familiar/ animal companion question?

wolfheart · Mar 30, 2004

I have a player in my campaign who is playing a druid and wants to pick up levels of sorcerer. He has an owl as an animal companion, and wants this owl to become his familiar also. How would you handle this?

Thanks in advance

arwink · Mar 30, 2004

I'd say no.

Whatever power is granting his druidic abilities simply doesn't mesh with the arcane link that elevates a familiar above normal creatures.

Tessarael · Mar 30, 2004

wolfheart said:
I have a player in my campaign who is playing a druid and wants to pick up levels of sorcerer. He has an owl as an animal companion, and wants this owl to become his familiar also. How would you handle this?

His request sounds entirely reasonable to me. You have four choices:
(a) no (boring

)
(b) yes (gets abilities as Druid level x, Sorcerer level y)
(c) yes (gets abilities as Druid level x+y, or Sorcerer level x+y, but not both)

As a DM, I'd allow either (b) or (c). If you force the guy to have a low (Sorcerer) level familiar, the familiar will have lower survivability and it will be a liability.

The rules really don't handle multiclassing with animal companions or familiars well. The only other option is to take the Leadership feat, and stat the familiar/animal companion out as a cohort.

Just my thoughts ...

Perun · Mar 30, 2004

If you go by the rules, he cannot do it.

From the 3.5 PHB, p. 52 (Familiar sidebar):

Only a normal, unmodified animal may become a familiar. Thus, a druid/sorcerer can't use her animal companion as a familiar.

wolfheart · Mar 30, 2004

Should have done a better job reading the sidebar, thanks for the redirection.

Scotley · Mar 30, 2004

wolfheart said:
I have a player in my campaign who is playing a druid and wants to pick up levels of sorcerer. He has an owl as an animal companion, and wants this owl to become his familiar also. How would you handle this?

Thanks in advance

Its an interesting issue. I think the important thing is that in progressing as a familiar the animal gains intelligence beyond that normally allowed for a companion. I would be inclined to let the player make the switch, but no longer advance the owl as a companion only as a familiar. Logically you would treat animal companion and familiar as classes. Animal companion would be like monk or paladin--once you give it up you can't go back. However, I would let the character seek out a new animal companion at a later time if he so desired.

All that being said I'm not sure that allowing full advancement as both would be terribly unbalancing. The natural armor bonus would not stack. The extra hit dice of the animal companion would be irrelevant as the familiar's effective hit dice and hit points are fixed based on the level of the master. Evasion and share spells are the same either way. Devotion isn't really an issue. If he goes high enough as a Druid to get multiattack and improved evasion then the owl wont get far on the familiar abilities chart. The only real boost comes in a familiar with a bonus to str. and dex., which when combined with the masters BAB makes the owl a bit more effective in combat, but I don't see that as too much of a trade off compaired to the combat advantage of having an animal companion and a familiar. As a multi-classed character it is unlikely that scry or even spell resistence will be a factor either. The animals tricks become less important as the familiar's intelligence grows. I'd say in the end the character will be giving up more raw power than he gains and thus allow this from a balance standpoint. I can't see any good reason to say no. That's usually the best reason to say yes to a player for me.

Scotley

Voadam · Mar 30, 2004

Perun said:
If you go by the rules, he cannot do it.

From the 3.5 PHB, p. 52 (Familiar sidebar):

Ahh, but then perhaps the improved familiar feat would allow it.

Charles Dunwoody · Mar 30, 2004

Unearthed Arcana has an optional rule. A sorcerer or wizard can trade in a familiar for an animal follower equal to half their arcane level. This rule works great for multiclassing. Just allow the owl to continue as an animal companion adding the druid level and half sorcerer levels.

If he goes into mystic theurge I'd recommend letting him get the Leadership feat and just continue improving the animal companion (adding either all or half mystic theurge levels, you'd have to check the balance).

I have a character heading toward mystic theurge using these optional rules and so far it seems to work well. He doesn't have to juggle two weak animals and his power isn't unduly increased (gave up a familiar and a feat to get a continuing animal companion).