D&D 4E 4e Familiars more than just a skill buff ?

[Kunimatyu]

Merlin's Archimedes and Harry Potter's Hedwig are potent examples for two different generations. (This thread suggests a lot of ENWorlders have never read The Once and Future King, alas.)

Witches' familiars are also pretty explicitly where the basic 1E familiar list came from, and that wasn't trying to emulate some crappy fantasy novel; it was hearkening back to the Salem and European witch trials and what people genuinely believed spellcasters had as companions and servants.

Keep them, make them a feat, and make them cool.

From what I remember of HP, Hedwig neither had a magical emotional bond, an ability to share spells, or the ability to speak to her master - I'm pretty sure that she'd fall into the "pet" catagory.

It's been a long time since I read any TH White, but I do remember Archimedes speaking -- though again, there are far more examples of fantasy magic-users *not* having Talking Animal Friends. (Also, Once and Future King, IMO, is a far, far overrated book - the author lacks the skill to weave his political ideas into the books, and instead just has his characters
launch into sermons about them.)

 

[WarlockLord]

Bob the Skull- do we REALLY need a stripper-obsessed spirit of intellect?

Although, to be fair, I had an alcoholic bat familiar once. It was...bad.

 

[Klaus]

Klarion The Witch Boy's draaga cat Teekl (notice how the villagers make a point of also putting Teekl in the bonfire):

Here are three Submissionaries (lawgivers among Klarion's people) merged with their draaga wyrmling familiars into a gestalt form know as Horigal (Klarion later learns to do that with Teekl):

 

[mr_outsidevoice]

Familiars could also be a "wizard's tool" like the Staff, Wand, and Orb. I think a Talent Tree would be best, a few Feats here and there, and NO XP loss when fido is ganked.

 

[Banshee16]

Celestial familiar (Book of exalted deeds)
Dragon familiar (Draconomicon)
Fiendish familiar (Book of vile darkness)
Enhanced familiar (Song and silence)
Imbue with spell like ability
Magic fang +permanancy


Thats realy all I could think of... but hey... 6 was right

There's also a series of a feats for Improved Familiars, including one in Green Ronin's "Shaman" book.

I always wanted a wizard with a wolf familiar....that book allows it. Much cooler than a rat

Banshee

 

[Phasics]

Would be nice if Mages were arbitrarily 100% with a familiar and 80-95% without

 

[Klaus]

There's also a series of a feats for Improved Familiars, including one in Green Ronin's "Shaman" book.

I always wanted a wizard with a wolf familiar....that book allows it. Much cooler than a rat

Banshee

Complete Warrior does that one better, letting you have a winter wolf as a familiar.

 

[Wepwawet]

The typical Wizard familiar

Personaly I don't like Wizard familiars or Druid companions. I'd be happy without them.
My favorite class is Druid, and I always house-rule it to replace the animal with more spell power. If I'd play a Wizard I would do the same, probably.

 

[Driddle]

It seems that most players want a familiar that they can use as a weapon or a shield in combat. And every time, the players are always surprised when their glorified gerbil gets smashed by a single blow from an orc's warhammer. What do they expect? Sure, it is a magical beast-rat with some sort of arcane link with its master, and it gets a few magical bonuses and intelligence to boot...but at the end of the day, it is still a rat. It is not Mighty Mouse.

Familiars are not meant to be bodyguards or retainers...they are not meant to be used in combat. And unfortunately, the phrase "not meant to be used in combat" gets translated as "completely worthless" by most players. It's not their fault; 3.X has trained all of us to seek out and keep only those items that give the biggest bonuses. Everything else gets ignored.

Familiars are cool, just the way they are...they are great things to have whenever you need a messenger, or someone to keep an eye on the horses while you are exploring yonder cave, or someone to patrol the skies while you are marching overland, or someone to shadow a suspicious-looking customer in the tavern. But if you want a bodyguard, hire a retainer.

Excellent perspective. I've give you a hearty slap on the back if I could.

 

[sidonunspa]

What are those six ways? I don't think I've ever seen cool familiars.

If you think outside the box with them… You can do a lot...

1. Deliver beneficial touch spells to your allies, a familiar with invisibility can fly in combat and hit an ally with stone skin or other spells when needed… I remember when I used it to give the rouge Improved Invisibility at range.

2. Share Spell - USE IT! Ever cast Dragon Breath cast on you and your familiar?

3. Imbue Familiar with spell ability…. Nuff said.

4. Casting personal spells on familiar instead… take a look at the new polymorph spells (aspect of X and Form of X) give that familiar an extra kick and let it act as a displacer for a few rounds (and cast as a swift action no less!) couple that with spells like dragon breath, fortify familiar and have some fun!

5. Have the cleric cast imbue with spell ability on your familiar – now when he is invisible he can cast protection from evil on the mind controlled barbarian… or resurgence on an ally… or even a quick prayer spell.

6. Improved Familiar + you take 4 ranks in use magic device = a wand using pusdo-dragon.


Now if your character is a Mystic Theurge or an arcane trickster... Your familiar can do some other cool things.... but I will let you figure them out