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View Full Version : What would be a better Familiar for a Gish?



Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-11, 01:21 PM
The PAO familiar thread got me thinking on ways to get a Displacer Beast (one of my favorite monster EVER) as a familiar, my idea involved increasing the Duration Factor of PAO to 9 to get a nice little Mutant panther as a familiar.

My first idea was PAO'ing a cat into a displacer beast, same kingdom +5, same familty +2, now I just needed the final +4 and I thought of either same inteligence or same size, but I had trouble with that.

Either way then I started to look for large magical beast that could be got through Improved Familiar, and the Winter Wolf (CWar) has a Duration Factor of 9 from the start.

Now in you opinion playground, which makes a better familia for a gish? the Winter wolf or the displacer Beast?

The gish in question is something along the lines of Human Paragon 1/Specialist Transmuter 1/Human Paragon +2 /Fighert 1/Spellsword 1//Ajurant Champion 5/something X (eldritch knight might be an option though I loose another CL)

Snake-Aes
2010-10-11, 01:29 PM
The PAO familiar thread got me thinking on ways to get a Displacer Beast (one of my favorite monster EVER) as a familiar, my idea involved increasing the Duration Factor of PAO to 9 to get a nice little Mutant panther as a familiar.

My first idea was PAO'ing a cat into a displacer beast, same kingdom +5, same familty +2, now I just needed the final +4 and I thought of either same inteligence or same size, but I had trouble with that.

Either way then I started to look for large magical beast that could be got through Improved Familiar, and the Winter Wolf (CWar) has a Duration Factor of 9 from the start.

Now in you opinion playground, which makes a better familia for a gish? the Winter wolf or the displacer Beast?

The gish in question is something along the lines of Human Paragon 1/Specialist Transmuter 1/Human Paragon +2 /Fighert 1/Spellsword 1//Ajurant Champion 5/something X (eldritch knight might be an option though I loose another CL)

A tressym? They're smarter than displacer beasts, they're felines and they're magical beasts. It takes improved familiar, but it seems an instant Perma-PaO

Amphetryon
2010-10-11, 01:31 PM
Hexblade is often cited as among the most Familiar-centric gish concepts out there. The Hexblade's Handbook here (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7412.0) indicates that the best known Familiars are the Imp, the Howler, and the Winter Wolf. Assuming you agree with the author of the handbook's conclusions, Winter Wolf becomes an easy choice over Displacer Beast unless 'coolness factor' puts the Displacer Beast ahead for you.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-11, 01:34 PM
From a which is more cool? point of view, I definetly prefer the displacer beast, but I want to hear some opinion on both monsters power levels. (by pure CR FWIW Winter wolf is better due CR 5 against the Displacer Beast's CR 4).


Also what is a Tressym?

Snake-Aes
2010-10-11, 01:35 PM
From a which is more cool? point of view, I definetly prefer the displacer beast, but I want to hear some opinion on both monsters power levels. (by pure CR FWIW Winter wolf is better due CR 5 against the Displacer Beast's CR 4).


Also what is a Tressym?

A winged cat from Lost Empires of Faerun or something like that. It's pretty much a cat with a fly speed and a base int of 12.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-11, 01:37 PM
A winged cat from Lost Empires of Faerun or something like that. It's pretty much a cat with a fly speed and a base int of 12.

if that is the case, it won't be an instant permanent PAO, the Tressim would only get a +7 from Being the same kingdom and same family.

Snake-Aes
2010-10-11, 01:42 PM
if that is the case, it won't be an instant permanent PAO, the Tressim would only get a +7 from Being the same kingdom and same family.

And smarter. Displacer beasts have int 5.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-11, 01:52 PM
Right, that too..., but I don't want a smart pet, I want a vicious mutant tentacled panther that I can ride into battle. :smallbiggrin:

Snake-Aes
2010-10-11, 02:07 PM
Right, that too..., but I don't want a smart pet, I want a vicious mutant tentacled panther that I can ride into battle. :smallbiggrin:

thus you PaO your smart cat into a vicious mutant tentacled panther that you can ride into battle.
The tressym is just an example of an easy ->DisplacerBeast permanent PaO.

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-11, 02:15 PM
The problem with tressym is that they don't get the Duraration factor 9 right of the bat, they would need to increase their size to large or get their int damaged to 5.

Unless you think that tressym fulfils the "Related" criteria....

On another topic, can I choose to PAO into a Displacer Beast Pact Lord ?(IE 12 HD advanced Displacer Beast)

I think yes, because PAO caps at 15 HD, and IIRC you can choose that kind of stuff when using polymorph which is what PAO is based of.

Snake-Aes
2010-10-11, 02:17 PM
The problem with tressym is that they don't get the Duraration factor 9 right of the bat, they would need to increase their size to large or get their int damaged to 5.

Unless you think that tressym fulfils the "Related" criteria....

On another topic, can I choose to PAO into a Displacer Beast Pact Lord ?(IE 12 HD advanced Displacer Beast)

I think yes, because PAO caps at 15 HD, and IIRC you can choose that kind of stuff when using polymorph which is what PAO is based of.

Hm? Here's what I'm seeing for the tressym
1) animal (+5)
2) mammal (+2)
3) same or lower intelligence (+2)

Size does not come into play here. If they were the same size, you'd get a +11. 9 qualifies for permanent. You could even argue another +2 for being related "cat to meaner cat"

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-11, 02:21 PM
I see what you mean by inteligence;but by my reading, the fact that the Tressym has a higher inteligence that the Displace Beast it means it doesn't gets the criteria since it only mentions Same or Lower.

Anyway I think you have a strong argument, of related since winged cat, to tentacled cat is not that more of a stretch.

Snake-Aes
2010-10-11, 02:24 PM
I see what you mean by inteligence;but by my reading, the fact that the Tressym has a higher inteligence that the Displace Beast it means it doesn't gets the criteria since it only mentions Same or Lower.

Anyway I think you have a strong argument, of related since winged cat, to tentacled cat is not that more of a stretch.

The destiny creature is what is being compared. Read "If the final creature has the same or less intelligence than the base creature, add +2 to the time factor"

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-11, 02:28 PM
:facepalm: I thought you checked duration using the base creature..... not the new form. that changes thing.... for the best :smallbiggrin: