PC/NPC familiars

[Corlon]

This idea came from two places
1. I wanted a servant with opposable thumbs/the ability to fight
2. The Wheel of time book series

Can you do this?
Since the NPC/PC would have the Int to be sentient, they would have to agree.

This would make it interesting, an extra ally, or a PC connected to another PC.

The unbalancing factor is that the PC familiar would get (natural armor, improved evasion, ect.)

This could be unbalancing but the familiar would be in harms way much more, making it a bit more balanced.

Any ideas??

 

[Crothian]

Would you alter the advancement of the familiar?

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Why not do something similar instead of using the familiar advancement table? Find a copy of the Wheel of Time role playing game and see how they handle warders. Its probably pretty much what you're looking for.

 

[Corlon]

yeah, but...

warders are something different.

In the wheel of time, warders are trained swordsmen who you have to get a prestige class to be warders.

altering advancement sounds good.

Any ideas?

 

[Xarlen]

I don't see it working for PCs.

But, dependant, I could see something like a Dragon having a kobold or halfling familiar.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Hmm. Well then it looks like WoT warders wouldn't help.

How about eliminate the share spells feature.

Eliminate Improved Evasion.

Eliminate the 1/2 masters' hit points--most PCs will have better than that anyway.

Eliminate the sharing of the masters' saves and skills.

Retain the natural armor bonus but with a more limited progression: +1 natural armor/4 sor/wiz levels (rounded down to a minimum of 1)

Change the sensory features:
Lvl 1--sor/wiz and familiar may sense each others' presence within 1 mile radius. As a standard action, the Sor/wiz may make a d20 roll (adding his base will save bonus and his wisdom bonus) opposed by the familiar's will save to force his familiar to obey a particular order as if effected by Dominate Person

Lvl 3--sor/wiz and familiar enjoy limited empathic communication within 300 feet. (Limited empathy allows emotions to be sensed and both can tell whether the other is injured, etc). Both sor/wiz and familiar enjoy the benefits of alertness when within 30 feet of each other. Familiar may be designated as the deliverer of touch range spells provided he is no more than 30 feet from the caster at the time of casting. The sor/wiz may still not cast any other spells without losing the held charge.

Lvl 5--sor/wiz and familiar enjoy telepathic communication within 300 feet; May sense ea. others' presence within 5 miles and determine exact location within 1 mile. Sor/wiz gains +2 to command familiar rolls.

Lvl 7--sor/wiz may scry on familiar

Lvl 9--sor/wiz may share familiar's sight as if the familiar were the sensor of a claurvoyance spell. Sor/wiz gains +3 to command familiar rolls (replaces the previous bonus).

Lvl 11--sor/wiz Sor/wiz gains +4 to command familiar rolls (replaces the previous bonus).

Lvl 15--Sor/wiz gains +5 to command familiar rolls (replaces the previous bonus).


Lvl 19--Sor/wiz gains +6 to command familiar rolls (replaces the previous bonus).

 

[Corlon]

hmm, sounds good, but shoudln't empathic link always be there?

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Well, it needs to be for familiars that can't naturally communicate, but when I wrote that I thought that there's not really much need for or advantage to an empathic link for a wizard with a human familiar. They can communicate just fine without it and mere empathy (which is far more limited than the empathic link familiars normally get at level 1) isn't much good for communication anyway.

It could be put back in at level 1 but I wanted to spread the powers out a little.

hmm, sounds good, but shoudln't empathic link always be there?

 

[Marshall]

I'd just go with Leadership and get an item or something that gives a telepathic bond.

Of course if you want a familiar with opposable thumbs just take a spider monkey

 

[Corlon]

yeah well, spider monkies aren't exaclty good for cleaving goblins heads off and holding the doorway while you find a way to escape now is he?