Familiars: Does EVERYONE take the toad?

[Dark Jezter]

3 campaigns.

5 wizards.

4 toads.

1 bat.

Toads rule.

ALL HAIL THE HYPNO-TOAD!

(Sorry, Futurama reference )

 

[Mark]

I've tried them all (and quite a few non-PH familiars) and find the toad best for mechanical reasons and the raven most useful for RP reasons...so far...

 

[Morbidity]

I usually opt for a burrowing mammal as a familiar, but then I usually opt for gnomes as well. Mongooses rock! (Immediately seeks defensive position for protection against the barrage of incoming missiles)

 

[David Argall]

some familiars

My arcane archer to be is doing nicely with a toad.

A mage in a game of mine is pretty successful with his raven working as a scout and spy.

A module was sorta busted by the hawk familiar keeping track of the fleeing bad guys.

Another familiar [forget which], made a good spot roll and allowed me to crit someone trying to sneak up on us.

So I can't say toad is a dominant choice or definitely the best.

 

[Gez]

An armored fighter bear is just too cool.

Yay! Panzerbjorn!

I hope it was a polar bear -- otherwise, it's less cool. (Pun not really intended, but cool nonetheless.)

The other wizard never took a familiar, partly due that DM's penchant for targeting familiars, special mounts and animal companions for "special attention".

I've got a theory about familiars, mounts, cohorts and hirelings, and their high fatality rate:

DMs want to show the player that the adventure is dangerous. He don't pull his blows, death is very possible, and he wants the players to be aware of that. On the other hand, he wants to avoid killing PCs if possible, because that's not fun... How to avoid ruining either the fun or the sense of danger ? By letting death stalks on these second-roles characters that accompany the PCs.

It's the same thing as what happens in series like Star Trek: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and 'Ensign Gomez' beam down to a planet. Which one isn't coming back? (from here).

 

[Hypersmurf]

AWESOME! NINJA MONKEYS!

Damned straight.

-Hyp.

 

[Yeoman]

In all the campaigns I've played in since 3e came out I've seen 15 wizards or sorcerers played. Of them

2 had no familiar
3 had a fox
6 had a toad
1 had a raven
1 had a weasel
1 had an octopus
1 had a Small Fire Elemental

 

[s/LaSH]

The only familiar in our campaign is a sea otter.

Also known as the Vampiric Otter of Doom, thanks to an incident involving a neat combination of spells and familiar abilities, but that's another story...

 

[diaglo]

Say what? Toads can "fly"....
....kinda. They can be hurled across pits, hurled to do touch attacks, and, of course, hurled just for a chuckle.

but aren't missile weapons destroyed when they score a hit.

 

[Hypersmurf]

but aren't missile weapons destroyed when they score a hit.

No, only ammunition.

If you throw the toad, you're fine. If you launch him from a Mighty Toadbow, you have a problem.

(Anyone remember the Hammerbow from W8rmy?)

-Hyp.