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Is Find Familiar essentially "gain Advantage on all skill checks and attacks"?
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<blockquote data-quote="Panartias" data-source="post: 6711409" data-attributes="member: 6686897"><p>The find familiar spell is awesome and flavorful – but it was never intended to help attacking an opponent! </p><p></p><p>In 2nd ed the spell cost 1000 gold pieces and could be performed only once per year. The death of familiar lowered the constitution of the mage permanently by one point and he had to pass a system-shock-survival roll or die too. And last but not least, causing the death of your familiar would invoke the wraith of certain higher powers…</p><p></p><p>So directly attacking / targeting the familiar of an enemy wizard was the best move back in the day. Consequently nearly no one used the spell, because it made you so vulnerable. </p><p></p><p>I understand they gave the spell fewer drawbacks so it would finally see some use. But after reading your discussion, I think they went overboard. They could have left the once per year limitation (and probably the price as well, since the summoning of his familiar was often a parting gift from the spell casters master / the DM so it wouldn’t count against the 1st level wealth) </p><p></p><p>On the plus side, familiars used to have 2-4 HP + 1 HP per level of the mage. And Imps / Quasits were even more powerful because they would grant their 25% magic resistance to the mage (plus having cold, fire and electricity immunity + invisibility at will, some polymorph self ability and their powerful poison)</p><p></p><p>So the mage gets a personal spy, gains his extraordinary senses (resulting in a bonus at surprise-rolls) plus a telepathic bond with this ritual – not a bad deal at all!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Panartias, post: 6711409, member: 6686897"] The find familiar spell is awesome and flavorful – but it was never intended to help attacking an opponent! In 2nd ed the spell cost 1000 gold pieces and could be performed only once per year. The death of familiar lowered the constitution of the mage permanently by one point and he had to pass a system-shock-survival roll or die too. And last but not least, causing the death of your familiar would invoke the wraith of certain higher powers… So directly attacking / targeting the familiar of an enemy wizard was the best move back in the day. Consequently nearly no one used the spell, because it made you so vulnerable. I understand they gave the spell fewer drawbacks so it would finally see some use. But after reading your discussion, I think they went overboard. They could have left the once per year limitation (and probably the price as well, since the summoning of his familiar was often a parting gift from the spell casters master / the DM so it wouldn’t count against the 1st level wealth) On the plus side, familiars used to have 2-4 HP + 1 HP per level of the mage. And Imps / Quasits were even more powerful because they would grant their 25% magic resistance to the mage (plus having cold, fire and electricity immunity + invisibility at will, some polymorph self ability and their powerful poison) So the mage gets a personal spy, gains his extraordinary senses (resulting in a bonus at surprise-rolls) plus a telepathic bond with this ritual – not a bad deal at all! [/QUOTE]
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Is Find Familiar essentially "gain Advantage on all skill checks and attacks"?
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