LG Wizard looking for an improved/planar familiar

[schreier]

I am building a Wizard/Rainbow Servant, currently level 11. I've always liked the idea of a familiar, but sacrificed my original ability to get a familiar for eidetic spellcaster.

I have taken obtain familiar as a feat, and am looking at either improved familiar or planar familiar as my next feat.

If improved, I would go for a pseudodragon. If planar, I would go for a lantern archon.

They both seem pretty thematic and "cool." The dragon has claws, telepathy, a sting. The archon has unlimited teleport without error, a cool light, and some SLAs.

Can you equip the archon with any gear at all (like a possum pouch maybe?) They can touch things it seems, based on their teleport without error being able to bring along 50lbs of objects.

What pros/cons do people see between the two options? Alter self has some real possibilities for either (Dragon or outsider).

[cZak]

A pseudodragon kind of goes with the winged serpent aspect of the Rainbow servant
You get a critter that can utilize items, scout & looks really cool on your shoulder

The archon has a near 'hurt anything' button with it's ray attacks

But with the domains granted, maybe an arbiter inevitable?
Not very jungle/serpent-y, but it also has hands for items. It's SLA's seem to fit the thematics of the Rainbow.
And it's pretty darn difficult to kill with it DR & regen.


As a curiosity...
How does gaining domains on an arcane caster work?
Do you just get the powers?
Do you gain access to the granted spells; are they once per day or can you prep them in arcane slots?

[schreier]

What is an arbiter?

I like the serpent feel of the pseudodragon, no doubt, but the good nature of the archon is attractive as well

[schreier]

AAs a curiosity...
How does gaining domains on an arcane caster work?
Do you just get the powers?
Do you gain access to the granted spells; are they once per day or can you prep them in arcane slots?

Per Complete Divine:
"If a noncleric enters a prestige class that allows access to a domain .... [s]he can use the granted power bestowed by the domain normally."

The character gains access to the spells, and can only memorize/cast one domain spell of each level per day. If a sorcerer/favored soul selects a domain spell, she can use it freely without a 1/day limit. These spells, when cast by an arcane caster, remain arcane unless it says otherwise.

The rainbow servant, upon getting the full cleric spell access, gets access to the entire cleric class list. If the spell being cast is not available as arcane, then it is cast as divine in that case.

[Elkad]

If you want to put equipment on it, Pseudodragon.

Even if your DM gives you a few item slots on a Lantern, it's carry capacity is 2.25lbs.

Lantern is nice minor buffs for the party, pewpew l@zor attack, and all-purpose teleporting scout (though it can't hide, so it has to be fast). Generally a more-passive familiar.

Pseudodragon is good for delivering touch attacks (since it has 5' of reach), item slots (carrying 10lbs), general skillmonkeying (has hands), UMD item mechanic (even if "Speak With Master" doesn't give it speech at your table, you can get it a Pearl of Speech), and of course is a Dragon - for Polymorph shenanigans. Blindsense means it's hard to sneak up on you. Telepathy+Mindsight is even better. Better at not-getting-caught while scouting than the Lantern, not quite as good at getting away - though Fly:60 is solid.

Unless I needed a translator/messenger, I'd go with the Pseudodragon. But then I work my familiars pretty hard.

Or maybe Musteval Guardinal (BoED 173-174). Str7, dex18, humanoid form so gear all fits (Tiny, so 11.5lbs of gear at light load). Magic Missile and See Invis at will (CL3), plus a bunch of other stuff. No flight, and a mouseman may not fit your flavor, but they are nice.

[Thurbane]

What is an arbiter?

It appears to be a a Pathfinder creature: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/inevitable/inevitable-arbiter/

[cZak]

It appears to be a a Pathfinder creature: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/inevitable/inevitable-arbiter/

Yes
Sorry didn't realize was 3.5 altho should have with the PrC reference...

[Zaq]

Unless you're really confident in your abjurations and your "nope!" buttons, be extremely cautious when picking a familiar based on combat ability. A familiar that's directly contributing to combat is a target, and since replacing a fallen familiar is, shall we say, rather difficult, I personally get very antsy whenever a familiar might be considered to be a valid target. Especially if you're pouring multiple feats into the privilege of having the critter at all. That's a nontrivial portion of your build resources that are, you know, vulnerable.

