Foundry VTT Familiar Bug: Basic Witchcraft & Enhanced Familiar
Hey Pathfinders! Today, we're diving into a peculiar issue that some of you might have stumbled upon in Foundry VTT while playing Pathfinder 2e. It involves a specific interaction between the Witch Dedication, the Basic Witchcraft feat, and the Enhanced Familiar feat. If you're a fan of familiars and enjoy customizing them to the fullest, this might be something you've encountered. We're talking about a situation where your beloved familiar ends up with fewer abilities than it should, and we're going to break down why this might be happening and how it differs from other character builders. Let's get this bug squashed so you can get back to adventuring with your perfectly empowered familiars!
The Familiar Feat Interaction Explained
Let's set the scene and explain the intended progression, which is where the magic (and the bug) happens. When you're building your character in Pathfinder 2e, and you decide to take the Witch Dedication at level 2, you're setting yourself up for some neat familiar tricks. This dedication typically grants your familiar one ability. Then, as you progress to level 4, you might choose the Basic Witchcraft feat. This is a crucial step because Basic Witchcraft is designed to grant your familiar an additional ability, bringing the total to three. Now, here's where the exciting part comes in: if you then select the Enhanced Familiar feat, which is often a follow-up choice for Witch characters, this feat is supposed to add two more abilities to your familiar. In theory, and as confirmed by popular character builders like Hero Lab and Pathbuilder, this sequence should result in your familiar having a grand total of five abilities. This is a significant boost, allowing for a highly specialized and versatile companion. However, within the Foundry VTT implementation of Pathfinder 2e, users have reported that the familiar only displays four abilities in this scenario. This discrepancy, while seemingly minor, can impact gameplay and character customization, especially for players who rely on the precise application of feat effects. The intended outcome provides a robust set of options, and missing even one ability can alter a familiar's effectiveness and the player's strategy. We'll explore the nuances of this interaction and why it might be leading to this unexpected outcome in Foundry VTT.
The Core of the Issue: Basic Witchcraft's Contribution
So, what's the deal with Basic Witchcraft? We've pinpointed that the issue seems to stem from how Basic Witchcraft interacts with the familiar's ability count, specifically when Enhanced Familiar is also selected. Through testing, it's been observed that if you were to choose any other Witch feat from the Basic Witchcraft selection (like perhaps a spellcasting benefit or a different familiar upgrade), the Basic Witchcraft feat does correctly contribute its promised third ability to the familiar. This suggests that the problem isn't with Basic Witchcraft inherently giving fewer abilities overall, but rather with a specific conflict that arises when Basic Witchcraft is used to grant an ability, and then Enhanced Familiar is applied. It's as if the system acknowledges the ability granted by Basic Witchcraft, but then, when Enhanced Familiar is added, it either over-writes, fails to properly stack, or miscounts the abilities originating from this specific path. The commonality across multiple reports points towards an edge case where the sequence of taking Witch Dedication, then Basic Witchcraft, and then Enhanced Familiar triggers a bug in Foundry VTT's Pathfinder 2e system. This is a common scenario for Witch players who want to maximize their familiar's utility early on. The fact that other feats within Basic Witchcraft work as expected further isolates the problem to the combination of Basic Witchcraft granting an ability and Enhanced Familiar being selected. This detailed observation is crucial for developers to pinpoint the exact lines of code or logic that need adjustment to ensure accurate ability tracking for familiars.
Comparing with Other Character Builders
One of the most telling signs that this is a specific implementation issue within Foundry VTT is the consistency observed in other popular Pathfinder 2e character builders. As mentioned, tools like Hero Lab and Pathbuilder accurately reflect the intended total of five familiar abilities when following the sequence: Witch Dedication (level 2), Basic Witchcraft (level 4, selecting an ability for the familiar), and then Enhanced Familiar. This isn't just a theoretical calculation; these tools are widely used by players and Game Masters to manage character sheets and ensure rules accuracy. Their ability to correctly calculate and display five abilities highlights that the rules themselves support this outcome. The discrepancy in Foundry VTT means that players who transition from these tools to Foundry, or who use Foundry as their primary digital play space, will encounter this unexpected limitation. It suggests a potential difference in how Foundry's Pathfinder 2e system parses feat dependencies, applies stacking effects, or simply counts the total number of abilities granted to a familiar. Understanding this difference is key for diagnosing the bug. It means the logic for calculating familiar abilities in Foundry might need to be re-evaluated to match the established outcomes in other widely-accepted character management tools. This comparison provides a solid baseline for what the correct behavior should be and helps developers focus their troubleshooting efforts.
