[3.5/PF] The wizard is... the cat?

[Rixx]

I always thought a neat concept would be to play as a standard Wizard with a familiar, who's a small black cat - the twist being that the cat is actually the Wizard, forcibly transformed into an animal form (or maybe he's just an awakened cat all along). The "Wizard" (who may just be a talentless apprentice) just pretends to cast the spells as they are shared with him by the cat.

The cat should have the ability to silently command his human companion, and perhaps even speak through him or otherwise control him. And most importantly, this has to be a secret from the other players - something they find out for themselves.

How viable/interesting a concept do you all think this is?

[arguskos]

Play a Tibbit, a LA +0 race from the Dragon Compendium. You ARE a housecat. /thread

Note that to get the "familiar", you just take Leadership or buy someone and make them your bitch. You know, there's like a thousand ways to make that bit happen.

With some creative RP, the Tibbit does everything you want it to.

[Eldariel]

Polymorph Any Object is also amazing for this. Permanent change can be accomplished quite easily to reverse the normal looks in the relation.

EDIT: Ah yeah, PAO isn't all that in PF. Damn.

[pres_man]

I've had a thought of playing a "set of cursed siblings", "one" of them is a druid with an owl/hawk animal companion and the "other one" is a sorcerer with a hawk/owl familiar. They switch places every so often.

In fact it is one sibling, the other died during childhood, and the person's familiar. The person is insane, as is the familiar, and really believes that they are switching places with their sibling. Using spells like disguise self, alter self, and eventually polymorph (all shared with the familiar who takes the role of the other sibling).

The character would eventually take that PrC for druid/arcane where the familiar and the animal companion become one.

[Darrin]

I always thought a neat concept would be to play as a standard Wizard with a familiar, who's a small black cat - the twist being that the cat is actually the Wizard, forcibly transformed into an animal form (or maybe he's just an awakened cat all along). The "Wizard" (who may just be a talentless apprentice) just pretends to cast the spells as they are shared with him by the cat.

I've had almost the exact same urge, although mechanically I think a Tibbit warlock might work better. I've wanted to play this character ever since Vampire 2nd edition, when I realized a Gangrel with enough points in Protean could stay transformed all night as a housecat, while a blood-bound ghoul pretended to be the vampire.

For D&D, I had a little more trouble coming up with a plausible background... but in an old thread I did come up with something:

"Start with a Tibbit (Dragon Compendium) Wizard/Sorcerer/Beguiler/Warlock, buy a human hireling Expert or Bard with Skill Focus: Perform (Acting). Pretend to be the familiar of the "human wizard". Convince the human hireling to promote himself as an "Arcane Duelist Extraordinaire!" (use Charm Person if need be), and challenge other wizards to a duel. Play up the rivalry, or cut your rival in on the deal. Cast some flashy spells, but the hireling takes a dive. Make sure you bet against yourself, and slink off to collect your profits. If need be, hire another hireling, rinse and repeat."

The cat should have the ability to silently command his human companion, and perhaps even speak through him or otherwise control him. And most importantly, this has to be a secret from the other players - something they find out for themselves.

The communication thing may be a problem at least until 6th level where you can pick up a level of Mindbender for Telepathy. Tibbits have the Feline language, which they can use to speak to any other cat, although what creatures that would cover isn't very well defined. Catfolk also speak Feline, but you could probably teach your "face" humanoid the language. The odds of any other PC speaking Feline would be extremely low, and to most PCs would just sound like a wizard/familiar meowing at each other.

Oh, and you have to pick up a Collar of Perpetual Attendance ASAP.

I've always wondered if anyone would take some of those cat feats and optimize a build around Flop/Improved Flop. Standard action to daze all opponents within 10'?

[Gametime]

Polymorph Any Object is also amazing for this. Permanent change can be accomplished quite easily to reverse the normal looks in the relation.

EDIT: Ah yeah, PAO isn't all that in PF. Damn.

Baleful Polymorph could do the same thing.

[Fhaolan]

I recommend looking into this: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/produc...ducts_id=54699

It's got stuff about having an animal wizard with a humanoid familiar, as well as all sorts of interesting stuff around what to do if your character has no thumbs.

Mind you, not all of it is gold of course, but it's something to look through for inspiration.

[Dimers]

Psionics works very smoothly for this concept. Play a cat with the 'phrenic' template (LA+2) who takes psi class levels. With a DC 15 Concentration check, you can remove most indications that you're the origin of any powers you manifest -- no funny sounds emanating from you, no glow around your head. And unlike with arcane casting, psi doesn't require V/S/M/F components.

[jokey665]

Psionics works very smoothly for this concept. Play a cat with the 'phrenic' template (LA+2) who takes psi class levels. With a DC 15 Concentration check, you can remove most indications that you're the origin of any powers you manifest -- no funny sounds emanating from you, no glow around your head. And unlike with arcane casting, psi doesn't require V/S/M/F components.

This. I've always loved the idea of an awakened/phrenic/something insert-small-fluffy-animal-here Psion.

[Deth Muncher]

You could play a Beguiler, you know. Not the class, the race. And actually don't Beguilers (the class, not the race) get mind influencing spells?

You see where I'm going with this.

[Nero24200]

I'm actually playing as something like that at the moment. An awakened cat Psion (choose psion since it means I can use powers without worrying about verbal/somatic components), in a party posing as the sorcerer's familier.

No one (IC at least) seems to find it weird when the familier starts using touch powers

[LibraryOgre]

Related concept, but one of my younger brother's adventuring groups was known as Dmitri's Band. It happened several times that people demanded to meet the Dmitri that they were named after and were introduced to my brother's wizard's familiar... a 2nd edition familiar, meaning it has an INT of MAYBE 6, at the absolute outside, and more likely 4.

