Thistle
2007-08-27, 09:23 PM
I find most familiar's kind of dull and don't interact very much unless they are needed for a spot check or something. So I did this to try to fix it. Submitted for your comments. What do you think?
Normal familiars are linked to their mages in such a way that they are almost one being. However there is a different way of obtaining a familiar. Some mages instead of linking a normal creature to themselves, they instead cause magic to manifest as an independent creature. While not as connected to them as normal, the familiar has a deeper connection to magic and can enhance a mage's spells with that understanding.
These types of familiars are highly independent and tend to have opinions of their own. Should a conversation be going on they will want to be included. They know their value to their masters and will refuse assistance if they feel they are being ignored or used purely for their abilities. If a familiar suggests a spell be cast during a battle and its comment is ignored, it may choose to not help preform a ritual or end a ritual early causing the spell to be lost. They tend to be slightly reckless given their rejuvination ablility. Most are not content to sit quietly on their masters shoulder.
Obtaining a familiar such as this requires 35 hours, 200gp, and the improved familiar feat. However the ritual must take place over the course of a lunar cycle. Seven hours of ritual must be preformed during the new moon, the quarter moon, the full moon, the second quarter moon and again on the new moon. At the completion of the ritual the mage must channel all avalible spell slots he has to create the familiar. To maintain the familiar afterwards requires one spell level per hit die of the familiar to be channeled every day at dawn. Should a familiar not recieve these spell levels it loses all abilities (except Int, Improved evasion and Speak with master) and becomes sickened. If the spells are channeled later in the day the familiar is no longer sickened but can still not use abilities until the next day. If a familiar goes without having spell levels channeled to it for two days, it dies and the mage is subject to xp lose as normal.
A familiar can take the appearance of any animal normally available as a familiar. It has the feats of the normal animal, but is treated as a magical beast. A familiar can change its appearance 1/week. Doing so takes one minute.
Familiar Basics: Use the basic stats for a creature of the familiar’s current kind, but make the following changes.
Hit Die: Familiars have Hit Die equal to the master’s caster level The familiar only gains HD from caster levels gained by the class granting the familiar.
Hit points: The familiar gains d8+Con modifier hit points per Hit Die.
Attack: Base attack bonus is equal to ľ the familiars hit die (as cleric).Use the familiar’s Dex or Str bonus (which ever is higher), to get the melee attack bonus with natural weapons. Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar’s current kind.
Saving Throws: A familiar has base saving throws based on its hit die. Its good saves are Fort and Ref, its bad saving throw is Will.
Skills: A familiar’s skills do not change with its form (though racial bonuses do). A familiar gains 2+Int mod of skill points per hit die.
Class skills are Balance, Climb, Concentration, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Move Silently
Feats: A familiar does not gain feats from its hit die, only those granted by its current form.
Familiar
{table=head]Hit Die|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|Deflection Bonus, Int, Improved Evasion, Speak with Master, Rejuvenation
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+0|
3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+1|Deliver touch spells
4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|
5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|Ritual Metamagic
6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+2|
7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+2|
8th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+2|
9th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+3|
10th|
+7|
+7|
+7|
+3|Spell Resistance, Metamagic Points (4)
11th|
+8|
+7|
+7|
+3|
12th|
+9|
+8|
+8|
+4|
13th|
+9|
+8|
+8|
+4|
14th|
+10|
+9|
+9|
+4|
15th|
+11|
+9|
+9|
+5| One with Magic, Metamagic Points (6)
16th|
+12|
+10|
+10|
+5|
17th|
+12|
+10|
+10|
+5|
18th|
+13|
+11|
+11|
+6|
19th|
+14|
+11|
+11|
+6|
20th|
+15|
+12|
+12|
+6|Metamagic Points (8) [/table]
Deflection Bonus (Su) – This represents the familiar’s innate ability to control magical energy around it in order to protect itself. It is equal to half its HD rounded up.
Int – The familiar’s Int score starts at 10. It increases by one at 3 HD and every other HD after that. A familiar gains skill points retroactively for increased Int bonus.
