Familiars
- Thread starter MerricB
- Start date
Arkhandus
First Post
I've only gotten to play a single mage so far since 3E came out (mostly stuck DMing, and my PCs tend to fill the warrior or priest role since I prefer to fill any important gap in the party, if I'm the last one to join or make a character). This was Vaeron Dunerunner, a sorcerer/wizard from a small desert town, who had a hawk familiar named Snatch. Snatch was used often as a scout and as a sidekick for Vaeron, adding more personality to Vaeron through his frequent interactions with the hawk, whether asking Snatch's opinion on something or having the familiar play along with his gags or performances (Vaeron dabbled in some cross-class Perform ranks). Snatch helped Vaeron fight in some battles, such as harassing a gargoyle, engaging an enemy's own hawk familiar in aerial combat (and winning, with the help of an Acid Arrow spell from Vaeron) when it tried to spy on the party, and such. Snatch also carried a rock, strip of cloth, or other object (whatever was handy at any given time) that Vaeron would cast Light on, and fly that around to provide illumination where needed.
When I DM, I see a fair number of familiars; most of the wizards and sorcerers seem to take a familiar, generally a raven or hawk. In the For More Than Glory campaign, the gnome transmuter in the party has a fox familiar named Bristletail (using weasel stats IIRC), whom he talks to occasionally and sends off on various tasks. He even got Bristletail raised from the dead once, after a green dragon slaughtered the familiar (the gnome had Polymorphed Bristletail into a hydra and used Bristletail to protect him and the party's archer; naturally, the dragon tore the hydra apart as the most obvious melee threat, before going back to chasing and mauling the archer). I don't try to kill familiars, but if the PC is going to stupidly send one into danger without adequate defenses and not in such a way as to keep the familiar undiscovered, that familiar IS going to get hurt or killed if it is obvious to the enemies that it is a threat or a spy.
One NPC in my Rhunaria campaign has a large parrot named Yar (using raven stats), who acts like a pirate and provides comedic relief. The other PC with a familiar in that game is a young spirit sorcerer, and has a tressym as his familiar. Tressym are intelligent, feather-winged cats in the back of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (the tressym is the only thing I'm using from that book in my homebrew campaign). Tressym are a familiar option in the FRCS' printing of the Improved Familiar feat, and they seem to make fine, albeit still weak, familiars for the cost of a feat. This PC's tressym familiar is Carillus, a spirit cat of some sort that answered the PC's familiar-summoning ritual. Spirit sorcerers are one of the 3 varieties of known sorcerer in Rhunaria; most sorcerers are natural (aka "blood") sorcerers, distant descendants of some magical creature, but a few sorcerers are spirit sorcerers or talisman sorcerers. Each uses the standard Player's Handbook sorcerer stuff, but have a few minor extras. All explained in the Miscellany/Houserules part of my Rhunaria webpage. Spirit sorcerers, amongst other things, get Improved Familiar at 5th-level for free, but never get to choose their familiar; whatever answers their summoning is what they get.
Carillus is one of the PC's spirit 'friends', except, unlike the others, he doesn't generate spells for the PC, he just serves as a physically-manifest ally. The PC often asks Carillus questions about the spirit world and other things, but Carillus is dodgy on answering some of those questions, though still helpful sometimes. Carillus mostly lives like any normal cat, lazing about, resting on the PC's shoulder, leaving at random times to go catch fish or rodents (even easier as a flying cat!), being fussy, and sometimes leaping at another PC's face and clawing at him a lot when that PC insults or sleights Carillus one way or another. Carillus does the usual familiar duty as a scout, and occasionally offers advice or insight on matters when needed. He's tried fighting or distracting opponents a few times, but as with any other familiar, he isn't very tough or strong. He was rendered unconscious and dying the first time, but narrowly saved. The second time, much later, Carillus harassed a troll a bit and caused some minor scratches before they regenerated. Kind of distracted the troll a bit, but only got lightly grazed once by a troll claw.
To make familiars more viable in my Rhunaria campaign, I have a few custom feats and prestige classes. A few of these custom feats also apply to any animal companions, special mounts, or other critters the character keeps around, while the Spiritbond Exemplar prestige class applies its benefits to both familiars and animal companions. The Rhunarian Guildmage has various familiar improvements that it can take for some of its class benefits, but that PrC isn't quite finished nor posted yet. The PC with Carillus has taken two or three of these feats (3 IIRC) and is almost certain that he'll be take the Spiritbond Exemplar prestige class next level. This stuff is also on my Rhunaria homebrew's webpage, though the Spiritbond Exemplar isn't fully posted yet; I'm nearly finished with the details and will likely post the completed description and stats this week. I've also got one more creature-ally-boosting feat that I still need to post to the website. The Spiritbond Exemplar gains abilities that improve the resilience, HP, ability scores, communication, and such of familiars and animal companions, as well as some stuff to improve summoned critters. The website links are in my EN World signature. Here are a few details of the relevant feats and PrCs (note that I use 3.0 rules, so a few skills and such mentioned in the descriptions may be obsolete in 3.5; similarly, Animal Companion Affinity is oriented towards the 3.0 animal companion mechanics; also, remember that special mounts that begin as animals or beasts become magical beasts when a paladin or whatnot gains the 'special mount' ability, so they don't get the Con bonus twice from Adept Trainer, unless they were kept for a year before becoming special mounts):
Adept Trainer (General)
You have developed great skill in training some creatures, improving their physique and their ability to follow commands. Part of your secret is what you have learned through interacting with a special companion beast.
