Getting the most from your Familiar (3.5)

[EdroGrimshell]

I was wondering what options are the best for a familiar. First, some house rules
*Familiars use your caster level for wizard or sorcerer
*Familiar have an equal number of HD to your sorcerer/wizard Caster Level (meaning they get feats)
*Several "types" of familiar (gladiator, infiltrator, standard, ect.)
*Share spell works over 5ft/caster level
*Each type offers different options (based heavily on encyclopedia arcane familiars for 3.0)
*Familiar mage class from Enworld is allowed (aiming to use it)
*Rituals that give familiars class levels can be researched and used (based on type as stated above)

Next, My character
*See Build on post 26

Last, What i want
*A way to truly make the familiar effective at higher levels
*make the familiar good in several situations

[Dusk Eclipse]

Someone made a handbook, I'll try to find a link

But for the record I think that gishes in general get the most out of their familiars

[Amphetryon]

Duskblades and Hexblades arguably get the best familiars because of abilities keyed off of BAB and HD. That said, the Dark Companion ACF for Hexblades is good enough that it would require 2 feats to really get an amazing Familiar. It's quite often worth it, relative to the class anyway.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Dictum Mortum's Familiar Handbook as promised

[EdroGrimshell]

Dictum Mortum's Familiar Handbook as promised

Have it under favorites already

[Akal Saris]

One nifty trick if you're a touch spell specialist, like most duskblades or some dread necromancers, for example, is to share let your familiar hold the charge to a touch spell, which it can do indefinitely. You can't cast any spells until it releases the charge, but at the start of combat you have your familiar deliver the spell, then you cast your own spell.

Another old trick is sharing polymorph-style buffs. Nothing scarier than two war trolls, after all.

I see a lot of players use their familiars to "aid another" with every trained skill, which I don't do because it's a little obnoxious, but some DMs will allow it.

Some familiars have crazy-good senses, like +14 to Spot for a hawk or blindsense 20ft for a bat. A psuedodragon has 200ft or so telepathy, which combined with the Mindsight feat makes it a little psychic radar. A beguiler (the animal) from Shining South has permanent True Seeing, making it another ridiculous radar pet.

My own conjurer went with a rat familiar, for a few reasons. I needed the bonus to my fort saves because of a feat I had that allowed me to cast spells more quickly but I had to make fort saves. Second a rat is tiny and has both a climb speed and a swim speed, as well as Hide +16, so it makes an excellent scout (especially because they are so common). For senses it has scent and low-light vision, which aren't bad either. And weapon finesse helps it deliver shocking grasp and whatnot. Arguably a rat could even hold a tiny wand to a nonverbal spell, since they have extremely dextrous paws, but I figured that was stretching the limits.

[Parvum]

One nifty trick if you're a touch spell specialist, like most duskblades or some dread necromancers, for example, is to share let your familiar hold the charge to a touch spell, which it can do indefinitely. .

You mean which it can do for a set number of rounds (based off of spell level or caster level, cannot remember which). Hate to burst the neat trick bubble.

[Il_Vec]

I like Gishes a lot, and I must say... Fighter 1/Transmuter 4 doesn't have the +4 BAB required for Spellsword...
And as someone already pointed, you are a transmuter. You can buff yourself and share that with your familiar.

[Akal Saris]

No problem Parvum, since I think you're wrong...

From the SRD:

Spoiler

Show

Holding the Charge

If you don’t discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, you can hold the discharge of the spell (hold the charge) indefinitely. You can continue to make touch attacks round after round. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates. Alternatively, you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, you aren’t considered armed and you provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for the attack. (If your unarmed attack or natural weapon attack doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, neither does this attack.) If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, you are still holding the charge.

[Runestar]

Metallic wyrmling dragons can make excellent familiars, since their secondary breath weapons inflict status effects, and their DC scales as well. Consider the one with the paralysis or sleep breath weapon.

[Prodan]

Fabulous Cats

[Vizzerdrix]

*Familiar mage class from Enworld is allowed (aiming to use it)

May I please have a link to this?

[Prime32]

Duskblades and Hexblades arguably get the best familiars because of abilities keyed off of BAB and HD. That said, the Dark Companion ACF for Hexblades is good enough that it would require 2 feats to really get an amazing Familiar. It's quite often worth it, relative to the class anyway.

