Worsened Familiar - a new feat

[Jon_Dahl]

Worsened Familiar [general]

Some spellcasters do not know if they want to have a familiar or not. Some already have one, but may start to regret their choice. In such cases, these spellcasters want find some alternative how to handle the situation.

Prerequisites

Arcane caster level 6, ability to acquire a new familiar.

Benefit and hindrance

The spellcaster receives a new familiar that replaces the current one with no penalty. This familiar is some sort of diminutive bug with no attacks, special attack and special qualities. Its movement and climbing speed, flying speed or swim speed are/is 20 ft. It becomes a magical beast and follows the normal rules on familiars except as noted below.

It can never speak.

The master’s combined level in classes receive -4 penalty for the purposes of familiar abilities, AC and so forth.

If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the sorcerer, the sorcerer may roll the required Fortitude save three times and choose the highest roll. Furthermore, if the master succeeds in all three rolls, no XP will be deducted.

A familiar that does not move and is not moved in any way receives +4 on all skill checks, ability checks and saving throws.

If the familiar is left to guard an area, the master gains Toughness and Alertness feats for the next day per each full day the familiar has guarded a specific area.

[Arkhios]

Honestly, as a player I wouldn't touch this feat even with a 10-foot pole.

The feats are much more important to be wasted on not having a familiar. If you don't want a familiar, just don't summon one in the first place.


A sorcerer can obtain a familiar.
A wizard can obtain a familiar in exactly the same manner as a sorcerer can.

Note, the feature says "you can", not "you must".

[rferries]

Intriguing idea! As has been said it might be easier just to never summon a familiar instead, but if you were to provide some benefits to having a "worsened" familiar maybe the feat would be more appealing.

[bekeleven]

So if I ditch my familiar I get +3 hit points every day that it's gone?

Seems like a good deal. I like infinite health on a D4 chassis.

Then I realize this is basically saying "Hey DM, kill my familiar offscreen with no interaction because I have to leave it behind when adventuring or else I lose my HP."

[Jon_Dahl]

Thank you for the feedback, friends! Don't forget to review my other homebrew too, it's right on the first page.

[Zombimode]

Uhhh, why?

Cosidering the wealth of Alternative Class Feature that replace the Familiar, why would anyone ever take a friggin feat to soft-loose their familiar, instead of never having one and gaining the benefit of a cool ACF instead?

[Arkhios]

Uhhh, why?

Cosidering the wealth of Alternative Class Feature that replace the Familiar, why would anyone ever take a friggin feat to soft-loose their familiar, instead of never having one and gaining the benefit of a cool ACF instead?

My guess is that the OP haven't seen the Alternative Class Features before. Or has chosen not to allow everything outside the Player's Handbook (original) if he was the DM (which, if the case, is well within a DM's rights to do).