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Gorbash
2008-08-05, 06:08 PM
Lot of folks talk about the awesomeness of the familiars, how you can turn them into unstoppable monsters (polymorph etc) with Share Spells ability, but how is that possible since he can't move more than 5 feet away from you (or you from him)? Either are you stuck in one place, which usually sucks for a wizard who should move around the battlefield or you simply don't have the benefit of the share spells. So my question is, how is this abusable, since you're basically stuck in one place?

Orran
2008-08-05, 06:14 PM
Well familiars don't have to stay within 5ft of you all the time, and its fairly simple for them to sit on your shoulder if you do want them to.

Frosty
2008-08-05, 06:16 PM
Just cast Polymorph on your familiar and then polymorph on yourself.

Gorbash
2008-08-05, 06:24 PM
Well familiars don't have to stay within 5ft of you all the time, and its fairly simple for them to sit on your shoulder if you do want them to.

They have to if I want them to have the benefit of the share spells ability, since the spell stops working on them if they move more than 5 feet away.


Just cast Polymorph on your familiar and then polymorph on yourself.

You mean if I cast a spell on him than share it with myself, I don't have to stay within 5 ft of him?

Frosty
2008-08-05, 06:25 PM
They have to if I want them to have the benefit of the share spells ability, since the spell stops working on them if they move more than 5 feet away.



You mean if I cast a spell on him than share it with myself, I don't have to stay within 5 ft of him?

Don't Share Spells. Polymorph is a Touch range spell. Cast it on your familiar. Let it go off to beat face. You stay back and sling magic.

CASTLEMIKE
2008-08-05, 06:25 PM
One variant is to get an Animal Companion instead of a familiar.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard

ZekeArgo
2008-08-05, 07:08 PM
Nice little familiar writeup: Familiar Handbook (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=875062)

Deth Muncher
2008-08-05, 07:37 PM
Improved Familiar. (Hehe, if Arguskos see's this, it'll only reaffirm how much I love this feat.) Now, I've only had limited use of it, but you can get some GREAT familiars out of this. Like the Ghostly Visage from Fiend Folio. (Note: Evil) Basically, it's a symbiont (meaning it stays inside you), gives you Pro-Mind Affecting, and a Fear effect out to 30ft. Also, the familiar version is infinitely better than the regular version, because wild GVs have 1d12 HP, whereas familiars have half of yours. Plus its fear effect is based on HD, which are the same as yours.

Gorbash
2008-08-05, 07:46 PM
Well, I'm Chaotic Good, so I already chose the Coure Eladrin, although Lantern Archon is kinda cooler. And then I checked out this Familiar Handbook and what do you know, it's the best familiar you can get. :smallbiggrin: I'm not planing on using her (her name is Galatea) as a shapeshifting monster since I'll just keep her in a permanencied Familiar Pocket during the battles, since I don't want to lose xp in case she dies, I just wanted to know what happens to buffs I cast on myself if she flies off somewhere.

mabriss lethe
2008-08-05, 09:28 PM
small Hexblades, worg or hellhound familiar, mounted combat related feats and a good ride skill can make for a disgustingly good combat combination. Then add spellsharing for buffs and other fun. You'll be riding your familar so you rarely have to worry about it being more than 5 feet away. I ran a goblin hexblade like this for a while that was absolutely murderous.

Gorbash
2008-08-05, 09:47 PM
Yes, that is all good and fun but this is a topic about what happens when you have a tiny familiar who you won't be riding.

Sinfire Titan
2008-08-05, 09:54 PM
There is a feat in the Dragon Compendium that allows you to cast and share spells on your familiar from a mile away. Its called Enspelled Familiar, and it makes for a great Godzilla joke if you know Body of War and have the feat.


Imagine: Middle of Sharn, and there is a tiny bat or a snake or a frog in the road. All of a sudden, there is a Warforged Titan wreaking half the city while the mage makes the Duskblade look bad with Enspelled Familiar+Touch Spells+15ft melee reach.

Eldariel
2008-08-05, 10:10 PM
One of the better ways to use a Familiar is to take Improved Familiar and have it train Use Magic Device and use Wands et al. in combat while also acting as a healbot and so on. Basically an extra UMDer for the party. Of course, with small buff spells, you could easily turn it into a formidable combatant too.

negativity 101
2008-08-08, 09:55 PM
Use the spell Flame Whips on your familiar (Spell Compendium 4th lvl. spell) basically whatever your familiar uses as forelimbs becomes flaming whips that deal 6d6 dmg each on a touch attack with 15 ft reach.

Just let it sit on top of your head and deal fiery death all around :smallsmile: or let it stop those pesky fighters from charging you and disrupting your spells