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Baskineli
2007-05-03, 03:56 AM
This is the first time I play wizard, and I wonder, why do I need a familiar?

It is useless to deliver touch spells, since familiar can easily die.
What are his in-combat uses? And out of combat?


What familiar would you choose at level 1, and why?
Would you choose other familiar later on?

random11
2007-05-03, 04:06 AM
The best practical I found was inforamtion.
A cat/raven/whatever is usually less suspicious then a man, especially if that man is armed.

But there is also the "cool factor", that manages to climb above any practical use.

AmoDman
2007-05-03, 04:10 AM
You don't need a familiar. Check the 100s of variants out there. You'd probably have quickest access to the Unearthed Arcana familiar-less one, which is in the SRD.

They can, however, be useful...or detrimental. It's highly situational.

Charity
2007-05-03, 04:12 AM
To be honest, you don't need a familiar.
They are mostly useless and vulnerable.
If you want a familiar, because you like the idea, just pick one you like, I think Ravens can be taught to speak, so they might be moderatly more useful than the others, that or a weasel for reflex saves or a rat for fortitude.
The rest are distinctly Meh mechanically as far as I can see.

Yechezkiel
2007-05-03, 04:15 AM
No matter your alignment, you'll have someone to love you... for only 300gp to summon.

Miles Invictus
2007-05-03, 04:47 AM
And then, if your familiar dies, you lose craploads of experience, and can't summon one for another year. Meanwhile, druids get a new one for free, a day later...

Edo
2007-05-03, 05:51 AM
If you're a kobold, it helps to have a viper familiar.

I'm not going to say why, except that it starts with P.

JellyPooga
2007-05-03, 06:18 AM
You can't go wrong with a snake familiar...gotta love that +3 Bluff....hmm, just had a thought - Warlock + Beguiling Influence + Obtain Familiar + Snake Familiar = Bluffmeister

InaVegt
2007-05-03, 06:21 AM
If you're a kobold, it helps to have a viper familiar.

I'm not going to say why, except that it starts with P.

Godwin's law, the D&D version, has been applied very quickly this thread.

Otherwise, an improved familiar might be more to your tastes.

cupkeyk
2007-05-03, 06:47 AM
There a few:

1 Carrying a three feet by five feet mirror worth five thousand gold pieces is not easy. You can scry using your familiar instead.

2 You gain Alertness whenever they are within five feet of you. That's useful since they should never leave your side anyway and spot and listen are not class skill for wizards or sorcerors.

3. The spell Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability. This lets you cast two spells during the first round. Or four if you prepare a swift or quickened spell and imbue your familiar with another swift or quickened spell. Four spells are more than enough to end combat. Why waste time with defensive buffs when you can end combat in one round?

4. Some improved familiars are awesome. Ghostly Visage basically protects you from any mind affecting spell effects and lets you gain control of a low will save beast as your personal bodyguard. A Beholderkin Eyeball lets you cast touch spells as rays with a range of thirty. As Diminuative creatures with good dex you can be sure to hit most opponents. A worg familiar compensates for a small casters bad over-land speed but a mount or phantom steed spell is usually better.

5. Familiars are by default magical beasts and may have more exotic types like abberration, construct or undead, casting Alter Self and Enlarge Person opens a multitude of mobility possibilities.

6. Tenser's Transformation makes you a fighting machine but you lose your spellcasting abilities. So give it to your familiar instead. A worg with Tenser's Transformation and Improved Unarmed Strike is more than a viable tank.

PlatinumJester
2007-05-03, 07:07 AM
Familiars are considered emergency rations in party or bait.

Saph
2007-05-03, 07:10 AM
For a simple, useful familiar, take an owl.

Owls have a +14 to Listen, a +17 to Move Silently, and, in shadows, a +14 to Spot as well. Remember that this is at level 1 or 2. That's the best Listen/Spot score in the party - even a druid won't come close.

This makes owls great for sentry duty at night. They're nocturnal anyway, so just set them to keep watch and let them sleep the next day. Several times, my enchanter wizard's been caught out on her own and has had to camp alone in the wilderness. Each time, I just set my owl on watch and go to sleep. Works like a charm. Stopped me from being eaten by werewolves, once.

