Optimizing a Dweomercat Cub Familiar

[(Un)Inspired]

I have a player that's interested in grabbing a dweomercat cub for his familiar in a 3.P game. Here a link to it:

Dweomercat Cub (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/magical-beasts/dweomercat/dweomercat-cub)

It seems kinda cool but not inherantly powerful at all. I'd like to give him some tips on how to make it useful but I'm not sure what to suggest.

He's got 7 levels of wizard so far. If I was gonna take this familiar I would probably bump up my bab and give it piranha strikes to try and increase its Dweomer Leap ability. The player seems utterly uninterested is taking any bab-enhancing prestige classes however...

What would you do to get the most bang for your buck out of a Dweomercat familiar? I would advise him to take a more useful familiar like an imp or even to spend his feat on something other than improved familiar but he's a wizard, it's not exactly like he's hurting for power.

[Nihilarian]

A) Buff it to ridiculous extremes. Make it huge sized with acid dripping from its teeth and laser beam eyes.
B) Take a look at Familiar archetypes (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/familiar/familiar-archetypes) and feats, see if there's anything in there you like.

[(Un)Inspired]

How do you make a magical animal Huge sized?

[Nihilarian]

How do you make a magical animal Huge sized?Hyperbole.

[(Un)Inspired]

What book is that spell in?

Edit: Just kidding of course. I realized that my comment makes me look like I'm mentally disadvantaged.

[Nihilarian]

What book is that spell in?

Edit: Just kidding of course. I realized that my comment makes me look like I'm mentally disadvantaged.No worries.

On further reflection I realized that Beast Shape III ought to work, so not as hyperbole as I thought.

[(Un)Inspired]

Wouldn't beast shape make the Dweomercat loose its Dweomer Leap ability cause it's turning into a different monster?

[Averis Vol]

He's a wizard, he doesn't need anything stronger then a normal familiar.

[(Un)Inspired]

He's a wizard, he doesn't need anything stronger then a normal familiar.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Nihilarian]

Wouldn't beast shape make the Dweomercat loose its Dweomer Leap ability cause it's turning into a different monster?Yep. Dweomer Leap is a nice ability, but it relies on the enemy's actions. And if that enemy is a spellcaster, it could easily have the knowledge skills to recognize something that will maul his face if he tries casting directly on it. So overall, I'm not too worried about losing it.

[(Un)Inspired]

Yep. Dweomer Leap is a nice ability, but it relies on the enemy's actions. And if that enemy is a spellcaster, it could easily have the knowledge skills to recognize something that will maul his face if he tries casting directly on it. So overall, I'm not too worried about losing it.

That's a good point. I guess my thought process was that he could keep the cat near him in combat and it would ward enemies away from casting area effect spells at him because they would want to avoid getting pounced.

[Nihilarian]

That's a good point. I guess my thought process was that he could keep the cat near him in combat and it would ward enemies away from casting area effect spells at him because they would want to avoid getting pounced.That's fair, but if the cat's just going to sit there, there's no reason to buff it that much. Remember, the wizard shouldn't be near melee most of the time.

[(Un)Inspired]

Oh man, F melee. I was thinking the cat could sit next to the wizard and anytime someone tried to web or grease or fireball the wizard the cat would get to teleport and wreck his sandwich before he gets to cast the spell.

I was just hoping the cat could be enough of a threat that people will actually think twice before including it (and the wizard) in any area spells.

[Nihilarian]

Oh man, F melee. I was thinking the cat could sit next to the wizard and anytime someone tried to web or grease or fireball the wizard the cat would get to teleport and wreck his sandwich before he gets to cast the spell.

I was just hoping the cat could be enough of a threat that people will actually think twice before including it (and the wizard) in any area spells.There is zero amount of magical teleporting mini tiger I am comfortable mauling me. You're probably fine on that front.

Regardless, no subtle buffs. Take the Evolved Familiar feat and give it tentacles. Maybe use Beast Shape III to turn it into an adult Dweomercat? I think it still technically loses Dweomer Leap though.