Alternate Familiars

[roadkiller]

I just want to know what you guys can come up with for familiars that haven't been made already. I'm making a sorcerer but none of the basic familiars fit in and I'm not going to go out and buy splatbooks just to get tidbits (my DM judges what gets into the game from splatbooks on a individual basis). I'm not really good at these sort of things and I know that at least some of you out there can make something in five minutes if you try.

Just for some ideas to throw out there for you:
Skink
Iguana
Ferret
Pigeon/Dove (Yes, they are the same thing)
Raccoon

I've only got the 3.0 Player's Handbook and Tome and Blood to go off of, so sorry it they've been done before.

[Toliudar]

How about:

Raccoon (+3 to sleight of hand?)
Flying Squirrel (+3 to balance?)
Peacock (+3 to perform checks?)
Duck
Toy Poodle (as cat, but swap out claw attacks and add scent ability)
Parrot (as raven)

[broderickdruce]

Hamster!

[RoboticSheeple]

half of those animals you listed are normal familars... So I'm confused, what is it you want?

[Artisan]

Skink - +3 to swim checks?
Iguana - Count as lizard
Ferret - Count as Weasel
Dove - +3 to Diplomacy checks?
Raccoon - +3 to Move Silently checks?

and now, for one I want...

Tortoise - +2 to Will Saves

[DMgrinder]

I love the tortoise. "Sick 'em Speedy!"

[Artisan]

I love the tortoise. "Sick 'em Speedy!"

No way!...call him 'Lightning'!

[roadkiller]

half of those animals you listed are normal familars... So I'm confused, what is it you want?

I'm running on 3.0 and, yes, while I overlooked the weasel/ferret thing, none of the other things are normal familiars. 3.0 doesn't have the lizard listed, so I've got no clue about what that is.

I just want ideas for other familiars that haven't been made already.

[Steward]

Pet Rock (+3 on saves vs. Compulsion)

"Hey, wouldn't be cool to buy a pet rock?"
"Wha?"
"I compel thee to spend money on something that you can pick up off the street!"
"Sure! Pet rocks rule!"

--

Unawakened Gnome (+2 on Intimidate checks)

"Tell me what I need to know or I'll leave this gnome here!"
"Oh Pelor, please don't! Have mercy on me! I'll tell you anything! ANYTHING!"

--

Pygmy Marmoset (+3 on Bluff checks)

"Awwww it's so cuuuuuuuuute!"
"Yes...you fools. Play with my fun-size monkey all you want. Meanwhile, I'll be looking through the secret files! MWAHAHAHAH!'

[Artisan]

Play with my fun-size monkey all you want.

Why does that sound so wrong?

[JaronK]

Hamster (+1 Save DC for all Charm spells, cause he's cute)

Bushbaby (+2 on all Spot Checks)

JaronK

[broderickdruce]

Fox-Squirrel! (I think I once saw stats on this but I can't find it anymore)
Osprey
Vulture
Goldfish/Koi
Beaver*
Pig*
Koala Bear*

How about a Dire Ant, that would be cool. Can you imagine a 20th level wizard with an ant familiar.That thing would have insane hitpoints for being Fine (Well, probably Tiny with the Dire template). Going with average he would be roughly 20 Hp!

Wizard: "Go get 'em Pincey!"
BBEG: "Whats a Pincey, who are you talking to?"
A few seconds later.
BBEG:" OH GODS THE PAIN, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?!?!"
Wizard: "Muahaha, I think I found Pincey."

Edit: Added *
Edit x2: Found this neat little discussion in my search.
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...9380772;start=

[Wizzardman]

....Dangit, I love the ant familiar concept.

Platypus---+3 to Swim Checks
Sloth---+3 to Climb Checks
Slime Mold---+3 to Intimidate ["Go get 'em, Slimey!"]
Crab---+1 Natural Armor?
Parrot---1 free language, +3 to Profession: Sailor
Hamster---+3 to Escape Artist
Gecko---+3 to Diplomacy
Bunny with Pancake on Head---+3 to Knowledge [Math]

...I know no one gets the Bunny reference, but I had to say it anyway.


Edit: Blast! Some of these ideas were suggested in the other thread!

[Fhaolan]

Well, if you're allowing insects, then arachnids are obvious. Spiders, Scorpions, Pseudo-scorps... lobsters, crabs. Crayfish, shrimp... krill... plankton... ;)

[kailin]

Dudes --

Giant Lobster: +3 to craft (trapsmith) checks.


Also, Snail: -2 to initiative.

Who says familiars have to be any damn good?

[Overlord]

Dragon magazine (Issue #341 I believe) has had a class acts that contains many alternate familiars. It has had many of the familiars that have been requested. Monkeys, for example. And rabbits. And platypi, oddly enough.

[Psiwave]

I like the useless familiars idea.

Lemming -2 to climb checks

[Artisan]

Platypus: -2 to intimidate (who could take THAT seriously?)

[The_Shaman]

Hehe...As normal familiars, I'd suppose spiders (+3 to hide) and scorpions (endurance as per the feat) can be quite adequate. In the useless familiars section, may I propose:

- skunk: -3 to hide (-6 to anyone with the scent ability).
- dire fruit fly: -3 to diplomacy
- Honest parrot: -3 to bluff (Quaack! You lie, you lie!)
- alcoholic snake: -3 to balance (due to the empathic link)
- chihuahua/poodle: -3 to intimidate (-6 if you have the indecency to say something like "sick'em")
- platipus: I'd say -3 to disguise. There can't be many people, especially with any pretense of sanity, who would take a platipus as a pet

[hewhosaysfish]

Pet Rock (+3 on saves vs. Compulsion)

"Hey, wouldn't be cool to buy a pet rock?"
"Wha?"
"I compel thee to spend money on something that you can pick up off the street!"
"Sure! Pet rocks rule!"
...