Owls work great as after-dark scouts, too. If you need to reconniter an area, just send your owl to fly around it. They're so quiet that they'll probably never be noticed, if they are noticed they don't look suspicious, and even if they're attacked they have a starting AC of 17 plus the familiar bonuses, which probably makes them tougher than you.

Once you get to higher levels, you get all sorts more options for your familiar, as cupkeyk listed, which range from the merely good (Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability) to the ridiculously cheesy (using the share spells ability and one of the Polymorph-type spells to turn both you and your familiar into giant deadly monsters with just one casting).

- Saph

Black Hand
2007-05-03, 08:35 AM
You know, Familiars are useful depending on how you play your wizard. If you are using a combat oriented wizard, you can probably do without.

But out of all the ones mentioned here, nobody has suggested the usefullness of the humble toad. They're small, they're naturally camoflagued, and are wicked lookouts. You're not goint to want to have 'Kermit' leap into the fray, but for scouting in or through small places toads can crawl in places even rats would have trouble squeezing through. Who needs them to talk to others? As long as they communicate with you you have a hidden pair of eyes whereever you want to put them.

jjpickar
2007-05-03, 08:43 AM
Unfortunately toads have a habit of stealing motor cars. I would prefer a much more sensible rat, mole, or badger to a toad. :smallwink:

Black Hand
2007-05-03, 08:53 AM
Stealing cars, heh heh.

They're hardy little buggers: Check this out (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/6618995.stm), and being amphibious is a boon too. Yeah they can't fly, but if you're a wizard that's only a minor inconvienience.

And so they're not cuddly, but on those days there's nothing to do you can lick you familiar and have a wicked trip. Licking a rat will only give you fleas.

Talya
2007-05-03, 09:06 AM
Is there any way to release a familiar to gain a new one without incurring any penalty?

Viscount Einstrauss
2007-05-03, 09:08 AM
As has been mentioned already, there are several good circumstances where a familiar can be an excellent tool. Besides that, though, it's a lot like owning a house in D&D- it can have some good benefits, sure, but you really got it just because it's cool to have your own place. Sometimes it's the little things that make playing D&D fun.

Nevar
2007-05-03, 10:03 AM
For me I use the familiar to get a better pet. But that's because I do Arcane Hierophant (Races of the Wild) Very awsome and fun class to play. Plus your Familiar/ Animal Companion really becomes another member of the party.

Indon
2007-05-03, 10:06 AM
You could grab Exalted Familiar out of the Book of Exalted Deeds, and then you can have a Lantern Archon (read: spy _and_ everburning torch) as a familiar.

Person_Man
2007-05-03, 10:12 AM
I think there are a variety of variant familiars that are the same as a minor magic item - a hummingbird that gives you +1 to your Dodge AC, a Hedgehog that gives you +1 to your natural armor, etc.

I like them mostly for roleplaying. Have your familiar scout for you, or get help when you're locked in a prison, or distract a guard when you need to sneak into town, etc.

Otherwise, they're useless. Any Wizard worth their spellbook will head into a prestige class after level 5. Prestige classes don't progress your familiar's bonuses. Thus, a familiar becomes even more useless once you hit mid levels.

Koji
2007-05-03, 10:19 AM
Once, my tiny viper killed a pair of gargoyles.

He was a very lucky snake.

the_tick_rules
2007-05-03, 10:25 AM
One use is for convenience and flavor. Wizards and such are known in historical settings for having small creature to fetch vials, books and being such helpers in their studies.

One is for spying. Like mentioned above a bat or snake may be better at sneaking and spying than the wizard himself.

There are familiar boosting feats. one feat (i think in complete warrior) allow your familiar to cast spells as a spell-like ability. it may take away from you, but your familiar can be made into a powerful combatant.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-05-03, 10:27 AM
Is there any way to release a familiar to gain a new one without incurring any penalty?

No, dismissing a familiar incurs the same penalties as if it dies, even if you want to acquire a new one through the Improved Familiar feat.

On another note, Animate Dead Familiar (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011209a) is good fun, if you are into stuff like that of course :smallwink:

Soepvork
2007-05-03, 11:31 AM
Just out of curiosity, are there any wizards in any fantasy setting that actually has a familiar (not counting books based on D&D of course). Merlin's owl? Harry Potter's owl? Gandalf's... hm... hobbit?