Prerequisites: Handle Animal 5+ ranks, character level 3rd+, Cha 13+, must possess an Animal Companion or Familiar or Special Mount.
Benefits: You gain +1 on all Handle Animal checks. Animal Empathy becomes a permanent class skill for you, with all classes you have and may later gain. In addition, you train creatures especially well, making them more physically fit and mentally capable. Any animals or beasts you train will naturally gain +2 Constitution after a year's worth of training, and at the same time they will learn 1 bonus trick. Animal companions you maintain also receive a +1 competence bonus to natural weapon damage rolls, so long as they know you are nearby; this bonus is not dependant on time spent training. Any familiars of yours will naturally gain +1 to their maximum hit points per hit die they effectively have, after you have trained them for a year. Regardless of training, your familiars gain a +1 bonus on all saving throws. Your special mount naturally gains +2 Wisdom and +2 Constitution after a year of training by you. Lastly, regardless of training, your special mount gains the bonus feats of Spring Attack, Mobility, and Blind-Fight, benefitting from them regardless of prerequisites.
Animal Companion Affinity (General)
You have a peculiar affinity for animals that allows you to command the loyalty of more animal companions, or of bigger animal companions.
Prerequisites: Must possess an animal companion, character level 3rd+.
Benefits: The total hit dice of animal companions you can have is increased by +2 (this is regardless of whether or not you remain within a favorable teritory for them). Your animal companions receive a +2 bonus on Will saving throws against mind-affecting effects that do not originate from you, nor from items in your possession that you activate. However, your affinity for animals lends you a slightly odd vibe towards most other creatures, so you suffer a -1 penalty on Charisma checks and Diplomacy checks regarding dragons, giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, outsiders, shapechangers, and undead (though not regarding awakened animals, and not regarding intelligent magic items).
Toughen Familiar (General)
You have used your magical talents to improve the resiliency of your familiar.
Prerequisites: Must have summoned a familiar and have it present at the time you gain this feat.
Benefits: Your familiar gains +2 hit points per point of Constitution it has, to a maximum of double your effective class level for purposes of familiar benefits. As you gain levels, or as your familiar gains higher Constitution, this benefit may retroactively improve as appropriate. The familiar also henceforth gains Damage Reduction 1/- which functions like that of a barbarian. However, this DR only operates while the familiar is within 1 mile of you and on the same plane of existence.
Scion Feats: A rarely-available and special type of feat in Rhunaria is the Scion feat, granted by special divine patronage of some sort. Characters cannot gain Scion feats unless special circumstances grant them such a divine patron, and they only retain such feats as long as their divine patron continues to support them. Generally, deities or powerful spirits grant access to Scion feats for their most favored or special followers. Scion feats are much more potent than ordinary feats, generally of an order one or two magnitudes greater, sometimes slightly more, but since they all require several hours of prayer each week, limiting time for training and other supplications, no more than 7 Scion feats may be possessed by any given character. Access to Scion feats should not be taken lightly, and should be allowed only after consideration by the DM, who may limit which Scion feats are available. Regardless, any character with Scion feats is likely to be required by their divine patron to perform some quests or tasks for them on occasion, moreso if the character possesses multiple Scion feats. No Scion feat should be selectable more than once, nor should it be available without some mental or magical skill.
Divine Familiar (Scion)
Your divine patron has provided you with the power to bless your familiar with divine resilience, so long as you spend 4 hours each week in prayer and homage to the divine patron. This is in addition to any other time you already spend on such activities each week.
Prerequisites: Familiar, Wis or Cha 13+, ability to cast at least one 1st-level arcane spell each day, divine patron must have the Magic domain.
Benefits: Your familiar gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to your Wisdom or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Your familiar also gains an equal luck bonus on saving throws. Lastly, your familiar acquires Damage Reduction 2/-, which functions like that of a Barbarian.
Greater Divine Familiar (Scion)
Your divine patron has granted even greater defensive blessings to your familiar, so long as you spend 4 hours each week in prayer and homage to the divine patron. This is in addition to any other time you already spend on such activities each week.
