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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lord Pendragon" data-source="post: 1748003" data-attributes="member: 707">I agree.  I'd treat it as having three stages.  "Puppy" would be the 1st-stage, and roughly equivalent to a standard familiar.  "Wolf" would be the second stage, received once the Improved Familar feat is taken.  "Improved Wolf" would be the final stage, which I'd add on at around 7th-ish.  This could be any one of the four alignment templates.  That'd bring the familiar in-line with the other Improved Familiars.I'd go with +3 Survival.The trick mechanic is used with Animal Companions because those creatures never advance beyond animal intelligence.  Thus, even though they become physically stronger, they are nevertheless not intelligent enough to act outside of trained behavior.The wizard's Familiar and paladin's Special Mount are different.  Unlike the Animal Companion, the Familiar and Mount are immediately granted human-like intelligence, that continues to grow as their master gains power.  With that intelligence, the Familar and Mount can respond to complex commands they've never practiced, just as a human could.  The only barrier between them is language.How do you resolve this?  In the Familiar's case, there's no need.  The familiar knows everything its master does, including languages.  Meaning that although the familiar cannot speak to the master (until it gains the appropriate special ability) it can understand any language it's master can speak right from 1st-level.</blockquote>

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