Fourth Tempter
2007-05-03, 11:40 AM
At its most basic, a familiar can provide you with a useful bonus (such as a rat's +2 on Fortitude saves) and never be heard of again as you neglect to mention him; it is presumed that he is somewhere in your pocket.

One can get significant mileage out of a familiar, however, with Complete Arcane's Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability spell, which will allow it to cast a few spells for you--this is essentially the same as quickening them, only you are not paying for it (beyond the slot you dedicate to Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability, that is)!

Additionally (and quite possible with nothing save the core books), if one's familiar is a Raven, it can speak a language. Familiars, one may note, share their master's skill ranks. Therefore, if a wizard takes the Loremaster prestige class, and invests in the Use Magic Device skill, his familiar will have his ranks. If it is a raven, it will be able to speak. Therefore, the raven can activate wands and some scrolls for its master with Use Magic Device.

Indon
2007-05-03, 11:44 AM
Just out of curiosity, are there any wizards in any fantasy setting that actually has a familiar (not counting books based on D&D of course). Merlin's owl? Harry Potter's owl? Gandalf's... hm... hobbit?

Merlin of Chaos (Chronicles of Amber, not to be confused with the Arthurian spellcaster) has a familiar; it's an intelligent magical item, though.

Hzurr
2007-05-03, 11:52 AM
Unfortunately toads have a habit of stealing motor cars. I would prefer a much more sensible rat, mole, or badger to a toad. :smallwink:

But come on! The toad was the only cool character from that entire book/movie. The other ones were 3 kinds of boring

Draz74
2007-05-03, 11:55 AM
Just out of curiosity, are there any wizards in any fantasy setting that actually has a familiar (not counting books based on D&D of course). Merlin's owl? Harry Potter's owl? Gandalf's... hm... hobbit?

Plenty, if you count literary witches as wizards.

Of course, most of them would be better represented as Adepts or Sorcerers (which also gain familiars), or Warlocks or whatever.

NEO|Phyte
2007-05-03, 12:02 PM
If if you could make one change to a familiar to increase its usefulness, I know exactly what my change would be.

Channel PowerSpell (Sp (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities))

If the owner is 15th level or higher, he can manifest powerscast spells through the psicrystalfamiliar to a distance of up to 1 mile. The psicrystalfamiliar is treated as the power’sspell's originator, and all ranges are calculated from its location.
When channeling a powerspell through his psicrystalfamiliar, the owner manifests the powercasts the spell by paying its power point costexpending the appropriate spell slot. He is still subject to attacks of opportunity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/attacksOfOpportunity.htm) and other hazards of manifesting a powercasting a spell, if applicable (for instance, he becomes visible when manifestingcasting an offensive powerspell if invisible (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#invisible), as does the psicrystalfamiliar).

NullAshton
2007-05-03, 12:05 PM
Familiars can be extremely useful as a scout. Don't want to leave someone to stay awake the whole night? Have your familiar stay in hiding a little ways away, telling it to wake you(through the empathic link) when it sees something. The bonuses are also fairly neat, nearly equivalent to a free skill focus feat. You also DO get a free skill feat when your familiar is 5 feet near you, namely the alertness feat. Extremely useful if you're, for example, an elf. Not that useful, but still kind of useful.

Also, familiars are a classic of D&D. There were some first edition D&D comics, I believe, where they have villains holding familiars hostage...

silentknight
2007-05-03, 12:33 PM
The party tracks down the evil wizard, defeats him, and then gags and binds him with rope. They then leave him in a corner while they search his mansion for valuables and magic. From under a nearby desk, a rat scurries to the wizards side and begins gnawing on the ropes binding him.

"Thank you, my familiar," the wizard thinks, "now to revenge myself upon those cursed adventurers!"

I actually used this in one of my games.

Jade_Tarem
2007-05-03, 12:47 PM
To be honest, you don't need a familiar.
They are mostly useless and vulnerable.

