More than one familiar?

[Three_Haligonians]

Hey all,

Just had a funny thought while designing up a BBEG - is there any way to get an extra familiar? Feat? Item? PrC? anything?

The villain is an epic level spellcaster and, well truthfully, I couldn't decide between a "staff familiar" from Dragon 338 and the "living spell" familiar from the PrC in Dragon 357.

Thanks

J from Three Haligonians

 

[Twowolves]

The last book in the Scarred Lands line, Strange Lands, has a series of feats and a PrC all focused on familiars, and the PrC I believe granted access to more than one familiar.

 

[Thurbane]

Would having levels in more than one class that gets a familiar let you have more than one?

 

[Crothian]

Dragon had a Extra Familiar feat in it.

 

[frankthedm]

two XP bleeding bull's eyes?

Most folks don't want one of those!

If killing both will drop the BBEG down level, then I';d say give them at no aditional cost.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Everyone in my games wants to give up their familiar for an extra feat, because NPCs always seem to know instinctively which fauna bleeds XP from the PCs. :\


Here's an idea: a Staff Familiar...that is a Living Spell

oh man, Living Black Blade of Disaster Spell, as a familiar

A Living Magic Missile would make delivering touch spells a huge added boost.

 

[Three_Haligonians]

two XP bleeding bull's eyes?

Most folks don't want one of those!

If killing both will drop the BBEG down level, then I';d say give them at no aditional cost.

Well, neither the staff nor the spell will have a [FAMILIAR] tag floating above them to indicate their connection to the wizard so I doubt they will be targeted immediately.

The living spell will be an actual hostile so they may get that one, but the staff is just a stick in his hand - probably treated like a weapon not a familiar.

For what it is worth, Extra Familiar is what I needed.

J from Three Haligonians

 

[frankthedm]

Everyone in my games wants to give up their familiar for an extra feat, because NPCs always seem to know instinctively which fauna bleeds XP from the PCs. :\

Strictly all it takes is a DC 11 know. nature check to know it is not a normal one hit die animal. A know. Arcana check DC 10 + masters level to recognize it as a magical beast.

A small animal near a spellcaster should be viewed with suspision. Especially one that survives the first fireball dropped on a group of people. It might be a familar, it might be a pet, it might be a potent wildshaped druid, but it certainly ain't normal. Normal animals don't hang around combatants.

oh man, Living Black Blade of Disaster Spell, as a familiar

The prc that has living spell familiars caps at 4th level spells

A Living Magic Missile would make delivering touch spells a huge added boost.

Living spell familars don't get the ability to deliver thier master's touch spells.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Strictly all it takes is a DC 11 know. nature check to know it is not a normal one hit die animal. A know. Arcana check DC 10 + masters level to recognize it as a magical beast.

A small animal near a spellcaster should be viewed with suspision. Especially one that survives the first fireball dropped on a group of people. It might be a familar, it might be a pet, it might be a potent wildshaped druid, but it certainly ain't normal. Normal animals don't hang around combatants.

So, the wizard's bat flies over the bandit camp at night to scout, and an arrow comes out of no where and chases him away. Moderately believable.

Undead creatures attack the party, and during the chaotic battle in the darkness, a rat gets separated from his hexblade master. Scratch some 500xp and add one more pint-sized undead level-draining creature.

Knowledge (PCs) seems like a class skill for all NPCs.
Unless the animal is doing something out of the ordinary, there shouldn't even be a Knowledge roll. Sense Motive before Knowledge checks, says I. Can't ponder on something that's out of place if you didn't notice anything unusual first. That bird is flying around? Well, it has wings, and moves faster than walking, must be someone's familiar...

Due to having a large party, we don't have many players using animal companions, but we had a halfling that went through a riding dog every session.

 

[Dross]

Unless the animal is doing something out of the ordinary, there shouldn't even be a Knowledge roll. Sense Motive before Knowledge checks, says I. Can't ponder on something that's out of place if you didn't notice anything unusual first. That bird is flying around? Well, it has wings, and moves faster than walking, must be someone's familiar...

While I agree with this, do you consider an animal that stays close to someone that is getting fireballed and apparently doesn't get hurt, an ordinary animal?

A bird flying by shouldn't automatically call for Anti-familiar fire I agree. An animal that stays in a fight needs some consideration. Adventureing PC (and NPC's) need only a little experience to gain knowledge of the existence of familiars, shapechanging druids, animal companions, etc. Even getting rid of mounts can be a good idea.