Now, that doesn't mean that familiars aren't awesome. They are. But I'd lean well more towards picking a familiar based on utility rather than on what they do after initiative is rolled.

[KillianHawkeye]

I play a LG Wizard and have had a lantern archon familiar for the last few levels and let me tell you, it's pretty cool. Getting half of my (rather sizeable) hp pool shores up the most glaring weakness these little guys normally have, and the extra BAB is useful, too. But mainly, teleporting scout and at-will aid to buff everyone with temporary hit points, not to mention the permanent magic circle against evil? Definitely the best familiar and it perfectly fits my character.

[Elkad]

Unless you're really confident in your abjurations and your "nope!" buttons, be extremely cautious when picking a familiar based on combat ability. A familiar that's directly contributing to combat is a target, and since replacing a fallen familiar is, shall we say, rather difficult, I personally get very antsy whenever a familiar might be considered to be a valid target. Especially if you're pouring multiple feats into the privilege of having the critter at all. That's a nontrivial portion of your build resources that are, you know, vulnerable.

Now, that doesn't mean that familiars aren't awesome. They are. But I'd lean well more towards picking a familiar based on utility rather than on what they do after initiative is rolled.

I use mine all the time in combat Not my 3hp Rat at L1, but as soon as he can reliably survive a Goblin arrow, he's on the board.
Familiars with even minor buff support tend to have very high AC relative to the rest of the party, good Touch AC, plus their Evasion, shared Mirror Images, etc.

Just don't be afraid to have him run at the first hint he's a target.
If he's a mechanic, a Wand of Benign Transposition is an awesome escape tool. Keep it in his hand in combat (or spring sheath, etc), he'll never make the Grapple check to get it from his belt. Swap with a party member, and listen to the bad guy cry.
"No! Bad kitty! Let me go! I'm sorry I squeezed your little friend! I don't like grappling any more!"


I've had far closer calls while scouting alone. And the occasional familiar death. And one near TPK that went something like.
GM:OK, you guys are resting in a copse nearly a mile from the evil lair, while the Raven scouts. "He is projecting curiosity and caution." "Now he's projecting Danger." "Fear." "Pain!" "Terror and Exhaustion!" He appears. Not flying above the trees, but frantically dodging between them. As you all start to climb to your feet, a volley of tailspikes from the faster Manticores pacing him above the trees just misses him. Roll Initiative.

[Falontani]

Dragon Familiar with a gold/silver/platinum dragon would keep the theme of reptilian and give a high power familiar. However do not be afraid to use your familiar in combat. If you never use your familiar then you will always be wasting potential actions. With just a little effort your familiar can be a potent ally. Psychic Reformation your familiar to give it Mounted Combat, put a small "saddle" on yourself and let it ride you. If you have a ton of ranks in Ride then its hilariously

[Nifft]

Psychic Reformation your familiar to give it Mounted Combat, put a small "saddle" on yourself and let it ride you. If you have a ton of ranks in Ride then its hilariously

I bet there's a magic item that could give a familiar Mounted Combat.

You'd presumably want to take Ride yourself and share the ranks for it to benefit much, but that's doable.

Then you just need sufficiently advanced hairstyle products and your head can become a saddle until the next water-based encounter.

[schreier]

I like the dragon familiars, but not the fact that you lose them (they "age out" basically).

I haven't found anything about regular /improved familiars aging in 3.5, but I have found references in Tome and Blood.
"If the familiar has a shorter lifespan than the master, it ceases aging at its normal rate and instead ages at the standard rate for the master. If dismissed, it resumes its normal rate of aging but suffers no immediate ill effects. If the familiar has a longer lifespan than the master, it continues aging at its normal rate."

If you have a character like an elan, or one with Wedded to History feat, a familiar stops aging entirely? Since 3.5 hasn't overruled the Tome and Blood text, that's how I would read it.

And as far as combat vs. non-combat - I would definitely be willing to use them but careful not to overuse. I'm leaning towards the pseudodragon for now, mostly because of the lantern's lack of hands :)