No familiar, thanks.

[Zapak Vim]

Dragon magazine not too far back had an option for a staff familiar (Dragon #338) which is kind of interesting option for a familiar that is non-traditional.

yeah, that was cool. Instead of a familiar, the wizard gets a magic staff that improves as he advances in levels (like a familiar does) and has a very bad effect on the wizard if it is ever broken

 

[EyeontheMountain]

The Staff Familiar idea is a good one, but I think it needs to be balanced a bit more. Mor tahn one signature spell with such a low cost is a bit overpowered to me.

As for the main topic, I use every chance I can get to get rid of familiars. Jsut not worth it for me. Alternative clas features are one good way (I'll take ANYTHING over somethig I wouldn't take in the first place.)

 

[Crothian]

I always found that players got out of a familiar what they put into it.

 

[dren]

I've dropped all penalties for losing a familiar. Within a month, they can obtain a new one, usually the same spirit of their original familiar. otoh, if a player abuses their familiar, regardless of whether or not the familiar dies, the animal/spirit will eventually leave.

 

[Shemeska]

Familiars are a combination of eye candy and peanut gallery in my games. I've never had a player lose a familiar, and while they tend to be mechanically worthless, they're typically some of the most beloved NPCs in the games.

We've had pseudodragons, faerie dragons, chaos imps, all sorts of fun familiars.

 

[Corsair]

I've found it interesting that the more powerful the creature you have on your side, the less you are penalized for it dying.

Consider the following:

Familiar = lots of XP, gone for a year
Paladin Mount = -1 on rolls for a month
Animal Companion = No penalty, 24 hour refresh


It seems kind of odd to me to punish someone even more because they were unable to keep a weak creature safe.

 

[Crothian]

Familiars are a combination of eye candy and peanut gallery in my games. I've never had a player lose a familiar, and while they tend to be mechanically worthless, they're typically some of the most beloved NPCs in the games.

We've had pseudodragons, faerie dragons, chaos imps, all sorts of fun familiars.

We have found uses for them, but the beloved NPC part is the same. Maybe popular would be a better word though, the last pseudodragon familar has fun but not always loved.

 

[Driddle]

Given a magic quarterstaff versus a familiar, I'd rather have something I can eat when I run out of rations.

 

[Thurbane]

It all depends on your "crunch versus roleplay" quotient, and also if your Wizard is more of a combat or recon/stealth/diplomat type. One of my players, who runs a Bard, took one level of Sorceror just so he could get a (cat) familiar.

If you're willing to invest the feats, spells and items, a familair can become quite handy in a fight, but in general, I would agree that the investment just doesn't equal the return...

 

[Sigurd]

Dragon 324 Filidh

Dragon 324 has a variant wizard that comes from barbarian lands. He gets no familiar but instead gets some divination bonuses.

check him out p.90