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UserShadow7989
2013-05-26, 10:05 PM
The familiar was always something that caught my interest when making a character and looking through splatbooks and homebrew. It's a class feature that provides a lot of neat tricks, and the options you can choose from makes for a fun bit of flavor for your character. What does the chosen familiar say about your character? Does it completely defy what one would expect from that character's personality? Was it once a beloved sibling's pet, serving as a living memento of that familial bond?

Sadly, the familiar is often overlooked, and for good reason. They're fragile, not really capable of anything helpful in combat (and in some cases not even out of combat). Their tricks are neat, but not very practical. Most of the classes that have them completely overshadow the familiar with their other class features- wizards and sorcerers bending reality to their will with ease and passing on their less than favorable hit points and base attack bonus to the unfortunate familiar.

The Hexblade caught my interest due to being one of the few classes that could make decent use of the familiar, with d10 hit dice and full base attack bonus allowing for a familiar to survive long enough to deliver touch spells or add scratch damage each turn, but even that has its limits due to the hexblade's limited spell selection and the familiar's rapidly outclassed damage potential, and many hexblades would trade the familiar out for one of their better alternate class features.

So I decided it was time for the familiar to get a little more love. A full class revolving around it seemed a bit too ambitious for me at the time; I have been trying my hand at homebrewing classes on and off, and the few things I complete I usually am not satisfied enough to put up for criticism and further refining, so I made the choice from the start to pick something less ambitious than a full base class for the time being. The focus on the familiar also felt like it would be a bit too narrow a concept for a base class. Instead, I decided to make a 10 level prestige class.

I might make a full base class with this concept someday, but for now, I enjoy the concept of the 'familiar master', a prestige class of my own making that has themes of a strong master/familiar bond and the strengthening of a familiar into a genuine asset at its core.


The Familiar Master

Requirements:
Feats: Improved Familiar
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 6 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 4 ranks

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills:
The Familiar Master's class skills (and their related ability scores) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill points per level:
4 + Int modifier

The Familiar Master
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Advancement

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Greater Familiar Progression, Familiar Meld|

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Meditative Link|+1 level of existing familiar-granting class

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Recall Familiar|+1 level of existing familiar-granting class

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Aid Familiar, Familiar Meld (Natural Weapons, Natural Armor)|

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Raise Familiar|+1 level of existing familiar-granting class

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|Teleport Familiar 1/Day|+1 level of existing familiar-granting class

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Spell Link, Familiar Meld (Feats, Skills, Saves)|

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+6|Shield Familiar, Teleport Familiar 2/Day|+1 level of existing familiar-granting class

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+6|Familiar Recovery|+1 level of existing familiar-granting class

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+3|
+7|Immortal Familiar, Familiar Meld (Attacks, Qualities, Bonuses), Teleport Familiar 3/Day|[/table]


CLASS FEATURES
All of the following of are class features of the familiar master.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
A familiar master gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Greater Familiar Progression

Due to their more powerful bond with their familiar, the familiar master is capable of empowering their loyal aid beyond the ability of most normal spellcasters. Treat all familiar master levels as levels in a class that grants a familiar for the purposes of that familiar's progression. In addition, the familiar gains the additional benefits listed on the table below depending on their master's familiar master class level:

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Hit Point Bonus|Movement Bonus|Saves Bonus|Attribute Bonus|Special

1st|
+1|
+0|
+0 ft.|
+0|
+0|Empathic Symbiosis

2nd|
+2|
+1|
+0 ft.|
+0|
+0|Guard Master, Bonus Feat

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+10 ft.|
+1|
+0|Attack Improvement

4th|
+4|
+2|
+10 ft.|
+1|
+1|Improved Special, Bonus Feat

5th|
+5|
+2|
+10 ft.|
+2|
+1/+1|Magical Fangs

6th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+20 ft.|
+2|
+1/+1|Attack Improvement, Bonus Feat

7th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+20 ft.|
+3|
+1/+1|Symbol of Power

8th|
+8/+3|
+4|
+20 ft.|
+3|
+2/+2|Rescue Master, Bonus Feat

9th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+30 ft.|
+4|
+2/+2|Attack Improvement

10th|
+10/+5|
+5|
+30 ft.|
+4|
+2/+2/+2|Lifesaver, Bonus Feat[/table]

Base Attack Bonus: Use the above BAB progression in place of the one granted to the familiar master to determine the familiar's BAB.

