Specific Familiars
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 147 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.
Aeon WyrdConstruct Source Player Core 2 pg. 170Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities construct,
flierAn aeon wyrd is a floating swarm of gemstones surrounding a larger stone. It grants the power of its internal aeon stone to its master.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 170Your aeon wyrd can house any aeon stone as a powerfully resonant nucleus that holds it together. You gain the aeon stone’s benefits without needing to invest it, and you gain the aeon stone’s resonant power. This doesn’t interfere with any wayfinder you invest.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 170Your aeon wyrd has no land Speed.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 170Your aeon wyrd's crystalline structure makes it vulnerable to sonic attacks. It gains weakness to sonic equal to your level.
Legacy Content
Beast Source PFS Guide pg. 122PFS Note The saving throw for the calligraphy wyrm’s Ink Spray ability should have a DC equal to the master’s spell DC or class DC, whichever is higher.
Required Number of Abilities 6
Granted Abilities darkvision,
flier,
manual dexterity,
scent,
skilled (arcana, society),
speechCalligraphy wyrms are curious dragons constantly in search of new lore and writing. They make natural allies for Pathfinders. While knowledgeable, calligraphy wyrms can also be know-it-alls. Their chirpy, high-pitched voices make this attitude humorous to some and insufferable to others.
Arcane Evocation Source PFS Guide pg. 122Frequency once per 10 minutes;
Effect The wyrm splatters ink in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed at a Reflex save or become covered in ink. Ink spray has the effects of glitterdust except the creature isn't dazzled, and it can remove its blindness by spending a single action, which has the manipulate trait, to wipe off the ink from their face.
Source PFS Guide pg. 122Your calligraphy wyrm has stylus-shaped claws that it can fill with its natural ink, using its claw as a pen without having to purchase ink.
Legacy Content
N Beast Source Impossible Lands pg. 220Required Number of Abilities 4
Granted Abilities cantrip connection (guidance, mage hand),
darkvision,
touch telepathyCerus are mortal-made creatures in the shape of tiny, blue elephants with spikes on their feet, tail, and ears. They're highly sought-after amongst circles of the affluent.
Source Impossible Lands pg. 220Your ceru familiar grants you the
mage hand and
guidance cantrips via the cantrip connection granted ability. If one or more of these cantrips isn't on your spell list, you can replace the cantrip or cantrips not on your spell list with a cantrip or cantrips from your spell list instead.
Divination Source Impossible Lands pg. 220Frequency once per day;
Range 30 feet ;
Effect Your ceru shifts the scales of fortune for one target's next attempt at an attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. If targeted with bad fortune, the target attempts a Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher, with effects depending on the result of their save; this is a
misfortune effect. If targeted with good fortune, the target rolls twice and uses the better result; this is a
fortune effect. Regardless of outcome, targets are immune to Turn of Fate for one day.
Success The target is unaffected.
Failure The target rolls twice and uses the worse result.
Critical Failure As failure, except the target is affected for the next three attempts.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Clockwork Construct Source Grand Bazaar pg. 23Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities darkvisionA clockwork creature is typically composed entirely of turning gears and small bronze steam pipes. It can take the form of any Tiny animal, such as a small mammal, reptile, or bird. Its eyes are cut from glittering glass, with many facets within to help it process what it sees. Any teeth, beak, and tongue are rendered out of iron. When it moves, its joints emit little croaks and whistles, and it occasionally emits electrical sparks if perturbed. Clockwork creatures who live near the sea, or are otherwise exposed to water often, might squeeze lemons and use the juice to wash themselves. They can also blow steam out of the pipes on their bodies to intimidate an enemy or put up a smokescreen. Your clockwork familiar is a specific familiar. Specific familiars (Advanced Player’s Guide 147) are familiars with unique abilities. In order for you to choose a specific familiar, your familiar must be capable of having the template’s required number of familiar abilities. A specific familiar gains the listed traits and several abilities, including abilities it can gain only as a specific familiar. Much like a familiar that naturally has a familiar ability, you can never swap out any of these granted or unique abilities. 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. If your familiar gains more abilities than necessary to become a specific familiar, you can spend the remaining abilities normally. If your clockwork familiar is destroyed, it can be brought back to life through any conventional means that would bring back a living familiar, such as through resurrection magic.
