Adding Elemental to the Improved Familiar Feat

[Alex]

What does everyone think about adding the Elemental subtype (from Manual of the Planes) to the Improved Familiar feat? This would mean you could have an air elemental owl or a fire elemental hawk.

Would 3rd level be a good minimum level since the Elemental subtype seems to balance out fairly well with the Celestial and Fiendish subtypes, or should it be more like 5th level to bring it in line with having an actual Elemental familiar?

Your thoughts?

Alex

 

[gamecat]

well, i'd let you get away with it... the elemental templates are basically elemental answers to the celestial and fiendish templates, much like half-elementals are replies to half-fiends and half-celestials.

Its my opinion, though, that Improved Familiar isnt that great of a feat. A familiar at the worst is just a liability. An "improved" familiar, usually insnt that "improved", anyway. Trade a hawk for an imp? I wouldnt sleep in the same room as an imp. You're trading a feat for a devilish double agent waiting to screw you over. I'd go with Spell Focus or Spell Penetration.

YMMV IMHO AYBABTU.... you get the idea...


rant over.

 

[Alex]

What About Shadow based creatures?

I'm not sure whether having a familiar is a benefit or a hazard from a metagame perspective. I've always looked at familiars purely in terms of roleplaying, but I would agree that if the companion isn't adding to the roleplaying of your charater then it is probably best not to have one.

Here's another question concerning Manual of the Planes templates - what level should a familiar with the shadow template be available to players. Seems like that template would be appropriate if your playing an illusionist or some sort of umbral mage.

Alex