I'm not sure if WotC is planning on bringing these back, but this is my attempt at putting familiars back into D&D. I'm trying to add them without altering the dynamics of party / encounter balance. Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Feat
Cohort: Whether through a ritual, curse, pact, or fate, the bonding of a cohort (familiar, homunculus, or companion) to you creates an intimate connection with the creature that then becomes an extension of you. Your cohort shares a pseudo-psychic connection with you and knows your intentions and is in your control.
You share your hit points and defense scores, as well as actions during combat.
In addition, your cohort grants you an alternate perspective, allowing you to have a keener sense of your environment. You gain a +2 Perception Bonus when you and your cohort are within 10 squares of each other.
Because your hit points are shared by your cohort, there is no difference between your hit points and that of your cohort. You are treated as one being for tracking your hit points. When your cohort gets hurt, the damage affects your hit points. This also means that when damage from any attack that affects you and your cohort, such as area attacks, the damage deals once to your hit points, and does not double the damage because you both were hit.
Healing a cohort heals you. Healing damage that affects you and your cohort at the same time only counts as if one of you were healed.
Your cohort has the same Armor Class, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will scores as you. You make saves separately when attacked with an area effect, what happens to one happens to both of you.
During combat you share your actions with your cohort. You divide your actions between you and your cohort. On your turn, you may take any actions you are normally allowed, but any actions taken by your cohort uses your action allotment.
Feat.
Cohort Point of View.
Prerequisite: Cohort Feat.
As a minor action, you change your perspective and perceive though the senses of your cohort. You have line of sight to anything your Cohort would normally have line of sight.
Feat.
Cohort At-Will Power Use.
Prerequisite: Cohort Feat.
Your Cohort may make use of your at-will powers. Your Cohort must meet the requisite criteria for such use (i.e., wielding a weapon).
Feat
Cohort: Whether through a ritual, curse, pact, or fate, the bonding of a cohort (familiar, homunculus, or companion) to you creates an intimate connection with the creature that then becomes an extension of you. Your cohort shares a pseudo-psychic connection with you and knows your intentions and is in your control.
You share your hit points and defense scores, as well as actions during combat.
In addition, your cohort grants you an alternate perspective, allowing you to have a keener sense of your environment. You gain a +2 Perception Bonus when you and your cohort are within 10 squares of each other.
Because your hit points are shared by your cohort, there is no difference between your hit points and that of your cohort. You are treated as one being for tracking your hit points. When your cohort gets hurt, the damage affects your hit points. This also means that when damage from any attack that affects you and your cohort, such as area attacks, the damage deals once to your hit points, and does not double the damage because you both were hit.
Healing a cohort heals you. Healing damage that affects you and your cohort at the same time only counts as if one of you were healed.
Your cohort has the same Armor Class, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will scores as you. You make saves separately when attacked with an area effect, what happens to one happens to both of you.
During combat you share your actions with your cohort. You divide your actions between you and your cohort. On your turn, you may take any actions you are normally allowed, but any actions taken by your cohort uses your action allotment.
- Your cohort may make a standard action, and that action uses up your standard action for your turn.
- Your cohort may use your move action to move on your turn in any manor normally allowed to your cohort.
- Your cohort may use your minor action to perform any minor action it would normally be allowed to make.
- Your cohort may make basic attacks using your basic attack modifier with its natural weapons. Spending an action point for your cohort counts as if you spend the action point on yourself and counts toward the spending limit per encounter.
- You or your cohort may flank an opponent, but not at the same time.
- You or your cohort may take an opportunity action against the same opponent, but not at the same time.
- Your cohort may make athletics, acrobatics, endurance, thievery, and stealth skill checks using your base skill check. Hands or prehensile appendages are still required to perform skills that normally require them (i.e., pick pocket).
Feat.
Cohort Point of View.
Prerequisite: Cohort Feat.
As a minor action, you change your perspective and perceive though the senses of your cohort. You have line of sight to anything your Cohort would normally have line of sight.
Feat.
Cohort At-Will Power Use.
Prerequisite: Cohort Feat.
Your Cohort may make use of your at-will powers. Your Cohort must meet the requisite criteria for such use (i.e., wielding a weapon).