The Attain Familiar feat gets you a familiar based on caster level, not class level, so if there's any multiclassing in your build it's preferable to trade your familiar for something else then take the feat.

[Machiavellian]

There's a feat from a Green Ronin book called "Bonus Familiar"

Here, thar be cheese.

Combined with Dread Companion and Vampiric Aura (Ravenloft Campaign Setting and Champions of Darkness respectively), you cannot die.

So, with 3 familiars, using this feat twice, along with Improved Familair and/or Dragon Familiar, pick your 3 fave Dragons (I had a Shadow, Red, and a Silver dragons as 3 familairs)

[Vizzerdrix]

I think Dragon Mag has that feat too.

[AvatarZero]

The Attain Familiar feat gets you a familiar based on caster level, not class level, so if there's any multiclassing in your build it's preferable to trade your familiar for something else then take the feat.

Can you trade your familiar for a bonus feat?

[Prime32]

Can you trade your familiar for a bonus feat?

A conjurer can trade his familiar for the ability to teleport 10ft as an immediate action a small number of times per day.

As an immediate action. That means that he can negate attacks made against him.

[Draz74]

Can you trade your familiar for a bonus feat?

Yes, effectively. There are a couple Dragon Mag flaws (I think one was called Forlorn) that make you lose your familiar. Since they're flaws, you get a feat in return.

[EdroGrimshell]

May I please have a link to this?

Yes (http://www.enworld.org/forum/local_l...d&pp=15&page=2) it's labelled netbook of classes 2, and yes, you download it.

[sofawall]

You list a series of houserules, but don't actually explain them, or link to any of the material (except the class, which you only did recently). It's hard to help when you have insufficient information.

[EdroGrimshell]

You list a series of houserules, but don't actually explain them, or link to any of the material (except the class, which you only did recently). It's hard to help when you have insufficient information.

Encyclopedia Arcane is a 3.0 suplement from: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/

Some were harder to get than others, but they have some useful information that, once converted to 3.5, is just awesome

[sofawall]

So Gladiator and Infiltrator and those familiar 'types', are they from that 3rd party book?

[EdroGrimshell]

So Gladiator and Infiltrator and those familiar 'types', are they from that 3rd party book?

Yes, in encyclopedia arcane you pay experience to give your familiar different abilities, in our system you just choose one and it gains BAB, saves, and HD based on the type

EX. A gladiator type has a d10 HD, good Fort saves, and a Good BAB but has a low intelligence progression and does not gain some of the signature familiar abilities.

While an infiltrator on the other hand has a d6 HD, good Ref saves, and an Average BAB, and a lower natural armor bonus along with some stealth related abilities.

Mine is going to be an assistant (d6 HD, Average BAB, and Good Will Saves, a higher Intelligence score, lower Natural Armor, and more skill related abilities)

[Togo]

I played a wizard/alienist with a pseudodragon familiar. He was surprisingly effective.

I find there is very little you can do with the basic familiars, but if you're willing to spend feats, magic item creation and spells slots, there's a great deal you can do.

Quip was a pseudo dragon. I'd taken the improved familiar feat, and every day I cast mage armour, and enhance familiar (SC). Occasionally I'd cast fortfy familiar (SC), energy resistance or augment familiar (SC). The result was that the pseudodragon, with the spells and standard familiar advancement, could end up with an AC of 42. He'd sit on my should in combat, and ready an action to attack any creature that tried to close with me. Having a tiny dragon suddenly 5ft step out of my square and attack saved me from being attacked a few times, and he had enough AC to not get hit, and enough hp to survive one good hit from almost any monster.

He does almost no damage, apart from sleep poison, but at least he can attack without provoking an attack of opportunity, (has 5ft reach with tail), and deliver touch spells, such as Vampiric touch, shocking grasp, and so on. Since I was an alienist, he also had true strike.

Out of combat he was even more useful. He has all the main characters skills, plus his own besides. Given that he also has, in general, better stats than a wizard, he's actually better at almost any skill that isn't int-based than the main character, particularly the social skills. Don't have him aid another to get a chessy plus 2, have him role his own checks. He'll regularly do better than his master.

Then there's the fact that he can sense invisible creatures, has excellent spot and listen, is telepathic, and hides like a high-level rogue. Pefect scout.

