Best Familiar replacements

[Roguenewb]

I'm going to be playing a fairly low level wizard, and I was wondering what the best feature to replace my familiar might be. Thanks

[Answerer]

If allowed... Abrupt Jaunt, without question. It's in Player's Handbook II, requires that you be a Conjurer (an excellent idea in itself), and replaces your Familiar. 3+Int times per day (i.e. a lot), you can teleport 10 ft. as an Immediate Action.

This is basically saying "3+Int times a day, their first attack misses and they don't get the rest."

[RagnaroksChosen]

Can you tell us what kind of wizard you are going to play?

Is he themed, what about a specialist?
What race?


I am a big fan of the ones out of PHB 2 abjurant champ is the best.

The specialist wizard ones from Unearthed arcana or here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm)

[Unusual Muse]

+1 on the Abrupt Jaunt!

One thing to consider is the Forlorn flaw, which lets you trade your familiar for a feat; never a bad thing! Alternately, there's a great thread on Alternate Class Features for all classes, including Wizard:

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7908.0

[danzibr]

+1 on the Abrupt Jaunt!

One thing to consider is the Forlorn flaw, which lets you trade your familiar for a feat; never a bad thing! Alternately, there's a great thread on Alternate Class Features for all classes, including Wizard:

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7908.0
+1 more on the Abrupt Jaunt. Totally awesome.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Dark companion for the Hexblade (PHB2) is a pretty awesome ACF instead of a familiar, methinks.

[Answerer]

Yeah, but then you have to be Hexblade.

I really wish that class was better. It wouldn't even necessarily have to be good, just... better than it is.

[eggs]

If you're one of the folks who likes chaining class variants, you could make the UA Familiar-for-Ranger Animal Companion (www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#sorcererWizard) swap, followed by the Cityscape WE Animal Companion-for-Super Familiar (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) swap.

This can be useful for gishes, whose higher HP can actually increase familiar lifespans, and who would make good use of an extra polymorphing ally that's not an experience bomb. But on top of the double-swap's sketchiness, it also makes Enspell Familiar (basically required for characters with melee spellsharing familiars) even more dubious. Fun though.

[Roguenewb]

I'm playing a wizard/spelltheif daggerspell mage.

[Malachei]

A caveat, perhaps: Abrupt jaunt can mean books get thrown your direction. It can also be frustrating for other players who get slaughtered by your enemies while your character is immune, elegantly jaunting away from attacks that would have hit and killed him.