Just to clarify, a Tier 3 hero can get the Infernal Servant talent by going down the Sarishan Binder path. But as the talent is a tier 4 talent, it basically would only become effective and he would gain an infernal servant when he reaches tier 4 and could also only then improve it by gaining the loyal companion talent? Correct?
Thanks for clarification.

That sounds like it needs some kind of errata..

I'll look it over, you should have access to the servant as soon as you get it from your path

So, path overrules then the tier 4 requirement? Because under talents it is listed as Requirements: Hero Tier IV, val’Mehan. But I can take Tier 1: Anoined Priest, Tier 2: Sarishan Binder Initiate and Tier 3 Sarishan Binder Master - gaining the Infernal Servant talent.

And under the benefit section something which does not help to clarify it: When you first choose this bloodline power, you gain it as a Tier 3 Talent.

So maybe yes, as a Sarishan Binder you get it as a tier 3 talent, and get and improve your infernal from then on, taking loyal companion 3, 4 and 5 as a non-Sarishan Binder you can only take it at tier 4 as a bloodline talent, thus only improving it with the tier 4 and 5 talent version?

For the loyal companion talent - the errata is not 100% clear, can you just take the tier 3 talent of loyal companion, or would you need to take tier 1 and 2 as well to improve your infernal? And I guess you don't need to meet the requirements: Animal Affinity (ta), Beast Lore as a trained skill - would make no sense for infernals.

Now that I have had a chance to look it over

As things stand now, getting Infernal Servant at Tier III may be a little too powerful, baring editing the talent... as it stands now.. you need to be Tier IV before you can use the talent.

Also to clear things up.. when you get Infernal Companion you gain Loyal Companion at Tier III, but instead of getting a Tier I animal and improving it... you gain a Tier III infernal at it's base stats, after which you can take Loyal Companion IV & V to further improve it's attributes.

As for pre-requirements, I would need to edit the talent.. but for now, you meet all the requirements for further improving your infernal companion (Monster Lore: Infernals and Alien Understanding (Infernals)

I'll see if I can squeeze this errata into the game tonight

So when you take it you get the tier three loyal companion but get an infernal companion at base stats (no +2 from the tier III talent). But you can at the next tier take the Tier IV talent and go from no bonus on the companion, straight to a +3? That seems a huge jump in one talent tier.

sounds like it, but its the same as making that TIII monster a TIV monster

I'll take your word for it, since I am not that up on monster advancements. But it is clear that the infernal servant went from better than a normal companion to Waaay better than a normal companion, because in the same tier change everyone else's companion only went up by +1

There little-to-no difference between them. With, say, a Wolf you gain a base version of the animal, and automatically gain a +1. At Tier II you gain a further +2, giving a net increase of +3 over the base animal. At Tier III you gain an additional +2, for a net gain of +5 over the base animal. At Tier I you gain an additional +3, for a net gain of +8 over the base animal. At Tier V you gain a +4, for a net gain of +12.

Normal monsters typically gain +3 to their stats/tier (+4 at IV and V IIRC). This means that at Tier III they gain a total of +9 for skills (and defences), plus whatever talents and bonus' they have. At the same point, the above wolf will have +5 IN ADDITION to whatever skill bonus they already had, which for an Alpha Wolf is +5. This means that at the same Tier, the Wolf would get a +10.

Where does it say those are additional? I thought you got an animal at tier 1 and it got a +1 (cumulative) each tier. So at the end it is only at wolf +4. These are all just talents, so each tier doesn't stack with the previous.

Related general question: When it days Tier I or Tier III does that mean a creature exactly Tier I or III? Or does it mean a creature between Tier I.1 and Tier I.10?

John