Prerequisites: Familiar, Wis or Cha 17+, Divine Familiar, ability to cast at least one 5th-level arcane spell each day, divine patron must have the Magic domain.
Benefits: Increase the AC and saving throw bonuses of the Divine Familiar feat each by +1. Also, improve the Damage Reduction of that feat to DR 3/-. In addition, your familiar gains the Slippery Mind ability, as per the same ability of Rogues. Lastly, up to three times per day, you can expend a 5th-level or higher arcane spell slot in order to grant your familiar 2 temporary hit points per spell level, or instead heal your familiar of up to 2 damage per spell level. These particular temporary hit points stack with each other, and with other sources of temporary hit points. Granting this healing or these temporary hit points to your familiar is a supernatural ability that takes a standard action to activate, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Any temporary hit points left from a use of this ability fade away after 1 hour. The familiar must be within 1 mile of you in order to initially receive the healing or temporary hit points.
Superior Divine Familiar (Scion)
Your divine patron has granted still-mightier blessings to protect your familiar, so long as you spend 4 hours each week in prayer and homage to the divine patron. This is in addition to any other time you already spend on such activities each week.
Prerequisites: Familiar, Wis or Cha 19+, Divine Familiar, ability to cast at least one 7th-level arcane spell each day, divine patron must have the Magic domain.
Benefits: The AC and saving throw bonuses of the Divine Familiar feat are each increased by +1. Additionally, your familiar's Damage Reduction from the Divine Familiar and Greater Divine Familiar feats is improved to a total of DR 5/-. Furthermore, your familiar gains the Mettle ability, as per a Sohei.
SCION OF NIGHT PRESTIGE CLASS
A favored devotee of Altania L'Salle, a greater goddess of the Gilden pantheon. Scions of Night work the Lady's will across Rhunaria: protecting important natural sites, maintaining the natural cycles of life and death, quelling restless spirits, destroying the undead that do not have just reason for remaining in the mortal realm, protecting fey, guarding the secrets best left alone, and maintaining the strength of Rhunaria's natural magic. The Goddess has other purposes and secrets, but most of Her mortal servants are kept in the dark about these, merely performing what tasks She gives them, explanation or no. Most Scions of Night are druids or sorcerers who have no idea why they were chosen by the Goddess, people naturally gifted with magic.
Prerequisites: Fey, or human at least partially of Gilden stock; any neutral alignment; patron deity must be Altania L'Salle; able to cast 3rd-level spells; must possess either Animal Companion, Familiar, Darkness Domain, Destruction Domain, or Repose Domain; Knowledge (either Arcana, or Nature, or Spirits) 7+ ranks; Spellcraft 7+ ranks; any one Charisma-based skill 4+ ranks; any one metamagic feat or item creation feat; Spell Focus (Conjuration) or Spell Focus (Necromancy); any one Scion feat
Class___Base____Fort___Ref___Will___Special
Level___Attack__Save__Save__Save__Abilities
1______+0______+0____+0___+2_____Domain, Avatar Familiar, spellcasting
2______+1______+0____+0___+3_____Night's Gift, Night's Eye, spellcasting
3______+2______+1____+1___+3_____Night's Avatar, Night's Claw, spellcasting
Avatar Familiar: A Scion of Night's levels in this prestige class stack with their level in any one class that grants a Familiar, but only for purposes of determining the familiars they can have and what benefits the master and familiar gain from one another. If the Scion of Night did not already possess a familiar, they now gain the ability to summon a familiar just as a Sorcerer or Wizard could, in which case their level in this prestige class is their effective level for purposes of familiar abilities. However, either way, the familiar gains Severe Light Sensitivity, imposing a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks in broad daylight or other light brighter than a torch. This penalty stacks with any other Light Sensitivity, Light Blindness, or Light Vulnerability the familiar might have. In addition to the normal benefits of a familiar, a Scion of Night is able to empower their familiar once per day with divine blessings. Empowering the familiar with divine blessings is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and is a supernatural ability of the Scion of Night. They can only empower their own familiar, and it must be within 1 mile at the time it is empowered, with the empowered benefits being suppressed if the familiar goes more than 1 mile apart from its master. While the familiar is empowered, it gains the same benefits as the Night's Avatar ability described below, for a number of rounds equal to three times its master's level in this prestige class.
