Familiar hit points (Con changes/temporary)

[Thanee]

If the Con of my familiar increases via Bear's Endurance or Polymorph, does it get more hit points, or only based on my Con changes (and halved, obviously)?

I think it works like this... you apply the changes to the original HD of the familiar and then compare with half your own total, picking the higher one for the moment.

What about temporary hit points? Seperate for the familiar or also half of yours?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Pax]

I think it works like this... you apply the changes to the original HD of the familiar and then compare with half your own total, picking the higher one for the moment.

Yeah, that's how I handle it.

What about temporary hit points? Seperate for the familiar or also half of yours?

I'd say seperate - which makes the ideaof having your familiar eliver a Vampiric Touch much more fun (IMO the familiar'd get the hp, not you).

 

[Thanee]

Hmm... I'd think the Vampiric Touch gives the temporary hit points to you still, since you were the one casting the spell, the familiar is just extending your touch range (of course you could cast Vampiric Touch for your familiar instead of for you, like a personal spell, I suppose).

Bye
Thanee

 

[rrealm]

I would agree with Thanee in regards to Vampiric Touch granting the master the temporary hit points unless the master explicitly casts the spell on the familiar for its benifit only.

From the Player's Handbook:
"Familiar Basics: Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar’s kind, but make the following changes:

Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.

Hit Points: The familiar has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice."

Thus, the master gaining temporary hit points grants the familiar no benifit.

 

[Thanee]

Ooh, missed that part about temporary hit points there. Thanks.

So, False Life is pretty good to buff up familiars then.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Terath Ninir]

But remember -- the hit points granted from increasing your Con score (including through Bear's Endurance) are *not* considered temporary hit points. Normally, that is more of a problem than a benefit, since you lose those hit points when the spell ends (a truly sucky way to die!) but, in this case, it does mean that your familiar would get 1 hp/level from the spell.

 

[Thanee]

Of course.

Bye
Thanee