Favorite Familiars or Animal Companions

[Omegaz]

My favorite animal to have as an familiar is the Hawk (the Peregrine Falcon to be precise!). I find that having a familiar that can fly provides many possibilities and advantages.

I was interested to know how many of you have characters with familiars or animal companions, and what your favorite familiar or animal companion is? Does anyone use any creatures outside of those listed in the Core Rules, and is there some animal you'd like to see?

Sean

 

[Crothian]

At one point, my part had three familars (pseudo dragon, hawk, and owl) and a Wolf animal companion.

 

[demiurge1138]

The best animal companion I've ever seen was Bob, a female dire weasel in the first session of D&D I ever played. Bob saved the entire party from being killed by bugbears, as she was the only member of the party not trapped in a pit when the bugbears came. Alas, Bob's life was cut short by a fireball shortly thereafter.

That said, my favorite familiars are toads. It's tough to beat three free hit points when you're a first level mage, and nobody ever, ever notices the toad.

Demiurge out.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I had a paladin who rode a giant spider, and we had a ranger who nearly got a camel as an animal companion, on the grounds that camels are more powerful than 4th-level adventurers.

 

[WayneLigon]

I was interested to know how many of you have characters with familiars or animal companions, and what your favorite familiar or animal companion is? Does anyone use any creatures outside of those listed in the Core Rules, and is there some animal you'd like to see?

Right now, we have a druid/wizard/arcane heirophant in the party with what started as a wolf animal companion and then became the familiar when he gained Arcane Heirophant. 'Bael' is now a Large-sized creature that he can ride, is the third smartest member of the party, and is about to be able to speak languages we can understand. He's a pretty nice juggernaut

 

[Evilhalfling]

Blackie - the battle raven.
I was playing in some sort of living game (green regent? D&D) with a pregen -and apparently My wizard could have a familiar ONLY if I was playing with a specific minature - based on some sort of card. This system irritated me quickly. Luckly the DM was a decent guy and he said - Oh Ive got that minature, in my box over here.

So I had a raven familiar - and in the first round of the climactic combat my PC is down- paralized or smthin. So Im left with only the raven -
The raven goes after the bbeg - delaying to distract the spell caster, useing aid another to allow other PCs to hit her, and even providnig flanking (I know now the last should'nt have worked)

She fled and the raven followed her to make sure she was'nt coming back - I avoided several nasty traps that would have killed someone following on foot.

The battle was close and quite possibly turned on the actions of the Battle Raven.

 

[shilsen]

The sorcerer Thaylar in one of my Eberron games has a weasel familiar named Ahmus, who's foul-mouthed, distinctly homicidal and a pyromaniac by extension (can't cast spells but loves it when his master blows stuff up). All the players love him and his extremely limited approach to tactical suggestions ("fry him, boss!").

He also happens to have never failed a Reflex save in his life, so he's referred to as the ninja ferret. His master, on the other hand, is incapable of making Ref saves, so combats often have descriptions like the following:

The necromancer gestures and a lightning bolt leaps from her fingers. It catches Thaylar right in the chest, knocking him flat on his back, and he lies there, smoke rising from him. Ahmus, meanwhile, leaps off his shoulder as the lightning hits, turning a pretty pirouette in mid-air and landing without a scratch on his unconscious master. Ahmus chitters, "Son of a bitch, boss - not again!" and hurries to Thaylar's belt and tries to pull out a potion, continuing to swear under his breath.

 

[Nellisir]

My wizard Toad has Molly, a coure eladrin, as a familiar.

 

[Thanee]

I also like flying familiars, the raven especially, because it can also speak, which is really nifty.

But I also like the bat and the owl.

As for animal companions, my (mid-lvl) sorceress has a dire weasel companion (cohort via feat), which has proven to be a very good protector.

Bye
Thanee

 

[cmanos]

Favorite Druid Animal Companion = T-rex

"Perhaps you would like to meet my companion, Fluffy...."