No Familiars?

[Kesh]

I'd just make it a feat and roleplay the rest. The "bat" has his stats for Perception checks, and occasionally makes "suggestions" to him. The "suggestions" can A) simply be role-played; B) treated as a Social encounter (4 successes before 2 failures, or something like that) as long as they don't come up too often; C) impose Combat Advantage against him until he either succeeds at a saving throw to resist those evil ideas or acts on them.

A is probably the easiest, as there's little mechanical advantage to the "bat" outside the spying. Some players may feel gypped, but I think it's worth a feat as long as you restrict the speed of the familiar and make it noticable to enemies. I'd treat it like a minion: any hit takes it out, but he can spend a standard action to bring it back. It's not useful in combat, really.

 

[Samurai]

How about this:


Wizard: Arcane Implement Mastery – Wizards have a 4th option as an Implement, a Familiar. While your Familiar is within 10 squares of you, it acts as a free and natural Implement, giving a +1 bonus at 3rd level, +2 at 8th, +3 at 13th, +4 at 18th, +5 at 23rd, and +6 at 28th. In addition, it understands and obeys simple commands and once per encounter, you may channel a spell through your familiar if it is within 10 squares, casting the spell as if you were standing where your familiar is. The familiar has a speed of 6 and it is linked to the soul of the Wizard. Any attacks directed at the familiar are treated as though they are directed at the Wizard himself, using his defenses and HP. Area effect spells and attacks target the familiar and it's master only once, not twice.

 

[Mort_Q]

Any attacks directed at the familiar are treated as though they are directed at the Wizard himself, using his defenses and HP.

That is so not worth it.

 

[Samurai]

That is so not worth it.

Just say it can't be targeted then, same as other Implements not being Sundered anymore?

 

[Surgoshan]

Rather than obeying verbal commands (free actions), any action it takes should be a minor action on the part of the wizard.

 

[Samurai]

Rather than obeying verbal commands (free actions), any action it takes should be a minor action on the part of the wizard.

Well, it can't attack by itself, and it can't do a whole lot. I'd say that a familiar is weaker (1 lb limit instead of 20 lbs) and far less dexterous than a Mage Hand, which is a minor action...

 

[Aria Silverhands]

Just make acquiring a familiar a feat. The familiar then grants a feat bonus equal to what some other feat would be, but has different fluff and allows the wizard to use the familiar to deliver messages and have limited communication with it.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Uhm....what game were you playing?

'cause in the one I'm in, familiars are t3h awesome. Let's see, I polymorph myself into a hydra...and my familiar changes along with me. Two 9-headed hydras against one foe==18 attacks per round. Some of 'em are bound to hit.

Another PC regularly use his (bird) familiar to deliver all kind and manner of devastating touch spells, and has it so buffed that it's rarely in danger.

Speak with others of kind -- you have any idea how much information you can gather from the local birds or rats?

Wow, you had a familiar live long enough for the Wizard to be able to pick up polymorph? Lucky you. You must have had one of those DMs who felt "bad" to ever target the familiar with anything that would actually kill it... Either that, or you locked the familiar away until you obtained such a level.

Familiars don't last long w/o the DM being 'kind' and blatantly disregarding them during combats...

 

[Cryptos]

Another option would be to adapt some of the rituals, such as animal messenger, making arcane versions of them. You could also adapt the flavor of other rituals, such as Alarm, so that it is your "familiar" that is watching over something.

That way, the familiar is there for useful non-combat things, but can go *poof* when the PCs forget its there or don't need it.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Wow, you had a familiar live long enough for the Wizard to be able to pick up polymorph? Lucky you. You must have had one of those DMs who felt "bad" to ever target the familiar with anything that would actually kill it... Either that, or you locked the familiar away until you obtained such a level.

Familiars don't last long w/o the DM being 'kind' and blatantly disregarding them during combats...

It's really not that hard. Most familiers tended to be small and innocuous enough to hide when battle started.

And quite frankly, I see it the opposite. The only reason that giant troll would want to attack the bunny rabbit as opposed to the big guy with a weapon or the small guy shooting fire at his face would be the DM going "Hah, I know! I'll be a complete dick!"