Familiar - Tough encounter?

[RolandOfGilead]

Innis -
Under other conditions, you would be at least partially correct. The familiar's abilities are folded into the masters, and thus you really just get the wizards CR. However, in this case, the players wont be facing the actualy wizard, and therefore I must come up with a valid CR rating for the creature.

 

[Eolin]

This is so cool. I'm bookmarking the thread.

Can you give the familiar any other types of magic items? You've given it a lot of defensive magic items, could it not have offense as well? As soon as its out of spells, its pretty much helpless.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

This idea is very cool.

I'd agree with Eolin about adding an offensive item or two.

I tend to associate ravens with Lightning, so that'd be my pick. Chain lightning is probably a bit too much, so Electric orb or Lightning bolt. Most likely a custom built wand or possibly a staff with a few charges.

I think with the blackguard it'd make a good challenge for your 8th level party.

Zombies/Skeletons - I'd go for stuff that's likely to be found in and around the village - mostly villagers, mixed in with farmyard beasts for something a little more threatening.

 

[RolandOfGilead]

Regarding offensive magic items:

I considered this, but doesn't using a wand require you to have it on your spell list?
I could see giving him a wand that has his SLA's on it.. I think thats allowed by the rules.

 

[gizmo33]

However, in this case, the players wont be facing the actualy wizard, and therefore I must come up with a valid CR rating for the creature.

In the case where you're trying to illustrate to the players the usefulness of a familiar - you might want to consider having the wizard show up at some point in the battle. The difficulty level of the familiar plus the 12th level wizard probably makes more of the point, don't you think?

 

[RolandOfGilead]

Gizmo,

Actually that would do the exact opposite. The encounter wouldnt be about a tough familiar, it would be about a Nasty wizard who buffed his familiar. they'd remember the wizard.

 

[gizmo33]

Actually that would do the exact opposite. The encounter wouldnt be about a tough familiar, it would be about a Nasty wizard who buffed his familiar. they'd remember the wizard.

Well, you know your players better than I do. If I were your player, I'd remember the raven that cast fireball and say "I gotta get me one of those". Also, the rules provide some bonuses for a familiar who is within arms reach of a wizard (ex. share spells - so the wizard wouldn't just cast "buff" spells on the familiar.) so I don't think the wizard is making as much of his familiar as he could. The wizard stands to loose 1200xp by letting his familiar get killed.
Actually, just reading the rules about familiars is probably the biggest selling point.
Cool idea by the way.

 

[Eolin]

Well, you know your players better than I do. If I were your player, I'd remember the raven that cast fireball and say "I gotta get me one of those". Also, the rules provide some bonuses for a familiar who is within arms reach of a wizard (ex. share spells - so the wizard wouldn't just cast "buff" spells on the familiar.) so I don't think the wizard is making as much of his familiar as he could. The wizard stands to loose 1200xp by letting his familiar get killed.
Actually, just reading the rules about familiars is probably the biggest selling point.
Cool idea by the way.

Don't forget the XP already invested in the spellstitched familiar. If my memory serves, its something like 500 XP per wisdom of the creature. So that's like 7500 EP right there!

 

[Hellefire]

I'm guessing that wizard is going to be a re-occuring nemesis who's gonna be pretty pissed about the xp loss and pop up at some later point. At least that's my guess.

Aaron

 

[RolandOfGilead]

I'm hoping the players think of that point too. I mean, hey, kill this guys familiar. wait. This is his FAMILIAR? What's he like if he can make his familiar this mean? err maybe we should deal with him and his familiar ... later. make the familiar run back to its master! thats it.
Also, remember - the wizard may be imprisoned, incapacitated, hibernating, or just plain a recluse who decided he could only trust his familiar to run his village.. "Take some of the deadguard to town and pick me up some mandrake root, a beholders tear, and a nicely roasted goose. Pay nothing, kill anyone who tries to stop you. they are simple villagers. oh and bring back thier corpses as undead."

(Note: a beholders tear is a type of mushroom in my campaign that is shaped like a teardrop and hangs down from treebranches. it has psychedilic effects, much like peyote)