Source Grand Bazaar pg. 23You need to keep your clockwork familiar wound, but the process isn't particularly onerous or time consuming. If you spend 1 minute winding up your clockwork familiar with a unique key only you can use, it can remain active for 24 hours, after which time it becomes unaware of its surroundings and can't act until it's wound again.
Enemies can attempt to disable the clockwork familiar, with a standard DC for your level to
Disable a Device, to reduce the remaining operational time by 1 hour (or 2 hours on a critical success). Certain other abilities that adversely affect technology might also reduce the clockwork familiar's remaining operational time.
Some abilities, like Steam Screen, require your clockwork familiar to spend some of its remaining operational time. It can't spend more than it has and shuts down immediately once it has no time remaining.
You can wind your clockwork familiar for 1 minute at any time to return it to the maximum 24 hours of operational time.
Source Grand Bazaar pg. 23Your clockwork familiar is made of metal rather than flesh and bone, although it is still delicate enough in certain places to be vulnerable to violence in the same manner as a living creature. It is immune to bleed,
death effects,
disease,
doomed,
drained,
fatigued,
healing,
necromancy,
nonlethal attacks,
paralyzed,
poison,
sickened, and
unconscious. It can recover Hit Points only via the
Repair action and other methods that fix items, not from any form of Hit Point healing. It's destroyed at 0 Hit Points.
Source Grand Bazaar pg. 23The metal components of a clockwork familiar conduct electricity and are easily disrupted by an electric current. It gains weakness to
electricity damage equal to your level.
Source Grand Bazaar pg. 23Frequency once per minute;
Effect Your clockwork familiar blows a billowing plume of steam into its square around itself. It gains a +1 circumstance bonus to its
Intimidation checks, and any creature in the familiar's square has
concealment, though creatures in the square can't use this concealment to
Hide or
Sneak. The steam and its effects remain for 1 round. To use this ability, your clockwork familiar must spend 1 hour of operational time.
Source Grand Bazaar pg. 23Your clockwork familiar enters standby mode. Its operational time doesn't decrease in standby, but it can sense its surroundings (with a –2 penalty to Perception). It can't act, with one exception: when you Command it to exit standby mode, it does so, by using this action again.
Legacy Content
Undead Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Required Number of Abilities 5
Granted Abilities manual dexterity,
spell delivery,
valetCrawling hands make grisly but striking familiars, popular among necromancers with an eye for aesthetics. They also tend to be convenient, due to many available spare parts. Crawling hands can be skeletal or fleshy, like a zombie.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40The crawling hand assists an ally in the same space to attack a foe, crawling over the enemy and grabbing to distract them. Despite being a
minion, it gains 1 reaction at the start of its turns, which it can use only to
Aid an attack roll by an ally that shares the hand's space (it still has to prepare to help as normal for the Aid reaction). This attempt automatically succeeds. If the crawling hand has a similar ability, like
partner in crime, it still gains only 1 reaction and can choose how to spend it.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Your familiar is undead. It has
negative healing and is immune to
death effects,
disease,
poison, and
unconscious. It's destroyed at 0 HP.
Earth Elemental Source Rage of Elements pg. 42 2.0Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities burrower,
elemental (earth only),
speechA crysmal shardling is a younger, smaller version of
crysmal. When acting as a familiar, a shardling's hunger for crystals is sated by magic, turning an urgent need into a mere interest.
Source Rage of Elements pg. 42 2.0A crysmal can sense crystals or gems within 60 feet as if using the
scent ability.
Legacy Content
Beast Source PFS Guide pg. 122Required Number of Abilities 4
Granted Abilities darkvision,
scent,
speechPathfinder agent Arianrhod Thriceborn, an adherent of the Eldest
Magdh, raised a litter of these intelligent mystical felines from the
First World. Dweomercat cubs are curious and love exploring ley lines and traveling the world. At only 1 foot tall and weighing 15 pounds, dweomercat cubs are smaller than their egos and curiosity imply.
