Origamist (Wizard/Sorcerer ACF)

[Zom B]

Requires: Sorcerer or Wizard 1

Lose: A caster using this variant does not gain the standard familiar.

Benefits: An arcanist using this variant can select a scroll with no more than one spell on it and of a caster level no higher than his own, and fold it into the shape of any Diminutive or Tiny animal and give it animation, making it his familiar. The origami animal has the statistics of the animal that it resembles, with the standard enhancements gained from being a familiar, except that its type is Construct and it has Vulnerability to Fire. Once per day, the familiar can use the spell scribed on the scroll as a spell-like ability. The DC and effectiveness of the spell are based on the casting ability of the master at the time of crafting. The spell cannot have any expensive material components or an XP cost.
Once per month, the caster may choose to dismiss the familiar at no penalty in order to create a new familiar.

[Scorpions__]

Origami familiars is awesome, I really like this idea.

Losing a feat permanently seems extremely harsh as this familiar is not much stronger than a regular familiar which doesn't consume any feats. I don't think this option will be used much. Perhaps it could be combined with a major upgrade, picked from a list perhaps?





DM[F]R

[Temotei]

Origami. I almost thought you were going to expand on the origami domain created a while ago. Was it Random_person who came up with that?

[Fortuna]

Yep, that was me. It's floating around somewhere. I'm forced to say that combining the two would be awesome.

[DracoDei]

I agree that some way of combining both, perhaps with the Grimoire creature (a spellbook that has come to life), would be good.

I would allow the spell to be changed at each level-up, but it should be limited to a spell one below what the character can cast himself (or given how underpowered people view familiars as being, maybe not). To keep it balanced at higher levels (where the fire vulnerability can be negated) I would remove the "Speak with Animals of Own Kind" ability... it makes sense. That might or might not be enough, but there you go.

[Shameless Semi-Plug]I find myself curious as to how this would work out with my Artillery Mage PrC...[/Shameless Semi-Plug]

[Godskook]

First of all, wizard PCs would rather kill their own origami familiars and wait the year rather than lose a feat like that. Personally, I think that you should follow the precedent set by a Necromancer ACF, and just allow casters to simply kill their own scroll-familiar. The loss of the scroll is price enough to pay, IMO, especially once you're powering the critter with a scroll of time stop, or wish, or something else really, really expensive.

Second, there's already ways to give one's familiar casting abilities, so adding a method that consumes scrolls isn't much to be worried about, but:

Third, RAW, you just allowed free wishes. Certain spells enter shenanigans-mode when you make them spell-likes. I'm too tired right now to try and word-lawyer it, but that's your main loop-hole to be worried about.

[Latronis]

Did you get to spend a thousand rounds to use wish?

[Ashtagon]

I'd exclude spells that have an expensive material component and spells that have an XP cost from being made into familiars.

[Zom B]

Good points all. I've gone back and reworded it, and since I've taken out the "trade a bonus feat out to change the spell" portion, I made it for sorcerers as well.