D&D 5E Updating Improved Familiar to 5e?

Shiroiken said:

I think it would be better handled by casting Find Familiar at higher levels, rather than a Feat. Feats are rare and powerful, and spending one on increasing your familiar feels bad. I did this with Find Steed to allow the paladin to eventually summon a Pegasus, and it's worked out great.

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Given the permanent nature if the spells, I don't think higher level spell slots is a big enough drawback.

Summon a familiar with a 9th level spell slot and go adventuring tomorrow. Who cares that your familiar requires a 9th level spell.

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I did somethig similar not long ago. A wizard in my campaign picked up the crystal drake as a familiar.

Improved Familiar
Prerequisites: Ability to acquire a familiar. Allows spellcasters to acquire a more powerful familiar.
• You can acquire a familiar of any tiny or small creature of up to CR 1.
• You are considered to be in contact with your familiar for the purpose of shared spells, as long as it is within 1 mile of you. You and your familiar can communicate with each other telepathically at a range of up to 1 mile.
• You familiar has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your familiar uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, it also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and to its damage rolls. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws. For each level you gain after 1st, your familiar gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your familiar also gains a +2 attribute improvement. Your familiar has a personality trait and a flaw.
• A familiar bestows expertise (double proficiency modifier) in one skill or tool. The skill is associated to the variety of familiar (eg., Cat: stealth. Monkey: acrobatics. Squirrel: sleight of hand , etc.)
• A familiar bestows a special ability upon its master. This ability is variable, and depends on the type of familiar. (eg., A psuedodragon or imp bestows magic resistance; a quasit bestows devil’s sight, etc.). Consult your DM or a creatures Monster Manual statistics for specifics.


Hood of Dimensional Folding
Wondrous item, rare (level 6). Requires attunement
This fine cloth hood can be attached to any set of clothing by an act of will of the owner.
Property (at will): A bonded companion of medium size or smaller, such as a ranger’s animal companion, or a wizard’s familiar can use their reaction to disappear into the pocket dimension of the hood. This ability can only be used if they are occupying the same space, or a space adjacent to the hood wearer. They can use an action to reappear in any square adjacent to the wearer of the hood.
Power (Short): As an action, the owner can have the hood fold space, creating a pocket dimension as if they had cast the spell rope trick. The owner and hood disappear from sight as they are folded into the pocket dimension.

Wow, [MENTION=6791461]Amatiel[/MENTION], that looks pretty awesome! I do kind of miss 3.5's crazier options - the Hellhound, Hippogriff, etc that I mentioned on the previous page - but even just what you wrote looks like an awesome way to get the basic theme of the feat over and makes it really work in a nice, simple, balanced fashion. Kudos to you on something so well-thought-out.

Hmm... maybe I should consider trying to convert some of PF's critters. A PF's wizard to get neat little magical monsters like the Al'miraj, Pooka, Pipefox and Skvader is one of the few areas I think it has an edge over 5e in terms of options...

Wow, [MENTION=6791461]Amatiel[/MENTION], that looks pretty awesome! I do kind of miss 3.5's crazier options - the Hellhound, Hippogriff, etc that I mentioned on the previous page - but even just what you wrote looks like an awesome way to get the basic theme of the feat over and makes it really work in a nice, simple, balanced fashion. Kudos to you on something so well-thought-out.

Hmm... maybe I should consider trying to convert some of PF's critters. A PF's wizard to get neat little magical monsters like the Al'miraj, Pooka, Pipefox and Skvader is one of the few areas I think it has an edge over 5e in terms of options...

Drake, Crystal
Tiny dragon, chaotic good

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 11 (3d4+3)
Speed 15 ft, fly 60 ft.

STR 6 (-2) DEX 15 (+2) CON 11 (+1)
INT 10 (+0) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 10 (+0)

Damage Immunity lightning
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
Senses blindsight 10 ft, darkvision 60 ft., passive perception 13
Languages Draconic, Sylvan
Challenge 1 (quartz, diamond, carnelian); 2 (ruby, agate, jade), 3 (emerald, topaz, azurite), 4 (sapphire, amethyst)

Keen Senses. A drake has advantage on perception checks that rely on sight, hearing, or smell.
Limited Telepathy. A drake can magically communicate simple ideas, emotions, and images telepathically with any creature within 100 feet.
Magic Resistance. The drake has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
Refractive Armor. A crystal drake’s gemstone hide reflects certain spells and magical effects. A drake is immune to colour spray, eyebite, hypnotic pattern, light, magic missile, all prismatic spells, and sunray. Anyone casting any of these spells at a crystal drake must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or be targeted by the spell they cast.

ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Breath Weapon (recharge 5-6). The crystal drake exhales a blast of lightning energy in a 15-foot-line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in the area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, taking (4d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

CRYSTAL DRAKE LORE
Arcana DC 20: This nomadic offshoot of the faerie dragon prefers caves and caverns in deserts for its lairs, but lone wanderers can be found in any clime, especially near gem deposits. Crystal drakes are noted for their scintillating, crystal-like hides.
Crystal drakes are very fond of jewels, gems, and crystals. They have two cheek pouches much like hamsters, in which they can store up to four gems. Their senses of smell and taste are very keen, and they can actually sense the presence of precious stones within 10 feet.
A drake must consume 5gp of gems per week to remain healthy, or its hide loses its refractive and magic resistance properties, and it gains one level of exhaustion that it cannot recover from until it has fed on at least 5gp of gems.
Ingesting certain gemstones has strange effects upon crystal drakes. They are aware of these effects and often carry some of these gems in their mouth pouches for emergencies. A crystal drake cannot benefit from the same gemstone again until after it has taken a short rest. A crystal drake can consume gemstones of up to 50gp per age category.

A crystal drake’s scales change hue as it ages.

Drake Age (Years)
Quartz 0 -5 Wyrmling
Diamond 6-10 Very Young
Carnelian 11-20 Young
Ruby 21-30 Juvenile
Agate 31-50 Young Adult
Jade 51-75 Adult
Emerald 76-100 Mature Adult
Topaz 101-200 Old
Azurite 201-300 Ancient
Sapphire 301-400 Wyrm
Amethyst 401-500 Great Wyrm


A crystal drake has (1d4) hit dice per age category. For every 3 HD, a drake gains a +2 ASI to assign to its ability scores. An amethyst drake grains an additional +2 ASI.

CRYSTAL DRAKES’ SPECIAL GEM POWERS
Gemstone Minimum gp value consumed Effect
Agate 250 Grants greater restoration.
Alexandrite 100 Grants another saving throw against a save that can end.
Amber 100 Grants lesser restoration.
Amethyst 150 Grants protection from poison.
Azurite 150 Grants protection from energy.
Beryl 100 Grants shield of faith.
Carbuncle 250 Enlarge Self. For 1 minute the drake increases in size. While enlarged, the drake is Medium, its bite inflicts (3d4+2), and its breath weapon is 50-foot long and 5-foot wide (8d6).
Carnelian 50 Grants protection from good and evil.
Chrysoprase 100 Grants invisibility. Consuming 200gp grants greater invisibility.
Coral 200 Grants control weather.
Diamond 100 Grants see invisibility.
Emerald 100 Grants detect thoughts.
Hematite 50 Grants cure wounds. 50gp per spell level.
Jacinth 150 Grants protection from energy.
Jade 250 Grants dream.
Lapis Lazuli 50 Grants heroism.
Moonstone 100 Grants magic weapon.
Mynteer 250 Grants telekinesis.
Opal 150 Drake’s breath weapon inflicts maximum damage.
Olivine 300 Grants globe of invulnerability.
Peridot 150 Grants remove curse.
Rosaline 350 Grants prismatic spray.
Ruby 50 Grants bless.
Quartz 250 Grants scrying.
Sapphire 400 Grants mind blank.
Serpentine 5 Grants true strike. A crystal drake can benefit from this an unlimited number of times.
Sunstone 150 Grants daylight.
Topaz 300 Grants heal.
Wonderstone 50 Grants detect magic.

I'm on board with the other posters about a feat being a good vehicle for this. With the PoC warlock the designers have shown that there should be a permanent opportunity cost for an improved familiar.

I like [MENTION=53980]Fanaelialae[/MENTION]'s feat in that it plays well with those that have the spell and PoC warlocks with an improved familiar as a class feature. I wonder if it gives enough compared to other feats though. Perhaps granting abilities outside what the PoC warlock gets so that it applies either way - say a passive ability when it's physically touching you or something.

TallIan said:

Given the permanent nature if the spells, I don't think higher level spell slots is a big enough drawback.

Summon a familiar with a 9th level spell slot and go adventuring tomorrow. Who cares that your familiar requires a 9th level spell.

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I guess it also depends on how often familiars (and steeds) die in your games. I've found they have a moderately short life expectancy, so giving up a spell slot is probably going to matter at some point. I figured a it would be Lv 1 base, Lv 3/4 good upgrade, Lv 6/8 great upgrade for the spell slots (should probably increase material costs by 10 for each upgrade as well). You could also/instead put a duration on the improved familiar if you felt the need.

Alright, we pretty much all seem to agree that Improved Familiar makes sense as a feat for Wizards and Warlocks, but none of us really seem to agree on how it should actually look. Since this is my thread, I thought I should throw my own two coins into the fray.