Improved evasion (Ex) – As normal familiar ability
Speak with Master (Ex) – As normal familiar ability
Rejuvenation (Su) – A familiar that dies reforms from a mage's ambient magic on the next new moon and thus does not require a Fort save from the mage if it dies. Spells must still be channeled daily to maintain the rejuvenating familiar and at the new moon all spell slots must be sacrificed to reform the familiar. However, its nature prevents it from being raised before this time. (A familiar that dies because the spell levels were not channeled to it cannot rejuvenate.)
Deliver touch spells (Su) – As normal familiar ability
Ritual Metamagic (Sp) – At 5th level a familiar can help his master perform metamagic spontaneously and without increasing spell level. In order to do this the mage must know the metamagic feat*, the familiar must be within 10 feet, and the familiar must have enough ritual metamagic points. A familiar has 2 points/5 Hit Die.
Each metamagic point counts as one increase in spell level. Thus with 2 points the ritual could be used to Empower a spell, Silent and Still a spell, or Heighten a spell by two levels*.
A ritual takes a number of casting times equal to the number of points spent plus one. For spells with casting times shorter than one round increase their casting time to one round. For example: A widened Antipathy (casting time 1 hour) would take 4 hours to cast in this manner. Three rounds for the points used to widen the spell and then one more hour of standard casting time.
A widened Antimagic field (casting time 1 standard action) would take 4 rounds. Since the spell's casting time is less than one round the ritual increases its casting time to one round. So three rounds for the points used to widen the spell and then one more round of increased casting time.
Should either the master or the familiar be forced to stop casting a ritual, from failing a Concentration check or being grappled for example, the spell is lost.
*A metamagic ritual can be used to Empower, Enlarge, Extend, Fortify (+2 CL to bypass spell resistance per spell level increased), Heighten, Maximize, Silent, Still, or Widen a spell.
*You can only use 1 point/5 HD on any one spell.
Spell Resistance (Ex) – At tenth level a familiar gains spell resistance equal to 10+the master’s caster level.
One with Magic (Su) – At fifteenth level a familiar gains the ability to merge with the magic all around them as a move action. The familiar becomes incorporeal, and immune any magical effects allowing spell resistance for 1 round/5 Hit Die/day. It can also attempt to counter any spell or spell-like ability as if the familiar had the correct spell prepared while One with Magic.
Normal familiars are linked to their mages in such a way that they are almost one being. However there is a different way of obtaining a familiar. Some mages instead of linking a normal creature to themselves, they instead cause magic to manifest as an independent creature. While not as connected to them as normal, the familiar has a deeper connection to magic and can enhance a mage's spells with that understanding.
These types of familiars are highly independent and tend to have opinions of their own. Should a conversation be going on they will want to be included. They know their value to their masters and will refuse assistance if they feel they are being ignored or used purely for their abilities. If a familiar suggests a spell be cast during a battle and its comment is ignored, it may choose to not help preform a ritual or end a ritual early causing the spell to be lost. They tend to be slightly reckless given their rejuvination ablility. Most are not content to sit quietly on their masters shoulder.
Obtaining a familiar such as this requires 35 hours, 200gp, and the improved familiar feat. However the ritual must take place over the course of a lunar cycle. Seven hours of ritual must be preformed during the new moon, the quarter moon, the full moon, the second quarter moon and again on the new moon. At the completion of the ritual the mage must channel all avalible spell slots he has to create the familiar. To maintain the familiar afterwards requires one spell level per hit die of the familiar to be channeled every day at dawn. Should a familiar not recieve these spell levels it loses all abilities (except Int, Improved evasion and Speak with master) and becomes sickened. If the spells are channeled later in the day the familiar is no longer sickened but can still not use abilities until the next day. If a familiar goes without having spell levels channeled to it for two days, it dies and the mage is subject to xp lose as normal.
A familiar can take the appearance of any animal normally available as a familiar. It has the feats of the normal animal, but is treated as a magical beast. A familiar can change its appearance 1/week. Doing so takes one minute.
Familiar Basics: Use the basic stats for a creature of the familiar’s current kind, but make the following changes.
Hit Die: Familiars have Hit Die equal to the master’s caster level The familiar only gains HD from caster levels gained by the class granting the familiar.
Hit points: The familiar gains d8+Con modifier hit points per Hit Die.