Night's Avatar (Su): A 3rd-level Scion of Night is able to call upon divine power for a brief surge of strength, toughness, and agility, once per day. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to three times the character's Charisma bonus, to a minimum of 3 rounds. Night's Avatar is a supernatural ability that takes a standard action to activate, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. For the duration of Night's Avatar, the character's entire body, including equipment, turns pitch black and is covered in a thin haze of magical darkness, granting a +8 circumstance bonus on Hide checks in very dark areas and also 20% concealment. Creatures with True Seeing active, or any effects that can see through magical darkness, ignore the Hide bonus and concealment noted above. The concealment granted by this effect does not stack with that of a Blur or Displacement effect, so use the better value when applicable. The Hide bonus does not stack with any similar bonuses to Hide checks in darkened areas. As long as Night's Avatar is active, the Scion of Night also gains a +4 enhancement bonus to both Strength and Dexterity, and a +4 luck bonus on both attack rolls and Armor Class. Lastly, for the duration of Night's Avatar, the Scion of Night gains 2 temporary hit points per hit die. Temporary hit points are lost before regular hit points, but once this ability's duration ends, any remaining temporary HP from it are lost. Once Night's Avatar ends, the character suffers 6 damage (not absorbed by this ability's temporary HP), and is exhausted for 3 rounds.
SPIRITBOND EXEMPLAR
A rare few individuals find themselves developing an unusually strong bond and kinship with their familiars or animal companions, beasts with a stronger spirit than most of their kind. When these spirit beasts grow close to a spirit-gifted mage or priest, they sometimes become close friends and confidantes, not mere pets or assistants. The spirit-magic that binds them together can create a powerful resonance that strengthens both individuals, and elevates the spirit beast to comparable power with his or her spirit-partner. Spiritbond Exemplars are dedicated to their familiars or animal companions just as those spirit beasts are dedicated to them, and through spiritual exploration they learn to empower their spirit beasts. The Spiritbond Exemplar strengthens their favored spirit beasts and those they summon, while also improving the Exemplar's spellcasting skills a bit. A Spiritbond Exemplar eventually learns to communicate mentally with spirit creatures, and to briefly travel the Ghostlands in a spirit-like form.
Alignment: Any
Prerequisites: Druid, shaman, or spirit sorcerer caster level 8th+; must possess a familiar or animal companion; must have possessed the same familiar or animal companion for at least half a year; must have a positive and respectful relationship with that familiar or animal companion; Spellcraft 7+ ranks; Knowledge (nature) 11+ ranks or Knowledge (spirits) 7+ ranks; any Charisma-based skill 5+ ranks; Animal Growth spell or Improved Familiar; Augment Summoning; any other feat that improves a familiar or animal companion
Spiritbond Exemplar prestige class advancement:
Class___Base____Fort___Ref___Will___Special____________________Spellcasting
Level___Attack__Save__Save__Save__Abilities____________________Ability
1______+0______+0____+0____+2____Improved Spirit Alliance______+1 Level
2______+1______+0____+0____+3____Bolster Spirits, Summoning___---------
3______+2______+1____+1____+3____Greater Spirit Link___________+1 Level
4______+3______+1____+1____+4____Empower Spirits, Summoning__---------
5______+3______+1____+1____+4____Commune, Ghostform Travel___+1 Level
When I DM, I see a fair number of familiars; most of the wizards and sorcerers seem to take a familiar, generally a raven or hawk. In the For More Than Glory campaign, the gnome transmuter in the party has a fox familiar named Bristletail (using weasel stats IIRC), whom he talks to occasionally and sends off on various tasks. He even got Bristletail raised from the dead once, after a green dragon slaughtered the familiar (the gnome had Polymorphed Bristletail into a hydra and used Bristletail to protect him and the party's archer; naturally, the dragon tore the hydra apart as the most obvious melee threat, before going back to chasing and mauling the archer). I don't try to kill familiars, but if the PC is going to stupidly send one into danger without adequate defenses and not in such a way as to keep the familiar undiscovered, that familiar IS going to get hurt or killed if it is obvious to the enemies that it is a threat or a spy.
One NPC in my Rhunaria campaign has a large parrot named Yar (using raven stats), who acts like a pirate and provides comedic relief. The other PC with a familiar in that game is a young spirit sorcerer, and has a tressym as his familiar. Tressym are intelligent, feather-winged cats in the back of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (the tressym is the only thing I'm using from that book in my homebrew campaign). Tressym are a familiar option in the FRCS' printing of the Improved Familiar feat, and they seem to make fine, albeit still weak, familiars for the cost of a feat. This PC's tressym familiar is Carillus, a spirit cat of some sort that answered the PC's familiar-summoning ritual. Spirit sorcerers are one of the 3 varieties of known sorcerer in Rhunaria; most sorcerers are natural (aka "blood") sorcerers, distant descendants of some magical creature, but a few sorcerers are spirit sorcerers or talisman sorcerers. Each uses the standard Player's Handbook sorcerer stuff, but have a few minor extras. All explained in the Miscellany/Houserules part of my Rhunaria webpage. Spirit sorcerers, amongst other things, get Improved Familiar at 5th-level for free, but never get to choose their familiar; whatever answers their summoning is what they get.