[Optimystik]

Psionics works very smoothly for this concept. Play a cat with the 'phrenic' template (LA+2) who takes psi class levels. With a DC 15 Concentration check, you can remove most indications that you're the origin of any powers you manifest -- no funny sounds emanating from you, no glow around your head. And unlike with arcane casting, psi doesn't require V/S/M/F components.

In addition to this idea, you don't even need to suppress your displays for all powers. Most Auditory and Mental displays could come from anyone in the room, so they won't pinpoint the cat.

[t_catt11]

To the OP - this is a fun idea. I approve!

[Keshay]

Juat to point out the usual impediments of using a non-humanoid as a caster: Somatic and Material Components. Cats will have a hard time holding material components, so you'll need eschew materials. Similarly, they do not have "Hands" as such, so depending on your DM they may not be able to use spells with Somatic components until you get access to Still Spell. (Not that this is usually should be an issue, since all sorts of whacky creatures with non-standard hands can be casters, but my DM once decided to be a jerk about it so my awakened cat druid idea got nixed.)

Specifically, a problem with being a cat wizard is that you won't be able to write through normal means, so no spellbook.

[jiriku]

Specifically, a problem with being a cat wizard is that you won't be able to write through normal means, so no spellbook.

Sir, everyone knows that cats can type by walking across keyboards. This same ability also allows them to play the piano.

[t_catt11]

No spellbook via normal means, but there are lots of alternate ways to do spellbooks.

Hmm. Not that I can come up with any that work for cats.

Rule of cool?

[Optimystik]

Juat to point out the usual impediments of using a non-humanoid as a caster: Somatic and Material Components. Cats will have a hard time holding material components, so you'll need eschew materials. Similarly, they do not have "Hands" as such, so depending on your DM they may not be able to use spells with Somatic components until you get access to Still Spell. (Not that this is usually should be an issue, since all sorts of whacky creatures with non-standard hands can be casters, but my DM once decided to be a jerk about it so my awakened cat druid idea got nixed.)

Specifically, a problem with being a cat wizard is that you won't be able to write through normal means, so no spellbook.

This is why the cat Psion is so superior.

[Frog Dragon]

Magic Kitteh prepares to unleash doom upon you.

[Optimystik]

Magic Kitteh prepares to unleash doom upon you.

THE SPICE MUST FLOW

[Darrin]

Juat to point out the usual impediments of using a non-humanoid as a caster: Somatic and Material Components. Cats will have a hard time holding material components, so you'll need eschew materials. Similarly, they do not have "Hands" as such, so depending on your DM they may not be able to use spells with Somatic components until you get access to Still Spell.

Surrogate Spellcasting (SavSpc), Nonverbal Spell (PlanarHB), and Whispercast (LoM) can help somewhat... maybe even the dreaded Natural Spell with a forgiving DM.

Specifically, a problem with being a cat wizard is that you won't be able to write through normal means, so no spellbook.

Hence why I thought warlock would be ideal (tibbits can speak feline in both forms, and I don't think you need thumbs for somatic gestures), but spontaneous casters such as Sorcerers and Beguilers don't need no stinkin' spellbooks. Material components, yeah, well... warlock or dragonfire adept (hey, if housecat + breathe fire isn't made of WIN, I don't know what is!)

[Brock Samson]

Yeah, if Natural Spell works for a Druid, it'd probably work for a Tibbit, so it'd probably just work for anyone in cat form.

CATNIP FOR THE CATGOD!

[Kylarra]

Eidetic Spellcaster ACF removes the need for a physical spellbook at the cost of your familiar.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Eidetic Spellcaster ACF removes the need for a physical spellbook at the cost of your familiar.

Wait, so you remove one of the main weaknesses of a Wizard in exchange for losing one of the other main weaknesses of a Wizard? Sign me up.

[Frosty]

Eidetic Spellcaster ACF removes the need for a physical spellbook at the cost of your familiar.

Where is this ACF?

[Starbuck_II]

Where is this ACF?

Eidetic Spellcaster from Dragon 357 is the ACF that swaps your familiar and scribe scroll feat in exchange for not needing a spellbook.

Which is pretty broken.

[Tiki Snakes]

Eidetic Spellcaster from Dragon 357 is the ACF that swaps your familiar and scribe scroll feat in exchange for not needing a spellbook.

Which is pretty broken.

How is not needed a spellbook broken, though? It's not like it's going to ever be an issue for 90% of actual characters. All it's going to do is enable odd stuff like this Catizard, far as I can see.

[Kylarra]

It's still pretty nice to have, although the opportunity cost is Abrupt Jaunt and its ilk, so, worth considering that when claiming brokenness.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

It's still pretty nice to have, although the opportunity cost is Abrupt Jaunt and its ilk, so, worth considering that when claiming brokenness.

I've seen people recommend taking Obtain Familiar to trade out for a second Wizardly ACF. That even seems to work, depending on how the ACFs are worded.

[Starbuck_II]

How is not needed a spellbook broken, though? It's not like it's going to ever be an issue for 90% of actual characters. All it's going to do is enable odd stuff like this Catizard, far as I can see.

Because they can still can spells to their not existing spellbook by burning incense candles (I'm not joking here).
It provides too much benefit for little loss.
It changes the fundamentals of the wizard: who supposed to have a weak button: whether that flaw is ever taken accounted of isn't important.
It invalidates the feat Spell Mastery as well.

Arupt Jaunt is powerful, but not broken.