Familiar: Hippogriff, or Black Dragon Wyrmling?

[Rossebay]

I've got an Evoker Wizard who isn't exactly tanky. Having a Hippogriff is honestly pretty useful, being able to stay away from combat and move quickly while casting.

But Dictum Mortuum contends that Dragon familiars are pretty useful, too. I'm not exactly sure how, but I don't intend to doubt the man.

What are the downsides (if any) of having a familiar like a Hippogriff? That I can't hide it? The whole EXP timebomb thing seems true here, I suppose.

Thoughts?

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, it only has 1/2 your HP, and is too big not to be a target. A wyrmling dragon is much smaller. A mount should ether be tough enough to take hits or expendable enough to be replaced if it dies. A familiar isn't ether. You would be better off making a mount through necromancy, crafting, or summoning (the phantom steed spell). Even if a familiar could make a good mount, it isn't worth a feat to get it, as a spell will do just fine. (or a item, as in an eternal wand)

The dragon can use magic wands and such (granting extra actions), and may even be able to ignore the UMD requirement (if you can talk your DM into letting you get a spellhoarding wyrmling).

[Brookshw]

Voting dragon because, you know, dragon.

[Yawgmoth]

Get dragon, have it pick up clinging breath. Now have it breathe and tack on 5 rounds of cling. It's not a lot of free damage, but it is free damage. Even better if you get a dragon that can do ability damage!

[chaos_redefined]

Dragon means you don't have to finangle your way into giving it good feats/skills, and better class skills. Dragon means extra points for style.

In comparison, Hippogriff means you don't need to cast Greater Floating Disk / Overland Flight / Phantom Steed. (First is evocation, but less speed. Latter two are faster and core)

[Pex]

Buckbeak or Norbert? Tough choice.

[Rossebay]

Well, it only has 1/2 your HP, and is too big not to be a target. A wyrmling dragon is much smaller. A mount should ether be tough enough to take hits or expendable enough to be replaced if it dies. A familiar isn't ether. You would be better off making a mount through necromancy, crafting, or summoning (the phantom steed spell). Even if a familiar could make a good mount, it isn't worth a feat to get it, as a spell will do just fine. (or a item, as in an eternal wand)

The dragon can use magic wands and such (granting extra actions), and may even be able to ignore the UMD requirement (if you can talk your DM into letting you get a spellhoarding wyrmling).

What does Spellhoarding do for me if it can't cast spells?


Edit: That said, I realize how risky and stupid it is to have a hippogriff as a familiar now. Definitely switching that out.

[Fouredged Sword]

Having a single spell caster level lets you use spell trigger items without a UMD check. Even if it can't cast spells, it can bypass the UMD requirements.

[Rossebay]

Having a single spell caster level lets you use spell trigger items without a UMD check. Even if it can't cast spells, it can bypass the UMD requirements.

But it doesn't qualify for Spellhoarding unless it's already got a caster level, so Wyrmlings can't qualify, right?

[Fouredged Sword]

You can get it a spell caster level through shenanigans. Off the top of my head, there is a feat that grants a few 0th level spells, and grants a caster level.

From there it has a caster level, so you make have it be spell hoarding, and BOOM, you cover it in cheap spell hoarding scrolls (Spell level X 100gp scrolls) and it acts like a little scroll battery.

[Rossebay]

You can get it a spell caster level through shenanigans. Off the top of my head, there is a feat that grants a few 0th level spells, and grants a caster level.

From there it has a caster level, so you make have it be spell hoarding, and BOOM, you cover it in cheap spell hoarding scrolls (Spell level X 100gp scrolls) and it acts like a little scroll battery.

Oooooh.
That's so dirty, hahaha. Style points, optimal familiar use, and a reason to have a dragon? Oh wow.

[Jack_Simth]

Having a single spell caster level lets you use spell trigger items without a UMD check. Even if it can't cast spells, it can bypass the UMD requirements.
You don't actually need the caster level for Spell Trigger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#spellTrigger) items like wands and staves:
Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.) The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. (emphasis added)

So that Wyrmling Blue, Red, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, or Silver dragon can use wands of sorcerer spells or Cleric spells (plus domain spells, dependent on the variety). The other Core True Dragons (and many of the non-core ones) can all do wands of Sorcerer spells, no problems.