Editing Familiar (section)

===Pathfinder===
Pathfinder's take on familiars is essentially the same as in D&D 3rd edition, though the way classes interact with them is a bit different: now wizards can pick between having a familiar or choosing a '''Bonded Item''' that gives them an extra spell per day. There is also no experience penalty for losing your familiar, so they definitely become less of a chore to own. Sorcerers don't get familiars at all unless they take the Arcane bloodline, though having new bloodline class features does help salve the pain. Sorcerers later got the ability to drop their first level bloodline power and delay their bonus spells by a level for a familiar, which was often worth it as first level bloodline powers often sucked though other alternatives to bad first level powers compete with it. Additionally the [[Witch]] class entirely relies upon using familiars as a kind of quasi-spellbook.

Also, thanks to the archetype system, a few other classes can pick them up, which can be great, since familiars largely suck on their own when they take their stats off of dedicated arcane casters. Having BAB scores, hit point totals and saves based off of [[Fighter]]s, [[Paladin]]s, [[Bloodrager]]s, or other meatier classes can turn what were essentially touch-spell delivery systems and/or spies into full-fledged members of the party.

Finally, they added archetypes for familiars themselves, allowing you to make further custom adjustments to your class-companion if you need them to fill roles such as bodyguards, performers or pickpockets etc. Meaning what was essentially a forced choice in 3rd edition D&D has now become an entire avenue for class building in Pathfinder.

The options for the Improved Familiar started out the same and gradually introduced a bunch of new ones. Many of these are awesome like imp equivalents for all outsider types, the Aether Elemental that telekinetic throws the big stupid fighter at enemies while being naturally invisible, and miniature dragons with their own spell casting.