Abjuration Arcane Source PFS Guide pg. 122Frequency once per 10 minutes;
Requirements The dweomercat cub was targeted by a spell or was within the area of a spell as it was cast since its last turn;
Effect The dweomercat cub gains an effect related to the school of the triggering spell. Other than the damage, the effect lasts for 1d4 rounds or until the dweomercat cub Dismisses the effect, whichever comes first.
- Abjuration The cub gains a +1 status bonus to AC.
- Conjuration A cloud of fog appears in a 5-foot burst centered on a corner of the cub's space. Anything in the cloud is concealed.
- Divination The cub gains a +1 status bonus to skill checks.
- Enchantment The cub gains a +1 status bonus to saves.
- Evocation Magical feedback deals 1d6 force damage for every 2 levels you have to the triggering spellcaster (basic Reflex save using your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher).
- Illusion The cub becomes invisible. This effect ends if the cub uses a hostile action, in addition to the normal end conditions.
- Necromancy The cub gains temporary HP equal to your level.
- Transmutation The cub gains a +1 status bonus to attack rolls.
Source PFS Guide pg. 123Your dweomercat cub can cast 1st-level
detect magic as an arcane innate spell.
Elemental Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Required Number of Abilities 5
Granted Abilities elemental,
flier,
speechThe elementals called
scamps look similar to bats, but their bodies are made primarily of elemental matter. They have large, staring eyes and small, curved fangs. . An elemental scamp familiar is a bit smaller than other scamps but makes up for it by being more mischievous. Driven by ego, scamps often take on long names with many titles and insist on being addressed in full.
Arcane Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Frequency once per hour;
Effect The scamp breathes elemental matter in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in the area takes 1d6 damage for every 2 levels you have, with a
basic Reflex save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. The damage type depends on the type of scamp.
Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0An elemental scamp's element or elements are set. You choose a type of scamp and can't change the element each day. This determines the scamp's elemental traits and the damage type of their Elemental Breath.
Air (
air) slashing damage;
earth (
earth) bludgeoning damage;
fire (
fire) fire damage;
metal (
metal) slashing damage;
water (
water) acid damage;
wood (
plant,
wood) poison damage.
Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Your scamp gains a familiar ability depending on its element. Air scamps gain
flier, earth scamps gain
burrower, fire scamps gain
jet, metal scamps gain
levitator, water scamps gain
amphibious, and wood scamps gain
climber.
Elemental Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities accompanist,
elemental,
speechWisps are tiny elementals that often act as familiars. They each usually have different personalities: air wisps are playful and capricious, earth wisps are timid but loyal, fire wisps are carefree and boisterous, metal wisps are serious and morose, water wisps are gentle and nurturing, and wood wisps are fierce and controlling.
Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Your wisp gains a familiar ability depending on its element. Air wisps gain
flier, earth wisps gain
burrower, fire wisps gain
jet, metal wisps gain
levitator, water wisps gain
amphibious, and wood wisps gain
climber.
Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0An elemental wisp's element is set. You choose the element when you gain the specific familiar and can't change it each day.
Aura Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.030 feet. Your wisp vibrates at a frequency attuned to their element, resonating with and empowering all effects sharing that trait. Creatures in the area gain a +1 status bonus to damage rolls for alchemical and magical effects with the same elemental trait as your wisp. If your wisp is a wood wisp, the status bonus also applies to damage rolls for effects with the
plant trait.
Legacy Content
Dragon Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 147 2.0Required Number of Abilities 6
Granted Abilities amphibious,
darkvision,
flier,
manual dexterity,
speech,
touch telepathyThese tiny, mischievous dragons make natural allies for benevolent or capricious characters.
Arcane Evocation Poison Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 147 2.0Frequency once per hour;
Effect The faerie dragon breathes euphoric gas in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in the area must attempt a Fortitude save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. A creature that fails its save is
stupefied 2 and
slowed 1 for 1d4 rounds; on a critical failure, the duration is 1 minute.
