When he is in active mode, does he still give me the ability to ignore 1 difficult terrain while shifting? Even if he's not near me?

 

[Chris Knapp]

I never actually bought the book with the arcane familiar feats in it. (I was only porting over one 3.5 character and it would have taken three books to make him the same.) So when your familiar goes active, does he stay on your body, in your space, or placed in an adjacent space?

Its not specifically stated where the familiar gets placed on the battle map when transitioning from passive to active, but seeing as its a tiny creature, and tiny creatures are allowed to end their movement in a square with any creature larger than they are, it seems logical that they occupy your square.

The difference being whether I can use Serpent's Startle and take him with me, or whether I have to leave him behind to get squelched by whatever I was running away from.

Its your choice how you want to economize your actions. If you're surrounded, you can use a minor to go to active, a minor to go use Serpent's Startle, then a move/standard to get you out of the way. The effect lasts until the end of your next turn, so you can either hope he won't be targeted until he can move himself next turn, or burn an AP to use a move, or a minor to make him passive (causing him to appear back on your person, no matter the distance.)

When he is in active mode, does he still give me the ability to ignore 1 difficult terrain while shifting? Even if he's not near me?

Yes. As long as the serpent still has 1 hp, his constant benefits apply no matter whether he's active or passive.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

I'm not familiar with either of those questions.

 

[Klaus]

I never actually bought the book with the arcane familiar feats in it. (I was only porting over one 3.5 character and it would have taken three books to make him the same.) So when your familiar goes active, does he stay on your body, in your space, or placed in an adjacent space? The difference being whether I can use Serpent's Startle and take him with me, or whether I have to leave him behind to get squelched by whatever I was running away from.

When he is in active mode, does he still give me the ability to ignore 1 difficult terrain while shifting? Even if he's not near me?

The familiar is Tiny, so it doesn't take up a square.

When the familiar enters active mode, it is still in your square, and you can move it with a move action (you can also move if you want). Some feats change this. Cast Afar The Spirit lets you teleport your familiar a few squares when it enters active mode.

As for the Constant Benefits, they're constant as long as the familiar is present in the encounter. If the familiar is destroyed, you lose the benefits until it is restored after your next rest.

 

[MrBeens]

The familiar is Tiny, so it doesn't take up a square.

When the familiar enters active mode, it is still in your square, and you can move it with a move action (you can also move if you want). Some feats change this. Cast Afar The Spirit lets you teleport your familiar a few squares when it enters active mode.

As for the Constant Benefits, they're constant as long as the familiar is present in the encounter. If the familiar is destroyed, you lose the benefits until it is restored after your next rest.

Unless you take a feat to do so, moving the familiar and you takes 2 separate move actions

 

[Noumenon]

Unless you take a feat to do so, moving the familiar and you takes 2 separate move actions

That definitely implies he doesn't travel along with me in active mode. Thanks everybody for answering my other questions!

 

[Klaus]

You must be right. I had to read Familiars, Spirit Companions, Beast Companions all in one sitting last week and I'm sure I mixed some things.

 

[Mand]

That definitely implies he doesn't travel along with me in active mode. Thanks everybody for answering my other questions!

I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to literally carry your familiar when you move. It can be in active mode on your shoulder - it's just that things can hurt it now.

"Onoes, I can't move now that I have this parrot on my arm - I don't have enough move actions to move it with me!"

Doesn't make sense. Now, directing your familiar to move is something else entirely - if it's away from you, having it move somewhere else should take action.