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What's the "Summon Familiar" ability worth?
- Thread starter Outergod
- Start date
Crothian
First Post
I don't think it's worth that much. Maybe a single feat or 3 or 4 cross class skills becoming class skills.
Personally, the PC would have to present a reason to give up the familiar and a reason why he gets whatever it is he is asking for. The game really isn't set up like this, so I have them come to me with a proposal. So, instead of them asking "What can I get if I give up Summon Familiar?" I get "Hey, can I get rid of Summon Familiar and pick up a Spell Pentration?"
Personally, the PC would have to present a reason to give up the familiar and a reason why he gets whatever it is he is asking for. The game really isn't set up like this, so I have them come to me with a proposal. So, instead of them asking "What can I get if I give up Summon Familiar?" I get "Hey, can I get rid of Summon Familiar and pick up a Spell Pentration?"
Crothian said:
Exactly what I was thinking. I've actually had this happen more than once because, for some reason, most of my players do not like the idea of having to worry about a familiar no matter what benefits the familiar may provide. And, as luck would have it, I agree with them 100%.
Most of them do come to me with questions like, "Could I get Spell Focus in school X if I give up Summon Familiar?" I was actually thinking it might be worth 2 feats but 1 is probably more reasonable.
Outergod
trentonjoe
Explorer
I vote one feat. Familiars are "neat" not "good". I would say
ALertness is about right because they would get that anyway from the familiar.
How about speak with animal (specific type) once per day?
ALertness is about right because they would get that anyway from the familiar.
How about speak with animal (specific type) once per day?
drowdude
First Post
I figure trading off the Summon Familiar ability would be worth 2 feats. Gaining 1 initially and another later on in the character's career as a Wizard or Sorcerer. Prolly at 12th level or so when the familiar would be gaining spell resistance.
In my experience so far that familiar ability is only so-so at low levels but "roxxx-da-house" at high levels provided you choose a relatively mobile familiar, or got an improved familiar via the feat or the spell in R&R.
In my experience so far that familiar ability is only so-so at low levels but "roxxx-da-house" at high levels provided you choose a relatively mobile familiar, or got an improved familiar via the feat or the spell in R&R.
Cloudgatherer
First Post
I'd say it's worth a feat. I don't see familiars as that great of a benefit. When I played my wizard, I saw one as a liability, if it gets killed I'm out a familiar and several hundred XP points I could use for item creation....
Well, for any Wizard or Sorceror pursuing prestige classes, the ability is worth very little, since effective spellcasting levels granted by prestige classes do not count as Wizard or Sorceror levels - so a 5th level Wizard/6th level Elemental Savant, for example, has an extra-weak and vulnerable familiar for an 11th level spellcaster.
Familiars are nice for flavor, but they're kind of an option. I've seen many Wizards and Sorcerors who opt not to have a familiar at all - so I'd lean towards being on the restrictive side as to what to give them in exchange.
Skill Focus, Cosmopolitan, and Alertness are all decent, relatively non-combat choices for character development and differentiation. I'd shy away from metamagic feats or combat-related feats - metamagic and spellcasting feats can stack up over time, and getting one extra in the beginning can really help a character ramp up the power quite quickly.
Another possibility is letting the Wizard or Sorceror have extra cantrip slots instead - maybe his/her Int. bonus' worth.
Familiars are nice for flavor, but they're kind of an option. I've seen many Wizards and Sorcerors who opt not to have a familiar at all - so I'd lean towards being on the restrictive side as to what to give them in exchange.
Skill Focus, Cosmopolitan, and Alertness are all decent, relatively non-combat choices for character development and differentiation. I'd shy away from metamagic feats or combat-related feats - metamagic and spellcasting feats can stack up over time, and getting one extra in the beginning can really help a character ramp up the power quite quickly.
Another possibility is letting the Wizard or Sorceror have extra cantrip slots instead - maybe his/her Int. bonus' worth.
Silly question IMO. Familiars are entirely optional and have a significant acquisition cost (unless you change the rules to make acquisition free). Most NPC wizards in my campaign world don't have familiars, neither do many PCs - starting at level 1 they rarely have the 100gp, for a start. An unused ability is worthless so no 'presents' for giving it up.
In a recent Dragon the Something More Familiar article placed an extra fimiliar as a single feat. If you are going this route, I say one feat is about right.
In my opinion the familiar keeps Wizards and Sorcerers right where they need to be; away from the action. Even with a full arsenal of spells our Arcane casters must remind themselves that they need to stay protected... A good excuse to do this is through a familiar. I personally love familiars and take them every time I roll up a Arcane caster.
In my opinion the familiar keeps Wizards and Sorcerers right where they need to be; away from the action. Even with a full arsenal of spells our Arcane casters must remind themselves that they need to stay protected... A good excuse to do this is through a familiar. I personally love familiars and take them every time I roll up a Arcane caster.
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