Dragon Source Player Core 2 pg. 170Required Number of Abilities 5, 1
Granted Abilities darkvision,
flier,
manual dexterity,
speech,
touch telepathyThese tiny, mischievous dragons make natural allies for benevolent or capricious characters.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 170Frequency once per hour;
Effect (
arcane,
poison) The fey dragonet breathes euphoric gas in a 10-foot cone. Each creature in the area must attempt a Fortitude save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. A creature that fails its save is stupefied 2 and slowed 1 for 1d4 rounds; on a critical failure, the duration is 1 minute.
Elemental Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Required Number of Abilities 5
Granted Abilities elemental,
speechMinor genies,
gennayn are elementally adaptable and personable. They look like miniature humanoids with elemental energy surrounding them, and frequently carry messages or announce the arrival of their allies.
Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Your gennayn gains a familiar ability depending on its element. Air gennayns gain
flier, earth gennayns gain
burrower, fire gennayns gain
jet, metal gennayns gain
levitator, water gennayns gain
amphibious, and wood gennayns gain
climber.
Fortune Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0Frequency once per day;
Effect Trigger A creature the gennayn can see that is within 60 feet attempts a saving throw or skill check;
Effect The gennayn reshapes reality in a small way to twist fate, allowing the creature to reroll the saving throw or skill check.
Source Rage of Elements pg. 43 2.0A gennayn's modifier for
Diplomacy is equal to your level plus your key spellcasting attribute modifier, rather than just your level. The gennayn gets a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks against
elementals and grants you the same bonus if you're in the same space.
Construct Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Required Number of Abilities 6
Granted Abilities construct,
darkvision,
manual dexterityHomunculi are tiny servitor constructs created by a crafter to serve as a spy, scout, messenger, or assistant. A homunculus is crafted using a drop of its creator’s blood in addition to any other components used in crafting its body.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171(
mental) A homunculus is telepathically linked to its creator using their shared blood as a conduit, allowing it to share information back and forth at a range of 1,500 feet, including its master’s knowledge and everything the homunculus hears. If you become unconscious and dying, your homunculus senses the waning power in your blood, allowing it to automatically act on the next turn as if you Commanded it. If the homunculus is destroyed, the master takes 2d10 mental damage.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 170Your familiar has a reservoir for poison, allowing it to apply an injury poison to an adjacent ally’s exposed weapon with a single Interact action. You must supply the poison and instill it into this reservoir using two consecutive Interact actions.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171You can choose for your homunculus to have either
item delivery or
valet.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Dragon Source Shadows at Sundown pg. 53Required Number of Abilities 6
Granted Abilities darkvision,
flier,
manual dexterity,
speechHouse drakes are loyal and friendly, but prefer to be treated as equals rather than pets.
Arcane Conjuration Mental Source Shadows at Sundown pg. 53The house drake breathes a 10-foot cone of silver mist. Each creature in the area must attempt a Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. A creature that fails its save is
stupefied 2 for 1 round. The house drake can't use Breath Weapon or Silver Infusion for 1d4 rounds.
Arcane Transmutation Source Shadows at Sundown pg. 53Your house drake breathes on one of your weapons. Until the start of your next turn, that weapon counts as
silver instead of its normal material for any physical damage it deals. The house drake can't use Breath Weapon or Silver Infusion for 1d4 rounds.
Source Shadows at Sundown pg. 53Once per day, as long as your house drake took no actions on the previous round, you gain the following.
Ferocious Will [reaction] (
abjuration,
arcane,
mental)
Trigger You succeed at a saving throw against a magical
mental effect;
Effect You send a blast of magical feedback at the effect's source, dealing 2d6 mental damage (
basic Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher) to that creature. On a failed save, the creature is also
slowed 1 for 1 round.
