Familiar Longevity??

[soulnova]

Hey there!

Today I had a very intriguing question. My sorcerer is level 12 now and someone recommended me to get the improved familiar feat but I declined as the sorcerer wouldn't never part from his loved rat. But suddenly, I realized how old the rat is. She's 5 years old! That's actually almost twice as much as regular rats.

She IS magical but still a "rat", soooo... do you have any idea on how would that affect her longevity?

 

[anest1s]

Hey there!

Today I had a very intriguing question. My sorcerer is level 12 now and someone recommended me to get the improved familiar feat but I declined as the sorcerer wouldn't never part from his loved rat. But suddenly, I realized how old the rat is. She's 5 years old! That's actually almost twice as much as regular rats.

She IS magical but still a "rat", soooo... do you have any idea on how would that affect her longevity?

It should be dead like 2-4 years before...so I think they live at least as long as the spellcaster lives... >.> or until you remind to your DM that it should be dead, I guess.

Don't do that by the way, its rude and it implies that you don't trust him.

 

[Dandu]

Thoughts: an Imp can change form into a rat.

Fluff it as your rat learning how to change into an Imp?

Incidentally, if you would like some feat recommendations, I'd be happy to give them. A list of your other feats and spells would be useful for this.

 

[Tovec]

This has actually come up with our groups before.

The way I understand it, the way we have long ruled on the subject, is that when an animal becomes a familiar it changes from Animal to Magical Beast. In so doing it loses all its normal aging perimeters. It is no longer a rat, but instead a magical creature that looks like a rat.

Again, in our games, as long as that wizard keeps the rat the rat doesn't die. When the wizard dies of old age. Or is killed. Or releases the animal then it might have an issue of living. At that point we have it become the age it would have been. Not like it suddenly ages and decays like Raiders of the Lost Ark. More like it falls over and is stone cold dead. If the whole Raiders thing works for you then more power to you

But yeah, magical beast =/= animal. It doesn't have to die like one. Basically we just let it "age" and "die naturally" with its master.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I really like the idea that a familiar would stay a magical animal after. Smarter, more powerful and immortal. What a great NPC to stumble upon: The familiar of a long-dead wizard who can give vital clues to adventurers who think to ask that magical rat that keeps lurking around ...

 

[soulnova]

Yeah, I was going to follow the "it lives as long as the mage" idea... but now that whizbang has mentioned the above, it's certainly an amazing plot seed. Hehehe, a magical crow could actually mentor a party easily.

 

[Celebrim]

It's not a rat. It's an immortal outsider in rat form. For example, the rat of a good aligned Wizard might be a shapechanged Latern Archon or a Musteval. Improved Familiar unlocks the familiar's natural form.

As an animal, it ages at the same rate as its master. After the master dies, it generally reverts to spirit form and returns to the outerplanes. If its master's career was quite successful, it profits by it, becoming an advanced and/or elite version of whatever it is and gaining stature among its own kind, or possibly even promotion to a more powerful form.

Some familiars end up somewhat stranded. The contract between themselves and their master is supposed to expire on their master's death, but the master ends up stuck in soul gem or imprisoned or in temporal stasis and therefore doesn't die. As a result, the familiar ends up stuck in its form and unable to 'cash its paycheck'. The familiar therefore may seek out some heroes to dupe into releasing its master.

 

[jefgorbach]

IMC familiars gain their master's lifespan via their link, making the same Fortitude save(DC15) their master does if/when its dismissed. Failure means it reverts to a normal animal without its accumulated abilities, and increased lifespan; causing most failures to immediately die of their advanced age.

Survivors often seek to avenge their master's demise before continuing to adventure having become accustomed to the dangerous excitement or seek out their master's peers for companionship; possibly mentoring younger familiars and/or those of lesser class status.

Note: I accept RAI that familiars MAY advance like any other Magical Beast provided the player accepts the additional bookkeeping. This includes gaining additional hit dice, templates, or even class levels since their improved intelligence indicates full sentience per RAW ... providing for some very unexpected plot-hooks/NPCs when encountered.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I want to second the whole "Lives as long as the master does" and "It is affected with Magic and somehow slightly altered" comments. I also want to tell you about a character I played named Wilson.

Wilson was born a normal Weasel. He became the familiar to a junior wizard at a wizardy school. They worked together, learned together, Wilson enjoyed his hightened intellegence. Than one day, Wilson was suddenly and shockingly cut off. His human wizard master broke thier connection as he selected another familiar as he had gained experience. Wilson was returned to the woods where he was found, and despite being a Int 2 creature and no longer understanding what he had, he realized there had been a loss.

Some time passed and Wilson was a misserable woodland creature. One day in passing, a Gnome, using his Speak with burrowing animals ability to get directions through the woods, spoke with Wilson. The sudden spark of conversation allowed Wilson to pour out some of his story and the Gnome, amazed, brought Wilson to a High level Druid friend, who then casted Awaken and returned Wilson to his former intellegence.

Wilson tried to apply to the school his master had been a member of and was rejected, but was accepted by a rival university. Wilson was able to duel with his former master, ended up losing the torunament but kicked the crap out of the familiar who replaced him.

This is the backstory for a Wizard I played in a one-shot campaign, My DM and I agreed that an animal, after being a familiar, would retain a touch of magic, despite returning to a normal animal. This included extending his lifespan.