Carillus is one of the PC's spirit 'friends', except, unlike the others, he doesn't generate spells for the PC, he just serves as a physically-manifest ally. The PC often asks Carillus questions about the spirit world and other things, but Carillus is dodgy on answering some of those questions, though still helpful sometimes. Carillus mostly lives like any normal cat, lazing about, resting on the PC's shoulder, leaving at random times to go catch fish or rodents (even easier as a flying cat!), being fussy, and sometimes leaping at another PC's face and clawing at him a lot when that PC insults or sleights Carillus one way or another. Carillus does the usual familiar duty as a scout, and occasionally offers advice or insight on matters when needed. He's tried fighting or distracting opponents a few times, but as with any other familiar, he isn't very tough or strong. He was rendered unconscious and dying the first time, but narrowly saved. The second time, much later, Carillus harassed a troll a bit and caused some minor scratches before they regenerated. Kind of distracted the troll a bit, but only got lightly grazed once by a troll claw.
To make familiars more viable in my Rhunaria campaign, I have a few custom feats and prestige classes. A few of these custom feats also apply to any animal companions, special mounts, or other critters the character keeps around, while the Spiritbond Exemplar prestige class applies its benefits to both familiars and animal companions. The Rhunarian Guildmage has various familiar improvements that it can take for some of its class benefits, but that PrC isn't quite finished nor posted yet. The PC with Carillus has taken two or three of these feats (3 IIRC) and is almost certain that he'll be take the Spiritbond Exemplar prestige class next level. This stuff is also on my Rhunaria homebrew's webpage, though the Spiritbond Exemplar isn't fully posted yet; I'm nearly finished with the details and will likely post the completed description and stats this week. I've also got one more creature-ally-boosting feat that I still need to post to the website. The Spiritbond Exemplar gains abilities that improve the resilience, HP, ability scores, communication, and such of familiars and animal companions, as well as some stuff to improve summoned critters. The website links are in my EN World signature. Here are a few details of the relevant feats and PrCs (note that I use 3.0 rules, so a few skills and such mentioned in the descriptions may be obsolete in 3.5; similarly, Animal Companion Affinity is oriented towards the 3.0 animal companion mechanics; also, remember that special mounts that begin as animals or beasts become magical beasts when a paladin or whatnot gains the 'special mount' ability, so they don't get the Con bonus twice from Adept Trainer, unless they were kept for a year before becoming special mounts):
Adept Trainer (General)
You have developed great skill in training some creatures, improving their physique and their ability to follow commands. Part of your secret is what you have learned through interacting with a special companion beast.
Prerequisites: Handle Animal 5+ ranks, character level 3rd+, Cha 13+, must possess an Animal Companion or Familiar or Special Mount.
Benefits: You gain +1 on all Handle Animal checks. Animal Empathy becomes a permanent class skill for you, with all classes you have and may later gain. In addition, you train creatures especially well, making them more physically fit and mentally capable. Any animals or beasts you train will naturally gain +2 Constitution after a year's worth of training, and at the same time they will learn 1 bonus trick. Animal companions you maintain also receive a +1 competence bonus to natural weapon damage rolls, so long as they know you are nearby; this bonus is not dependant on time spent training. Any familiars of yours will naturally gain +1 to their maximum hit points per hit die they effectively have, after you have trained them for a year. Regardless of training, your familiars gain a +1 bonus on all saving throws. Your special mount naturally gains +2 Wisdom and +2 Constitution after a year of training by you. Lastly, regardless of training, your special mount gains the bonus feats of Spring Attack, Mobility, and Blind-Fight, benefitting from them regardless of prerequisites.
Animal Companion Affinity (General)
You have a peculiar affinity for animals that allows you to command the loyalty of more animal companions, or of bigger animal companions.
Prerequisites: Must possess an animal companion, character level 3rd+.
Benefits: The total hit dice of animal companions you can have is increased by +2 (this is regardless of whether or not you remain within a favorable teritory for them). Your animal companions receive a +2 bonus on Will saving throws against mind-affecting effects that do not originate from you, nor from items in your possession that you activate. However, your affinity for animals lends you a slightly odd vibe towards most other creatures, so you suffer a -1 penalty on Charisma checks and Diplomacy checks regarding dragons, giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, outsiders, shapechangers, and undead (though not regarding awakened animals, and not regarding intelligent magic items).
Toughen Familiar (General)
You have used your magical talents to improve the resiliency of your familiar.
Prerequisites: Must have summoned a familiar and have it present at the time you gain this feat.
Benefits: Your familiar gains +2 hit points per point of Constitution it has, to a maximum of double your effective class level for purposes of familiar benefits. As you gain levels, or as your familiar gains higher Constitution, this benefit may retroactively improve as appropriate. The familiar also henceforth gains Damage Reduction 1/- which functions like that of a barbarian. However, this DR only operates while the familiar is within 1 mile of you and on the same plane of existence.
