In serious need of companionship!!

[slexlollar89]

NO this is NOT a plea for dates!

Is there anyway to aquire an animal companion, or familiar type with feats? I am currently playing a warlock, but would like one of these. I am only lvl 1, but have plenty of feats to spare. I would prefer to avoid the Leadership feat, but will take it as a last resort.

To reiterate: Is there a way to get an animal companion/familliar type by feats?

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Get a good handle animal check and raise a pet. I'm a big fan of raising a hunting dog/wolf and teaching it to track for me, or maybe an owl/eagle for an extra pair of eyes.

[Tyger]

Yup. Obtain Familiar. Feat from Complete Arcane.

[slexlollar89]

Obtain familliar requires an arcane CASTER lvl of 3 (among other things) or sumsuch. Warlocks aren't casters, so the feat doesn't apply .

Handle Animal is a cross-class skill for warlocks, and I am short on intelligence and skill pts.!

[Viscount Einstrauss]

You can pay someone else to train it for you in your average town. I just prefer doing it myself for roleplaying reasons.

[Icewalker]

I'd argue with the DM that warlocks should qualify for the feat, as it seems only reasonable that they could get a familiar. Doesn't solve the level 3 problem though.

[slexlollar89]

I think I can switch my 4 ranks in perform (magic trick) for handle animal. How long does it usually take?

Can you get really smart or sentient animals as companions this way?

[MeklorIlavator]

Obtain familliar requires an arcane CASTER lvl of 3 (among other things) or sumsuch. Warlocks aren't casters, so the feat doesn't apply .

Handle Animal is a cross-class skill for warlocks, and I am short on intelligence and skill pts.!

Actually, they can. Look at Page 72, second Section, titled Caster Level. In there it details the rules regarding Warlock Caster level.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

You'd basically raise it from infancy and have the trainer in question also train it for a general purpose, but this can be bypassed by instead just finding a trainer and buying one of the animals he's already reared. The intelligent/magical part is trickier, but not impossible- you need to locate a mid-level druid and have him cast awaken on the animal. Really, you could bypass the whole domesticating phase if you go straight for the druid.

This is unique in that an awakened animal can't actually serve as a familiar, animal companion, or special mount. But you're not technically using them for that purpose, you're just getting a pet/friend that happens to be magically sapient.

[slexlollar89]

right on Melkor! I had forgotten about that! Viscount, I thank you for the advice, but the feat is more convinient than giving up my precious prefor (magic trick), because without it, my character cannot pose as a sorcerer.

[Viscount Einstrauss]

Hey, so long as you got what you needed, everyone wins. This feat might actually prove useful to me in the future, so I've also learned something nifty.

[slexlollar89]

THREE CHAERS FOR FAMILLIARS!! HIP HIP HORRAY! HIP HI- wait, I won't take a familliar, because evryone just forgets about them untl they're needed!

[my_evil_twin]

Wizards posted this feat on their website a while back. It basically gives an animal companion.

[leperkhaun]

It should be reasonable for your GM to allow an awakened animal as a chorot from the leadership feat, although that requires you to be level 6.

[JackMage666]

Obtain Familiar is available at level... 3.
Leadership is available at level... 6.

Both are viable options, but not for 1st level. I'm guess you're trying to act like yo're a wizard/sorcerer, so people don't hate you for being a warlock?
Here's another solution, then. Carry a book around, and scribble in it. Call it a spellbook. Read it every morning.
If anyone asks you about your familiar, say you had one, almost a year ago to the day, but it was unfortunately killed in a bizarre magical experiement, or something. When you get the feat, gladly proclaim that it has been a year and a day, and thus you can summon a new helpful critter.

Hope that helps.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

"Where's your familiar?"

"I traded it in on a good deal for spontanious metamagics without the extra time. All the Sorcerers are doing it these days, I hear..."

[Daracaex]

Wizards posted this feat on their website a while back. It basically gives an animal companion.

What is wrong with this picture? This feat will give ANYONE an animal cohort that is way more powerful than the ranger's animal companion. If I was a DM, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't allow this as it seems to undermine the ranger's abilities.

[JackMage666]

What is wrong with this picture? This feat will give ANYONE an animal cohort that is way more powerful than the ranger's animal companion. If I was a DM, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't allow this as it seems to undermine the ranger's abilities.

I'd just give it to Ranger's as a bonus feat. Maybe give it a Handle Animal (6 Ranks) requirement, too, so others don't get it out of the starting gate. Everyone wins. Except the Ranger, but Ranger's animal companion isn't great anyway, so he'll be happy for the slight boost.