Help with familiar abilities?

[Jeff Wilder]

The area of what exactly a familiar can do seems to be one of the few gray areas in the 3.xE rules, even accounting for the stuff in Tome and Blood. I've got some specific questions. The familiar is question is an owl; the spellcaster is 4th level. In general I'm looking for opinions supported as strongly as possible by the rules, but, since the rules are murky, opinions are welcome.

The wizard and the familiar can communicate telepathically, right (despite the "emapathic" name)? Does this require concentration? In combat-time, does it require actions, or should it be free like (limited) speech?

How much useful information can a wizard get from a familiar he's sent to scout? Can an owl with a 7 Int distinguish humanoids from each other? (Say, orcs from hobgoblins?) Can it count? Can it give etailed directions? ("Three-quarters of a mile northwest.")

Let's say a familiar has a +14 to Listen, compared to the caster's +0. The familiar hears an approaching enemy, so isn't surprised. The caster doesn't hear a thing. Does the always-on empathic link mean the caster isn't surprised, even though he doesn't actually share the owl's hearing?

In combat, a dangerous enemy with spring attack is hiding within a sight-blocking area of effect. The caster instructs the familiar to listen for the enemy, to try and judge his location. Is issuing the instruction an action? Is getting a response an action?

Am I justified in roleplaying the owl as behaving owlishly? (I.e., he hates being awake and active during the day, and he's sometimes distracted by mice or the like when on scouting or lookout duty.) Or is a familiar's intelligence "human-like" enough that it's no longer animalistic?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Thanee]

The wizard and the familiar can communicate telepathically, right (despite the "emapathic" name)? Does this require concentration? In combat-time, does it require actions, or should it be free like (limited) speech?

We do it like speech. Free and only limited by the familiars intelligence.
Also note, that animals (even with the human-intelligence) percieve some things differently (altho we surely don't really know how and what), so it should not simply talk like a human, but make it a bit more difficult to get sometimes.

How much useful information can a wizard get from a familiar he's sent to scout? Can an owl with a 7 Int distinguish humanoids from each other? (Say, orcs from hobgoblins?) Can it count? Can it give etailed directions? ("Three-quarters of a mile northwest.")

Can a character with 7 Int do it, then yes it can IMHO.

Let's say a familiar has a +14 to Listen, compared to the caster's +0. The familiar hears an approaching enemy, so isn't surprised. The caster doesn't hear a thing. Does the always-on empathic link mean the caster isn't surprised, even though he doesn't actually share the owl's hearing?

Nope, they are not one being. The familiar could warn its master, tho, but it's no different, than another character warning him, just that noone else can hear it. In some cases you might want to rule, that the empathic link is "faster" than speech, so it might be enough to warn the character, but I wouldn't do so normally.

In combat, a dangerous enemy with spring attack is hiding within a sight-blocking area of effect. The caster instructs the familiar to listen for the enemy, to try and judge his location. Is issuing the instruction an action? Is getting a response an action?

Nope, all free. It's just communication.

Am I justified in roleplaying the owl as behaving owlishly? (I.e., he hates being awake and active during the day, and he's sometimes distracted by mice or the like when on scouting or lookout duty.) Or is a familiar's intelligence "human-like" enough that it's no longer animalistic?

I would have it behave like that. While it's technically not even an animal anymore, some of the instincts should still be there, if only to build up character. Of course, it should not be so drastic to take away from the familiars abilities, or at least not regularily. But as above, perception of some things might be different and some animal-like behaviour (especially "clichee stuff" like you listed, which helps to identify the nature of the owl and is even somewhat magnified by its intelligence and ability to communicate) is definitely cool.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Liquidsabre]

The wizard and the familiar can communicate telepathically, right (despite the "emapathic" name)?

Nope. Not until the wizard reaches 5th lvl can the familiar Speak with Master. Until then it works as the text says under Empathic Link: "...only general emotional content can be communicated."

At 5th lvl the master and familiar may speak verbally, this is not done telepathically. Both empathic and speaking work as normal speech, with empathic being much more fuzzy, confusing, and quicker (likely why it's easily more confusing, especially during combat).

How much useful information can a wizard get from a familiar he's sent to scout? Can an owl with a 7 Int distinguish humanoids from each other? (Say, orcs from hobgoblins?) Can it count? Can it give etailed directions? ("Three-quarters of a mile northwest.")

The familiar at first site may evoke curiosity followed by, seeing many enemies, fear. That would be about the extent of their communication until speech becomes available. A particularly savy master might be able to send his familiar in several directions, each time noting his familiar's reaction. The woods to the east "great fear", the river to the North curiosity and the other cardinal points nothing of interest. Thereby the master might determine that the enemy is massing in the woods to the east and have scouts by the river to the north. Or it could also mean there were mice to the north and a large bird of prey to the east.

Let's say a familiar has a +14 to Listen, compared to the caster's +0. The familiar hears an approaching enemy, so isn't surprised. The caster doesn't hear a thing. Does the always-on empathic link mean the caster isn't surprised, even though he doesn't actually share the owl's hearing?

There is a reason that all master's with familiar's benefit from a virtual Alertness feat. This is how it is represented, however if given enough time after his familiar's hearing (2-3 rounds) the Wizard might get the feeling of "fear" from his familiar before he is surprised.

In combat, a dangerous enemy with spring attack is hiding within a sight-blocking area of effect. The caster instructs the familiar to listen for the enemy, to try and judge his location. Is issuing the instruction an action? Is getting a response an action?

The familiar is well within their rights to refuse such dangerous work depending upon it's personality. Barring that, things happen too fast in combat for something to be devised while only working with an empathic link. He can send his familiar to listen for the enemy but his familiar really has no way of letting the wizard know where.

Am I justified in roleplaying the owl as behaving owlishly? (I.e., he hates being awake and active during the day, and he's sometimes distracted by mice or the like when on scouting or lookout duty.) Or is a familiar's intelligence "human-like" enough that it's no longer animalistic?

Absolutely correct. Does a blacksmith orc still act like an orc, most likely. It's a matter of roelplaying that should be consistent from animals and NPCs to monsters and such.

 

[Thanee]

Nope. Not until the wizard reaches 5th lvl can the familiar Speak with Master. Until then it works as the text says under Empathic Link: "...only general emotional content can be communicated."

Oh, they actually changed that in 3.5 (havn't really read that part until now, just assumed it was the same ) - in 3.0 it wasn't that limited (or at least not mentioned, it said you can communicate telepathically there).

Bye
Thanee