Scion Feats: A rarely-available and special type of feat in Rhunaria is the Scion feat, granted by special divine patronage of some sort. Characters cannot gain Scion feats unless special circumstances grant them such a divine patron, and they only retain such feats as long as their divine patron continues to support them. Generally, deities or powerful spirits grant access to Scion feats for their most favored or special followers. Scion feats are much more potent than ordinary feats, generally of an order one or two magnitudes greater, sometimes slightly more, but since they all require several hours of prayer each week, limiting time for training and other supplications, no more than 7 Scion feats may be possessed by any given character. Access to Scion feats should not be taken lightly, and should be allowed only after consideration by the DM, who may limit which Scion feats are available. Regardless, any character with Scion feats is likely to be required by their divine patron to perform some quests or tasks for them on occasion, moreso if the character possesses multiple Scion feats. No Scion feat should be selectable more than once, nor should it be available without some mental or magical skill.
Divine Familiar (Scion)
Your divine patron has provided you with the power to bless your familiar with divine resilience, so long as you spend 4 hours each week in prayer and homage to the divine patron. This is in addition to any other time you already spend on such activities each week.
Prerequisites: Familiar, Wis or Cha 13+, ability to cast at least one 1st-level arcane spell each day, divine patron must have the Magic domain.
Benefits: Your familiar gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to your Wisdom or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Your familiar also gains an equal luck bonus on saving throws. Lastly, your familiar acquires Damage Reduction 2/-, which functions like that of a Barbarian.
Greater Divine Familiar (Scion)
Your divine patron has granted even greater defensive blessings to your familiar, so long as you spend 4 hours each week in prayer and homage to the divine patron. This is in addition to any other time you already spend on such activities each week.
Prerequisites: Familiar, Wis or Cha 17+, Divine Familiar, ability to cast at least one 5th-level arcane spell each day, divine patron must have the Magic domain.
Benefits: Increase the AC and saving throw bonuses of the Divine Familiar feat each by +1. Also, improve the Damage Reduction of that feat to DR 3/-. In addition, your familiar gains the Slippery Mind ability, as per the same ability of Rogues. Lastly, up to three times per day, you can expend a 5th-level or higher arcane spell slot in order to grant your familiar 2 temporary hit points per spell level, or instead heal your familiar of up to 2 damage per spell level. These particular temporary hit points stack with each other, and with other sources of temporary hit points. Granting this healing or these temporary hit points to your familiar is a supernatural ability that takes a standard action to activate, but does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Any temporary hit points left from a use of this ability fade away after 1 hour. The familiar must be within 1 mile of you in order to initially receive the healing or temporary hit points.
Superior Divine Familiar (Scion)
Your divine patron has granted still-mightier blessings to protect your familiar, so long as you spend 4 hours each week in prayer and homage to the divine patron. This is in addition to any other time you already spend on such activities each week.
Prerequisites: Familiar, Wis or Cha 19+, Divine Familiar, ability to cast at least one 7th-level arcane spell each day, divine patron must have the Magic domain.
Benefits: The AC and saving throw bonuses of the Divine Familiar feat are each increased by +1. Additionally, your familiar's Damage Reduction from the Divine Familiar and Greater Divine Familiar feats is improved to a total of DR 5/-. Furthermore, your familiar gains the Mettle ability, as per a Sohei.
SCION OF NIGHT PRESTIGE CLASS
A favored devotee of Altania L'Salle, a greater goddess of the Gilden pantheon. Scions of Night work the Lady's will across Rhunaria: protecting important natural sites, maintaining the natural cycles of life and death, quelling restless spirits, destroying the undead that do not have just reason for remaining in the mortal realm, protecting fey, guarding the secrets best left alone, and maintaining the strength of Rhunaria's natural magic. The Goddess has other purposes and secrets, but most of Her mortal servants are kept in the dark about these, merely performing what tasks She gives them, explanation or no. Most Scions of Night are druids or sorcerers who have no idea why they were chosen by the Goddess, people naturally gifted with magic.