Attack: Base attack bonus is equal to ľ the familiars hit die (as cleric).Use the familiar’s Dex or Str bonus (which ever is higher), to get the melee attack bonus with natural weapons. Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar’s current kind.
Saving Throws: A familiar has base saving throws based on its hit die. Its good saves are Fort and Ref, its bad saving throw is Will.
Skills: A familiar’s skills do not change with its form (though racial bonuses do). A familiar gains 2+Int mod of skill points per hit die.
Class skills are Balance, Climb, Concentration, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Listen, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Move Silently
Feats: A familiar does not gain feats from its hit die, only those granted by its current form.
Familiar
{table=head]Hit Die|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+0|Deflection Bonus, Int, Improved Evasion, Speak with Master, Rejuvenation
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+0|
3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+1|Deliver touch spells
4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|
5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+1|Ritual Metamagic
6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+2|
7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+2|
8th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+2|
9th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+3|
10th|
+7|
+7|
+7|
+3|Spell Resistance, Metamagic Points (4)
11th|
+8|
+7|
+7|
+3|
12th|
+9|
+8|
+8|
+4|
13th|
+9|
+8|
+8|
+4|
14th|
+10|
+9|
+9|
+4|
15th|
+11|
+9|
+9|
+5| One with Magic, Metamagic Points (6)
16th|
+12|
+10|
+10|
+5|
17th|
+12|
+10|
+10|
+5|
18th|
+13|
+11|
+11|
+6|
19th|
+14|
+11|
+11|
+6|
20th|
+15|
+12|
+12|
+6|Metamagic Points (8) [/table]
Deflection Bonus (Su) – This represents the familiar’s innate ability to control magical energy around it in order to protect itself. It is equal to half its HD rounded up.
Int – The familiar’s Int score starts at 10. It increases by one at 3 HD and every other HD after that. A familiar gains skill points retroactively for increased Int bonus.
Improved evasion (Ex) – As normal familiar ability
Speak with Master (Ex) – As normal familiar ability
Rejuvenation (Su) – A familiar that dies reforms from a mage's ambient magic on the next new moon and thus does not require a Fort save from the mage if it dies. Spells must still be channeled daily to maintain the rejuvenating familiar and at the new moon all spell slots must be sacrificed to reform the familiar. However, its nature prevents it from being raised before this time. (A familiar that dies because the spell levels were not channeled to it cannot rejuvenate.)
Deliver touch spells (Su) – As normal familiar ability
Ritual Metamagic (Sp) – At 5th level a familiar can help his master perform metamagic spontaneously and without increasing spell level. In order to do this the mage must know the metamagic feat*, the familiar must be within 10 feet, and the familiar must have enough ritual metamagic points. A familiar has 2 points/5 Hit Die.
Each metamagic point counts as one increase in spell level. Thus with 2 points the ritual could be used to Empower a spell, Silent and Still a spell, or Heighten a spell by two levels*.
A ritual takes a number of casting times equal to the number of points spent plus one. For spells with casting times shorter than one round increase their casting time to one round. For example: A widened Antipathy (casting time 1 hour) would take 4 hours to cast in this manner. Three rounds for the points used to widen the spell and then one more hour of standard casting time.
A widened Antimagic field (casting time 1 standard action) would take 4 rounds. Since the spell's casting time is less than one round the ritual increases its casting time to one round. So three rounds for the points used to widen the spell and then one more round of increased casting time.
Should either the master or the familiar be forced to stop casting a ritual, from failing a Concentration check or being grappled for example, the spell is lost.
*A metamagic ritual can be used to Empower, Enlarge, Extend, Fortify (+2 CL to bypass spell resistance per spell level increased), Heighten, Maximize, Silent, Still, or Widen a spell.
*You can only use 1 point/5 HD on any one spell.
Spell Resistance (Ex) – At tenth level a familiar gains spell resistance equal to 10+the master’s caster level.
One with Magic (Su) – At fifteenth level a familiar gains the ability to merge with the magic all around them as a move action. The familiar becomes incorporeal, and immune any magical effects allowing spell resistance for 1 round/5 Hit Die/day. It can also attempt to counter any spell or spell-like ability as if the familiar had the correct spell prepared while One with Magic.