Effectively use Share Spells on familiar?

[Yorae]

So, is there a good way to turn your familiar into an awesome fighting machine via share spells?

The issue I'm expecting is the 5-foot range on share spells. How do you move and keep the buffs on both of you? Can you somehow move synchronously? Is there maybe a feat somewhere to extend the range to something greater?

[Righteous Doggy]

Well, all those before fight buffs, all day long buffs, those are all already on your familiar, and that can be a lot of power depending on what you do. I usually treat it as though me and my familiar are on eachother at all times. If it's hiding under my sleeve, perched on my shoulder, or coiled on my arm, it's moving with me! If you want to make him into a monster, polymoroph can do a lot(watch those hitpoints!) and there are several buffs just for familiars you can perform.

Enhance/imbue/Augment/Fortify familiar are all familiar only spells that come to mind if you want to directly buff it. All in the Spell Compendium.

Also, improved familiar has a whole host of creatures you can choose from. Its not a fighting machine usually, but it can mean a lot in their original form.

Search for a familiar handbook? Theres one that gives a lot of information about what to do with your familiar.

[Urpriest]

One option is for your familiar to Polymorph into something large enough to ride.

[sonofzeal]

Check out "Nasty Gentleman" from LoP's Dirty Tricks, if it's still around somewhere.

Barring that, my favorite spell to share is Cloud of Knives. Especially if you can get more than one familiar.

[Flickerdart]

The feat "Enspell Familiar" from the Dragon Compendium increases the Share Spell range from 5 feet to 1 mile. If that seems unreasonable, there's a feat for the Animal Companion with a 30ft Share Spell range, so you can use that range instead.

You could also just have the familiar sit on your shoulder or something. Unless you're Polymorphing into huge things, this won't be a problem weight-wise.

[Soulean]

Plus you can just cast personal range spells on your familiar instead of both of you so you don't need to be side by side.

Or just have a couple wands of blood wind so your familiar can attack at range. Assuming your familiar is using natural weapons or course.

I believe that your familiar shares your initiative and so both of you moving at the same time shouldn't be an issue unless your DM is looking for reasons to say no.

Like Righteous Doggy said watch your little (or big) buddies health. No matter how much you boost your familiar it will always only have half your HP plus any temp hit points you manage to get it. Healing collar from MIC is fairly cheap and should full heal your familiar unless you are very high lvl or super beefy caster.

[Yorae]

The feat "Enspell Familiar" from the Dragon Compendium increases the Share Spell range from 5 feet to 1 mile. If that seems unreasonable, there's a feat for the Animal Companion with a 30ft Share Spell range, so you can use that range instead.

You could also just have the familiar sit on your shoulder or something. Unless you're Polymorphing into huge things, this won't be a problem weight-wise.

Thanks, finally went with Enspell Familiar - the idea of he and his familiar being fighting / sparring partners is just too great.