Obtain Familiar and warrior/mage PrC's

[Urbannen]

Obviously it would possible to build an enemy created specifically to destroy the familiar.

I'm not sure why any DM would do that to a player, except for reasons of personal dislike.

I'm not against the character having a bat familiar - I am against the non-spellcasting levels of the spellsword PrC improving the familiar's already effective abilities. I won't target the familiar unless there is some good in-game reason to do so, and personally I don't think that drow guards who do not have spellcasting abilitiy or the Knowledge (arcana) skill would really know a lot about familiars. The character is a spellsword and doesn't dress or act like a wizard.

The party is around 10th level, so really, the drow have a lot more to worry about than another bat flying around the cavern.

 

[Animal]

i think you're really overreacting with that blindsense ability. yes, the bat can pinpoint an invisible or hidden creature in 20 ft. radius. BUT don't forget that empathic link doesn't let the caster to actually feel what his bat feels, so he'll only know that the hidden creature is SOMEWHERE in the range of bat's blindsense. even if the player is metagaming (using the metaknowledge that bat's blindsense extends to as far as 20ft.) he still has to guess from 44 squares that comprise a circle with 20ft radius on the grid. even if the bat hovers over the invisible monster (and that's a dead giveaway that the bat is actually a familiar and a good possibility to bring the beast down) i wouldn't rule that it lets others to figure foe's exact position, but even if you rule otherwise, invisible guy will still have 100% concealment.
also note that a familiar with a good spot or listen bonus could probably do the same! so, imho, it's not that powerful.

 

[sukael]

Obviously it would possible to build an enemy created specifically to destroy the familiar.

I'm not sure why any DM would do that to a player, except for reasons of personal dislike.

Except that that's nowhere near a specific build - medium spider venom is a tremendously useful poison in any circumstance (as compared to its price per dose), and magical beast bane arrows have a clear use against any animal companions or familiars or dangerous Underdark creatures like the roper.

I'm not against the character having a bat familiar - I am against the non-spellcasting levels of the spellsword PrC improving the familiar's already effective abilities. I won't target the familiar unless there is some good in-game reason to do so, and personally I don't think that drow guards who do not have spellcasting abilitiy or the Knowledge (arcana) skill would really know a lot about familiars. The character is a spellsword and doesn't dress or act like a wizard.

Fair enough. Make sure the player knows he's only going to be getting a partial gain for it with his spellsword levels, though.

Really, it would be easier if the feat was a lot easier. As-is, one might even be able to argue that it should really give another familiar, not improve the existing one.

The party is around 10th level, so really, the drow have a lot more to worry about than another bat flying around the cavern.

I think you're underestimating how paranoid drow can be. ;D

 

[jabberwocky]

As-is, one might even be able to argue that it should really give another familiar, not improve the existing one.

As written, I think the feat really does give another familiar, even if you already have one. It says you can obtain a familiar in the same fashion as a sorceror or wizard. The sorceror's familiar class ability description in the PHB says "A character with more than one class that grants a familiar may have only one familiar at a time." Technically, this feat gets around that, because the new familiar is not being granted by a class. Would that also mean that you could take Obtain Familiar multiple times, gaining a new familiar each time?

 

[moritheil]

Let me just say that if you were facing this party in combat, there is no way that you would focus your attacks on some bat flying around.

That's totally not the situation I proposed. You said you were concerned about it scouting ahead, and in that situation it would be the only target.

Alternatively, if in combat with a party you are invisible and a bat is following you around, squeaking, and the party sends missiles your way right after it, then what would you do? Would it be reasonable to ignore it?

Obviously it would possible to build an enemy created specifically to destroy the familiar.

I'm not sure why any DM would do that to a player, except for reasons of personal dislike.

For the same reason that a DM allows a player to trigger a trap, fall, and die. If you make bad decisions, you suffer. That is the very premise of DnD.

You began this thread with a premise: you want to strongly discourage what you see as abuse of familiar powers, particularly with regard to scouting, because it seems that by risking a familiar instead of an actual PC, the party is somehow getting away with something. I don't necessarily agree with that assessment, since resources were spent either way, but having decided that, why would you also not want to take corrective action?