Hit Point Bonus: Multiply the bonus by the familiar master's hit dice, then add it when calculating the familiar's hit point total.

Movement Bonus: Add the listed bonus to the listed speed of all of the familiar's natural movement types. This is an enhancement bonus.

Saves Bonus: Add the listed bonus when calculating the familiar's saves to each of its saves. This is an enhancement bonus.

Attribute Bonus: At 4th level, the familiar gains a scaling bonus to one attribute of the familiar master's choice. Any bonuses a creature would normally receive from this increase (such as constitution granting an additional hit point per hit dice and an increase to the creature's Fortitude Save) is received by the familiar, even if they normally would not gain this benefit. At 5th level and again at 10th level, the familiar master chooses a different attribute of the familiar's to increase by this amount.

Empathic Symbiosis (Su): Upon taking the first level of familiar master, the familiar and its master's empathic link ability now has no limit to range; so long as they are on the same plane as one another, they can communicate empathically.

Guard Master (Ex): While the familiar is adjacent to its master, attacks made against the master have a 20% miss chance. If an attack misses due to this miss chance, treat it as if it was made against the familiar instead. This effect can be activated or deactivated as a free action. Further, if the master is targeted by a spell that calls for a reflex save while adjacent to his or her familiar, the familiar may make a reflex save in order to suffer the effect in its master's place (merely negating the effects against the master in a situation where both the familiar and its master are targeted by the same effect).

Bonus Feat: The familiar receives one feat they meet the prerequisites for at each of the familiar master's even numbered class levels.

Attack Improvement (Ex): At 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels, increase the damage dice of the familiar's natural weapons by a step.

Improved Special (Ex): The bonus granted to the familiar's master for having a familiar (such as the +3 hit points from owning a toad familiar, the +3 to Bluff checks from a snake familiar, and so on, if any) is doubled.

Magical Fangs (Su): Treat the familiar's natural weapons as magical weapons with an enhancement bonus of +1.

Symbol of Power (Su): Due to their link, the master's influence creates a powerful aura around his or her familiar. In addition to giving off a strong aura of Law, Good, Chaos, or Evil (if the master is of any of those alignments), the familiar becomes a sign of how powerful it and its master has become. Creatures allied to the familiar master receive a +2 morale bonus to attack and damage rolls, as well as to saves against fear effects, while enemies receive an equal penalty.

Rescue Master (Su): Once per day, when its master is unconscious or helpless, the familiar may 'pull' on its end of their connection as a full-round action. The master and their possessions are instantaneously transported to an unoccupied square adjacent to the familiar. Using this ability provokes attacks of opportunity against the familiar. Cannot be used while 'Familiar Meld' is in effect or either the familiar or familiar master are in an area where teleportation is not possible.

Lifesaver (Su): When the familiar's master would die from any effect, the familiar can choose to die in its master's place. The familiar is reduced to -10 hit points, and its master survives whatever effect that would have killed them with their hit points restored to 1 and all ongoing effects (positive or negative, such as buffs, temporary hit points, poison, and/or curses) completely negated. If the familiar dies in this manner, they cannot be brought back by Raise Familiar or Immortal Familiar for 24 hours. Even if the familiar is revived through other means or the familiar master adopts a new familiar, this effect cannot be used again for 24 hours.

Familiar Meld (Su)

By spending a swift action, the familiar master can absorb their familiar into their body on contact or release them into an adjacent (unoccupied) square. This allows the familiar master to take their familiar out of harms way or otherwise conceal them from view. While inside their master, a familiar heals as if resting, also gaining the benefits of any beneficial spells or rest the master receives during this time.

While storing their familiar within their body, the familiar master can communicate with their familiar as normal if they are capable of doing so. The death of the familiar from an ongoing effect (which are not suspended while the familiar is within their master), the familiar master dying or being rendered unconscious, or an effect that nullifies supernatural abilities releases the familiar in the nearest unoccupied square. The familiar master's body will carry a strange arcane mark where the familiar melded into it that is easily concealed (Spot Check DC 15 to notice, Knowledge (Arcana) check DC 15 to identify the meaning of).

