Hookwing from Creature Collection -Balanced familiar or not?

[Kichwas]

One of my players is debating taking this creature as her familiar.

It's listed in the Player's Guide to Wizards, Bards, and Sorcerers as a new familiar option. The creature itself is OGC from the Revised Creature Collection (3.5 rules).

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Hookwing
Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 2d10-4 (7hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 10ft., fly 60ft. (good)
Armor Class: 18 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +2 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-1
Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d4-3)
Full Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d4-3) and 2 claws +5 melee (1d6-3)
Space/Reach: 2.5 ft./0ft.
Special Attack: Flying rake 2d4-3
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scale hooks
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +0
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 19, Con 6, Int 2, Wis 10, Cha 6
Skills: Balance +5, Climb +4, Hide +12 (+18 in forest or overgrown), Listen +1, Move Silently +14, Spot +1
Feats: Weapon Finesse (claws)

CR: 1/3
Advancement: 3-4 HD (Tiny)

Flyby Rake: +7 on a special blyby rake attack dealing 2d4-4.
Scale Hooks: Grappling a Hookwing deals 1d2 damage to the grappler due to it's sharp hooks.
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The player mentions concern over being able to cast enlarge on it:
But if Zorum Enlarges his hookwing (which he can do using the Share Spells ability, Enlarging both his familiar and himself) he gets a Small creature that has 2 claw attacks doing 1d8-1 each (the 3rd attack still sucks), or a flyby attack doing 2d6-2. Not a huge amount of damage, but pretty outrageous for a small creature. Coupled with the other advantages of the hookwing (it can fly, it has slightly better AC than standard familiars) it comes out very well - standard familiars are all pretty useless even when Enlarged.

As a familiar it gives the spellcaster a +2 bonus on Reflex saves.

Thoughts?

 

[Scion]

HAWK

Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 60 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 17 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–10
Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4–2)
Full Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d4–2)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +14
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 1/3
Advancement: —
Level Adjustment: —
These creatures are similar to eagles but slightly smaller: 1 to 2 feet long, with wingspans of 6 feet or less.
Combat
Hawks combine both talons into a single attack.
Skills: Hawks have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks.


this guy is about the closest really, the hookwing is incredibly stronger. Pretty much in everyway. Personally i wouldnt have any problem either way, most familiars in the phb are just plain weak.

Still though, if you are worried you could simply change their flight from good to average. That would solve most of the problems right there, and still leave the creature pretty strong all around. I'm not sure if it should keep the extra +2 reflex saves also though, that is just incredible. If there is a downside to this guy I just dont see it

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I don't see much of a problem with the Hookwing's combat power. Even enlarged, it won't be too impressive (especially not if sharing the enlarge--since it won't be able to flyby without losing the enlarge (by moving more than 5' away from the wizard)). It's AC may be good but it's still going to get beaten down rather quickly by anything tough enough to merit the risky gamble of sending your familiar into melee.

It is quite a bit stronger than the other +saves familiars though. I'd probably want to have it give a skill bonus (+3 hide or move silently most likely).

 

[Artoomis]

Given:

If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the sorcerer, the sorcerer must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means he loses 200 experience points per sorcerer level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount

I wouldn't worry about it. Anyone foolish enough to send his familiar into combat deserves the experience point loss he gets. Half of a wizards hit point total is not very impressive, normally. This familiar is still way too weak to send into combat, which is as it should be.

 

[Nightfall]

Take it from me, arc. While a swarm of hookwings can be dangerous, a single one is just annoying. Unless you stack a LOT of templates on it.

 

[Scion]

I wouldn't worry about it. Anyone foolish enough to send his familiar into combat deserves the experience point loss he gets. Half of a wizards hit point total is not very impressive, normally. This familiar is still way too weak to send into combat, which is as it should be.

I had a really fun character a long time ago. He was a gnomish necromancer with an undead stirge familiar. His entire purpose was to buff himself and his stirge as much as possible and let the little guy fight for him.

Now, it may not have been the most brilliant piece of powergaming ever, but it was a lot of fun. 'Deserving' the experience point loss may be a bit harsh there.

I think that the hookwing is a cool little guy, but he is just incredible when compared to a normal familiar. At the very least getting rid of the +2 reflex save would go a long way to put him more on par imo. If that is still too much change his flight from good to average and he should be good to go

 

[Nightfall]

I honestly don't see hookwing as being worse than a monkey. But that's just me.

 

[JayDarkson]

Busted out the 3.5 Monster Manual for this one. I'm going to nitpick
at this creature to point out what could be wrong with it using
the monster creation guidelines.

For starters animals use 1d8 HD not 1d10. The only monsters using
1d10 as HD are constructs, oozes and magical beasts. It's possible
the hookwing is a magical beast instead of an animal. Whether
that's true or not we won't know unless there's errata for this
creature.

Tiny creature's bites are 1d3 and their claw attacks are 1d2.
I'm going to assume the flying rake is both it's claw attacks
at once so that damage would be lowered as well

The str for this creature is at it's max, the max dex for a tiny
creature is 23 so a 19 isn't that uncommon. It's Con is fine
as well.

The natural armor of the creature granting it a +2 bonus would
be from thick skin or fur. Not quite sure what this creature
looks like and if it explains it has thick fur or skin.

The creature's skill points are (2+int modifier, minimum 1)x(HD+3)
= 5. Not quite sure where it got all those skill points. It does get a +8 hide from size but even with that and the ability score adjustments, it appears as if there are extra skill points.

Not sure where it got the extra pluses to it's ref save or to
it's Fort save. I'm going to assume that following the saving
throw section on page 300 they based it on CR and the creature's
good saving throw is (target CR x 1.5) and it's bad one is roughly
equal to it's CR then added ability score modifiers and feats
and any conditional modifiers in the SQ section. Animal good
saves are Fort and Ref

 

[Darklone]

Hmm, I don't think the Enlarge Person would work on the hookwing at all, he's not a person (unless we talk about 3.0 here and it looks like a 3.5).

Second: It's a pretty tough fighting familiar which will be pretty annoying at lower levels due to it's flyby attack. It may die fast, but the enemy has to hit it first (readied action, ranged combat or spells).

If you play high level stuff: Don't worry. If you play low levels: Don't use it.

 

[Nightfall]

Agreed Dark. Mid level it's fine as well.