Fiend Unholy Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Required Number of Abilities 7
Granted Abilities darkvision,
flier,
manual dexterity,
resistance (poison),
skilled (deception),
speech,
touch telepathyImp familiars pretend to be subservient in order to trick their master into losing their soul or finding an early grave.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Frequency once per day;
Effect (
concentrate,
divine,
fortune,
unholy) The imp offers a non-fiend within 15 feet a bargain, granting a boon of good luck if the creature accepts. The boon lasts for 1 hour once accepted. Once during the hour, the creature can roll an attack roll or saving throw twice and use the higher result. If the creature dies while the boon is in place, the imp decides where the creature’s soul travels. This typically makes the soul bound for eternity in the imp’s home plane, and the creature is unable to be raised or resurrected except by the wish ritual or similar magic.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Frequency once per hour;
Effect Once per hour, your imp familiar can cast invisibility on itself as a divine innate spell.
Air Elemental Source Rage of Elements pg. 42 2.0Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities elemental (air only),
flierThis air elemental is little more than a tiny cloud with just enough internality to have emotions. Elemental scholars believe mood clouds to be related to
despairing palls, though far less evolved.
Emote [one-action]
Source Rage of Elements pg. 42 2.0Frequency once per round;
Effect The cloud of sentiment changes the expression on its miniature face. It prepares to
Aid you on a skill check for a skill matching its expression:
Deception for an inscrutable expression,
Diplomacy for a friendly expression, or
Intimidation for an angry expression. It gains a reaction this round, which it can use only to Aid you in this way. It automatically succeeds at its check to Aid you with the skill or automatically critically succeeds if you're a master of the skill in question.
Legacy Content
N Monitor Psychopomp Source Grand Bazaar pg. 35Required Number of Abilities 5
Granted Abilities darkvision,
flier,
manual dexterity,
speechA nosoi's physical appearance is that of a bird—usually a crow, sparrow, or whippoorwill—though it wears a funerary mask that accentuates its beak. Nosois measure about 1 foot in length but are unusually heavy, weighing between 10 and 15 pounds.
Auditory Concentrate Divine Enchantment Incapacitation Mental Source Grand Bazaar pg. 35Frequency once per hour;
Effect The nosoi croons an entrancing song. Each living or
undead creature within a 60-foot emanation must attempt a Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher, or be
fascinated for 1 round. A nosoi can use a 2-action activity, which has the auditory, concentrate, divine, enchantment, and mental traits, to force affected creatures to attempt another Will save; on a failure, they are fascinated for an additional round. A creature that succeeds at any save or has its fascination broken is temporarily immune for 24 hours. Despite being a mental effect, this ability affects
mindless undead.
Psychopomps are immune to this ability.
Source Grand Bazaar pg. 35A nosoi has resistance to
negative and
poison damage equal to half your level.
Legacy Content
Incorporeal Spirit Undead Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Required Number of Abilities 4
Granted Abilities flierSometimes, the spirit of a cherished pet returns from the
Boneyard to continue aiding its beloved owner. These tiny animal ghosts tend to be bound to anchors such as favorite toys, collars, or carved representations of who they were in life. An old friend is less likely to be evil than other undead familiars, as is its master.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40While most ghosts are bound to the site where they died or were buried, some instead find themselves bound to specific items, such as a particular piece of jewelry, article of clothing, pet's collar, or a stone from a building in which it dwelled. These items, known as anchors, were important to the ghost in life, or critical to the events of their death and haunting.
A creature with anchored incorporeality has the
incorporeal trait, meaning it can move through physical creatures and such creatures can move through it. It can't attempt Strength-based checks (such as
Grapple) against corporeal creatures and corporeal creatures can't attempt such checks against it. Though incorporeal, a creature with anchored incorporeality can travel no more than 60 feet from its anchor and must maintain line of effect to the anchor. This typically prevents it from moving through walls. Unlike many other incorporeal creatures, a creature with anchored incorporeality doesn't have resistance to all damage or immunity to precision damage.