Bah, just go psion and get a psicrystal.

[NullAshton]

Shocker Lizard = +2 on Electricity based DCs.

[Tokeloshe]

The Rare Faerun Spitting Cobra: Summoning it causes a lisp that makes you to spit whenever you talk, so -2 Cha, but on the upside you have a snake that can spit poison in the eyes of your enemies, blinding them and causing 1d6 acid damage.

[kailin]

Shocker Lizard = +2 on Electricity based DCs.

You can already get them with Improved Familiar, and they don't give any benefit except the presence of a shocker lizard (which is not inconsiderable). Certainly, +2 to electrical DCs is too much.

No love for Giant Lobsters, huh? ???

[beholder]

Friends, countrymen, we have forgotten the most powerful familiar of all. indeed, you could say that YOU are it's familiar.
Penguin
+760 to everything, except,
-800 to will saves mad to disobey a direct order from the penguin (DC5)

in seriousness, penguin
+2 fort saves against cold,+2 swim checks
-2 balance checks.(damn slippery ice)

[squishycube]

Take a Goo!
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...527977;start=0

[ghost_warlock]

Take a Goo!
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...527977;start=0

Okay, THAT goes in my favoreite critters folder (mostly populated by VT stuff).

More Negative Familiars!
Inbred Cat: -2 to Int and Cha skills.
Three-legged Weiner Dog: -5 ft. from movement rate, -2 to Intimidate checks.
Lazy Overweight Pig: Must be carried in order to move; magically, it weighs exactly the same as the master's Maximum load.
Dirt Clod: -4 to Diplomacy; must be carried in special sack or crumbles (thus making master suffer the effects of a killed familiar).
Blind Opossom: doesn't grant Alertness feat, constantly bumping into things or getting it's tail stepped on and making weird noises (-2 to Move Silently).
Kamikaze Sparrow: On entering combat, must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Master's HD + Master's primary spellcasting ability mod) or charge the nearest monster, provoking an attacks of opportunity as it moves, and probably die.
Common Raggomoffyn: Master is now a Captured One: remove character from play as a PC. The other characters can try and save him if they want by killing the raggomoffyn and even gain experience points for the creature for doing so (although the master does not get these XP because he's treated as the monster in this fight). The raggomoffyn has all the stats for a normal raggomoffyn except that its hit points are treated as normal for a familiar. However, if the raggomoffyn familiar dies, the master suffers the usual effect that accompany the death of a familiar.
Disease: Caster is infected with Filth Fever. Three consecutive saves will not remove the disease (just prevent ability damage that day). A heal removes the infection but the master suffers as if his familiar had died. On the up-side, caster can cough on enemies to infect them (treat as a ranged touch attack with a range of 5 ft., target is allowed a saving throw against a DC of 10 + 1/2 master's HD + master's Con mod).
Leech: Master must make a Fort save every day against a DC of 15 or take 1 point of Con damage from blood loss. If the master makes his for 3 consecutive days the leech dies (yeah, you guessed it, the master suffers the effects of his familiar dying).
Crazed Pixie: If the master happens to be a fey, good for him, the pixie might actually be helpful. If not, the pixie's mischievious nature comes forth and it constantly makes a nuisance of itself: stealing from party members/NPCs, hiding the master's stuff, peeing in his waterskin, and pricking him with it's sleep arrows at crucial times during fights. If scolded, the pixie repents, apologizes, and promises to behave itself. But it's a liar and a cheat and quickly forgets any promises it makes. If the master finally gets fed up and kills it, well, you know what happens.
Imaginary Friend: Choose any of the standard familiars. Congratulations on following directions, but this choice has no effect on anything because the familiar exists only in the master's mind. He believes the familiar exists and acts as if it does, directing it to attack or whatnot. However, the familiar isn't real and can have absolutely no effect in the real world. The caster doesn't even get the lousy Alertness feat or the skill/save/Initiative bonus.

[Piotr_Zak]

Gecko---+3 to Diplomacy

I'd think that the gecko should get the +3 to climb. . .

Slime mold: -2 on reflex saves
Tapeworm: -2 on fortitude saves (as a bonus, it's difficult for your enemies to attack)
Sheep: -2 to sense motive checks
Lobster: Vulnerability to heat
Giant centipede: -2 on Diplomacy checks, but if your opponent has a bat familiar it's sweet revenge
Vampiric toad: Vulnerability to turn undead

[The_Shaman]

You know, an imaginary friend is a deadly familiar - for a psion. Plus, it gets you an absolutely free awareness feat, because it's always with you.

That said, the imaginary friend reminds me of the optional darkness companion (for Hexblades, PHB II). Only the baddies are also imagining him ;D . Other than that, perhaps some strong familiars could bestow weaknesses as well. Say, a wolverine giving you -2 to will saves against compulsions and -2 to bluff.

[Reptilus]

Wolverine: +2 To sideburn checks.

[broderickdruce]

Wolverine: +2 To sideburn checks.

WOW! that was awesome.