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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jeff Wilder" data-source="post: 1505493" data-attributes="member: 5122">The area of what exactly a familiar can do seems to be one of the few gray areas in the 3.xE rules, even accounting for the stuff in Tome and Blood.  I've got some specific questions.  The familiar is question is an owl; the spellcaster is 4th level.  In general I'm looking for opinions supported as strongly as possible by the rules, but, since the rules are murky, opinions are welcome.The wizard and the familiar can communicate telepathically, right (despite the "emapathic" name)?  Does this require concentration?  In combat-time, does it require actions, or should it be free like (limited) speech?How much useful information can a wizard get from a familiar he's sent to scout?  Can an owl with a 7 Int distinguish humanoids from each other?  (Say, orcs from hobgoblins?)  Can it count?  Can it give etailed directions?  ("Three-quarters of a mile northwest.")Let's say a familiar has a +14 to Listen, compared to the caster's +0.  The familiar hears an approaching enemy, so isn't surprised.  The caster doesn't hear a thing.  Does the always-on empathic link mean the caster isn't surprised, even though he doesn't actually share the owl's hearing?In combat, a dangerous enemy with spring attack is hiding within a sight-blocking area of effect.  The caster instructs the familiar to listen for the enemy, to try and judge his location.  Is issuing the instruction an action?  Is getting a response an action?Am I justified in roleplaying the owl as behaving owlishly?  (I.e., he hates being awake and active during the day, and he's sometimes distracted by mice or the like when on scouting or lookout duty.)  Or is a familiar's intelligence "human-like" enough that it's no longer animalistic?Thanks in advance for any help.</blockquote>

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