divine familiars... ya, i know, weird

[jayaint]

so, with a mystic wanderer (MAGofFAE) running around and about to hit 2nd level... what kind of familar should a divine spellcaster want/take? any good lists of familiars out there OTHER than T&B? saw the one from Jan. 15th on Enworld.org, also... but if any other resources or suggestions are available... would love to hear them.

thx

 

[Jack Haggerty]

If he can wait until 3rd level, I'd suggest taking the Imp. Familiar Feat, and summon a "normal" familiar with the appropriate Planar (Celestial, Fiendish, Axiomatic or Anarchic) template.

 

[Crothian]

What type of god do you worship? Choose something that makes sense to that or to the way you role play. Don't automatically go for the Imp or other creature becasue of the power of the monster.

 

[Artoomis]

I agree with Jack. If "good," a celestial whatever would fit rather well (if not good, then whatever template fits best).

Your familiar could even act as your conscience - role-playing opportunities abound!!

My halfling paladin rides a celestial war dog that appeared riding down on a cloud. It's too cool! Hmmm.... I'll have to suggest that conscience thing to my DM; we haven't been using that enough.

 

[0-hr]

I'm also a Mystic Wanderer and, as a priest of the Lady of Storms, I choose a Macaw (parrot) as a familiar. It's the same stats as a Raven but looks much better (beautiful blue and gold plumage etc.). Since it can share my skills, and I speak seven laguages, it's quite the linguist (Polyglot wanna cracker? )

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Since it can share my skills, and I speak seven laguages, it's quite the linguist (Polyglot wanna cracker? )

From the SRD, "Skills: Use the normal skills for an animal of that type or the master's, whichever are better."

Hrm... I'm not so certain the Share Skills part of a familiar is supposed to work that way. Otherwise, all Familiars would be able to speak, or at least understand all the languages their masters speak. And other Familiar abilities, like...

"Speak with Master: The familiar and master can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication with out magical help."

...implies that they can't.

Oh, and the otherr nice thing about a Planar Template Familiar is that many of their abilities (Energy resistances, SR, DR, Smite) scale with the base creature's Hit Dice. And a familiar's Hit Dice is equal to his master's level. They start out good, and get better as you go.

Also, the Celestial/Fiendish/Axiomatic/Anarchic templates are still Magical Beasts rather than Outsiders... That means your familiar is less affected by Protection Spells and such that affect Outsiders like Quasits and Imps.

 

[jayaint]

which god

My char is going to be 10th ECL... but probably only have the two levels of MW, and playing in FR... worshipping Shaundakul (CN).

Thanks for all the help so far... I agree that having something planar as a familiar would make the most sense, what with the Old Man's portal domain and all. Though as a travelling adventurer, I don't really want something that is going to make a big splash at every rural town i pass through or that is not going to have SOME kind of benefit to wilderness travelling/wanderlust. would love to "create" some kind of familiar that might give my char. like know direction at will and pass without trace ability, etc.

is that too much? not enough?

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Re: which god

My char is going to be 10th ECL... but probably only have the two levels of MW, and playing in FR... worshipping Shaundakul (CN).

Thanks for all the help so far... I agree that having something planar as a familiar would make the most sense, what with the Old Man's portal domain and all. Though as a travelling adventurer, I don't really want something that is going to make a big splash at every rural town i pass through or that is not going to have SOME kind of benefit to wilderness travelling/wanderlust. would love to "create" some kind of familiar that might give my char. like know direction at will and pass without trace ability, etc.

is that too much? not enough?

Well... it's probably too much. Most familiars will give a bonus to a skill, ability or saving throw. And usually the better abilities go to the crummier creatures (Toads, for example). Most do not give out a special ability. Most Improved Familiars give no bonus to their master at all.

I'd suggest talking to your DM about it, since he will be deciding factor.

 

[Artoomis]

A bonus to Wilderness Lore or Intuit Direction seems apprpriate.

How about a Celestial Homing Pidgeon that gives +2 to Intuit Direction and let's the character use Intuit Direction as if it was a trained skill.

That seems to be in line with other familiars - with the exception of the Celestial template, but that's what you pay for with the Improved Familiar feat.

 

[0-hr]

From the SRD, "Skills: Use the normal skills for an animal of that type or the master's, whichever are better."

Hrm... I'm not so certain the Share Skills part of a familiar is supposed to work that way.

That's ok Jack, I'm quite certain that they do work that way. In fact, we went over all this on these very boards last year. A familiar can use any of the master's skills of which it is physically capable. Since the special ability of a Raven familiar is to "speak one language", it is capable of speech and can thus use the Speak Language skill. Other than Stingy-DM Syndrome, I don't really see much of an issue; either with interpretation or balance.

As for whether all familiars should be able to understand (but not speak) any language the master can; that's a separate debate.