I tried to make my Shaman companion but it doesn't let me level the animal familiar when it did previously in old versions.
Why would you need to “level” your familiar? That’s not part of the rules unless something has drastically changed.
Hmm ok. I guess I was just getting confused on how they worked with the rules given they did before in an earlier version. DM was under the idea it was supposed to too.
No, Familiars never gain HD as part of being a familiar. Instead to keep them alive, they always have 1/2 their Masters HP, and they gain new abilities as the Master levels up.
Not part of the rules for the game system. Cancelling issue.