As the familiar master progresses, this ability grants the familiar master a number of new benefits. Starting at 4th level, the familiar master can manifest the natural weapons of his or her familiar as a swift action, scaled to his or her size and using the larger of the familiar or familiar master's Base Attack Bonus. The familiar master's flesh also shifts from this effect, granting them the familiar's Natural Armor bonus (if higher than their own) until the effects are dismissed as a swift action or the familiar leaves its master's body.

From 7th level onward, the familiar master gains access to any of the familiar's feats they qualify for while Familiar Meld is in effect, and uses the higher of their own skill modifiers and their familiar's for the purposes of skill checks. Even more potently, they use the higher of their respective saves for the purposes of Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.

Lastly, familiar masters of level 10 may access their familiar's special attacks and special qualities while merged, with any limited use abilities counting the familiar master's uses of those abilities towards their per day, per encounter, etc. limits. This includes abilities granted through the familiar's progression, such as improved evasion, spell resistance, and so on.

Further, they can also receive the bonuses to that familiar's BAB, hit points, movement speed, saves, and chosen attributes as listed under 'Greater Familiar Progression' while they and their familiar are melded. The hit points granted in this manner are temporary hit points, but are not replenished if the familiar leaves the familiar master and then merges with them again- they are only replenished if the familiar and the familiar master have received a full rest.

Class Advancement

At levels 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9, treat the familiar master as having an additional level in a class that grants a familiar for the purposes of spellcasting, caster level, and class abilities that advance by level.

Meditative Link (Su)

Once per round, as a free action, the familiar master may enter a meditative state, focusing solely on their bond with their familiar. Until they exit this state as a free action (cannot be done on the turn they enter the state), they are denied their dexterity bonus to AC, treated as flatfooted, and automatically fail any reflex saves, spot checks, and listen checks. Further, they cannot take any actions themselves, except to exit this state.

While the familiar master is in this state, their familiar gains a bonus to all rolls equal to half the familiar master's class levels. If the familiar has received the 'Scry on Familiar' ability, the familiar master is capable of sharing the familiar's senses as they please. If the familiar can speak, the familiar master can speak through them.

Recall Familiar (Su)

In times of dire need, the familiar master can reach out and rescue his or her familiar from danger. As a full-round action, the familiar master can teleport their familiar to an adjacent, unoccupied square. This effect provokes attacks of opportunity against the familiar master and cannot be activated if either the familiar master or the familiar are in an area blocked from teleportation. This can be used a number of times per day equal to the modifier of the familiar master's casting stat for whichever class they receive a familiar from (If multiple, choose the highest. If none, choose the highest among Int, Wis, or Cha. Minimum 1).

Aid Familiar (Su)

Some familiar masters claim their bond to their familiars to be so strong they can see it manifest as a red cord, though others say this is embellishment. Whatever the case, familiar masters are never far from their loyal wards. They may cast any beneficial spell or apply any beneficial effect on their familiar at any range as if the familiar were adjacent to them, so long as they are on the same plane. They can also cast spells with the range of 'personal' or target 'you' on the familiar.

As a further bonus, a number of times per day equal to the casting stat modifier of whichever spellcasting class the familiar master has class levels in (If several, pick the highest. If none, pick the highest of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma Modifiers. Minimum one.), the familiar master can cast a beneficial spell on his or her familiar that has the casting time of a standard action or less as a swift action instead.

Raise Familiar (Su)

Starting from 5th level, the familiar master's connection to his or her familiar reaches beyond the mortal coil. Once per day, the familiar master may restore life to their deceased familiar. The familiar is resurrected with one hit point for each of its master's hit dice, and suffers from the sickened condition until healed to full health or 24 hours pass. Raising a familiar through this manner takes a full, uninterrupted minute. If the familiar master takes damage, moves, or does anything else during this minute besides simple actions like breathing, they must start over.

Because of this strengthened connection, the familiar master no longer suffers from the loss of XP when his/her familiar dies. It is simply as though their familiar moved to a different plane.

Teleport Familiar (Sp)

There are those who use their familiars as messengers, representations of their own will. Some instead prefer their familiar explore in their place, fighting and following orders like a loyal soldier. Still others are willing to send the familiar to somewhere safe for their loyal companion's own protection at the risk of their own. Whatever reason, the familiar master will often learn to teleport their familiar to somewhere safe.

