V's new familiar?

[Optimystik]

At the end of 599, Kubota's imp is making a beeline for V. I hypothesize that he will ingratiate himself into V's service and replace that bungling bird as his familiar.

Reasons:


V has no strong attachments to his familiar - It tried to eat him on one occasion, and he placed it in harm's way twice for his personal benefit. Oh yeah, and he still hasn't named it.
It would fit with V's shifting alignment.
Assuming you get exp for turning things to stone, V may be close to gaining a level from the island fight. The imp might want to sign on with him quickly and cash in on the exp gain.
The imp's planar knowledge may prove useful to V's designs.
As cliché as it sounds, it sets the imp up for a nice double-cross to get back at the Order.


Thoughts?

[An Enemy Spy]

The only question is this. Who would be happier to be rid of the other? V or Blackwing? And I'm pretty sure that if Qarr became V's familiar, we would never see him again. V isn't exactly the most caring of masters.

[Niley]

Nah. I don't really believe that V will use Qarr as a familiar. An 'associate' is more likely.

[Evil DM Mark3]

The problem is mostly getting rid of the old one. The xp loss is taken regardless of if you get rid of them or they die and you have to wait a year and a day to get a new one.

[Totally Guy]

Qarr will net be the familiar, instead he'll offer power. V will gain the 4th edition infernal pact for warlocks. Next time, I predict curses and direct damage spells.

Hmm... but V's constitution and charisma have never been noteworthy... maybe not.

[hamishspence]

Well, there are 3.5 ed Fiendish Codex 2's Pact Certain and Pact Insidious.

The first is full swear to the devils- soul for power, the second is multi-stage power granted for evil acts- several forms of power of DM's choice, one for each evil act. Can be money, feats, XP, etc.

[Optimystik]

The problem is mostly getting rid of the old one. The xp loss is taken regardless of if you get rid of them or they die and you have to wait a year and a day to get a new one.

I thought about this... but wouldn't defeating the demon on the island offset the loss somewhat? how much exp do 4-story demons grant, anyway?

[Warlord JK]

That was a Pit Fiend I believe, so it was probably a CR 20ish. V, by now, is probably about 15th-16th level, so he got quite a large chunk of xp for defeating the Pit Fiend. You could look it up in a DMG, but I appear to have misplaced most of my D&D books at the moment.

[Assassin89]

It would be a tad ironic if V's new familiar was a similar looking bird to Blackwing, but spoke common more often. In other words, V has the same familar, but it talks.

[Optimystik]

That was a Pit Fiend I believe, so it was probably a CR 20ish. V, by now, is probably about 15th-16th level, so he got quite a large chunk of xp for defeating the Pit Fiend. You could look it up in a DMG, but I appear to have misplaced most of my D&D books at the moment.

There you have it. Dismiss the crow, take the xp hit out of the PF's bounty, and he's right back where he started. He doesn't have to summon a new familiar because it's already there, neatly avoiding the 1-year cooldown.

[Evil DM Mark3]

There you have it. Dismiss the crow, take the xp hit out of the PF's bounty, and he's right back where he started. He doesn't have to summon a new familiar because it's already there, neatly avoiding the 1-year cooldown.The cooldown is not for summoning, it is for replacing. In other words if you get rid of it you cannot have one for a year and a day.

[Yukitsu]

Not to mention V needs to take "improved familiar" to get an imp familiar. V won't be getting another feat until 18 most likely, so about 2-3 more levels.

[Raging Gene Ray]

The problem is mostly getting rid of the old one. The xp loss is taken regardless of if you get rid of them or they die and you have to wait a year and a day to get a new one.

I predict:
V will gain a level and with it, the ability to cast some world shattering spell. Blackwing will be the only one who sees how Qarr has corrupted V and will commit suicide in order to make V lose a level and, with it, his/her spell level.

[Optimystik]

The cooldown is not for summoning, it is for replacing. In other words if you get rid of it you cannot have one for a year and a day.


Not to mention V needs to take "improved familiar" to get an imp familiar. V won't be getting another feat until 18 most likely, so about 2-3 more levels.

Fair enough, so Qarr won't be a "true" familiar (and will likely want to betray V at some point anyway, so he probably wouldn't be thrilled at the prospect in any case) but being in V's employ for a time certainly seems likely.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

There's a PrC, IIRC, that allows you to kill your familiar to replace it with an undead version. No XP cost. I could see V doing that.

[Optimystik]

There's a PrC, IIRC, that allows you to kill your familiar to replace it with an undead version. No XP cost. I could see V doing that.

Ha! That would solve Blackwing's cowardice problem!

EDIT: Does it work even if you barred Necromancy?

[David Argall]

The problem is mostly getting rid of the old one. The xp loss is taken regardless of if you get rid of them or they die and you have to wait a year and a day to get a new one.

V may have lost Blackwing back in January, and it's now about October 1 in the comic, so with a little fudging, the year and a day can be met. The rules are not allowed to get the way of the plot.

[Yukitsu]

There's a PrC, IIRC, that allows you to kill your familiar to replace it with an undead version. No XP cost. I could see V doing that.

I think that's spell stiched familiar. that's a feat as well.

[Optimystik]

V may have lost Blackwing back in January, and it's now about October 1 in the comic, so with a little fudging, the year and a day can be met. The rules are not allowed to get the way of the plot.

Did he lose the bird, or did it merely retreat in the face of the DK's assault? It WOULD explain why he was using different birds for his Greater Animal Messenger spell (Haley would have recognized and not eaten Blackwing.)

[darkninjaoflight]

I don't think there'd be a problem even if he wanted to switch his familiar.


"Hmm, but there's a problem, we have to wait a year and a half after you get rid of your familiar for it to work"

"There is no problem. My familiar and I parted ways exactly a year and a half ago. Naturally it has been absent from my presence this whole time."
*sound of XP being taken from V*


Almost a reverse of what he's been doing all along.

[Derk_Mcgerk]

I had assumed he was without a familiar since the battle of Azure city when blackwing abandoned him. And I have to agree it seems he would have sent his familiar rather than an animal messenger seeing as how haley would recognize the bird. Did she not name it herself?

[Yukitsu]

I had assumed he was without a familiar since the battle of Azure city when blackwing abandoned him. And I have to agree it seems he would have sent his familiar rather than an animal messenger seeing as how haley would recognize the bird. Did she not name it herself?

Sending familiars is risky business. They lose a lot of their special abilities and properties that make them harder than normal to kill, and yet still cost the caster EXP if they die.

[Anondurl]

I thought about this... but wouldn't defeating the demon on the island offset the loss somewhat? how much exp do 4-story demons grant, anyway?
Pit Fiend
I think they grant about 19,200 pts. to a 16th level character.

[Requiem_Jeer]

But V didn't win that fight solo, he would of gained a nice chunk of XP, yes, but so would Durkon, Hinjo, Lien, and any surviving red shirts. Possibly Elan.

[HealthKit]

Personally I don't see Qarr stooping so low as to become a wizard's familiar.

[Raging Gene Ray]

No, but Qarr
might pretend to be V's familiar so V won't suspect that he/she is really the one being controlled.

@V It's a theory, it doesn't have to make sense.

[Eraniverse]

No, but Qarr
might pretend to be V's familiar so V won't suspect that he/she is really the one being controlled.

Wouldn't the whole lack of an empathic link be a pretty clear tip off?