Generalist wizard wants replacement ability for familiar

[Wycen]

So our group's wizard is a generalist. He's never had a familiar, too worried about it dying. Our DM has finally decided to allow other source books into the mix. We've found that there are options for specialist wizards to swap familiars for abilities, but not anything for our "bland" regular old spell slinger.

Does anyone a WotC book or maybe a 3rd party d20 publisher who's covered this ground?

Thanks

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I don't remember the source but there is a variant rule out there (non-WotC) that allows the substitution of staff powers in place of a familiar. Much more Tolkien-esque.

I'm sure I've seen WotC variant rules as well. Maybe from Unearthed Arcana?

 

[frankthedm]

Offer Eschew Materials.

 

[Slapzilla]

Love the Wizard's Staff idea. Offering things like Eschew Materials at certain levels and other powers like reserve feats and scrying and such. As long as you have your staff, (making it yours would require a ceremony not unlike the familiar's ceremony...) you get access to these powers. Get the DM and player together and decide what is equitable and trade out powers.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

You could probably google the wizard's staff thing and find it.

 

[Thurbane]

Trade familiar for Animal Companion (UA) or Wizard of the Sun and Moon (DS).

Both fair trades IMHO.

 

[Wycen]

A feat might be the way it works, but I'm not the DM, just an interested party member.

I was flipping through my Dragon magazines and thought the Class Act section is probably a good place to find alternatives, unfortunately I didn't have a subscription so I have an issue here or there.

 

[Nifft]

Elf generalist wizards have very nice racial substitution levels (from Races of the Wild, I think).

Cheers, -- N

 

[GlassEye]

I don't remember the source but there is a variant rule out there (non-WotC) that allows the substitution of staff powers in place of a familiar. Much more Tolkien-esque.

From Dragon 338 "Staffs of the Magi"

 

[rgard]

There is a flaw in one of the Dragons called 'Loner' or somthing like that. You give up familiar and get a feat in exchange...as in UA.

I'm thinking we should do a list of alternative class features from WotC books. I'll work on an opening post for this sometime this week if nobody else does.

Thanks
Rich