familiar

[Greymalkin]

Hello. So a player in my campaign wants to get a porcupine familiar that grants the same benefit as the hedgehog from Tome and Blood (+1 natural AC). Do you think this is an acceptable familiar? It's not much bigger than a hedgehog and probably can't do anything unbalancing.

Also, would the +1 natural AC from a familiar stack with an amulet of natural armor? I don't know what kind of bonus a familiar bonus is.

Thanks for the help and opinions.

 

[Crothian]

Ya, it seems fine

a +1 natural armor bonus is a natural armor bonus. so it would not stack with an amulet of natural armor.

 

[CCamfield]

Hello. So a player in my campaign wants to get a porcupine familiar that grants the same benefit as the hedgehog from Tome and Blood (+1 natural AC). Do you think this is an acceptable familiar? It's not much bigger than a hedgehog and probably can't do anything unbalancing.

Probably not unbalancing, but I think porcupines are much bigger than hedgehogs. (A little websearch told me that North American porcupines weigh 10-40 pounds; I thought hedgehogs were more in the 1-4 pound range.)

 

[Greymalkin]

Thanks for the replies.

Porcupines are definitely much larger than hedgehogs. They can grow to be just over 2 feet long (I also did a web search). I don't see this as too much of a problem as they still wouldn't be able to do much in the way of fighting.

If I do allow it, and I probably will, what do you think would be good stats for a porcupine?

Thanks.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

Thanks for the replies.

Porcupines are definitely much larger than hedgehogs. They can grow to be just over 2 feet long (I also did a web search). I don't see this as too much of a problem as they still wouldn't be able to do much in the way of fighting.

If I do allow it, and I probably will, what do you think would be good stats for a porcupine?

Thanks.

First, I'd make the AC bonus unnamed. A +1 AC simply isn't unbalanced (IMO) compared to the familiars that give a +2 to a particular save.

As for stats, I'd suggest that you start with a badger, reduce the Dex score considerably (say to 11), remove Rage and the bonus to Escape Artist checks. Remove the claw attacks, leaving only a bite attack. Add armor spikes that do 1 point of damage if the porcupine is grappled/grabbed/touched. This would leave you with:

Str 8, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6

BTW, a badger is Small. If you feel that's too big/strong for a porcupine familiar, you might consider changing it to Tiny (effectively it becomes a runt), adjusting the stats as listed on page 291 of the MM.

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

Yes, the great thing about animals in D&D is that they can be created by slightly altering the statistics of an existing animal.

But I was under the impression that a porcupine could to a degree project it's spines.

 

[Greymalkin]

Thanks everyone. I think the stat suggestions for the porcupine are a great start. I will probably make it tiny, just to keep it a little more underpowered.

I also think making the bonus unnamed would be great, but I don't want to give more than I should. I suppose a +1 to AC is no better than a +2 to a particular save.

I learned in my web searches that a porcupines cannot project their spines. It's too bad; that would make for a pretty cool familiar.

 

[Fieari]

I learned in my web searches that a porcupines cannot project their spines. It's too bad; that would make for a pretty cool familiar.

While it's true that they can't throw their spines, those spines are NASTY little buggers. Not only would it do damage, but the spines should deal more damage when one attempts to remove them. I suppose a successful Heal check with a sufficiently high DC could remove spines without hurting the victim more, and magic would do it as well of course, but those spines are barbed and designed to stay put when lodged in a creature's flesh.

And who's to say that a MAGICAL porcupine can't fling its spines?

 

[Volaran]

Hi there,

I figured I'd add a question of my own in here rather than start another thread on out of core familiars.

My sorceror recently decided to summon a familiar after eschewing them for several levels. My DM recently informed me that since I'd been going without for so long, we was inclined to give me a somewhat more powerful familiar, somewhat like the many optional rules for paladins getting better mounts the longer they wait to summon one. The only thing he mentioned is that I couldn't have something as or more powerful than what the Improved Familiar feat would grant.

So, since the party druid and both rangers have wolf companions, I thought I'd keep the theme and ask for a wolf familiar. He's given his permission, but we're both unsure what the granted bonus should be for my sorceror. A +2 to Survival was tossed around, but I thought I'd ask for suggestions.

 

[Gez]

A +2 to Craft: Alchemy. With your heightened olfactive capacities, you can monitor alchemical creation by smell.