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♠Spade♠
2010-03-23, 05:50 PM
So, I'm trying to help a friend make a character and he tells me he wants to be a divine caster of some sort. I think to myself, "okay, no problem." Then he tells me that at some point in the build he wants to have a familiar. I ask him if he means multiclassing into an arcane caster at some point, and he tells me no. I couldn't think of a way to get a divine familiar off the top of my head, and was wondering if any of you had ideas or suggestions. Any and all 3.5 and Pathfinder books are open for this, and as long as the familiar can be obtained at or before level 14, it'd be good. Any and all help would be appreciated.

Ernir
2010-03-23, 06:01 PM
I don't think you're getting a familiar without an arcane caster level.

But getting a small furry thing to sit on your shoulder is no problem. Do you know what exactly is it the player expects a "Familiar" to do? Refluffing some kind of animal companion to be a "Familiar" should be the easiest thing in the world. Heck, you might even be able to hack some Familiar abilities on to it.

Eldonauran
2010-03-23, 06:02 PM
Does it have to be a familiar? There are lots of classes that allow for a character to have an animal companion (or a companion that happes to be an animal, such as a celestial companion or mount).

Not sure how pathfinder uses the variant class but wizards/sorcerers can trade a familiar for an animal companion (although at 1/2 HD druid level). Chances are it should work in reverse if you want to houserule it.

Frosty
2010-03-23, 06:07 PM
If he has turnings...have him trade away his Turning ability for a familiar. That's a nerf (and a flavorful one).

♠Spade♠
2010-03-23, 06:13 PM
Unfortunately, our GM doesn't like homebrew. That's why I was hoping to find a feat or something.

Optimystik
2010-03-23, 06:23 PM
A divine caster of some sort? That doesn't automatically mean cleric. Have him be a druid or spirit shaman, both get companions.

Sinfire Titan
2010-03-23, 06:32 PM
Adept is actually fairly playable for a Tier 4. It gets a Familiar at 2nd level.


If he uses the right PrCs, he will actually be just as competent as a Bard. I mean this as a good thing.

Set
2010-03-23, 06:42 PM
There's some divine caster PrC in the Realms that gives a Familiar, but the name is escaping me...

Found it, Mystic Wanderer, Magic of Faerun p. 35-37.

Jack_Simth
2010-03-23, 06:49 PM
So, I'm trying to help a friend make a character and he tells me he wants to be a divine caster of some sort. I think to myself, "okay, no problem." Then he tells me that at some point in the build he wants to have a familiar. I ask him if he means multiclassing into an arcane caster at some point, and he tells me no. I couldn't think of a way to get a divine familiar off the top of my head, and was wondering if any of you had ideas or suggestions. Any and all 3.5 and Pathfinder books are open for this, and as long as the familiar can be obtained at or before level 14, it'd be good. Any and all help would be appreciated.
Well, let's see...

If you're stuck on "familiar", then you've got a problem: Besides the Adept, there pretty much aren't any Apparently, besides the one Set ninja'd me with

If you're okay with things that are somewhat similar, then the Plant domain, the Skalykind domain, and the Elemental domains all let you Rebuke/Command something the same way an Evil cleric Rebukes/Commands undead - which you could call a familiar.

The Summon Elemental reserve feat (Complete Mage) can be gotten by a Cleric, and lets you Summon, at-will, an elemental (which is a minor elemental, but the power varies based on what level of spell you're holding in reserve for it - aka, it grows with you).

Under Magic/Psionics transparency, you might be able to convince the DM that the Cleric qualifies for Psicrystal Affinity (Expanded Psionics Handbook), and get a pet rock familiar that way.

The Leadership feat (PHB) gets you a Cohort - which you could call a familiar.

The Thaumaturgist PrC (DMG) eventually nets you a Planar Cohort.

♠Spade♠
2010-03-24, 12:20 AM
There's some divine caster PrC in the Realms that gives a Familiar, but the name is escaping me...

Found it, Mystic Wanderer, Magic of Faerun p. 35-37.

The campaign is set in the Realms, so it actually works out really well. Unless, somebody comes up with a better option, this is what we'll use. Thanks for your help.

Frosty
2010-03-24, 12:26 AM
Adept is actually fairly playable for a Tier 4. It gets a Familiar at 2nd level.


If he uses the right PrCs, he will actually be just as competent as a Bard. I mean this as a good thing.

It's sad that the Adept class outshines several PC classes...like Fitah, Samurai, Monk, and Truenamer. Maybe Soulknife.

Vizzerdrix
2010-03-24, 12:31 AM
Unearthed Arcana Generic Caster. You'll have to pick arcane, but then he can just stick with spells from the divine lists.

HunterOfJello
2010-03-24, 12:54 AM
Item Familiar Feat (UA pg 170) - only requirement is character level 3


If one of my players wanted to be a Cleric with a familiar I'd let them give up Turn Undead for a Familiar that levels with his caster level and possibly with the Celestial Familiar feat.




