Familiars: Does EVERYONE take the toad?

[Sanackranib]

I'm just wondering. Every person that puts out there character and is like: look at this! usually takes a level of sorc/wiz so they can get the toad familar (+2 CON). I mean that is just lame.

don't confuse frogs and toads. toads basically keep dry which is why they can live in the desert. Dont get me wrong I think toads suck as familiars too, but its a trade off. the more versitile or combat effective a familiar is the less it grants its master. I think the +2 con goes back to when you had to roll for a familiar and always seemed to get stuck with toad. IMO familiars are not powerfull enough for the risk having one entails. also as you level up and become more powerfull you should automatically be able to summon a more powerfull familiar with out having to take a precious feat to do so.

 

[Sanackranib]

I'm just wondering. Every person that puts out there character and is like: look at this! usually takes a level of sorc/wiz so they can get the toad familar (+2 CON). I mean that is just lame.

don't confuse frogs and toads. toads basically keep dry which is why they can live in the desert. Dont get me wrong I think toads suck as familiars too, but its a trade off. the more versitile or combat effective a familiar is the less it grants its master. I think the +2 con goes back to when you had to roll for a familiar and always seemed to get stuck with toad. IMO familiars are not powerfull enough for the risk having one entails. also as you level up and become more powerfull you should automatically be able to summon a more powerfull familiar with out having to take a precious feat to do so.

 

[Sejs]

I think the +2 con goes back to when you had to roll for a familiar and always seemed to get stuck with toad

To quote Yamara: Wow.. all that and wide-angle vision too.



Does bring up a point though - the old Yamara comics are a perfect example of how a toad familiar can kick ass.

Particularly if they're named Ralph.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Oh, Hyp - that flying familiar thing: do they sprout little wings, or would this be the infinitly cooler HoverToad?

No wings, but Hover would cost three feats

The Enhanced Familiar: Fly feat gives them Poor maneuverability, or increases maneuverability by one step if the familiar can already fly... and it can be taken more than once. So to hover, it would need Poor->Average->Good.

I'd prefer to spend those two feats on Enhanced Familiar: Speak and Enhanced Familiar: Smart, myself

-Hyp.

 

[LGodamus]

i just had to chime in to remind everyone that no amphibians of any sort can spread warts...warts are a viral infection not the product of frogs and toads... please be kind to the herpetelogical community and not slight those animals with such slanderous talk

 

[LGodamus]

nm

 

[LGodamus]

by the way none of the wizards in any of my games in 3e have had toad familiars...most havent even had familiars ..many of the players consider them a liability

 

[LGodamus]

darn double postin crud

 

[Guilt Puppy]

I almost never take a familiar the only time I did it was a monkey dressed up in a ninja costume with a toy sword stapped to its back.

AWESOME! NINJA MONKEYS!

My players were once teleported to an island jungle in the middle of nowhere (hey, they picked the wrong door.) The only civilization was a race of monkeyfolk. Many of whom were ninjas.

Wow, looking back, that was a fun campaign!

 

[Wormwood]

3 campaigns.

5 wizards.

4 toads.

1 bat.

Toads rule.