Alternatives to familiars

[carborundum]

One of my players wants to start a wizard but would rather skip the familiar. Does anyone know of any good ideas – either in existing books, Dragon articles or whatever? Or just some good ideas.
He’s seen the specialist wizards in Unearthed Arcana but wants to keep it a generalist. Item familiars weren’t his thing either (typical!). He was thinking of trading it in for extra (metamagic?) feats or maybe something like sneak attack. How much is a familiar worth then?

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

I know there were some articles in Dragon magazine a while back about familiar alternatives. Instead they had magic staves or rings or something that grew with the character. I believe they either had minor protective properties, or could enhance their magic to a small degree a few times per day.

Alternately, for a quick and dirty fix, I've had non-familiar-loving arcanists just pick an extra magic-related feat at first level instead and called it a day.

 

[Sitara]

Just give 'em a Staff of Power and call it a day.

 

[Herzog]

give him a reserve feat....

 

[GlassJaw]

A bonus feat is fine. I would also allow the player to swap it for another class ability. I played a Wiz/Loremaster once that swapped his familiar for bardic lore. I really liked the change - made a lot of sense for the character.

 

[Voadam]

I let wizards and sorcerers have d6 HD instead.

 

[carborundum]

Thanks - nice ideas. I'd forgotten reserve feats! D6 is interesting too, as is the Immediate Magic option I found in PHB2.

If I gave him sneak attack, would you suggest 'as is' or a progression every 3 or 4 levels? He'd become a Ray ninja with full rogue progression, that seems too much for trading in a familiar.

 

[Festivus]

I used to carry a staff familiar instead of a animal familiar on one of my wizards. It was in a dragon article (#338 I think)... can't recall which one but it was probably a year or two ago.

 

[Cincinnatus]

A bonus feat is fine. I would also allow the player to swap it for another class ability. I played a Wiz/Loremaster once that swapped his familiar for bardic lore. I really liked the change - made a lot of sense for the character.

Yes, but remember, a familiar is worth much more than one feat. Having a familiar even gives one a feat for free (Alertness). I don't have the PHB in front of me, but a familiar gives you way more than that, even. It's even fairly sturdy as a meleer with half your hit points.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

An NPC with half a wizard's hit points is sturdy?

I mean, I love my bard/illusionist's thrush, but "sturdy" is not a word that springs to mine when thinking about him.