Coidzor
2013-10-17, 02:03 PM
Assuming that all of the dragon magazine variant familiars(that don't require Improved Familiar or some variation on the theme of paying a feat for better familiars) are on the table, which urban companion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) has the best chassis for receiving the benefits of a melee totemist's soulmelds?
As I recall, a Manticore Belt focused totemist(AKA Totemist as a ranged attacker) wants a small bird with good dexterity for mobile utility and presenting a smaller target, possibly a hummingbird or raven or something along those lines, though really, the creature with the highest dex or a hummingbird will do just fine. I imagine something similar would be desired for a Totemist focusing more on the supernatural abilities or pretending to be a dragonfire adept, since unless it's making an attack roll, the soulmelds would all be keyed off the totemist 100%, the shared soulmeld is just allowing an extra use of it, IIRC, for the most part anyway.
With melee though, you want something that doesn't have to enter opponents' squares in order to attack them unless you have the feats to make it into a Killer Gnome(type 2, IIRC), which an urban companion or familiar sadly will not get, as they are not psicrystals. The only familiars that I can think of that are small sized are the dog, badger, eagle, and possibly the small constrictor snake familiars from Dragon Magazine 277[if this is accurate (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9955.0)]. AFAIK, anything greater than small size is strictly the purview of something purchased with a feat. Are there any other competitors or a clear winner?
Or to alter the question slightly, are there any familiars that make the share soulmeld feat worthwhile for a melee-focused, totemist heavy build without having to spend an additional feat on improved familiar?
As I recall, a Manticore Belt focused totemist(AKA Totemist as a ranged attacker) wants a small bird with good dexterity for mobile utility and presenting a smaller target, possibly a hummingbird or raven or something along those lines, though really, the creature with the highest dex or a hummingbird will do just fine. I imagine something similar would be desired for a Totemist focusing more on the supernatural abilities or pretending to be a dragonfire adept, since unless it's making an attack roll, the soulmelds would all be keyed off the totemist 100%, the shared soulmeld is just allowing an extra use of it, IIRC, for the most part anyway.
With melee though, you want something that doesn't have to enter opponents' squares in order to attack them unless you have the feats to make it into a Killer Gnome(type 2, IIRC), which an urban companion or familiar sadly will not get, as they are not psicrystals. The only familiars that I can think of that are small sized are the dog, badger, eagle, and possibly the small constrictor snake familiars from Dragon Magazine 277[if this is accurate (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9955.0)]. AFAIK, anything greater than small size is strictly the purview of something purchased with a feat. Are there any other competitors or a clear winner?
Or to alter the question slightly, are there any familiars that make the share soulmeld feat worthwhile for a melee-focused, totemist heavy build without having to spend an additional feat on improved familiar?