Prerequisites: Fey, or human at least partially of Gilden stock; any neutral alignment; patron deity must be Altania L'Salle; able to cast 3rd-level spells; must possess either Animal Companion, Familiar, Darkness Domain, Destruction Domain, or Repose Domain; Knowledge (either Arcana, or Nature, or Spirits) 7+ ranks; Spellcraft 7+ ranks; any one Charisma-based skill 4+ ranks; any one metamagic feat or item creation feat; Spell Focus (Conjuration) or Spell Focus (Necromancy); any one Scion feat
Class___Base____Fort___Ref___Will___Special
Level___Attack__Save__Save__Save__Abilities
1______+0______+0____+0___+2_____Domain, Avatar Familiar, spellcasting
2______+1______+0____+0___+3_____Night's Gift, Night's Eye, spellcasting
3______+2______+1____+1___+3_____Night's Avatar, Night's Claw, spellcasting
Avatar Familiar: A Scion of Night's levels in this prestige class stack with their level in any one class that grants a Familiar, but only for purposes of determining the familiars they can have and what benefits the master and familiar gain from one another. If the Scion of Night did not already possess a familiar, they now gain the ability to summon a familiar just as a Sorcerer or Wizard could, in which case their level in this prestige class is their effective level for purposes of familiar abilities. However, either way, the familiar gains Severe Light Sensitivity, imposing a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks in broad daylight or other light brighter than a torch. This penalty stacks with any other Light Sensitivity, Light Blindness, or Light Vulnerability the familiar might have. In addition to the normal benefits of a familiar, a Scion of Night is able to empower their familiar once per day with divine blessings. Empowering the familiar with divine blessings is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and is a supernatural ability of the Scion of Night. They can only empower their own familiar, and it must be within 1 mile at the time it is empowered, with the empowered benefits being suppressed if the familiar goes more than 1 mile apart from its master. While the familiar is empowered, it gains the same benefits as the Night's Avatar ability described below, for a number of rounds equal to three times its master's level in this prestige class.
Night's Avatar (Su): A 3rd-level Scion of Night is able to call upon divine power for a brief surge of strength, toughness, and agility, once per day. The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to three times the character's Charisma bonus, to a minimum of 3 rounds. Night's Avatar is a supernatural ability that takes a standard action to activate, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. For the duration of Night's Avatar, the character's entire body, including equipment, turns pitch black and is covered in a thin haze of magical darkness, granting a +8 circumstance bonus on Hide checks in very dark areas and also 20% concealment. Creatures with True Seeing active, or any effects that can see through magical darkness, ignore the Hide bonus and concealment noted above. The concealment granted by this effect does not stack with that of a Blur or Displacement effect, so use the better value when applicable. The Hide bonus does not stack with any similar bonuses to Hide checks in darkened areas. As long as Night's Avatar is active, the Scion of Night also gains a +4 enhancement bonus to both Strength and Dexterity, and a +4 luck bonus on both attack rolls and Armor Class. Lastly, for the duration of Night's Avatar, the Scion of Night gains 2 temporary hit points per hit die. Temporary hit points are lost before regular hit points, but once this ability's duration ends, any remaining temporary HP from it are lost. Once Night's Avatar ends, the character suffers 6 damage (not absorbed by this ability's temporary HP), and is exhausted for 3 rounds.
SPIRITBOND EXEMPLAR
A rare few individuals find themselves developing an unusually strong bond and kinship with their familiars or animal companions, beasts with a stronger spirit than most of their kind. When these spirit beasts grow close to a spirit-gifted mage or priest, they sometimes become close friends and confidantes, not mere pets or assistants. The spirit-magic that binds them together can create a powerful resonance that strengthens both individuals, and elevates the spirit beast to comparable power with his or her spirit-partner. Spiritbond Exemplars are dedicated to their familiars or animal companions just as those spirit beasts are dedicated to them, and through spiritual exploration they learn to empower their spirit beasts. The Spiritbond Exemplar strengthens their favored spirit beasts and those they summon, while also improving the Exemplar's spellcasting skills a bit. A Spiritbond Exemplar eventually learns to communicate mentally with spirit creatures, and to briefly travel the Ghostlands in a spirit-like form.
Alignment: Any
Prerequisites: Druid, shaman, or spirit sorcerer caster level 8th+; must possess a familiar or animal companion; must have possessed the same familiar or animal companion for at least half a year; must have a positive and respectful relationship with that familiar or animal companion; Spellcraft 7+ ranks; Knowledge (nature) 11+ ranks or Knowledge (spirits) 7+ ranks; any Charisma-based skill 5+ ranks; Animal Growth spell or Improved Familiar; Augment Summoning; any other feat that improves a familiar or animal companion
Spiritbond Exemplar prestige class advancement:
Class___Base____Fort___Ref___Will___Special____________________Spellcasting
Level___Attack__Save__Save__Save__Abilities____________________Ability
1______+0______+0____+0____+2____Improved Spirit Alliance______+1 Level
2______+1______+0____+0____+3____Bolster Spirits, Summoning___---------
3______+2______+1____+1____+3____Greater Spirit Link___________+1 Level
4______+3______+1____+1____+4____Empower Spirits, Summoning__---------
5______+3______+1____+1____+4____Commune, Ghostform Travel___+1 Level
Word.
Why would an intelligent creature not target a familiar?
Their are several reasons why a familiar would not invariably be targeted, in addition to the wizard being a greater threat....
(1) How does the creature knows its a familiar? What is it cueing off of?