The Impact on Gameplay
While having one fewer familiar ability might seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of a Pathfinder 2e campaign, it can have a noticeable impact, especially for players who heavily invest in their familiar's capabilities. Familiars, particularly those enhanced by early Witch feats, are often designed to provide specific utility, whether it's scouting, delivering touch spells, providing flanking assistance, or offering unique skill bonuses. Each ability slot is precious and is often chosen to synergize with the character's overall build and playstyle. When a familiar is missing an intended ability, it can limit the player's strategic options and reduce the familiar's effectiveness. For instance, if the missing ability was crucial for a particular combat maneuver or exploration task, the player might find themselves unable to perform certain actions they had planned for. This can lead to a feeling of 'underpoweredness' or a mismatch between player expectation and game reality. Furthermore, it can create confusion and distrust in the digital tool, making players question the accuracy of other aspects of the Foundry VTT system. In a game that relies on precise rules interactions, such discrepancies can be frustrating. The goal of character builders and virtual tabletops is to streamline gameplay and accurately represent the rules, and this bug hinders that objective. It's important for the Foundry VTT Pathfinder 2e community and developers to address this so that all players can enjoy the full breadth of customization and power their familiars are meant to have.
How to Potentially Work Around the Bug
Given this bug, players looking to ensure their familiar has the maximum number of abilities in Foundry VTT might need to employ a workaround. The most straightforward approach, based on the troubleshooting, is to avoid selecting an ability for your familiar directly through the Basic Witchcraft feat. Instead, you could potentially select a different benefit offered by Basic Witchcraft (if applicable and desirable) or, if the goal is solely to get more abilities onto your familiar, consider if there are alternative paths or feats that might grant them without triggering this specific conflict. Another workaround could involve manually adding the missing ability to your familiar's sheet within Foundry VTT after the fact. This requires a bit of administrative effort and may need to be re-applied if the system resets or updates the familiar's abilities. It's also worth noting that this bug might be specific to certain versions of the Pathfinder 2e system for Foundry VTT or specific module combinations. Keeping your Foundry VTT installation and all related Pathfinder 2e system files and modules up-to-date is always a good practice, as developers are constantly working to fix these kinds of issues. You might also consider discussing this with your Game Master; they may have a preferred method for handling such discrepancies, such as allowing a manual adjustment or noting the missing ability in session. The community forums for Foundry VTT and Pathfinder 2e are also excellent resources where other players may have found unique solutions or workarounds that are worth sharing and trying out. Remember, the aim is to keep the game flowing and enjoyable, even when faced with a minor technical hiccup.
Conclusion: Towards a Bug-Free Familiar Future
This specific interaction bug in Foundry VTT concerning the Basic Witchcraft and Enhanced Familiar feats highlights the complexities of digital TTRPG tools and the importance of precise rule implementation. While frustrating, identifying such bugs is the first step towards resolving them. The Pathfinder 2e system is rich with options, and the Witch class, with its focus on familiars, offers a unique playstyle that players cherish. Ensuring that feat progressions, especially those involving multiple ability grants like the one we discussed, function correctly is paramount for maintaining player satisfaction and the integrity of the game experience. The fact that this issue is confined to a specific combination of feats and isn't present in other character builders strongly suggests it's an isolated bug within Foundry's Pathfinder 2e system. We hope this breakdown helps players understand the potential cause and encourages them to report the issue to the developers. The Foundry VTT community is known for its dedication to improving the platform, and detailed bug reports are crucial for that progress. By working together, we can ensure that Foundry VTT remains a top-tier platform for all your Pathfinder 2e adventures, allowing your familiars to be as powerful and versatile as the rules intended.
For more information on Pathfinder 2e rules and familiars, you can check out the official Pathfinder Second Edition Core Rulebook or visit the Paizo website. For Foundry VTT specific discussions and support, the Foundry VTT Discord server is an invaluable resource.
