Warlocks & Familiars...

[RolandOfGilead]

Ok, Under the obtain familiar feat, it says that "all levels in arcane spellcasting classes stack regarding the masters level of a familiar..."

However, is this implicit if you dont take obtain familiar?

In other words, if I'm a sorceror 1 / Warlock 6 would my master level be 7?

 

[Particle_Man]

A bard 7/Sorceror 1 would not get familiar benefits as an 8th Sorceror unless they had the feat Obtain Familiar, so I assume that a Warlock 7/Sorceror 1 would also be out of luck without that feat. I guess that might be an interesting secondary benefit of the feat for arcane multiclass sorceror/wizards.

 

[ThoughtfulOwl]

Put it this way: normally, only classes who grant you a familiar count toward your level as a familiar master; if you take the feat, all your arcane classes count as granting a familiar.

 

[RolandOfGilead]

good points; so a mystic theurge could take this and basicly get full familiar progression... wherefore art thou sorceror?

 

[Particle_Man]

Well, the Mystic Theurge wouldn't count the divine levels used in the prereq, but otherwise, yes, at the cost of a feat the Mystic Theurge levels would count for familiar advancement.

 

[Silveras]

I think the operational guide here is p.18 of CA, where it discusses Warlocks and Prestige Classes. "A Warlock cannot qualify for prestige classes with spellcasting level requirements, as he never actually learns to cast spells."

By that thinking, the Warlock class is not an arcane spellcasting class, and does not qualify to stack, even with the Obtain Familiar feat.

Of course, I am inclined to think that the feat was created with Warlocks in mind in the first place, so it may be just an example of poorly chosen wording.

My real objection to the feat is that it is clearly BETTER than the standard class ability it is designed to emulate, since you get that ability PLUS the ability to stack class levels that would not otherwise stack.

 

[ThoughtfulOwl]

I think the operational guide here is p.18 of CA, where it discusses Warlocks and Prestige Classes. "A Warlock cannot qualify for prestige classes with spellcasting level requirements, as he never actually learns to cast spells."

By that thinking, the Warlock class is not an arcane spellcasting class, and does not qualify to stack, even with the Obtain Familiar feat.

Of course, I am inclined to think that the feat was created with Warlocks in mind in the first place, so it may be just an example of poorly chosen wording.

Not really; the feat doesn't require spellcasting, only an arcane caster level, which warlocks have aplenty.

My real objection to the feat is that it is clearly BETTER than the standard class ability it is designed to emulate, since you get that ability PLUS the ability to stack class levels that would not otherwise stack.

Levels from classes who grant a familiar already stack with each other; the feat just allows the remaining arcane classes to join the club.

 

[Jalkain]

Levels from classes who grant a familiar already stack with each other; the feat just allows the remaining arcane classes to join the club.

I think the previous poster was making the point that a single feat will outperform the class ability when it comes to taking arcane castings PrCs that don't advance your familiar (which is virtually all of them).

As a random example, a Bard 7/Incantatrix 3 WITH the feat would have a familiar caster level of 10, whereas a Wizard 7/Incantatrix 3 WITHOUT the feat would have a familiar caster level of only 7. One feat allows the bard to go from having no familiar to having a better familiar!

I think the previous poster was suggesting that it should be split into two feats to avoid this situation.

 

[hobgoblin]

but remeber, you have to burn a feat to get it at all. a wizard or sorceror get it as a class benefit on top of the normal feats...

 

[Silveras]

Not really; the feat doesn't require spellcasting, only an arcane caster level, which warlocks have aplenty.

For the purpose of determining familiar abilities that depend on your arcane caster class level, your levels in all classes that allow you to cast arcane spells stack.

Thus, since Warlocks do not actually cast spells, their levels do not stack for purposes of determining the abilities of the familiar.

Levels from classes who grant a familiar already stack with each other; the feat just allows the remaining arcane classes to join the club.

Uhm, no, it also allows arcane spellcaster classes that do not normally get a familiar to obtain one and to have their levels stack for purposes of determining the familiar's abilities. It grants the base ability and enhances it all at once.