Familiars... what would you want in a supplement about them?

[Kichwas]

See the rules in Spells and Spellcraft.

I would want something compatable with that.

Also something compatable with the rules in Tome and Blood and the Kalamar Player's Guide.


Most of all I would want a meta system that breaks apart the familiars in the player's handbook and shows why and how to determine which ones get what special ability and which don't.
Lastly... I want a monkey familiar.

Seems so logical yet nobody has published it.

FFG even did a picture of it in their familiars section yet never put in stats.

 

[thalmin]

I would love to see something on WHY a mage would want or need a familiar. It must be more than to get a magical pet. Does it help with his understanding of magic? Improve research? Protect him from demons? Shine his shoes? (I know the first 2 are nearly useless to a sorcerer.)
And what is the relationship between mage and familiar? Master and slave (and which is which?) Partners? One soul?
What are the drawbacks for having a familiar? (a strength 7 wizard hauling around a 10-pound bag of Kitty Litter comes to mind)

 

[Buttercup]

Just FYI, Arcady, a player in my online game (which is on extended hiatus) has a capuchin monkey as a familiar. It has the special attack 'Fling Feces' which has a chance of blinding an opponent. It also has Pickpocket, Climb and Hide in Shadows as class skills. The little git has a habit of approaching people and solemnly offering them a turd.

 

[Blacksad]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011209a
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011109a
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010923a
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011020a
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/psi/psi20020322a

Those spell (and psi ability) might interest you

Perhaps you should ask Green Ronin how many soul they sold to WotC to be able to quote T&B in Secret College of Necromancy

and perhaps you'll be able to print those spell (curently they exist only online).

for the increase in ability, you should look at the nemuranai in Magic of Rokugan, or the samurai ability in OA/Rokugan (use Xp to improve the thing).

you could extand that for familiar with level

For Tiger as familiar, do you plan to use an improved familiar feat, or something similar to paladin mount (dealy the time when you get the familiar, and have familar abilities several level lower) or both?

 

[jaldaen]

I'd be interested, but I wouldn't want to see just a familiars book. I'd want it to include stuff on Animal Companions and the Paladin's Warhorse, and stuff like that. Both of those have been dealt with in their respective splatbooks, but could have been handled more interestingly...
Basically, a "Complete Sidekicks Handbook"

<<edited for stupid I-Just-Got-home-from-work spelling errors...>>

Now that would be fun, unfortunately I'm only likely to get to familiars this time around (as I only expect to have about 64 pages to play with... which isn't much and would not be able to do justice to familiars, animal companions, mounts, and cohorts... perhaps if this one goes well for me I'll be enticed to follow it up with offerings on the others ;-)

Jaldaen

 

[jaldaen]

1) It depends on what will be in it

That is what I'm determining as we speak... ;-)

2)hm...

A balanced (playtest?) rule that allow player to change the +1 spellcasting level of prestiges classes into a +2/3 (or something else less than 1) spellcasting level and keep familiar (or mount) advancement?

Hmmm... thats a tough one... I'll have to think about it... might make a good feat, but I wonder how balanced that would be... I'll definately see what I can do ;-)

Perhaps extending the focus of the book to include paladin mount and blackguard follower?

Unfortunately I've not the page count to do more than familiars justice... but perhaps if this one goes well I'll be able to do the others

Rules that allow to play a pokémon-like campaign with the d20 sytem, keeping the familiar rules for a D&D flavor?

Now that might be a fun thing to do... ;-)

squirrel as familiar!

I think I can arrange that ;-)

Rules that give a balanced way to have any tiny and fine creatures in the MM as a familiar (and any creartures as a follower for Blackguard, or mount for paladin?) ?

Probable can arrange something like this as well ;-)

A contract with WotC that allow you to reference (not reprint) the rules and spells in T&B (and perhaps DotF for paladin/blackguard)?

Hmmm... I doubt that would happen, unless it was free ;-)

Thanks for your suggestions,
Jaldaen

 

[jaldaen]

a) Gobs of well-thought out familiars, both mundane and fantastic. Include utilitarian types (monkey, parrot) with cute or theme ones (songbird: +2 perform; bumblebee: +2 intimidate) and suchlike.

Will do, sir!

b) Feats that give access to dramatically improved familiars. Construct, battle-worthy, elemental, undead, inanimate (see Pet Rock thread), planar (celestial/fiendish), &c &c.

I think I can pull that off ;-)

c) Spells that directly affect familiars. Spells that only affect familiars should be more powerful than "normal" spells of that level, because the master is risking a lot by utilizing the familiar instead of himself or another ally. E.g., Polymorph Familiar should be 3rd level, but perhaps last only 10 minutes/level.

Again a good suggestion and will definately be implimented ;-)

d) Most importantly, a whole *bunch* of inspiration on how to use a familiar effectively. Tips, tricks, apt spell combinations, stuff like that. Something to inspire wizards with toad-in-a-bag syndrome.

Don't worry... toad-in-the-bag syndrome (TIBS) is a disease and I'm the cure ;-)

e) Since there are great paralells between the two, it should also cover psi-stones.

Hmmm... now that I don't know about simply because of my limited page count... we will see, but no promises...

Thanks,
Joseph

 

[jaldaen]

I'd love to see such a book.

Good to hear...

If I had my say it would include:
* More detailed info on various familiar types that expands on the dozen or so pages in Spells & Spellcraft.
* Clear and reasonable rules for growth/ability advancement for non-standard familiar options.
* More details on the granted powers their masters receive for a much broader array of animals -- everything from monkeys to hedgehogs and lizards to peacocks.
* Guidelines for creating your own familiar options (like constructs, lesser elementals, etc.) and how to determine their stats and granted abilities.
* Suggestions for summoning/binding rituals.

I think I can do most of these... and I think I will definately have to pick up Spells & Spellcraft...

BTW, I would also agree that such a supplement should include sections on paladin mounts and druid/ranger animal companions.

Hmmm... a common request... I feel saddened that I only have 64 pages to play with for now... but rest assured that I will try my best to make the book worth it just for the familiars ;-)

Jaldaen

 

[Neo]

i would be very interested in a supplement on Familiars

I think if you look back at the Dragon Issue that covered familiars that included different feats and spells related to them like Token Familiar, Construct familiar etc.... that is the kind of things i would be looking for.

As well as ways of improving them further, increasing the bond, varying the benefits, having a greater selection of familiars to choose from.

rules for obtaining more potent familiars... i personally don;t like Improved Familiar feat in how it works as all it does is something which could easily be done through roleplay anyway so why someone should sacrifice a feat for it seems a little off.

some new and original familiars in the supplement too would be good, as would gear and equipment for them, rules on care, magic items for familiars and a familiar woksheet and character sheet.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I think it might be too narrow a topic for a full supplement. I'd be interested to see what you can come up with to fill it.