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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack Simth" data-source="post: 3312850" data-attributes="member: 29252">Normal familiars can actually be more useful (especially at low-levels) than most people give them credit for.  See, first off, they're still the animal, with all it's abilities:And(Note: The following is moslty only meaningful before about 5th level)A Hawk has a +16 spot check (+8 Racial, +2 Wis, +2 Alertness, +4(Presumeably) ranks).  Stealth-dedicated Rogues are going to have issues hiding from the thing (Max ranks, 18 base dex halfling with Reduce Person has a hide check of +16 at first level - dead heat, and the Halfling is putting a lot of effort into it, including borrowing a spell; tack on Stealthy and Skill Focus(Hide) and the Rogue has a decent chance). A Bat has 20 foot blindsense.  You can't hide from it (Core, anyway) within that 20 feet without being incorporeal or on another plane.  The Listen and Spot +8 aren't bad, either.  Hide +14 is handy.  Great night watchman. A Cat has Hide+16, Move Silently +8, but only Spot and Listen +3.  Decent scout.An Owl has Listen +16.  As it's harder to get bonuses to Move Silently than it is to Hide, the Owl will have a pretty good idea that you're out and about, if not exactly where you are.A Rat has Hide+16, Move Silently +12, as well as having actual climb and swim speeds - sure, it's slow, but it can go very nearly anywhere, and usually won't be noticed.A Raven is mostly useful for it's ability to talk to you in a normal fasion.  Because it can talk to the rest of the party, too.  Viper: Meh, some DM's will let you milk it for cheap poison (and at DC 10, it's dirt cheap) but for the most part, others are more worthwhile... but it is useful to the Sorcerer wanting to Bluff his way to fame.Toad: Well, it's Amphibious, and has the highest Hide check of them all... but while the +3 HP is handy at first, it's nearly useless, otherwise.Weasle: Not quite as sneaky as the rat, but traveles faster.Vermin don't get skills... but they get darkvision.  Of course, as all familiars are magical beasts, they all argueably have Darkvision-60....</blockquote>

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