Familiar vs. PrC

[Prof Yeti]

I have reached a small problem I am hoping you (the people of the boards) can help me with. Now I apologize if this is the wrong forum or if the subject has been done to death but I was unable to find the topic elsewhere.

Do Prestige Class levels stack with Wizard or Sorcerer levels to determine Familiar abilities?

 

[nogray]

Not usually

Unless the prestige class specifically says so, it does not. In fact, that is the one thing most sorceror/wizard prestige classes give up.

 

[Menexenus]

No, if you leave a wizard or sorcerer class to gain levels in a PrC, your affinity with your familiar does *not* advance as if you had taken additional sorcerer/wizard levels (unless the PrC specifically says otherwise). However, I know that many groups house-rule this and allow the familiar abilities to continue growing. You should ask your DM how he/she would like to handle this situation before taking levels in the PrC.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Correct, with the additional caveat: Hit points do increase. Hit points are based one the spellcasters character levels, not spellcasting levels. [Hence the whole "half" rule]

But, for things like feats gained and abilities ... the familiar does not gain any of those befits.

 

[Panask]

And the familiar gets the skill ranks and base save bonuses of its master (when the master's are better), so they'll be improving too.

Panask
Servitar to Baldur

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Correct, with the additional caveat: Hit points do increase. Hit points are based one the spellcasters character levels, not spellcasting levels. [Hence the whole "half" rule]

And that can be very amusing if someone has a Barbarian19/Wizard1.