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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Advanced Player's Guide

Chapter 2: Classes

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 53 2.0
There are more classes in the world of Pathfinder than those explored in the Core Rulebook, and each of those classes has near-infinite variety. This chapter introduces the new investigator, oracle, swashbuckler, and witch classes and offers new options for each of the 12 Core Rulebook classes. The entries on pages 54–105 describe four new classes, including all the information you need to play each class from 1st to 20th level. The chapter continues with new content for the Core Rulebook classes. If you're looking for something new for your favorite Core Rulebook class, those options are listed to the left. The chapter concludes on page 144 with new animal companion and familiar options.

Specific Familiars

Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 148 2.0
Most familiars are Tiny animals, though a few are unusual, such as a leaf druid's leshy familiar. Some familiars, however, are more powerful creatures with unique abilities.

Any character can gain a specific familiar so long as they already have a familiar with at least the required number of abilities listed in the specific familiar's stat block. Such a familiar usually replaces an existing familiar, though in some circumstances (such as for a witch) the familiar may evolve or reveal its true form. In any case, this transition from a normal familiar to a specific familiar requires no downtime and has no cost. Once you've selected a specific familiar, you can't change it without losing your familiar— this uses the same rules as if your familiar had died.

A specific familiar has several traits and abilities, as listed in their stat block. The Granted Abilities entry lists normal familiar and master abilities that familiar has. The familiar also gains unique abilities listed below the Granted Abilities entry. Much like a familiar that naturally has a familiar ability (such as an owl with a fly Speed), you can never swap out any of these granted or unique abilities. If your familiar gains more abilities than are necessary for that specific familiar, you can use the remaining abilities to select familiar and master abilities as normal.

Statistics and abilities not listed in a specific familiar's stat block (such as modifiers, AC, Hit Points, and so forth) use the normal familiar rules. These stat blocks otherwise use the format from the Bestiary.

Related Rules

Familiars (Source Core Rulebook pg. 217 4.0)
Undead Specific Familiars (Source Book of the Dead pg. 38)