Then there are the ploymorph spells. Form of the Horrid Troll gives your familiar large size and hands. Add in Master's Touch and that ballista you cast shrink item on earlier, and you have an instant artillerist. Form of the Three Fold Beast plus Augment Familiar (or bull's strength) and you get a familiar that's strong enough to airlift one or more party members, which is useful if you're a man down, losing the fight, and have to evacuate in a hurry.

Ride is a very useful skill for you to have, to ride your familiar, and for your familiar to have, to ride your shoulder. Some DMs will allow your familiar to use the tricks under the ride skill with you as their mount, but many won't.
UMD is also a very useful skill, less for the wizard that has to learn it than for the familiar who gets to use it.

Familiars I've wanted to try:
Salt mephit. Has a special attack that scales quite nicely, and has actual hands! Make him a magic bow! Get him to fetch potions and apply them to downed party members. Get lots of UMD and have him use wands and other items.

Blink dog. Your dog can teleport. At will. He will always fetch the stick. He can also fetch anything else you might want. Disarmed weapons, unattended quest items. A blink dog can also charge in while blinking (no AOO), switch off blink, deliver a spell via touch attack, and then d-door back to your side. The enemy never gets to hit him.

Lantern archon. Can zap anything in the universe for 2d6 damage a round, very round. Can provide temporary hp (aid) at will. That's enough, you know?

[EdroGrimshell]

I played a wizard/alienist with a pseudodragon familiar. He was surprisingly effective.

I find there is very little you can do with the basic familiars, but if you're willing to spend feats, magic item creation and spells slots, there's a great deal you can do.

Quip was a pseudo dragon. I'd taken the improved familiar feat, and every day I cast mage armour, and enhance familiar (SC). Occasionally I'd cast fortfy familiar (SC), energy resistance or augment familiar (SC). The result was that the pseudodragon, with the spells and standard familiar advancement, could end up with an AC of 42. He'd sit on my should in combat, and ready an action to attack any creature that tried to close with me. Having a tiny dragon suddenly 5ft step out of my square and attack saved me from being attacked a few times, and he had enough AC to not get hit, and enough hp to survive one good hit from almost any monster.

He does almost no damage, apart from sleep poison, but at least he can attack without provoking an attack of opportunity, (has 5ft reach with tail), and deliver touch spells, such as Vampiric touch, shocking grasp, and so on. Since I was an alienist, he also had true strike.

Out of combat he was even more useful. He has all the main characters skills, plus his own besides. Given that he also has, in general, better stats than a wizard, he's actually better at almost any skill that isn't int-based than the main character, particularly the social skills. Don't have him aid another to get a chessy plus 2, have him role his own checks. He'll regularly do better than his master.

Then there's the fact that he can sense invisible creatures, has excellent spot and listen, is telepathic, and hides like a high-level rogue. Pefect scout.

Then there are the ploymorph spells. Form of the Horrid Troll gives your familiar large size and hands. Add in Master's Touch and that ballista you cast shrink item on earlier, and you have an instant artillerist. Form of the Three Fold Beast plus Augment Familiar (or bull's strength) and you get a familiar that's strong enough to airlift one or more party members, which is useful if you're a man down, losing the fight, and have to evacuate in a hurry.

Ride is a very useful skill for you to have, to ride your familiar, and for your familiar to have, to ride your shoulder. Some DMs will allow your familiar to use the tricks under the ride skill with you as their mount, but many won't.
UMD is also a very useful skill, less for the wizard that has to learn it than for the familiar who gets to use it.

Familiars I've wanted to try:
Salt mephit. Has a special attack that scales quite nicely, and has actual hands! Make him a magic bow! Get him to fetch potions and apply them to downed party members. Get lots of UMD and have him use wands and other items.

Blink dog. Your dog can teleport. At will. He will always fetch the stick. He can also fetch anything else you might want. Disarmed weapons, unattended quest items. A blink dog can also charge in while blinking (no AOO), switch off blink, deliver a spell via touch attack, and then d-door back to your side. The enemy never gets to hit him.

Lantern archon. Can zap anything in the universe for 2d6 damage a round, very round. Can provide temporary hp (aid) at will. That's enough, you know?

