15 new Familiars...

[Cabral]

+2 to natural armor does seem a bit much to me. +1 would be better in my opinion.

I also don't like the near uselessness of the familiar... I would actually allow a turtle familiar to provide +1 natural armor.

As for the butterfly and snail familiars, it would be kind of funny to have an encounter with a 20 hit die snail with 28 hit points and a low-level party (Hey! I know I'm only first level, but come on ... how can a snail have more hps than me?!?) but apart from that I think they are against the feel of the core game. (Also, doesn't the familiar ability state that the base creature must be an animal and wouldn't snails and butterflies be vermin?)

besides, who wants to be constantly cleaning snail tracks from their spellbooks and scrolls?

... now what would stats be for turtles and tortoises ... and for dire turtles

 

[Aloïsius]

+2 to natural armor does seem a bit much to me. +1 would be better in my opinion.
(Also, doesn't the familiar ability state that the base creature must be an animal and wouldn't snails and butterflies be vermin?)

Hmm... It is possible in the FRCS to have a hairy spider as a familiar. And vermin with magical power are no more vermin but magical beast (ex: phase spider). But it's true that this is against the spirit of the game.
...Quoique... If you have the Manual of the Plane, have a look on the page with the illo for the far realms. There are slugs, there. Great flying slugs. Looks like a good familiar for an alienist.

 

[Myst Runner]

i think that using almost any flying or bird type familiar would be the best. think of how often you pay attention to a simple jay or crow sitting in a tree. If i had to take a familiar though it would have to be a Griffin. I wov Griffins.

 

[Nyaricus]

(Also, doesn't the familiar ability state that the base creature must be an animal and wouldn't snails and butterflies be vermin?)

Snap! there we go, someone who knows the rules!! i would have said it myself, but cabral said it first. Snails and Butterflies are Vermin, so they cant be animal companions.

Anyways, yeah, the +2 nat armour bonus is definitively overpowered. level one > +2 armour bonus? naw, too much. the Turtle with +1 nat armour bonus was a much better idea

 

[LogicsFate]

A good way to look at it is, if the familiar is useless their ability should be worth about a feat or a little more(exp-+1 to AC, slightly better than dodge). If it has other uses about half a feat give-or-takt(+2 to a skill)