As I keep saying, I think the Improved Familiar feat should function by allowing both Wizards and Warlocks to have more familiar options. That was its key purpose in 3e, and I think it should remain its key purpose in 5e. But, before we do that, let's take a look at what the Familiar options actually look like in 5e.

Wizard: Simply the ability to cast Find Familiar as a spell.

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Find Familiar: You permanently gain the service of a familiar. This takes the form of a bat, cat, crab, frog/toad, hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, poisonous snake, fish (quipper), rat, raven, sea horse, spider or weasel, but has the Celestial, Fey or Fiend type instead of the Beast type. It acts independently of you, but cannot take the Attack action. You can temporarily dismiss it in order to send it to a pocket dimension out of danger, but if killed, it springs back to life the next time that you cast this spell. You can communicate telepathically with it to a range of 100 feet and temporarily see through its senses. If within 100 feet of you, it can also deliver Touch spells for you.

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Warlock: At 3rd level, take the Pact of the Chain feature. This gives you Find Familiar as a bonus spell which you can cast as a ritual. This spell functions identically to the Wizard version, except in two ways. Firstly, the warlock adds Imp, Quasit, Pseudodragon and Sprite to the list of familiars available. Secondly, a Warlock's Familiar can make an Attack action in a round where the warlock forsakes doing so itself. As an added bonus, the optional Invocation "Voice of the Chainmaster" allows the warlock to communicate telepathically with their familiar at a much greater distance, see through its senses, and speak through it.

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So. The big difference between Wizards and Warlocks is that warlocks get a slightly more combat capable familiar, as well as the option for limitless telepathic communication with it. The Improved Familiar feat will, inevitably, step on those toes a little, but it's still requiring a wizard to make a sacrifice - remember, feats take the place of an Ability Score Increase, and a class doesn't get very many of those - for something that the Warlock gets for free. And, personally, I consider that fair.

Which means, just off the top of my head, this is how I'd do Improved Familiar as a feat.

Improved Familiar
Prerequisite: Ability to cast Find Familiar, 5th level
Your strength and studies have unlocked a more powerful version of the familiar-binding ritual, allowing you to gain the aid of a stronger being than the common mage could hope to summon.
Effect:

• You replace the normal Familiar list. Instead, when you cast Find Familiar, you can bind any Tiny or Small creature of the Beast, Monstrosity, Aberration, Undead, Construct, Fey, Celestial or Fiend type with a Challenge Rating of 1 or lower. Beasts you take as familiars change their type to your choice of Celestial, Fey, Fiend, Aberration, Construct or Undead.
• When you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own. If you already had this ability, then you can now spend your Reaction to allow your familiar to make its attack instead.
• When you reach level 10, your Familiar can be a creature of the appropriate type with a challenge rating of 2 or less.
• When you reach level 15, your Familiar can be a creature of the appropriate type with a challenge rating of 3 or less.

Fun fact is, winter wolves and worgs are only Challenge 1/2, but they're Large creatures. Hippogriffs, another "familiar steed" you could get through Improved Familiar back in 3.5, are only Challenge 1. So, for added fun...

Familiar Steed
Prerequisite: Ability to cast Find Familiar, must have Improved Familiar
Your strength has grown to the point you can command larger creatures to do your bidding, allowing you to ride into battle on their back.
Effect:

• You can now take a Large or smaller creature of the appropriate Type and Challenge Level as your familiar.
• Because of its bond to you, this creature will allow you to ride it as a steed.
• The magical nature of your bond means you have Advantage on any riding-related checks made whilst mounted upon your familiar.

Blue said:

I'm on board with the other posters about a feat being a good vehicle for this. With the PoC warlock the designers have shown that there should be a permanent opportunity cost for an improved familiar.

I like [MENTION=53980]Fanaelialae[/MENTION]'s feat in that it plays well with those that have the spell and PoC warlocks with an improved familiar as a class feature. I wonder if it gives enough compared to other feats though. Perhaps granting abilities outside what the PoC warlock gets so that it applies either way - say a passive ability when it's physically touching you or something.

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It's funny you should say that, because I was worried that it might give too much.

Based on the Martial Adept feat, which is one of the clearest feature granting feats, a feat is worth less than a major class feature. Martial Adept grants two maneuvers and a 1d6 superiority die vs the three maneuvers and 4d8 superiority dice granted by Combat Superiority. Admittedly, not all feature are created equal, they are both 3rd level features and both the fighter and the warlock gain little else at that level (the fighter gains a tool proficiency and the warlock adds a known spell), so it's not unfair to assume rough parity (albeit, differently distributed with respect to the pillars of the game). That said, I recognize that Combat Superiority is one of the features that is generally considered to be a bit too good at the low levels, so it's more fair to say that they are loosely equal but Combat Superiority is the stronger of the two. Still, the Martial Adept feat grants less than 50% of what Combat Superiority gives you. By comparison, my Improved Familiar feat grants well over 50% of what PoC grants, so if anything I'd say my feat is already too much.