I think Draz 74 might disagree. :smalltongue:

Jimp
2007-05-03, 01:18 PM
Fun story about my familiar:
My sorcerer, who specialises in summoning, has a lizard familiar named Dingus The Lizard AKA Lemmywinks. He has become a handy micro-scout as I bought him a tiny helm that gives him darkvision and light like a bullseye torch (think Miner's Hat +1). He usually resides underneath my sorcerer's hat, on top of my head.
On the way back from a recent exploit the party is confronted by a strong group of bandits. Their warrior knocked me to the ground and prepares to bring her greataxe down into my face as I look up. Suddenly I unleash my secret weapon!
"LEMMYWINKS! GO FOR THE FACE!"
So Dingus The Lizard leaps out from underneath my hat (surprise attack since the warrior was not aware of him) and latches onto her face. She starts writhing about and tries to get him off of her face but he falls into her armor. She then drops her axe and starts taking off her armor trying to get the lizard out. This gave me a chance to let him deliver Hold on her and get things back under control.

My familiar is a pretty important party member in my group. He has many uses both in terms of RP and unleashing surprises.

blacksabre
2007-05-03, 01:34 PM
There a few:
6. Tenser's Transformation makes you a fighting machine but you lose your spellcasting abilities. So give it to your familiar instead. A worg with Tenser's Transformation and Improved Unarmed Strike is more than a viable tank.

This won't work they way you want it too..or is expensive or impractical..
wiz/Sorc would have to remain in melee range with the familiar...any Shared Spell ends its effects once the familiar gets more then 5 feet from the caster

According to RAW,
"If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the familiar if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the familiar again even if it returns to the master before the duration expires. Additionally, the master may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself."

The crux here is the "Additionally"..if the RAW said "However" then I can see the 5 foot rule being negated , but it didn't


Then on top of that,the components is a Bull str potion...300GP each..expensive for a rent-a-tank ..maybe situational circumtances, but not a viable standard tactic

Fourth Tempter
2007-05-03, 01:42 PM
Actually, Blacksabre, one may cast a Personal spell on one's familiar instead of one oneself, rather than sharing the spell. It is only shared spells that end if the familiar moves ten feet away.

An edit to respond to yours: why on earth would it say "however"? Nothing is being contradicted, here! The wizard's ability to cast personal spells on his familiar is in addition to his ability to share spells: it is another, separate, added ability, and there is no reason for it to obey the rules of the Share Spells ability--they are two different things.

blacksabre
2007-05-03, 01:50 PM
Well, like most diagreements with the RAW, it comes down to incorrect language being used..

The use of "Additionally", at the begining of a statement, means that the precedding statement also applies in conjunction with the following statement.

This is why written LAWS are complexly written, they are meant to avoid obscurity when they are interpreted by many different people.


To avoid this obscurity, the sentence,
The master may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself.

Should have been in its own paragraph, without a preceding "Additionally"

But hey, thats why there are house rules..If a player really wanted to do this, on a often basis, I would probably let him do it..but I would defeintly be enforceing the component costs

JellyPooga
2007-05-03, 01:58 PM
I once had a character (who's name eludes me now) who's developement resulted because of his Familiar.

He was a Kobold Bard/Sorcerer with a Weasel Familiar. Whilst reclaiming a castle from a band of Orcs for some guy, Mikkles (the weasel) was crushed in the mighty fist of a Troll we were fighting. The previously happy-go-lucky kobold I was playing, at the sight of his life-long friend being turned into little more than a pile of fur and goo, went into a rage and slew the troll after a titanic battle.

After the troll had been lain low, my character wept over the bloody remains of his friend and vowed to find a way to bring him back, devoting his life to the study of the dark arts of necromancy. From then on, he was a sombre figure, obsessed with searching out any information he could find about ressurecting the dead. Grossly, he preserved what remained of his familiar with judicious use of some Dust of Dryness and carried them around with him everywhere.

henebry
2007-05-03, 02:07 PM
No, dismissing a familiar incurs the same penalties as if it dies, even if you want to acquire a new one through the Improved Familiar feat.

And this is why the real cost of Imp Familiar isn't the feat, it's going without a familiar for five levels until you can qualify to the impr. fam.

Reptilius
2007-05-03, 02:08 PM
Grossly, he preserved what remained of his familiar with judicious use of some Dust of Dryness and carried them around with him everywhere.

Dude, that's nasty. I've only ever used a familiar for the +3 hp :smallbiggrin:. I'd always go for the toad.

