No Familiars?

[Benly]

If I had a DM who invariably targeted familiars as the first thing to kill, I'd make sure to have my wizard buy a pigeon trained to sit on his shoulder and fly away on command. Then I can enjoy the enemy archers and wizards trying to shoot down my "familiar" while ignoring the actual threats - or, more likely, ask the DM why they suddenly know this one isn't my familiar.

 

[Mercule]

There's absolutely no rule against your Wizard owning whatever kind of animal he wants.

They just wouldn't give any mechanical benefit.

So, pretty close to every previous edition, then.

I never did understand why anyone considered familiars beneficial.

 

[The_Pugilist]

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...

It might seem silly but you could just say that "mage hand" is an expression of your familiar showing up when you use your at will cantrip...

 

[Old Gumphrey]

you have any idea how much information you can gather from the local birds or rats?

Exactly as much information as the DM was going to give you anyway.

 

[Rabbitbait]

Just because somebody has to post it...

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0003.html

 

[Lizard]

Exactly as much information as the DM was going to give you anyway.

By that logic, why have Gather Information (or Streetwise) skill in the first place?

Don't know about people YOU play with, but people I play with tend to reward cleverness and make sure that if you have a class feature, it benefits you.

 

[Nifft]

By that logic, why have Gather Information (or Streetwise) skill in the first place?

Don't know about people YOU play with, but people I play with tend to reward cleverness and make sure that if you have a class feature, it benefits you.

Right. But you do not have a class feature. You have a role-playing opportunity with no mechanical support called a "familiar".

You want something for nothing? You got it. However, it's worth nothing (aside from role-playing and flavor and all that non-mechanical stuff).

Cheers, -- N

 

[Kishin]

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?

Depends on how your DM plays animals with extremely low int.

Also, using Polymorph as an example for familiars being awesome is somewhat misleading, given polymorph's well known brokenness. The gem isn't in the familiar in that situation.

 

[Benly]

Also, using Polymorph as an example for familiars being awesome is somewhat misleading, given polymorph's well known brokenness. The gem isn't in the familiar in that situation.

A better example is something like a low-level wizard using his familiar to double something like Light of Lunia's pyoo-pyoo output. Nothing like having your own laser pigeon.

 

[Lizard]

Right. But you do not have a class feature. You have a role-playing opportunity with no mechanical support called a "familiar".

You want something for nothing? You got it. However, it's worth nothing (aside from role-playing and flavor and all that non-mechanical stuff).

Cheers, -- N

Maybe in 4e, but not in 3e. It's a class feature. One of its features is "talk with others of its kind". That wasn't added to the list because a monkey hit some keys on a word processor back in 1999. It's there because it's intended to be used -- your familiar is a spy who can converse with birds, rats, frogs, or whatever, and learn what they've seen.

If players don't use that ability -- or the DM nullifies it by making sure they don't get any "extra" information" -- that's how they choose to play, but it undermines the utility of a feature you "pay" for (in the sense that it's presumably balanced -- for example, wizards don't get GI as a class skill.)