Just my two cents.

QuietBrowser said:

Alright, we pretty much all seem to agree that Improved Familiar makes sense as a feat for Wizards and Warlocks, but none of us really seem to agree on how it should actually look. Since this is my thread, I thought I should throw my own two coins into the fray.

As I keep saying, I think the Improved Familiar feat should function by allowing both Wizards and Warlocks to have more familiar options. That was its key purpose in 3e, and I think it should remain its key purpose in 5e. But, before we do that, let's take a look at what the Familiar options actually look like in 5e.







So. The big difference between Wizards and Warlocks is that warlocks get a slightly more combat capable familiar, as well as the option for limitless telepathic communication with it. The Improved Familiar feat will, inevitably, step on those toes a little, but it's still requiring a wizard to make a sacrifice - remember, feats take the place of an Ability Score Increase, and a class doesn't get very many of those - for something that the Warlock gets for free. And, personally, I consider that fair.

Which means, just off the top of my head, this is how I'd do Improved Familiar as a feat.

Improved Familiar
Prerequisite: Ability to cast Find Familiar, 5th level
Your strength and studies have unlocked a more powerful version of the familiar-binding ritual, allowing you to gain the aid of a stronger being than the common mage could hope to summon.
Effect:

• You replace the normal Familiar list. Instead, when you cast Find Familiar, you can bind any Tiny or Small creature of the Beast, Monstrosity, Aberration, Undead, Construct, Fey, Celestial or Fiend type with a Challenge Rating of 1 or lower. Beasts you take as familiars change their type to your choice of Celestial, Fey, Fiend, Aberration, Construct or Undead.
• When you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one attack of its own. If you already had this ability, then you can now spend your Reaction to allow your familiar to make its attack instead.
• When you reach level 10, your Familiar can be a creature of the appropriate type with a challenge rating of 2 or less.
• When you reach level 15, your Familiar can be a creature of the appropriate type with a challenge rating of 3 or less.

Fun fact is, winter wolves and worgs are only Challenge 1/2, but they're Large creatures. Hippogriffs, another "familiar steed" you could get through Improved Familiar back in 3.5, are only Challenge 1. So, for added fun...

Familiar Steed
Prerequisite: Ability to cast Find Familiar, must have Improved Familiar
Your strength has grown to the point you can command larger creatures to do your bidding, allowing you to ride into battle on their back.
Effect:

• You can now take a Large or smaller creature of the appropriate Type and Challenge Level as your familiar.
• Because of its bond to you, this creature will allow you to ride it as a steed.
• The magical nature of your bond means you have Advantage on any riding-related checks made whilst mounted upon your familiar.

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I'd expect Pixie to be a very popular familiar choice for optimizing players (polymorph as well as a bevy of other spells at 5th level, yes please). The cockatrice might also be a popular choice, although IMO the pixie is hands down the best choice.

Here's a list of the familiars you can take at 5th level (from donjon.bin.sh):



Expanded list at 10th level (IMO, the Intellect Devourer is the real prize here, since now your familiar can take over the body of basically anything):



There's nothing to show at 15th level, since there are no CR 3 creatures that meet all of the limiting criteria.

With familiar mount, you can have the following familiars. I'm leaving out the Beasts this time because they made the list too long. (Note that many of these creatures aren't particularly suited to being mounts, although riding in on a rust monster and turning your opponents weapons/armor to dust could be a lot of fun for a player - probably less fun for the DM):



Familiar mounts at level 10 (the Carrion Crawler's paralysis would be potent, and the Nothic's Weird Insight - which magically discloses one fact or secret about a target - could be very useful, but I think I'm going to have to go with the Mimic on this one for it's 1,001 potential uses):



And at 15th level (between the Basilisk, Doppelganger, Green Hag, Nightmare, and Spectator, this one's a toughie):




Personally speaking, if I were to go this route with the feat I would limit the list of options to what is thematically appropriate and won't create issues in the campaign. IMO, basing it on CR is asking for problems.

Secondarily, I don't think it gives PoC warlocks enough. Being able to make an attack with your familiar as a reaction is not worth a feat in my opinion (sure, it expands their options as well, but in doing so it renders a significant class feature irrelevant).

Just for clarity; if you use those feats are you able to change the form of your familiar?
Find Familiar summons a spirit that takes the form of one of the options: it isn't actually an owl, pseudodragon etc.

Do those feats involve the actual creature, or are you just giving your familiar spirit more potential forms?
Your wording seems to imply that the feats change the way the spell works, and so you actually bind a creature of that type - which implies you lose the ability to change the familiar's form.