Alternate, yet pretty darn mundane familiars???

Mongoose just recently released Encyclopaedia Arcane: Familiars. It probably has just what you're looking for: besides several new animal familiars (including the penguin!), it has alternate rules for advancing familiars.

Johnathan
 

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I've always wanted a monstrous millipede, size small.

That would so freak out the villagers :)



You think a necro can get a 1/4 HD skeleton of some kind?
 

Richards said:
Mongoose just recently released Encyclopaedia Arcane: Familiars. It probably has just what you're looking for: besides several new animal familiars (including the penguin!), it has alternate rules for advancing familiars.

Johnathan
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Yeah, that's a pretty decent book. Plus it's subtitled Crouching Monkey, Hidden Toad, which is just darn cool.
 

Forget toads, cats, weasels, and such: I want a miniature Gelatinous Cube. He might be a bit tough to carry around, but buy a nice Tupperware Jell-O mold and you're set.

My only question would be, what bonuses would he give you? Tremorsense 5'?
 



Tessarael said:
Tortoise: +3 HP

Turtle: +3 swim
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Ummm... a tortoise is a turtle.

And not all turtles are swimmers.

The turtle species is characterized by its hard shell, and ability to withdraw into it. Thus, the familiar should grant a +1 natural AC bonus.
 

Here's what I do: you pick any Tiny animal as your familiar, like a parrot or a hamster or a monkey.

Then, pick a personality trait, and that determines the bonus. Here are my personality traits:

  • Artiste: Owner gains +2 bonus on Craft checks.
  • Bully: Owner gains +2 bonus on Intimidate checks.
  • Coward: Owner gains +2 bonus on Hide checks.
  • Friendly: Owner gains +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks.
  • Hero: Owner gains +2 bonus on Fortitude saves.
  • Liar: Owner gains +2 bonus on Bluff checks.
  • Meticulous: Owner gains +2 bonus on Search checks.
  • Observant: Owner gains +2 bonus on Spot checks.
  • Poised: Owner gains +2 bonus on Balance checks.
  • Resolve: Owner gains +2 bonus on Will checks.
  • Sage: Owner gains +2 bonus on any one Knowledge skill he already knows; once chosen, this does not vary.
  • Singleminded: Owner gains +1 bonus on Concentration checks.
  • Sneak: Owner gains +2 bonus on Move Silently checks.
  • Sympathetic: Owner gains +2 bonus on Sense Motive checks.

That was for 3e. For 3.5e, the skill bonuses should probably be boosted to +3. Anyway, the whole table was ripped from the Psionics section of the SRD.

-- Nifft
 


The one problem that I have with the familiar list is that some familiars can attack while others can not. Despite that big difference, the bonuses granted by these familiars are not very equal. I would think that familiars that can not attack should have slightly better bonuses or a different class of bonuses. For example, familiars that can attack grant skill bonuses while familiars that can't grant save bonuses or other (HP, Natural Armor, etc .). I'd also suggest that since bonuses to skills are +3, some familiars should give bonuses to skills that are +2/+2. For example, IMC, I will allow squirrel familiars. They are D sized creatures, have no attack, but will grant +2 Climb and +2 Balance skill checks.

Bertman
 

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