A character with an animal companion or familiar that has anchored incorporeality can transfer the anchor to a new item with a special ritual. This requires spending 1 week in concert with the companion to create a new anchor. A character who knows this technique might be able to adapt it to transfer a ghost's Site Bound ability (or similar restriction) to tie it to an anchor instead of a place.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Your familiar is undead. It has
negative healing and is immune to
death effects,
disease,
poison, and
unconscious. It's destroyed at 0 HP.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Once per hour, your familiar can cast 2nd-level
invisibility on itself as a divine innate spell.
Beast Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Required Number of Abilities 5
Granted Abilities climber,
darkvision,
second opinion,
skilled (one skill of your choice),
speechA pipefox is a tiny magical fox with a thin, limbless body that is about a foot long. Pipefoxes are secretive, shy, evasive, and love to acquire knowledge.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Thanks to its innate erudition, your pipefox speaks and understands all languages you know (instead of just one) as well as one common language you don’t know.
Legacy Content
Incorporeal Undead Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Required Number of Abilities 8
Granted Abilities flier,
lifelink,
skilled (society)
,
speech,
spellcastingPolongs are wicked, invisible spirits created from the blood of murder victims, bound to glass bottles, and fed with the blood of their master. They're often used to possess and sicken their master's enemies. Polongs can't be found or acquired, only created, a process that can take up to two weeks. If a polong's bottle is ever destroyed, or if its master fails to provide its daily feeding of blood, the polong withers and dies.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Anchor must be a bottle.
While most ghosts are bound to the site where they died or were buried, some instead find themselves bound to specific items, such as a particular piece of jewelry, article of clothing, pet's collar, or a stone from a building in which it dwelled. These items, known as anchors, were important to the ghost in life, or critical to the events of their death and haunting.
A creature with anchored incorporeality has the
incorporeal trait, meaning it can move through physical creatures and such creatures can move through it. It can't attempt Strength-based checks (such as
Grapple) against corporeal creatures and corporeal creatures can't attempt such checks against it. Though incorporeal, a creature with anchored incorporeality can travel no more than 60 feet from its anchor and must maintain line of effect to the anchor. This typically prevents it from moving through walls. Unlike many other incorporeal creatures, a creature with anchored incorporeality doesn't have resistance to all damage or immunity to precision damage.
A character with an animal companion or familiar that has anchored incorporeality can transfer the anchor to a new item with a special ritual. This requires spending 1 week in concert with the companion to create a new anchor. A character who knows this technique might be able to adapt it to transfer a ghost's Site Bound ability (or similar restriction) to tie it to an anchor instead of a place.
Incapacitation Mental Necromancy Occult Possession Source Book of the Dead pg. 40The polong attempts to possess an adjacent corporeal creature. The creature must attempt a Will save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. On a failure, the polong merges into the creature's body for 1 minute (24 hours on a critical failure). The polong can observe through the creature's senses but is unable to control the creature. The possessed creature is
drained 1 while the possession lasts. While possessing a creature, a polong can ignore the distance and line of effect limitation from its anchored incorporeality ability; when the possession ends, it immediately returns to the bottle if it's beyond range.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Your familiar is undead. It has
negative healing and is immune to
death effects,
disease,
poison, and
unconscious. It's destroyed at 0 HP.
Construct Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Required Number of Abilities 1
Granted Abilities constructEndlessly modifiable, poppet familiars made of wood and wicker are among the most basic construct familiars available to Pathfinder agents across the globe.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Your poppet’s components make it particularly vulnerable to fire. It gains weakness to fire equal to your level. You can use one familiar ability to reinforce the poppet’s construction, removing this weakness for the day.
Legacy Content
Uncommon Shadow Source Secrets of Magic pg. 229 1.1Access you're a
shadowcasterRequired Number of Abilities 7
Granted Abilities darkvision,
manual dexterity,
master's form,
resistance (cold and negative),
shadow stepSome spellcasters and ritualists don't just summon and bind a familiar, but instead transform their own shadow into a familiar. These casters can be identified by their lack of a shadow regardless of the level of light in the area and by the strange muted appearance of any article of clothing or jewelry they wear. Occasionally mistaken for
vampires or other
undead by the cautious or superstitious, these spellcasters nonetheless find the trade worth it in exchange for the unique abilities their shadow familiar can possess.
