Alternate, yet pretty darn mundane familiars???

Amrynn Moonshadow

Amrynn Moonshadow

First Post
everyone wants to have an imp or a pseudodragon, but seriously, ever see what they leave in the litter box?

even the unseen servant doesn't want to clean that up. (he may be unseen, but his grumbles certainly don't go unheard!)

to cut to the chase....

why doesn't a pirate mage have a parrot familiar? what exactly would its' stats and benifits be? maybe with a feat you could use it to make the verbal components of spells when you two are 5 feet appart?


how about a turtle familiar for a slow, slightly senile, frequently demoted, very senior loremaster (in the FR, in candlekeep)? think of a mix of grandpa simpson and the professor dr. hubert farnsworth. i don't see him being able to take care of a cat. a turtle maybe . . . and don't tell me it just grants +3 hit poitns like the frog!

donkeys aren't monkeys! quit screwinf with my head!
 

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Am,

If I had the book, I'd suggest looking at the Player's Guide to Wizards, Bards and Sorcerers, since I'm sure there's a section on alternate yet not TOO exotic familiars.
 


Maybe a tiny mage could have, say, a fly familiar?

A chihuahua familiar would be fun for an insane, twitchy, on-the-edge mage.

Or, alternatively, a more flamboyant mage can dress it up in lavish outfits and call him "Sir Pooky". (Granted, the insane, twitchy, on-the-edge types would likely be prone to similar behavior as well...)

Which brings up the option of simply giving familiars unique "flair". I once had an electricity themed sorcerer whose cat's looked like it had just imbibed several cases of jolt, and its hair was constantly filled with static electricity, making it stand on end.

I don't know if a small sentient mold or mildew would be too exotic...

A piglet could be fun, though perhaps a little large.
 

The mechanics for allowing an alternate familiar are fairly clear from the 3.5 PHB and DMG. If it is weak, then it can be gained at first level and gives a skill +3 bonus or saving thow +2 bonus, or +3 HP, and in appropriate cases may speak a language as well (these are all intentionally relatively weak feats that you get from your familiar when within 1 mile). If it is a vicious (little?) familiar then you need Improved Familiar or Leadership (your Cohort could be your Familiar).

Examples:

Monstrous Spider, Small: +3 climb

Parrot: speaks one language, +3 to appropriate skill (e.g. Profession (Sailor) :))

Tortoise: +3 HP

Turtle: +3 swim

I can make up more examples easily.

Some familiars are better than others for some classes. Cats for example go very well with Rogue/Wizard as they get a lot of racial bonuses on top of your ranks.
 

The ultimate familiar of them all.........

THE PET ROCK. Dress him how you want for a +2 on disguise, attach googly eyes for a +2 on spot checks, load him into a sling to act as a masterwork bullet, wield him in one hand as a makeshift sap.....the PET ROCK, he does it ALL!

:D
 

In my games, the familiar chooses the mage, not the other way around. And the familiar always has some particular signifigance to the mage... a fairly noctournal type mage might get an owl famliar, for example.

I sort of wing the bonuses other animals give, but I agree it would be nice to have, if nothing else, a nice .pdf handy of familiar stats for, say, things like owls, ferrets, raccoons, foxes, skunks, squirrels, rabbits, hummingbirds, chameleons, etc etc etc. Plus sub-sections on, for example, underground familiar (Gophers!), aquatic familiars, etc.
 
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Any size tiny creature should work. Then you just have to figure out what the benefits should be. Generally if something is useful in combat or has a nifty ability like flying (see ravens, hawks and owls), it gets not much else. For the tortoise, I'd probably give +1 Natural armor or something like that.

At any rate, this is really about house rules, so off we go...
 

I've always been partial to the little monkey. I mean, once you've got a familiar with hands, the possibilities are endless.

Besides, haven't 'cha always wanted a monkey?

As for what special ability it would impart, how about +1 with thrown poo.
 

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