Do familiars improve with HD increase?

[TheEvil]

Silly question, but I was reading the SRD and realized that I may have to deal with this situation down the road.

As per the SRD on familiars:
Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.

That said, do familiars improve as Magical Beasts (Skill Points, Feats, etc...) as they increase in Hit Dice? Generally, I think most would agree the answer is a resounding no, but where does it say so? Did I just miss something in my reading?

As a side question, when was the last time anyone had their familiar make a skill check? I use the spot and listen frequently, how about others?

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Not unless advancing a monster is an "effect" based on its Hit Dice.

I don't understand creatures as being "affected" by their skill points, feats, and such. Whereas they clearly are by HD-limited spells like sleep and color spray.

 

[Sejs]

As a side question, when was the last time anyone had their familiar make a skill check? I use the spot and listen frequently, how about others?

Quite often, particularly for things like knowledge skills and the like. The familiar is there backing its master up, reminding them of little tidbits they missed, etc.

 

[TheEvil]

I suppose I should have clarified...

When a monster gains hit dice, it gains additional skill points, feats, etc...
Does this apply to the hit dice gained as the result of being a familier, where the familer's hit dice equals the master's wizard/sorcerer levels?

Another thing that occured to me, did you know that a cat familiar with 3 strength can drag 65 lbs? Heck, with that, a halfling/gnome wizard/sorcerer could be dragged to safety by their familier...

 

[nhl_1997]

The advancement of familiars is completely goverened by the familiar tables. At full health, they always have half the hit points of its master at full health. They start with their initial feats. For skill ranks, they use either their own or their master's ranks.

Familiars do not actually gain hit dice. The clause about "for the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice" refers to effects such as those coming from spells (Sleep, Lesser Geas, etc.) For all practical purposes, you can treat the familiar as if it does gain hit dice, however, they do not use the creature advancement tables from the monster manual for skills, feats, saves, BAB, etc.