Starting from 6th level, the familiar master gains the 'Teleport Familiar' class ability. As a standard action, the familiar master can touch their familiar and focus on a remote location somewhere on the same plane. In an instant, their familiar is teleported to that location as the spell 'Teleport', with one exception: if the teleportation would be a 'mishap', it merely fails, and the familiar does not take damage or leave its current space, thought the use counts towards the per day limit.

The familiar master can use Teleport Familiar a number of times per day equal to his/her casting stat (if multiple, pick the highest, if none, pick the highest from among Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) plus 1, minimum 1. At 8th level, the familiar master gains an additional use of this spell per day, and again at 10th level. This ability can be used while maintaining a meditative link.

Spell Link (Su)

The ability to cast some spells through a familiar is well known, but granting it access to one's entire repertoire is nearly unheard of. Yet that is exactly what the familiar master is capable of once they reach level 7.

When the familiar master completes the casting time of a spell, uses a spell-like ability, or activates a magic item, they can pass it on to their familiar, who may immediately finish casting it themselves as a free action. This can be anything from a personal spell being used to empower the familiar, to granting it the ability to spit a fireball or cone of cold from its beak, to creating a patch of entangling vines nearby itself.

The familiar uses the familiar master's caster level (or the level as described by the magic item) and casting stat for all relevant calculations. Essentially, it's as if the spell was cast by the familiar master from the familiar's square. The familiar does not provoke an attack of opportunity when it unleashes the spell, but the familiar master does if they would normally provoke an attack of opportunity. If the item or spell is a continuous effect, this transfers the benefits (or penalties) from the familiar master to the familiar for a single round.

If the familiar master is maintaining a meditative link, they can cast spells that don't take more than one round to complete so long as it is cast through their familiar with this class ability.

Shield Familiar (Su)

The link between familiar and master is normally a thin, non-physical thing that cannot be warped or manipulated too harshly. For the familiar master, it is as solid as a mountain and as flexible as rubber. Starting from 8th level, the familiar master can create a physical manifestation of this link around their familiar, pulsing with energy.

This full-round action negates any and all outside influences that would harm the familiar or affect it in a manner it does not wish to be affected (ongoing effects such as poison the familiar is already suffering from are not negated) until the familiar master's next turn. If the familiar master is rendered unconscious, dying, dead, or otherwise unable to consciously maintain the shield, it falls instantly.

Shield familiar can be used a number of times per day equal to the familiar master's casting stat (if multiple, pick the highest, if none, pick the highest from among Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) plus 1, minimum 1. Shield Familiar be performed while maintaining a meditative link.

Familiar Recovery (Su)

As their link continues to strengthen, the master and their familiar can feed off each other's presence beneficially. From 9th level onward, if the familiar is within (10 * familiar master's highest casting stat (or highest mental stat if none, minimum 1)) ft. of the familiar master, or the familiar master is maintaining a meditative link, both gain Fast Healing 2. If Familiar Meld is in effect, the healing from this class ability is doubled.

Immortal Familiar (Su)

Upon reaching 10th level, the familiar master and his/her familiar have forged a kinship that even death cannot overcome. Should the familiar die through any means, the familiar master can focus on the imprint their beloved ally has made on their soul to return them to the world of the living as they were.

This is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. If successful, the familiar erupts forth from the familiar master in a show of light and arcane energy, fragile but very much living. The familiar appears in a space adjacent to the familiar master with 1 hit point. Neither it nor the familiar master may perform any other actions this turn, due to the strain this process has put on both of them, but any passive effects their presence would grant the other are immediately restored.

---

Off the top of my head, I have a few concerns. This is my first real attempt at a prestige class, so I'm uncertain regarding how balanced the things relating to them are in the familiar master.

For the prerequisites, I wanted to make sure any class with a familiar can conceivably complete all 10 levels, but also to make sure people can't grab it very early on when its abilities might be too powerful. Looking at it now, I think a Wizard can get in as early as 4th level, which worries me.

Next is the advancement. The class advancement is of the best type (spells, caster level, and class features that improve with level can advance with this class) with only 4 levels that don't advance, one of which is the capstone level.