(2) If it is near/on the wizard, simple precations can provide great protection, e.g., a steel lined-backpack for hiding in.
(3) Where familiars can talk to common animals of their type, bring a couple animals along to aid in scouting for example. The question then is which one do you target?
(4) Wizards may take along a couple animals that could be a familiar to divert attacks in a world where familairs are always targeted. Sure attack my trained raven, not me. In such a world there could be quite the market for such trained animals.
Just ask your DM if intelligent creatures always target familiars. If so do (4). If you do (4) and the DM stops having intelligent creatures invariably target the animal, you got a sure sign of DM munchinism. If the DM says the animal is not targeted because of x, now you have your familiar do x.
Klaus
First Post
In my last campaign, the half-elf wizard/rogue took the Improved Familiar feat and performed a ritual to turn her cat familiar into an elven cat. IMC, elven cats are Small (lynx-sized) and have elven traits (bonus on Search/Spot/Listen, saves vs. Enchantments, notice secret doors). Being Small, the familiar ("Cheshire") didn't provoke AoO for attacking, and became quite the flanking buddy.
Sigurd
First Post
D&D Has too much combat
Familiars are a dangerous thing because they are far better suited to a low combat adventure world. The sly bird that silently listens to conversations that talkers think is private. The companion through the tired lonely hours of study. The spry arms for an aging wizard. The stealthy note deliverred with animal cunning and arcane direction. These are the things that familiars are good at.
Unfortunately D&D is gladitorial combat without the arena. Games hammer every member with as much combat as they can suffer and familiars dont always make the grade.
I won't use standard familiars - although I love the concept. Familiars are like bikes on the highway -- nice idea but they tend to get smushed.
Sigurd.
Familiars are a dangerous thing because they are far better suited to a low combat adventure world. The sly bird that silently listens to conversations that talkers think is private. The companion through the tired lonely hours of study. The spry arms for an aging wizard. The stealthy note deliverred with animal cunning and arcane direction. These are the things that familiars are good at.
Unfortunately D&D is gladitorial combat without the arena. Games hammer every member with as much combat as they can suffer and familiars dont always make the grade.
I won't use standard familiars - although I love the concept. Familiars are like bikes on the highway -- nice idea but they tend to get smushed.
Sigurd.
lukelightning
First Post
My favorite familiar is the bat; I find it the easiest to play as well. Can stay out of danger with hardly any trouble, either flitting around somewhere else or hiding in the wizard's hat or something. Great hiding ability, and a very useful scout.
I would be hard pressed to chose a non-flying familiar; and of the flying familiars I find the bat to be the best since it is diminutive and hard to spot; hawks, owls, and ravens flying around may get shot at, particularly if you have a DM who metagames and for some reason has all the archers in the orc camp shoot at the random bird flying overhead. In fairness, I find it totally reasonable that some bored/malicious guard-type will take a pot shot at birds, but not all 12 archers on the castle wall unless they've been notified specifically to do so.
Of the improved familiars, despite the fact that they are evil, I like imps and quasits the best, not just because they are powerful, but because they can become innocuous (either polymorphing into an animal or staying invisible).
I would be hard pressed to chose a non-flying familiar; and of the flying familiars I find the bat to be the best since it is diminutive and hard to spot; hawks, owls, and ravens flying around may get shot at, particularly if you have a DM who metagames and for some reason has all the archers in the orc camp shoot at the random bird flying overhead. In fairness, I find it totally reasonable that some bored/malicious guard-type will take a pot shot at birds, but not all 12 archers on the castle wall unless they've been notified specifically to do so.
Of the improved familiars, despite the fact that they are evil, I like imps and quasits the best, not just because they are powerful, but because they can become innocuous (either polymorphing into an animal or staying invisible).
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
Most familiars I've seen have been just like in OOTS as Merric first noted.
The one exception was the raven familiar which the sorcerer had in my first 3e campaign. Because it could talk to everyone it was easy to give it a personality and role-play it well. When Arrk failed his save against a mass phantasmal killer and died, the sorcerer role-played his grief exceptionally well; a much missed party member.
Regarding uses for familiars, something that doesn't often come up is the offensive benefit of share spell with familiar.
"I polymorph myself into a dire bear! And my familiar comes too!". As long as you stay next to each other so that the familiar remains within 5ft, you can double your offensive punch...
Cheers
The one exception was the raven familiar which the sorcerer had in my first 3e campaign. Because it could talk to everyone it was easy to give it a personality and role-play it well. When Arrk failed his save against a mass phantasmal killer and died, the sorcerer role-played his grief exceptionally well; a much missed party member.
Regarding uses for familiars, something that doesn't often come up is the offensive benefit of share spell with familiar.
"I polymorph myself into a dire bear! And my familiar comes too!". As long as you stay next to each other so that the familiar remains within 5ft, you can double your offensive punch...
Cheers
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