Wiz/Sorc Familiar

[Hawkflight]

Alright, I have a question for you all. What is the best / most powerful / funnest / funniest thing you've ever done, as a Wizard or Sorcerer, with/to your familiar? I'm getting ready to play a multiclass Sorcerer in a game (Wizard was banned as a Tier 1 class), and I'm looking for some good ideas. (I'm multiclassed with Rogue and Unseen Seer, if it makes any bit of difference.)

Personally, I can see a cat familiar being very helpful in urban settings. Send it out to spy, it's very good at hiding, and nobody suspects a cat as being a threat. Cast Alter Self and turn it into whatever animal would be more appropriate. (Say, if a dog were to be more appropriate for the situation, or a hawk, or a rat.) And in a tight combat situation, you could cast polymorph on it to turn it into a dragon. Suddenly it's something you really want on your side during a fight.

So, what about you guys? What's the coolest thing you've done with a familiar?

[Vemynal]

only thing I ever did was roleplay

My familiar was an Owl named puffy and was Chaotic Neutral (I was Lawful Neutral).

I was the straight man to his funny man (my dm let all familiars talk)

[Milo v3]

I used my Skeleton Commoner Familiar to steal riches. First I used Alter Self on him. To turn him into a shadow. He secretly flies into the vault. Reverts to his normal form. Grabs as much treasure. Use alter self to turn him into a Ghost. He and the now incorporeal treasure, flies out of the room and back to me. Dispel the Alter Self. Riches are now mine.

[Runestar]

Swapped it out for metamagic specialist or abrupt jaunt?

That said, with the new polymorph subschool spells in PHB2 and complete mage, seems like it would be fun to turn into a troll, beholder, marut or dragon and share the spell with your familiar.

[Milo v3]

Swapped it out for metamagic specialist or abrupt jaunt?

That said, with the new polymorph subschool spells in PHB2 and complete mage, seems like it would be fun to turn into a troll, beholder, marut or dragon and share the spell with your familiar.

I destroyed the logic of the world when I used Flaying Tendrils (From Complete Mage) on my Skeleton Familiar. He kept asking how does it work?

Also best way of disabling traps in NWN's. Possess familiar, Spring Trap, Rest.

[starwoof]

I was playing an illusionist wizard named Montazzo the Magnificent, but it was Rupert the Hedgehog that regularly stole the show. He often featured in my illusion shows and I spoke to him all the time. My character would sit alone at the bar drinking with Rupert. I would act out the little things Rupert did as an unusually intelligent hedgehog around the table. Rupert even delivered my touch attacks for me, sitting in my hand and reaching out with a tiny paw to shocking grasp.

He was a huge hit around the table. The other players all really liked what I was doing with Rupert because familiars were so often forgotten.

In another game with the same group, I was playing a whisper gnome rogue and often scouted ahead. The wizard had his raven fly back and forth between my gnome in dungeons to give and receive reports from my scout. That was pretty awesome.

Familiars are a great.

[JBento]

The raven is generally considered as the best option, power wise - as it can talk, it can activate stuff like wands (it can also say "nevermore," which is an awesome bonus). Otherwise, just have fun - having your weasel familiar climb up the BBEG's pants is priceless.

Remember that most PrC don't advance your familiar's abilities - you might want to trade it for Metamagic Specialist or get the Acquire Familiar feat.

[Cerlis]

never done this, but i liked the idea of having a white rat/mouse familiar who was a focus for my spells. main way he'd be seen is me taking him out. when i cast detect magic through him, his fur turns white when near magic , it puffs out as it gets close to an alien(not me or him) source, and when resting on a magic item his fur will change color depending on the school, while the spell is cast.

Idea kinda involved a young magic detective in a low magic setting.

[Hawkflight]

Question: If my Familiar succeeds on a Spot or Listen check, and I fail, does it count as if I'd made it? Or does it function just like if another party member had made it?

[Smeggedoff]

It counts as if the familiar has made it. Then you hope that you're level 5 so it can tell you without the whole "Lassie" problem.

[AugustNights]

My warforged Buffer Wizard had a cat familiar that lived inside it.
The cat's name was 'Cat,' and it was generally covered in grime and gunk.
When showing down the BBEG I poly-morphed it into a tiger, fed it half my buffs, had it sneak through some bushes, and Pounce the ever-loving pants off of said BBEG. Sadly The BBEG managed to kill it.
The death of Cat is still a sad memory for the long standing wizard, no doubt the Kingdom where he advises has some long forgotten holiday in Cat's memory.

[Thurbane]

I had a character with a raven familar called Edgar.

He was most memorable for being foul-mouthed - in particular, his crow call sounded like "*AAARK!", especially when he was surprised. He also used to share my watch, and wake up other characters by pecking their face while they slept.

[Tokuhara]

I once played a necromancer with a zombie penguin familair who acted like a "trap detector." I could heal him after he "died," from traps. The DM gave him one level in Bard so he could wear a tophat and tapdance.