[Duh] Familiars cost money?

[FireLance]

A light horse is only 75 gp and a pony's only 30. Also, a fighter starts out with a whole lot more money. They probably have as much or more hp than the person they're carrying.

By a "decent" mount, I mean one that does not require you to make a DC 20 Ride check as a move action every round to do anything else when you're riding it in battle. For a Medium-sized character, that's 150 gp for a light warhorse.

 

[Glyfair]

It's a holdover from previous editions, where in order to find a familiar, a wizard had to...

Exactly. There are a lot of artifacts in D&D 3E from previous editions. This is just one of them. I wouldn't be suprised to see if dropped in the next update.

 

[FireLance]

Exactly. There are a lot of artifacts in D&D 3E from previous editions. This is just one of them. I wouldn't be suprised to see if dropped in the next update.

Me too. In fact, based on what I see in PHB II and some stuff that I read online (possibly here on ENWorld) there will probably be a move towards "companion-less" PCs which will eliminate things like special mounts, animal companions and familiars as basic PC abilities, possibly rolling them into the Leadership feat, or having a Cohort feat (replacing the current Leadership feat) to gain a single devoted companion (which could be an animal for a ranger or druid, a special mount for a paladin, or a familiar for a sorcerer or wizard). I'll go out on a limb and say that in most games, the players don't get much use out of their followers anyway, so that part of Leadership might as well be eliminated, or left as an option for DMs who don't mind dealing with it.

 

[Glyfair]

In fact, based on what I see in PHB II and some stuff that I read online (possibly here on ENWorld) there will probably be a move towards "companion-less" PCs...

Which is why I'll go out on a limb and say that they might even go back to making "Find Familiar" a spell and making it less tied to the class as an ability. As it exists now, some who don't want their wizard/sorcerer to have a familiar feel like they are losing a part of their character abilities.

 

[buzz]

I'll go out on a limb and say that in most games, the players don't get much use out of their followers anyway, so that part of Leadership might as well be eliminated, or left as an option for DMs who don't mind dealing with it.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

I have yet to play in a session where animal companions didn't die in the first encounter or familiars weren't totally ignored a la OotS. The Paladin's Mount is the only option that's proven consistently useful.

 

[buzz]

Which is why I'll go out on a limb and say that they might even go back to making "Find Familiar" a spell and making it less tied to the class as an ability. As it exists now, some who don't want their wizard/sorcerer to have a familiar feel like they are losing a part of their character abilities.

I'd be happy to see it as a "signature option" for one of the classes, probably the wizard. I don't think it jibes with the sorcerer concept as well. Let it be the wizard's thing, should they choose one, and make it one of a couple appealing options for 1st level.

 

[Thanee]

I have yet to play in a session where animal companions didn't die in the first encounter or familiars weren't totally ignored a la OotS. The Paladin's Mount is the only option that's proven consistently useful.

Familiars are very useful in my experience.

I've only once seen one die (that was because of a Horrid Wilting spell).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Glyfair]

I'd be happy to see it as a "signature option" for one of the classes, probably the wizard. I don't think it jibes with the sorcerer concept as well. Let it be the wizard's thing, should they choose one, and make it one of a couple appealing options for 1st level.

Well, they could add an ritual mechanic tied to the spell system (maybe even just a class of spells). Wizards would get access, sorcerers wouldn't (of course, then I'd give sorcerer's something else).

Still, of all the tweaks to the magic system, I'd rather see the AU diminished/enhanced spells added to the D&D system. Why should some wizards be able to cast Invisibility 10' Radius and not be able to cast Invisibilty? Make invisibilty the default spell, Invis 10' radius the enhanced, and come up with a 1st level diminished version.

 

[Cedric]

Just my 2 cents...

I let my players START with a familiar if they wish to start with one. However, if they want to pick one up after the fact, it costs the 100g.

But then, if my players start with a strong backstory including mentors, family, trainers...I've let them start with gear on loan. (Not magic items, but things like a light warhorse, or masterwork weapon).

If they start with a background that is also strong but doesn't include those benefits, I'll throw them a bone or two at character creation.