Fourth Tempter
2007-05-03, 02:09 PM
No, it should not particularily have. I do not think that there is any real obscurity or ambiguity here beyond what you are creating.

Looking at the whole text more closely, the familiar has an ability entitled "Share Spells". This ability enables two separate things to happen.
"At the master’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect his familiar. The familiar must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the familiar if it moves farther than 5 feet away..."
The spell or effect refers to the spell or effect that is affecting both the master and his familiar. This is a caveat to the "you may cast a spell that affects you and your familiar both" ability.

The ability to cast personal spells on the familiar as Touch-range spells is a separate ability. It is described below the above caveat; were it meant to be limited in that manner, this ability would be described before the caveat; one would not even need that much text. Instead, it could read "...also affect his familiar, or affect his familiar only" and that would be that.

There is no need for a new paragraph. It is made clear that this part of the Share Spells description is a separate, additional ability.

blacksabre
2007-05-03, 02:22 PM
No, it should not particularily have. I do not think that there is any real obscurity or ambiguity here beyond what you are creating.

Looking at the whole text more closely, the familiar has an ability entitled "Share Spells". This ability enables two separate things to happen.
"At the master’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect his familiar. The familiar must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the familiar if it moves farther than 5 feet away..."
The spell or effect refers to the spell or effect that is affecting both the master and his familiar. This is a caveat to the "you may cast a spell that affects you and your familiar both" ability.

The ability to cast personal spells on the familiar as Touch-range spells is a separate ability. It is described below the above caveat; were it meant to be limited in that manner, this ability would be described before the caveat; one would not even need that much text. Instead, it could read "...also affect his familiar, or affect his familiar only" and that would be that.

There is no need for a new paragraph. It is made clear that this part of the Share Spells description is a separate, additional ability.

I'll agree on the spirit of the ability..but we'll have to disagree on the way the rule is written.

After spending thousands of hours proof reading bills prior to them getting voted on by congress, I can tell you, the use of additionally here is improper.

Jack_Simth
2007-05-03, 04:55 PM
At low levels, a familiar can be great, core, as either Scouts or Sentries: Bat (Sentry): Blindsense-20. Have fun sneaking up on the Wizard. As soon as you're within that 20 feet, you're auto-discovered, no save, no skill check. (outside Core, there's a few things you can do to get around it at low levels - and do keep in mind that a rogue can sneak attack with a bow at 30 feet....). Decent Spot and Listen check, too (+8) and a very good Hide (+14), but only a mediocre Move Silently (+6). Cat: Great Hide Check (+16, +20 in grass/heavy undergrowth), reasonable Move Silently (+8), but poor Spot/Listen (+3). Handy scout if you're not worried that the poeple you might be looking for are hiding. Hawk: Hard to beat that +16 Spot check. Not good for much else, though. Lizard: Meh, not so much, unless you're into rock climbing or something. Owl: This is the real night sentry - in shadowy illumination, Listen/Spot +16 (spot only +8 in normal light), and also makes a good scout (Owls aren't particularly suspicious at night, +17 Move Silently, and a +11 Hide (untrained). Rat: Has a Great Hide check (+16), a reasonable Move Silently (+12), and can both swim and climb - which means the rat can go almost anywhere, and makes a very useful scout. Practically blind and deaf, though (untrained Spot/Listen at +1). Raven: Can talk to others. This is their only real advantage - as an intelligent messenger (and the fly speed helps with that). With ranks in Use Magic Device, can deal with wands for you. Snake: Has the Rat's movement modes, and a reasonable Hide (+15), with useable spot/listen (+6), but is liable to be heard (untrained Move Silently of +3). The poison can occasionally be useful if your DM lets you milk it, and you don't mind the little fact that poison use is pretty much spelled out as evil. And can deal with fumbles. Toad: The highest Hide check (+21). And it's amphibious. But that's about all you can really say about it in 3.5 (although +3 HP do help at level 1). Weasel: A slightly faster rat that can't swim, and isn't as good at hiding. When you get outside Core, Imbue Familiar With Spell Ability is basically another version of Quicken Spell - that takes a different kind of action. The familiar of a Great Wyrm with a single level in Sorcerer is a challenging encounter in and of itself (and you probably don't want to win by killing the little thing, if you know who it's master is...).

