Abstraction
First Post
Just a note that while your familiar can MAKE an Knowledge check based on your set of skills, he cannot actually TELL you the result of the check unless you are fifth level, or the familiar is a raven.
Familiar skills
- Thread starter LazerPointer
- Start date
lukelightning
First Post
Well, just as blind people can get a seeing-eye dog, a dumb sorcerer can get a "thinking-brain toad."
fafhrd said:
lukelightning
First Post
Well, just as blind people can get a seeing-eye dog, a dumb sorcerer can get a "thinking-brain toad."
fafhrd said:
LazerPointer
First Post
Abstraction said:
good point. in this case the familiar is a raven, by the way, so it's more than just a hypothetical. so any other opinions on the Thanee or Lazer approaches to knowledge skills? any errata that wants to clear this up?
Quickleaf
Legend
Scion said:just for my own benefitwhat discrepancies do you mean?
Even after going through this thread I dont really see any, just things that some people have issues with and want to houserule it somehow.
Hey Scion! The "discrepancies" I was reffering to were that high level sorcerers often end up being the intellectual inferiors of their familiars, and the ambiguous nature behind a familiar's skills.
Of course, some us love our "thinking-brain toads"
Quickleaf said:Hey Scion! The "discrepancies" I was reffering to were that high level sorcerers often end up being the intellectual inferiors of their familiars, and the ambiguous nature behind a familiar's skills.
Of course, some us love our "thinking-brain toads"
Personally, I have no problem with the familiar haveing some stat better than his master. I am not sure why it would matter nor why people would think it is a problem
A paladins mount may wind up being stronger, or more charismatic, than the paladin. Important? not really!
Maybe the sorc will look to his familiar for a good idea now and then, sounds like a good use!
As for the skills though, I dont think that there is anything ambiguous in the least. In fact, it is quite clear. The familiar gets his masters ranks in skills unless his own are higher.
The only ambiguity comes from some skills being beyond the familiars ability to use. This seems to come down to things that they are physically incapable of. As already shown the familiar can be decently intelligent, and uses the modifier of their own stat anyway. So even if they have 5 ranks in knowledge (X) they still likely have a worse chance than their master, and if they have a better chance then it is simply a matter of the familiar being smarter than the poor sorc. Nothing wrong with the familiar helping out
ARandomGod
First Post
LazerPointer said:
The familiar definitely has your skills. I also go by the interpretation that the familiar would only know what you know, but I don't see any reason why this would stop the familiar from making either an independant knowledge check. I mean, haven't you ever wished you could ask youself something? Something you know but can't think of right at that moment?
Sometimes you might even answer yourself later that day. "Ah HA! I KNEW that one!" but it's too late then. Having another brain with just your knowledge can indeed give you better access to what's in your head. He'd be looking from a different viewpoint, afterall.
Now, that being said, making two independant knowledge checks with each of you aiding another could easily be too much. But choosing the more intelligent of you to make the roll, and haveing the other do an aid should be fine, as should having both roll independantly without aiding.
