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Ianuagonde
2010-07-22, 08:13 AM
I'm making a new, level 1, wizard character, who likes to make stuff.
As a part of this idea, I thought it would be nice to have a construct as a familiar.
My DM is quite easy about what creatures can be used as familiars, as long as they are equally strong as the standard familiars. So I hoped to find a small familiar that wouldn't acquire me to take an improved familiar feat, so I can take the familiar at level 1.
But al the constructs I find are too 'cool'. They are too powerfull and can do too much!
All I want is something small and metallic that whizzes behind my wizard, with as much use as a squirrel!
So, do you know a nice small, useless construct for me to use?
I would like it Clockwork, but it doesn't have to be.
Or is there an easy way to stick 'clockwork' as a template on an animal?
Any suggestions?
All official d&d books are okay to use, and homebrew suggestions are okay too, as long as they are realistic so I can convince my DM!

p.s. My DM will probably allow me to have a creature with construct traits in place for the usual + on skill bonus familiars give, so that's no obstacle.

Thanks!

Snake-Aes
2010-07-22, 08:16 AM
Maybe an effigy?
The Mechonomicon (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=gqjnjf9d0otk9i6np46orlpci3&topic=177.0) gives you some ideas, the low cr ones would fit an improved familiar easily.

Wolf Warhead
2010-07-22, 08:17 AM
Just get an Effigy version of a standard familiar? (You can find it in the Complete Arcane)

IdleMuse
2010-07-22, 08:20 AM
I always thought a Clockroach (MM4 p28) would make an awesome Construct familiar for a wizard of that inclination. The reference picture is awful though, I imagine them much cooler than that. But it is a CL1 1HD Construct with a clockwork flavour.

Eldan
2010-07-22, 08:39 AM
What I would do? Convince your DM to allow the following.


Take animal X. Change it's type from animal to construct. Since it's a familiar, this won't have much of an effect: it's saves, HP, skills and so on will depend on you anyway. Since it gains a few immunities, give it a minus to some other stat, or so.

Done.

Psyx
2010-07-22, 08:48 AM
I just aimed for a Celestial Owl, and then asked the GM for it to be from the Mechanus planes, instead of Celestial. Viola: One clockwork owl, as seen in Clash of the Titans (the old one).

Bayar
2010-07-22, 08:56 AM
If you have the Eberron Campaign Setting, you could check out the homonculi presented there, and refluff them a bit. The dedicated wright might be made in the style of a mini-warforged instead of a mutant dwarf fetus, the expeditious messenger might look more like a model of the Voyager satellite...

sciencepanda
2010-07-22, 09:47 AM
If you want to be really simple, you could just take a Tiny Animated Object, and flavor it to look like whatever you want.

Ravens_cry
2010-07-22, 01:36 PM
If you want to be really simple, you could just take a Tiny Animated Object, and flavor it to look like whatever you want.
Such as this. (http://girlgenius.wikia.com/wiki/Dingbot_Prime)

Calemyr
2010-07-22, 02:40 PM
Personally, I'm very fond of the Clockwork Mender (http://monsterfinder.dndrunde.de/details.php?id=667&backlink=%2Fallmonsters.php), which I used as my primary homunculous as an artificer. Small, of minor advantage in combat, but a capable spy, tool, and PDA.

Mina Kobold
2010-07-22, 03:46 PM
What I would do? Convince your DM to allow the following.


Take animal X. Change it's type from animal to construct. Since it's a familiar, this won't have much of an effect: it's saves, HP, skills and so on will depend on you anyway. Since it gains a few immunities, give it a minus to some other stat, or so.

Done.

That would be the basics for the aforementioned Effigy.

Effigies are simply robot [Insert creature here] which usually look almost exactly like the original, but that is the creator's choice.

The minus could be that it can't blend in or communicate with the anial it's based on :smallsmile:

Scarey Nerd
2010-07-22, 03:54 PM
Not a familiar, but I would advise you to take the Techsmith PrC from Faiths and Pantheons, if your GM allows it, as that gives you a "Gondsman" at level 1, which is a small or medium sized robot that works essentially like a fighter.

Ianuagonde
2010-07-23, 01:58 PM
Thanks for all the good ideas!
I really like the not-celestial but mechanus idea, and the clockroach and the clockwork mender are also worth looking into.
The effigy idea I had also thought of, and is still a possible option.
Thanks!

Vizzerdrix
2010-07-24, 08:06 AM
One of the Dragon Mags has a feat that turns your familiar into a clockwork.

Rhavin
2010-07-24, 09:33 AM
If you can find it, the Liber Mechanika has rules for clockwork familiars. It is a sourcebook for the Iron Kingdoms setting from Privateer Press which was built up under 3.0 or 3.5 rules.