View Full Version : Improving existing familiars
incog64
2023-06-20, 03:05 PM
I am looking to improve to get a better familiar as I progress levels but the penalty for dismissing a familiar is pretty painful. How do manage this? It seems kind of silly to allow for upgrading familiars but at such a steep cost.
Thanks in advance.
Gruftzwerg
2023-06-20, 05:28 PM
Changeling Wizard has an ACF that solves the problem.
Alternatively druids can get an Urban Companion which is basically a familiar with 3/4 hp of the master and without the downside of losing XP on death. You can get a new one within 24h.
MaxiDuRaritry
2023-06-20, 05:49 PM
Cast (or pay for a casting of) polymorph any object to turn the familiar into the kind you want? Alternatively, if you've got a lot of money, purchase a psychoactive skin of proteus to give to your familiar, so it's whatever kind of creature (or object) it wants to be or you want it to be.
Thurbane
2023-06-20, 06:05 PM
If you take 2 levels in Diabolist, you get an Imp familiar that comes along, eats your existing familiar, and replaces it.
Demonologist does similar with a Quasit, but has it's own casting progression rather than improving existing casting.
Bullet06320
2023-06-20, 06:15 PM
https://web.archive.org/web/20161101150926/http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011020a
theres always the planar familar option
FactualArcher
2023-06-20, 06:20 PM
You could take Arcane Hierophant to combine an animal companion with your familiar
incog64
2023-06-21, 09:13 AM
Changeling Wizard has an ACF that solves the problem.
Alternatively druids can get an Urban Companion which is basically a familiar with 3/4 hp of the master and without the downside of losing XP on death. You can get a new one within 24h.
Thanks. This is very helpful.
Metastachydium
2023-06-21, 12:27 PM
If you take 2 levels in Diabolist, you get an Imp familiar that comes along, eats your existing familiar, and replaces it.
I never thought I'd ever find anything that'd convince me to take a stupid cat as a familiar, so, like, thank you!
Troacctid
2023-06-21, 01:55 PM
Improved Familiar also has the ability to improve the ability granted to you by your existing familiar. Dragon #331, page 93.
ShurikVch
2023-06-21, 03:37 PM
Some other ideas:
Fleshwarper PrC 4 - Aberrant Familiar: +1 size...
Inherent bonuses (from Wish/Miracle, Tomes, or fruits from Mottlegrasp's Orchard)
Grafts - most of Familiars are living creatures
Green Rapture (Dragon #358) - Pseudonatural template (non-[epic] version)
Awaken Magical Beast (Dragon #304) - most of Familiars are Magical Beasts; combine with Ray of Stupidity for repeated uses (quasi-infinite loop - but have XP cost)
Thurbane
2023-06-21, 08:11 PM
In a similar vein to Fleshwarper, Fiend Blooded applies the Fiendish (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/fiendishCreature.htm) template to your familiar.
Jay R
2023-06-21, 11:35 PM
The proper cost for a better familiar than a 1st level wizard gets isn't the penalty for losing the old familiar. It's not taking a familiar at all until you can get the one you want.
Bonzai
2023-06-22, 09:00 PM
Some fun things I have done is spell stitched a stitched flesh familiar. As a fleshwarper I have given my familiar aberrant grafts. Both added some fun utility to them.
Bronk
2023-06-27, 08:30 AM
https://web.archive.org/web/20161101150926/http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011020a
theres always the planar familar option
Also the elemental familiar...
https://web.archive.org/web/20161101150805/http://archive.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011109a
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