Shadow familiars are a type of specific familiar. While all shadowcasters have access to these familiars, there are other paths to learn the proper magic to obtain a shadow familiar.
Shadow Transmutation Source Secrets of Magic pg. 229 1.1The shadow familiar transforms its body into barely tangible shadow. It gains resistance to all damage (except
force) equal to half your level but can't use any actions requiring a physical form. The familiar can also slip through gaps at least 2 inches wide, or 1 inch wide if it
Squeezes. It can use this action again to return to its normal form.
This action has the trait matching your tradition of magic, or
occult if you aren't a spellcaster.
Source Secrets of Magic pg. 229 1.1The shadow familiar can
Hide or end its
Sneak in a creature's or object's shadow.
Necromancy Source Secrets of Magic pg. 229 1.1Frequency once per 10 minutes;
Effect The shadow familiar makes a melee attack with an attack roll modifier equal to your spell attack roll modifier. If the Strike is successful, the target is
enfeebled 1 and its shadow disappears. After 24 hours, the enfeebled condition ends, and they regain their shadow once more. Any effect that reduces or removes the enfeebled condition restores their shadow as well.
This action has the trait matching your tradition of magic, or
occult if you aren't a spellcaster.
Ooze Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Required Number of Abilities 4, and you must be able to cast spells using spell slots
Granted Abilities climber,
darkvision,
toughThese friendly, colorful oozes congeal from the essences left over from casting spells. They are extremely loyal.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Your spellslime familiar gains an imprecise sense with a range of 30 feet that enables it to smell magic of the same tradition as your own.
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Your spellslime familiar is easy to hit, but it lacks weak points. It is immune to critical hits and precision damage, but its AC is only 10 + your level (instead of an AC equal to yours).
Source Player Core 2 pg. 171Your spellslime familiar gains the focused rejuvenation ability, but it recovers 2 Hit Points per level when you Refocus instead of 1.
Legacy Content
Rare Beast Spirit Source Pathfinder #188: They Watched the Stars pg. 83Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities independent,
lifelink,
speechSpirit guide familiars typically take the form of
cunning guides or
nimble guide.
Magical Occult Source Pathfinder #188: They Watched the Stars pg. 83Frequency once per day;
Trigger An attack would reduce your familiar to 0 Hit Points;
Effect You use your bond to rescue your familiar. The familiar survives the attack with 1 Hit Point remaining and becomes
incorporeal until the end of your next turn.
Source Pathfinder #188: They Watched the Stars pg. 83Your familiar gains unique benefits from its bond to you. Your familiar gains an additional 10 Hit Points and can make an either a jaws or claws
unarmed attack using your normal melee attack bonus. You choose whether it has a jaws or claws unarmed attack when you first gain the spirit guide as your familiar. If it has a jaws unarmed attack, the attack deals 1d6 piercing damage and is in the
brawling group. If you choose the claws unarmed attack, it deals 1d4 slashing damage, has the
agile trait, and is in the brawling group
Legacy Content
Uncommon N Beast Source Wake the Dead #3 pg. 25Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities fast movement,
scentThe ways of wizards are strange and mysterious, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the arcane predilection for animating random pieces of candy and using them as familiars. The Winter Witches of Irrisen are known for weaving sparrows or nightingales from gingerbread, while in Arcadia, sorcerers mold mice from spiced chocolate. Most famous, however, are the hard candy beetles of Nex, though a few radical scholars claim that they are in fact a demi-natural species, a product of the Mana Wastes' wild magic. Most mages dismiss such wild claims, however.
Source Wake the Dead #3 pg. 25During your daily preparations, your sweetened familiar conducts an unusual little ritual. Your familiar find a small non-magical object (a flower or piece of fallen fruit by preference, but a pebble or even a coin will do in a pinch) and then does a curious ritual dance around—gingerbread sparrows hop and chirp, while hard candy beetles turndle in increasingly complex geometric patterns and chocolate mice make arcane sigils with their paws. At the rite's conclusion, the object turns into a piece of candy, usually of the same sort as the familiar. The candy is an item with the
arcane,
consumable and
transmutation traits. Anyone who eats the candy as an
Interact action gains a +1 item bonus to
Deception,
Diplomacy, and
Performance checks for 1 hour (this increases to +2 at level 9, and +3 at level 17). The candy maintains its enchantment until your next daily preparations.
