15 new Familiars...

[Duganson]

Hello all! I'm new here so I think I'll start things off with a bang!

A few days ago the News Page here at EN World posted 15 new familiars. I looked at them, and have a question: can you really get away with a +2 to natural armor if you take a fimiliar that can't do much?
If you look at the Snail fimiliar you will find just that. I just don't see that as a viable trade-off. The other familiars listed are, for the most part, fairly well balanced, but that Snail truly stumps me...
Please give me your opinion on these familiars, whether or not you might utilize them yourselves, etc. Hope to hear from all of you, ohh, by the way, HELLO EVERYBODY!!!

Thysl in Silver

 

[LightPhoenix]

Well, if a familiar can't do much, no, that's a bit excessive. A snail can't do anything, so I'd be tempted to allow it. My problem would be having a snail as a familiar - I don't think I would allow that.

LightPhoenix

 

[pontus]

I found several of the familiars granted way too powerful abilities.

 

[graydoom]

I think it's balanced. The toad is another example of this type of familar... a good bonus, but a worthless familar. It's a choice between actually being able to do things with your familar (like make touch attacks) or getting a nice min-maxed bonus.

Having a mobile familar is a big benefit to wizards and sorcerers... if they want to lose that benefit in exchange for +2 CON or +2 Natural Armor, I consider that a fair trade-off.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I personally would require familiars to be Diminutive or larger in size.

A Tiny-sized snail would be something else. A snail's tongue is quite course, and one the size of a human would rip all the flesh off your skin if it licked you.

Besides, toads can make great spies - who really notices a toad just sitting there?

LightPhoenix

 

[Duganson]

For the most part I agree with Graydoom, but Things that start adding AC are highly suspect IMO. Now having an ugly, worthless, snail on your shoulder can give you +2 to AC, and highly stackable to boot?!?!
Of course if you don't allow this then you may want to take a good look at the Hedgehog familiar in T&B. It adds +1 to nat. Armor AND has attack, SQ, and poison.....ouch!
Now for another one: How about that Butterfly Familiar? Not much either but +1 to all DC of your spells....This seems alittle better then the snail, but seeing as though a butterfly has flight (although not much) this might get out of hand.

Thysl in Silver

 

[reapersaurus]

Yea, there are quite a few in there that look pretty ridiculous.

The Dove, in particular.
A +1 to CHA and it's a flying familiar to boot??
Sorcerers would take this one hands-down, i think.

 

[graydoom]

Yea, there are quite a few in there that look pretty ridiculous.

The Dove, in particular.
A +1 to CHA and it's a flying familiar to boot??
Sorcerers would take this one hands-down, i think.

I dunno, depending on the sorcerer I might take the toad... 1 extra HP per level can be very useful. But with the dove flying, I guess that would tilt my choice to the dove. For a +1 to a mental ability score, the familar really should (at most) walk at a reasonable pace, with maybe one other (non-flying) type of movement (like, say, climb).

 

[Aloïsius]

A snail familiar ? But Damodar will kill it !

 

[Jarval]

I'd say that the Butterfly and Dove are both a bit OTT (+1 to all spell DC's?! ). The snail seems OK to me, but it could get abused.