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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sir Brennen" data-source="post: 234624" data-attributes="member: 553">Ah! I came to House Rules to post this very topic and someone beat me to it!Oh well.  I was going to post after reading The Quintessential Wizard from Mongoose Publishing got some thoughts stirring in my head.  I recommend checking it out. They have a whole section on a new type of magic item called an Arcane Nexus.  A staff is one type of object that could be used for a nexus, and due to its size, can hold the most abilities. But you could have rings, cloaks, hats...whatever.An Arcane Nexus has its own Item Creation Feat, and costs gold and XP just like any other magic item.  There are a number of abilities you can give a nexus (over 25) divided into four separate categories.  Most have a required caster level before you can give an ability to a nexus, so the item can grow with you as your character advances (just like a familiar.)My thought was to give this feat for free to any character that gives up obtaining a familiar.  Perhaps even giving such a character a 10-20% reduction in gold and XP needed to make such an item, plus they may begin play with their own nexus (with two minor abilities; anything else they have to pay for.)  The feat would still be available for any other wizard to take, without the other benefits.The other reason I wanted to post on Alternates to Familiars is to see if anyone else has come up anything interesting to replace the Wiz/Sor Summon Familiar ability.  Just letting them choose any ol' feat instead just seems to0 generic to me.For instance, there was another thread on here where someone was trying to make a feat that allows arcane casters to hurl raw magic around, burning off spell slots/memorized spells to fuel the bolts (sort of the arcane equivalant of clerics casting spontaneous Cure spells.)  I thought this would be a cool option versus a black cat or toad sidekick.This kinda stuff could add flavor to a game - maybe Staff crafting is a trademark of the Sidharka School of Wizardry, and summoning Familiars is only taught to mages in Wheel.Any others?</blockquote>

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