Legacy Content
Uncommon N Beast Source Wake the Dead #3 pg. 25Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities flier,
independentThe ways of wizards are strange and mysterious, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the arcane predilection for animating random pieces of candy and using them as familiars. The Winter Witches of Irrisen are known for weaving sparrows or nightingales from gingerbread, while in Arcadia, sorcerers mold mice from spiced chocolate. Most famous, however, are the hard candy beetles of Nex, though a few radical scholars claim that they are in fact a demi-natural species, a product of the Mana Wastes' wild magic. Most mages dismiss such wild claims, however.
Source Wake the Dead #3 pg. 25During your daily preparations, your sweetened familiar conducts an unusual little ritual. Your familiar find a small non-magical object (a flower or piece of fallen fruit by preference, but a pebble or even a coin will do in a pinch) and then does a curious ritual dance around—gingerbread sparrows hop and chirp, while hard candy beetles turndle in increasingly complex geometric patterns and chocolate mice make arcane sigils with their paws. At the rite's conclusion, the object turns into a piece of candy, usually of the same sort as the familiar. The candy is an item with the
arcane,
consumable and
transmutation traits. Anyone who eats the candy as an
Interact action gains a +1 item bonus to
Deception,
Diplomacy, and
Performance checks for 1 hour (this increases to +2 at level 9, and +3 at level 17). The candy maintains its enchantment until your next daily preparations.
Legacy Content
Uncommon N Beast Source Wake the Dead #3 pg. 25Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities burrower,
tremorsenseThe ways of wizards are strange and mysterious, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the arcane predilection for animating random pieces of candy and using them as familiars. The Winter Witches of Irrisen are known for weaving sparrows or nightingales from gingerbread, while in Arcadia, sorcerers mold mice from spiced chocolate. Most famous, however, are the hard candy beetles of Nex, though a few radical scholars claim that they are in fact a demi-natural species, a product of the Mana Wastes' wild magic. Most mages dismiss such wild claims, however.
Source Wake the Dead #3 pg. 25During your daily preparations, your sweetened familiar conducts an unusual little ritual. Your familiar find a small non-magical object (a flower or piece of fallen fruit by preference, but a pebble or even a coin will do in a pinch) and then does a curious ritual dance around—gingerbread sparrows hop and chirp, while hard candy beetles turndle in increasingly complex geometric patterns and chocolate mice make arcane sigils with their paws. At the rite's conclusion, the object turns into a piece of candy, usually of the same sort as the familiar. The candy is an item with the
arcane,
consumable and
transmutation traits. Anyone who eats the candy as an
Interact action gains a +1 item bonus to
Deception,
Diplomacy, and
Performance checks for 1 hour (this increases to +2 at level 9, and +3 at level 17). The candy maintains its enchantment until your next daily preparations.
Legacy Content
Undead Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Required Number of Abilities 3
Granted Abilities cantrip connection,
skilled (your choice of arcana, occultism, or one kind of lore),
speechSimilar to
beheaded, these disembodied, reanimated heads (with or without skin) retain some of their arcane wisdom, making for invaluable study partners. However, they also tend to be mouthy, opinionated, or downright obnoxious with their constant chattering, leading some annoyed masters to sew their mouths shut in punishment.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Your familiar is undead. It has
negative healing and is immune to
death effects,
disease,
poison, and
unconscious. It's destroyed at 0 HP.
Source Book of the Dead pg. 40Unless its master gives the talking head the
flier ability, a talking head is able to move only by rolling along the ground, reducing its speed to 15 feet. Alternatively, a creature can, as a single action, kick or throw the head 30 feet. This can't be used as an attack; the head bounces harmlessly off anything it hits.