This is helpful, i'll probably get a psuedodragon and use the fusion ritual i described earlier for a highly advanced familiar

[EdroGrimshell]

Decided on a build

Human
Base Scores: Str 14, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 15
Final Scores: Str 16, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 20, Wis 12, Cha 15
01 - Transmuter
02 - Fighter
03 - Transmuter
04 - Transmuter
05 - Transmuter
06 - Transmuter
07 - Human Paragon
08 - Human Paragon
09 - Human Paragon
10 - Spellsword
11 - Abjurant Champion
12 - Abjurant Champion
13 - Abjurant Champion
14 - Abjurant Champion
15 - Abjurant Champion
16 - Eldritch Knight
17 - Eldritch Knight
18 - Eldritch Knight
19 - Eldritch Knight
20 - Eldritch Knight
+16 BAB
9th Level Spells
Caster Level 17 (20 with Practiced Spellcaster)
and a few good options

Just need a way to get my familiar to kick a** as well and i'm set. Feats, spells, PrCs, anything that can give it a boost will help

[realbombchu]

The four spells I know for familiars are Augment Familiar, Enhance Familiar, Fortify Familiar, and one other I can't remember the name of. It's a sixth level spell that lets you transfer spellcasting ability to your familiar. I think all are in the Spell Compendium, but I get the versions I know from Complete Arcane and Warrior.

[Pluto]

^Probably Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability. It's wonderful for action economy abuse, if you can use it.

@ OP, why isn't Human Paragon your level 1? And why so many Wizard levels if familiar progression is based on CL?

If you want a way for your familiar to kick ass, Polymorph, Wraithstrike and Power Attack should be more than enough. Since it's stuck on medium BA, be sure to give it Knowledge Devotion too, as early as possible (assuming it still shares your skill points).

[Thurbane]

This is a Winter Wolf riding Duskblade build I was working on a while back, but never completed:

Spoiler

Show

Duskblade 12

STR	13
DEX	12
CON	18
INT	14
WIS	10
CHA	8

BAB	+12

Fort	+12
Ref	+5
Will	+8

HP	106

H	Power Attack
1	Mounted Combat
B	Combat Casting
3	Obtain Familiar
6	Improved Familiar
9	Bonded Familiar
12	Enspell Familiar
*	Alertness

- Cocentration		15
- Ride			15
- Knowledge (Arcana)	15
- Sense Motive		15
- Jump			5
- Handle Animal		5

Arcane attunement 5/day
Armored mage (medium, heavy shield)
Arcane channeling
Quick cast 2/day
Spell power +3


- Regroup
- Dispelling Touch
- Greater Magic Weapon
- Energy Aegis

- Bull's Strength
- Fly, Swift
- Scorching Ray
- Dimension Hop

- Expeditious Retreat, Swift
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Blade of Blood
- Obscuring Mist
- True Strike
- Resist Energy
- Lesser Deflect

- Acid Splash
- Disrupt Undead
- Touch of Fatigue
- Ray of Frost

GELUPUS
Large Magical Beast (Cold)
HD: 6 (12), 53hp
Init: +5
AC: 21 (T 10, FF 20)
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+20
Attack: Bite +15 (1d8+6 plus 1d6 cold)
Saves: Fort +11 Ref +9 Will +9
STR 18, DEX 13, CON 16, INT 11, WIS 13, CHA 10
Alertness, Improved Initiative, Track

Alertness
Improved evasion
Share spells
Empathic link
Deliver touch spells
Speak with master
Speak with animals of it's kind (?)
Spell resistance 17

5000	Collar of Healing
17200	Mithril Chain Shirt Barding (Mindarmor, Improved Agility, Axeblock)
12000	Riding Boots
	Metamagic Rod of Extend, Lesser
	Eternal Wand of Augment Familiar
	Eternal Wand of Enhance Familiar
	Eternal Wand of Fortify Familiar

[EdroGrimshell]

This is a Winter Wolf riding Duskblade build I was working on a while back, but never completed:

Not what i'm looking for but it does give me an idea for my next campaign.

IIRC, their was additional benefits you could gain from keeping one of the earlier familiars, crystalkeep had a description and was described more thoroughly in one of the dragon magazines.

Their was also a useful feat that let me get an additional familiar, which i will probably take once to gain the additional benefits from the lizard familiar (lay on hands for my own hp only).