On one hand I'm worried the type of advancement is too good when combined with all the benefits this class provides. On the other, I want classes like the hexblade which have a weaker casting progression to be able to advance their scaling class abilities so that the player character themselves are not left in the dust while the familiar becomes more prominent (which would be hilarious in some ways, but possibly not too fun to play).

The positioning of the non-advancement levels also worried me a bit. I made Familiar Meld scale so it would upgrade at each of these levels and placed some of the stronger class abilities at these levels to reward people who stick with the class through them while not invalidating the option of dropping out at 3rd, 6th, or 9th levels.

My other worry is regarding the abilities themselves. While I feel they're unique and useful enough to stand out, it could be said they don't mesh much outside of buffing/protecting the familiar.

Lastly, there's the more crunch-y stuff. I want to drop the hit die to d6, but I like how this could be used to benefit gish builds and don't want to penalize that too much, and the familiar itself would be a little weaker for it due to how familiar hit points are calculated. The class skill list looks a bit too full for a prestige class (going by the ones I've seen on the srd and in splat books, at least). Does the familiar become too strong, or is it still limited enough in things like magic item slots or other benefits a player character often enjoys that it's fine?

It's been a long time since I posted a homebrew and this is my first prestige class, so I'd appreciate any advice or criticism you can give.

Change Log:
5/30/13: Edited Spell Link's description to be a bit clearer.

Steward
2013-05-27, 03:09 PM
I'm having a hard time seeing how "Immortal Familiar" significantly improves upon "Raise Familiar".

I really like how the familiar and the master both have abilities to rescue and protect one another. It really highlights the bond between the two and I feel it does it in a way that is both more interesting and mechanically useful than the way they interact in the core books.

How many spells can a familiar hold at a time? Like, could the master complete and pass two separate spells to the familiar?

UserShadow7989
2013-05-28, 04:59 AM
I'm having a hard time seeing how "Immortal Familiar" significantly improves upon "Raise Familiar".

Immortal Familiar can be used at any time without a per day limit and doesn't carry the sickness penalty (raise familiar inflicting the status until the familiar is fully healed or 24 hours pass).

Raise Familiar is once per day, heals slightly more to start, inflicts sickness as a draw back, and isn't really feasible in combat even if you get some distance from your enemies, where IF can be handy if you have some means of healing the familiar before it can be attacked, such as a wand of Cure X Wounds.

Even the higher health of the familiar upon being revived isn't much of a boon, since Familiar Recovery makes up almost the entire difference in the extra time using RF would take (more so if used with Familiar Meld). Outside of some really oddball situations, I think IF can completely invalidate RF's use, though you can still use RF if there's a time it can shine.


I really like how the familiar and the master both have abilities to rescue and protect one another. It really highlights the bond between the two and I feel it does it in a way that is both more interesting and mechanically useful than the way they interact in the core books.

Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I think that's one of the places I was more confident in this class, though I wish that I hadn't posted this in my excitement before realizing I hadn't added the proper fluff sections.


How many spells can a familiar hold at a time? Like, could the master complete and pass two separate spells to the familiar?

My intent with Spell Link was that the spell would be cast the moment it was transferred to the familiar, and the ability would be more for range/allowing you to back up your familiar wherever it is. An upgrade to both the ability to deliver touch spells from the normal familiar progression and Aid Familiar.

For example, the familiar master casts a cone or ray spell, but instead of coming from their square, it comes from the familiar's and deals damage to the enemy they're in melee with without worrying about harming the familiar itself, or the familiar can hit an enemy from a direction where it won't catch any allies in the spell that the master can't. It's also helpful if your familiar was acting as a scout and got into trouble; it'll never be without your aid, so long as you're up and have spells left.

Looking at it now, the wording makes it so you can 'store' it in the familiar for later, which wasn't my plan, but actually sounds fairly neat. Do you think I should allow it to be stored (which I would limit to one spell at a time, transferring a new spell overwriting the previous if unused), or correct it to fit my original concept?

I really like the idea of storing a spell in your familiar, but I'm worried it might be abusable. I might have to add a time limit on top of the single spell at once restriction (such as 1 minute) to keep people from tossing something on the familiar between battles and getting off multiple powerful spells at once right from the start (because many casters don't need the extra help with trivializing an encounter).