bedablachem
2007-05-03, 07:40 PM
Additionally (and quite possible with nothing save the core books), if one's familiar is a Raven, it can speak a language. Familiars, one may note, share their master's skill ranks. Therefore, if a wizard takes the Loremaster prestige class, and invests in the Use Magic Device skill, his familiar will have his ranks. If it is a raven, it will be able to speak. Therefore, the raven can activate wands and some scrolls for its master with Use Magic Device.This is one thing I've never understood - why is the raven familiar able to speak? The base animal doesn't have any ability that would imply this, and if the raven gets the bonus because it's a familiar, shouldn't other familiars get it as well?

Kyace
2007-05-03, 07:44 PM
This is one thing I've never understood - why is the raven familiar able to speak? The base animal doesn't have any ability that would imply this, and if the raven gets the bonus because it's a familiar, shouldn't other familiars get it as well?
Four words: Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

JaronK
2007-05-03, 07:46 PM
You can deliver buffs at long range through familiars by putting your familiar on a party-mate. That's quite useful. It's a good reason for a Bard to use Obtain Familiar, as he can now heal the tank at long range... a Wizard with Arcane Disciple: Healing Domain can likewise pull off this trick.

Heck, go nuts: Wizard 15/War Weaver 5 with the Healing domain makes an incredibly good healer, if you can take a feat to allow you to default to domain spells...

JaronK

Innis Cabal
2007-05-03, 07:47 PM
you always need a cute cuddly pet to have warm your lap when you are researching that 9th level spell

Kyace
2007-05-03, 08:17 PM
bedablachem, thinking about it more, I think the reason why ravens familiars can speak is that they have both an int greater than 2 and the physical ability to make human speech. A parrot familiar would be able to speak as well for the same reason. Most familiars are smart enough to speak, but lack the physical abilities to make the sounds. Normal ravens and parrots have the ability to mimic human speech but lack the int of at least 3 needed for humanlike intelligence.

If you want to really confuse people, you could argue that monkey familiars could learn drow sign language. Now, just to find rules for monkey familiars.

Jack_Simth
2007-05-03, 08:20 PM
This is one thing I've never understood - why is the raven familiar able to speak? The base animal doesn't have any ability that would imply this, and if the raven gets the bonus because it's a familiar, shouldn't other familiars get it as well?
Same reason a Toad gives you +3 HP or a rat gives you a +2 bonus to Fort saves. It's the critter's special ability.

Mewtarthio
2007-05-03, 09:09 PM
He was a Kobold Bard/Sorcerer with a Weasel Familiar. Whilst reclaiming a castle from a band of Orcs for some guy, Mikkles (the weasel) was crushed in the mighty fist of a Troll we were fighting. The previously happy-go-lucky kobold I was playing, at the sight of his life-long friend being turned into little more than a pile of fur and goo, went into a rage and slew the troll after a titanic battle.

Kobold Bard/Sorceror? Titanic Battle? I have never heard those two phrases used in the same paragraph, except maybe to say "A kobold Bard/Sorceror did not participate in the titanic battle."


After the troll had been lain low, my character wept over the bloody remains of his friend and vowed to find a way to bring him back, devoting his life to the study of the dark arts of necromancy. From then on, he was a sombre figure, obsessed with searching out any information he could find about ressurecting the dead. Grossly, he preserved what remained of his familiar with judicious use of some Dust of Dryness and carried them around with him everywhere.

I take it the usual Cleric + Diamonds method was houseruled out.

Macrovore
2007-05-03, 09:52 PM
Just out of curiosity, are there any wizards in any fantasy setting that actually has a familiar (not counting books based on D&D of course). Merlin's owl? Harry Potter's owl? Gandalf's... hm... hobbit?

IMO, gandalf is an arcane heirophant with shadowfax as his companion/familiar.

but why have a familiar when you can be a conjurer and get abrupt jaunt?

Construct
2007-05-04, 02:46 AM
You can't go wrong with a snake familiar...gotta love that +3 Bluff....
http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs9/i/2006/146/8/a/_milklaugh__by_darkmoon3636.gif
Someone took ranks in Craft (Disturbing Mental Image) last level...

cupkeyk
2007-05-04, 06:30 AM
Speaking of speaking familiars like parrots and ravens, they can activate spell completion magic devices normally as a standard action.