If they're an evil cleric, there's also the Fiendish Familiar which is a symbiote that a character can attach to themselves. It's intelligent, has darkvision 60ft, would boost their wisdom by 2 and has some other benefits.


~~~

If the character just wants some type of follower there's always

Leadership

Undead Leadership - for an evil cleric this would make a lot of sense

Dragon Steed - you get a dragonnel as a mount

Dragon Cohort

PinkysBrain
2010-03-24, 01:04 AM
It's PF ... why not simply take the animal domain?

Thurbane
2010-03-24, 02:14 AM
The 3rd party Book of Familiars has rules that allow familiars for all classes, arcane, divine and non-caster alike. I own a copy, and it's not too bad (it suffers a little from errors and inconsistencies that sometimes creep into 3rd party books, but in general it's pretty good).

http://covers.openlibrary.org/b/olid/OL8802604M-M.jpg

taltamir
2010-03-24, 02:30 AM
get an animal companion... call it "my familiar" in character.
mechanically there is little difference.

or you could ask the DM to trade an animal companion for a familiar.

mechanically, to get a familiar, you must first find a creature and befriend it (aka, make it your pet), then you can perform the bonding ceremony (costs 100gp), which results in the familiar getting powers based on your level. Those powers are basically:
1. a natural armor score (replaces its normal nat armor if any)
2. HD is equal to your HD, but not used to calculate HP.
3. HP is half your HP, its con is irrelevant.
4. it uses your skill ranks.
5. it uses your saves.
6. it has a minimum int score based on your level.
7. it gains the ability to speak, be scried on, share spells with you, an SR, etc...

unless he has a specific build idea that requires those specific mechanics he could easily call an animal companion a familiar...
heck, do the things needed to have a plant animal companion, then cast "maximized empowered awaken" on a tree, make it your animal companion, and then cast permanancy+telepathic bond. its now smarter, wiser, and more charismatic then most of the party (18+3d6/2 for int, con, and cha), it has much greater range and capability of telepathy than a familiar, and it can speak with anything.

Vizzerdrix
2010-03-24, 03:57 AM
The 3rd party Book of Familiars has rules that allow familiars for all classes, arcane, divine and non-caster alike. I own a copy, and it's not too bad (it suffers a little from errors and inconsistencies that sometimes creep into 3rd party books, but in general it's pretty good).


Isn't their a PrC that boosts Familiars in that book? If so, how is it? Full casting?

Drakefall
2010-03-24, 09:30 AM
A divine caster of some sort? That doesn't automatically mean cleric. Have him be a druid or spirit shaman, both get companions.

I second this. The spirit shaman's companion is fairly similar to a familiar and it can be a ghostly badger or platypus! Which is awesome.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-03-24, 10:14 AM
How about a dip into a an arcane class, any one and then get the feat obtain familiar and set your divine CL to be the CL for the familiar advancement?

Warpwolf16
2010-03-24, 10:55 AM
How about witch? From the PF APG
THEY GET FAMILIARS WITH SPELLS

Hand_of_Vecna
2010-03-24, 12:25 PM
Knight of the Raven is a very strong PrC from Ravenloft 9/10 casting full BAB and you get a raven that you can deliver spells through and it somes back every dawn if killed.

Another option would be using southern magician to qualify for the obtain familiar feat.

Simba
2010-03-25, 04:31 AM
On a related topic: is there a way of combining an animal companion and a familiar in one creature? I have a gestalt Ranger//Spellblade and he has both. One is an Elven Hound (Elven Ranger), so it would make sense to make the same animal also my familiar. I know there is some PrC that can do it, but I am looking for a feat. I have already planned on spending 2 feats on Theurgic Bond and one on Natural Bond so they would both be at max level. I could shift those feats to make the 2 animals one creature.

Any ideas?

Gaiyamato
2010-03-25, 04:46 AM
There's some divine caster PrC in the Realms that gives a Familiar, but the name is escaping me...

Found it, Mystic Wanderer, Magic of Faerun p. 35-37.

This was my first thought here given I was only just contemplating ways to get this with an Ur-Priest the other day.

Given the OP has said that he is playing in the realms, and this prestige class fits I think it is problem sovled now. :)

Set
2010-03-25, 11:05 AM
On a related topic: is there a way of combining an animal companion and a familiar in one creature? I have a gestalt Ranger//Spellblade and he has both. One is an Elven Hound (Elven Ranger), so it would make sense to make the same animal also my familiar. I know there is some PrC that can do it, but I am looking for a feat. I have already planned on spending 2 feats on Theurgic Bond and one on Natural Bond so they would both be at max level. I could shift those feats to make the 2 animals one creature.

Any ideas?

The only official way to do so is to take that Arcane Heirophant PrC (p 108, Races of the Wild) which requires you to dismiss your familiar and adds familiar like advancement options to your animal companion, but you've already mentioned that not really working for you.

A limited wish, wish or miracle could be used to either transfer the properties of one critter to the other, or, funkier still, fuse the two of them together!

"You have an owlbear companion?"

"No, it's what happened when a surge of wild magic fused my owl familiar with my bear companion... I call him Binky."

While there isn't a feat that does this currently (that I know of, anyway), your GM could come up with one. Perhaps a generous interpretation of Improved Familiar would allow one to familiar-bond with your hound, since it already allows one to familiar-bond with 'ineligible' beasties like magical beasts, outsiders and elementals?

Nate the Snake
2010-03-25, 03:20 PM
or you could ask the DM to trade an animal companion for a familiar.

The Cityscape web enhancement lets you do exactly that. Well, technically, you get an "urban companion," but it functions like a familiar. As a bonus, it has better benefits than a familiar and it doesn't cost you XP when it dies. (Link. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a)) It's intended for druids and rangers, but a PF cleric with the Animal domain should be able to qualify.