Familiar hit dice

[Christian]

Familiars have hit dice equal to their master's character level "for the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice" (PH 3.5 pg. 52). Does this mean for the purposes of effects aimed at the familiar, or does it apply to the familiar's abilities as well? For example, consider a 4th level wizard with a tiny viper for a familiar. Obviously, it counts as a 4 hit die creature when hit by a sleep spell. But what about its poison bite? An ordinary tiny viper's poison saves at DC 10: 10 + half its hit dice (1/2, rounds to zero) plus its Con bonus (+0). Does the 4th level wizard's snake familiar have a DC 12 poison bite?

All opinions are welcomed.

 

[Crothian]

I say count it's HD toward everything including the poison.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I don't think they'd count as racial HD, and as such wouldn't let it increase the poison DC.

 

[Perun]

We ruled that the familiar uses master's level as it's racial HD for all effects and purposes, except for skills and skill points (since it gains master's skills and any ranks he has in them), saves, BAB (it retains it's own values, or uses the master's, whichever is better), and hit points (since it gains one-half of master's total).

In other words, this means that (in addition to benefist listed under the familiar description) it gains additioan feats and ability increases according to it's master's levels.

We ruled it this way because both animal companion and paladin special mount advance in those categories, but the same entry is missing in the familiar write-up and in the blackguard's special mount write-up, which makes little sence. This ruling makes the blackguard's mount a match for the paladin's mount. And familiars are rather weak anyway (regarding combat and similar situations), so any benefits added to them merely serve to customise them, and make each familiar a bit more different and special.

We also ruled that templated normal familiars (i.e. celestial, fiendish, shadow, etc.) give bonuses to their masters as regular familiars.

Hope this helps.

 

[Christian]

Wow. I don't think I'd even considered granting *feats* ... I was thinking of it more along the lines of a caster level bonus.

2-1 in favor of including the effective hit dice in power calculations. Anyone else?

 

[Christian]

Bump-No other opinions on this?

 

[Scharlata]

Bump-No other opinions on this?

Hi, Christian!

I thought only on using the HD entry to calculate spell effects (e.g. sleep, hypnotic pattern), but it wouldn't hurt, either

Just finished to write up my new familiar and I was curious to read your post.

Kind regards

 

[Shallown]

I usually let it affect feats and all. Even if this is not according to the rules. They are quite clear if you take into account the suggestion when it comes to magic and spells not to assume something unless it says so. The description states only for purposes of spells (or something like that).

I allow it becuase to me its not a game breaker and gives players something to make those famaliars special.

Later