Soepvork
2007-05-04, 08:57 AM
IMO, gandalf is an arcane heirophant with shadowfax as his companion/familiar.

but why have a familiar when you can be a conjurer and get abrupt jaunt?

as a matter of fact, I am convinced (after the movies) that Gandalf is a ..... paladin! Just add it all up: Lawful Stupid, front line fighter, summoning a mount. "Spells" we have seen him used: Something light-ish when entering Moria (Daylight?) and something heal-ish after Merry/Pippin (I could never keep them apart) looked into the palantir (Lay on hands/restoration/cure ... wounds?).

But I guess G's class isn't the debate on hand here :)

AtomicKitKat
2007-05-04, 11:55 AM
One change I would put for Familiars is to replace "Year" with "Date" with regards to Familiar death. Asking a PC to wait a year to regain their class feature(albeit a relatively minor one) is ridiculous. Oh well. At least it's not Remove Disease 1/week. *twitch*

JellyPooga
2007-05-04, 12:09 PM
Kobold Bard/Sorceror? Titanic Battle? I have never heard those two phrases used in the same paragraph, except maybe to say "A kobold Bard/Sorceror did not participate in the titanic battle."

Oh, o.k. the titanic bettle was more between the parties Ranger and the Troll, whilst I ineffectually tried to help out with my pathetically low-level spells.


I take it the usual Cleric + Diamonds method was houseruled out.

Well, we were only about lvl 4-5 at the time, so even if we had a Cleric in the party, forking out 5,000gp or whatever it is to res him would have been right out, before even considering whether he could cast it or whether we'd have to find someone to do it for us...it also made for a good character turn-around developement as he went from a happy-go-lucky Sorcerer/Bard to a sombre bookish Sorcerer/Bard/Cleric (not exactly the most optimal character build, but that wasn't the point).

I ended up retiring the character because he was a little too sub-optimal for the game as time went by. He was replaced by a pacifist half-ogre monk.

bedablachem
2007-05-04, 06:52 PM
bedablachem, thinking about it more, I think the reason why ravens familiars can speak is that they have both an int greater than 2 and the physical ability to make human speech. A parrot familiar would be able to speak as well for the same reason. Most familiars are smart enough to speak, but lack the physical abilities to make the sounds. Normal ravens and parrots have the ability to mimic human speech but lack the int of at least 3 needed for humanlike intelligence.

If you want to really confuse people, you could argue that monkey familiars could learn drow sign language. Now, just to find rules for monkey familiars.Good thinking, but then, why is it's ability to speak supernatural? It should be completely natural for such an animal to be able to speak.


Same reason a Toad gives you +3 HP or a rat gives you a +2 bonus to Fort saves. It's the critter's special ability.
Notice that the raven has a special ability: +3 Appraise.



He was replaced by a pacifist half-ogre monk.Pacifist? Half-ogre? I have never heard those two phrases used... :smalltongue:

Mewtarthio
2007-05-04, 08:58 PM
One change I would put for Familiars is to replace "Year" with "Date" with regards to Familiar death. Asking a PC to wait a year to regain their class feature(albeit a relatively minor one) is ridiculous. Oh well. At least it's not Remove Disease 1/week. *twitch*

What? So Wizard must wait "A date and a day" before replacing their familiars? Does this mean that Mister Book has to actually get out and meet a girl? :smallamused:

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By the way, JellyPooga, you make some very... interesting characters.

On an entirely separate note, I am now seeing the code as I type for some reason, such that :smallamused: shows up :smallamused: in my window.

Latronis
2007-05-04, 10:30 PM
because its cute and fluffy

or slimy and replusive



If you want to really confuse people, you could argue that monkey familiars could learn drow sign language. Now, just to find rules for monkey familiars.

that's easy

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/monkey.htm

and it grants the wizard +1 bonus to ranged attack rolls :smallbiggrin:

Jack_Simth
2007-05-04, 11:03 PM
Notice that the raven has a special ability: +3 Appraise.Yeah - but how often do you use Appraise as compared to, say, Spot? Or Fort/Ref saves?