Self Familiar (3.5e Alternate Class Feature)
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Self Familiar
Instead of a familiar, you gain benefits based on emulating a creature you could choose as a familiar.
Class: Any with a familiar
Level: Varies
Replaces: Familiar
Benefit: Instead of forming a bond with an animal, you create a magical resonance within yourself, emulating a creature.
When you do this, choose a creature from the normal Familiar list (If you later gain an Improved Familiar, you can emulate a creature you qualify for from that list). From now on, this creature is referred to as your Aspected Creature.
From now on, you count as your Familiar for the purposes of all spells and effects. Additionally, you gain bonuses as you increase in level, as shown below.
| Caster Class Level |
Natural Armor Adj. |
Special |
|---|---|---|
| 1st-2nd | +1 | Alertness, Evasion, Natural Skills, Natural Attacks |
| 3rd-4th | +2 | Physical Ability Bonus I, Skill Bonus, Slippery Mind |
| 5th-6th | +3 | Uncanny Dodge, Bonus Feat, Improved Natural Attacks |
| 7th-8th | +4 | Physical Ability Bonus II, Skill Bonus, Mettle |
| 9th-10th | +5 | Movement Mode, Fast Healing, Improved Uncanny Dodge |
| 11th-12th | +6 | Spell Resistance, Physical Ability Bonus III, Skill Bonus, Bonus Feat |
| 13th-14th | +7 | Improved Evasion, Evasive Roll |
| 15th-16th | +8 | Physical Ability Bonus IV, Skill Bonus |
| 17th-18th | +9 | Bonus Feat, Regeneration |
| 19th-20th | +10 | Physical Ability Bonus V, Skill Bonus, Movement Mode |
Alertness: At first level, you gain the Alertness feat as a bonus feat.
Evasion: At first level, you gain Evasion as the Rogue class feature. At 13th level it evolves into Improved Evasion.
Natural Skills: At first level, choose four skills your Aspected Creature possesses ranks in. These skills are now class skills.
Natural Attacks: At first level, you gain the natural attacks (Claw, bite, etc.) of your Aspected Creature, with the damage adjusted to match your size. However, you do not gain any secondary effects of the attacks, such as Improved Grab or Poison, until 5th level.
Physical Ability Score Bonus: At each indicated level, you gain a +2 bonus to a physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) of your choice.
Skill Bonus: At each indicated level, you gain a +1 racial bonus (Or your existing racial bonus increases by one) to the skills chosen by your Natural Skills class feature.
Slippery Mind: At 3rd level, you gain Slippery Mind, as the Rogue class feature.
Uncanny Dodge: At 5th level, you gain Uncanny Dodge, as the Rogue class feature. At 9th level this evolves into Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Bonus Feat: At the indicated levels, you gain a bonus feat. This can be any feat you qualify for.
Mettle: At 7th level, you gain Mettle, as the Hexblade class feature.
Movement Mode: At 9th level choose one movement mode your familiar possesses that you do not: Climb, Burrow, Swim, Fly, Hover, Jump, or Teleport. If you choose Climb, Burrow, Jump or Swim, you gain a speed in that mode of movement equal to your land speed. If you chose Fly, you gain a Fly speed equal to twice your land speed, with Average maneuverability. If you chose Hover, you gain a Hover speed equal to your Land speed, with Perfect maneuverability. If you chose Teleport (Which means your Aspected Creature can teleport, such as a Blink Dog), you may now treat your land movement as teleportation for all purposes, which means you are limited only by line of sight and teleportation-restricting effects.
At 19th level, you may choose a second mode from this list (Which doesn't have to be one your Aspected Creature possesses), or you can choose the same movement mode again - Doing so either increases your speed in that mode of movement by half, or improves your maneuverability in that mode of movement by 1 step.
Fast Healing: At 9th level, you gain Fast Healing 1.
Spell Resistance: At 11th level, you gain Spell Resistance equal to your arcane caster level +5.
Evasive Roll: At 13th level, once per encounter, when a physical attack would kill you, you can attempt to instead roll with the blow. To do so, make a Reflex saving throw (DC = Damage dealt). If successful, you only take half damage from the attack (Applied before damage reduction/vulnerability); If you fail, you still take full damage. You cannot use this ability if you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC against the attack, and Evasion and Improved Evasion do not apply.
Regeneration: At 17th level, you gain Regeneration 1. Your regeneration is bypassed by two energy types of your choice (Cold, Acid, Electricity, Sonic, Fire) and one material of your choice (Adamantine, Silver, Cold Iron, Byeshk).
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