I'm trying to come up with a way to roleplay a character as a wizard's familiar (though the same rules should apply for any class with one). So far, these are the rules I've come up with guarding it. If anyone has any comments on how they sound (too powerful, too hindering, too farfetched, too confusing), or some possible changes to it, I'd love to hear them.
Roleplaying as a Familiar
Start by creating your character normally as whatever race and class you chose. At some point (either at some point in you characters history, in the planning stage, or in an early quest), your character is altered as if by a Polymorph spell (or a Wish spell, or similair means of changing you into an animal permanently). You then join with a caster as their familiar. For all practical purposes, you now play as an animal and a familiar, following most of the rules apply. The following are special rules that apply:
Animal modifications
You do not recieve any penalties for not being "used to" your body if you chose to start the game in this manner. If you take the amimal form later on, penalties last until you reach your next level.
The creature you polymorph into must be a first level (1 HD) animal that is eligible for a caster to have as a familiar. The animal may be undead if the character fulfills the requirements of having an undead familiar, but it may not be a construct or any creature of another plane (even if the caster is normally allowed such familiars).
As per the spell Polymorph, you give up all of your physical abilities/properties/bonuses and trade them for those of the animal, while your mental abilites and skills remain. However, the following restirctions apply (they are necessary for balance):
Physical ability scores may not be above 17 (as opposed to 18 for normal starting characters).
Add the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of the animal. If they are greater than 35, subtract 1 from all mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) for every point over 35. If a mental ability drops below 3, the animal (or ability score combination) is not eligible.
Any animal that has a natural ability score of 1 for a mental ability is not eligible. If the animal has a natural mental ability score of 2, subtract 2 from your score in that ability. Again, if a mental ability drops below 3, the animal (or ability score combination) is not eligible.
Familiar modifications
You may gain levels in any class
Inteligence is no longer a function of the master's level.
Familiars characters may not have any caster levels greater than one half of their master's, rounded down. This does not include virtual caster levels for spell-like abilities.
Familiars hit points are still determined by 1/2 of their master's.
For purposes of multiclassing, the character retains favored classes the same as their original race.
Animals cannot talk, except to their master according to level, or in the case of rare animals such as the thrush. They may still understand any languages they learn, and are allowed to read and write (although often slowly and with very bad handwriting) if they possess the right appendages to do so. Spells that allow characters to talk to animals will allow them to talk to the familiar.
Familiar character's no longer have their master's skills. They gain they own in a normal manner with the following exceptions. Some skills, however, should be modified for the purpose of presige classes (a hawk, for example, should not be required to take ranks in "climb" to gain access to a prestige class, but might have to substitute a similar ability like the "Improved Flight" feat. These changes are at the discression of the DM).
The character still gains all other special abilities from being a familiar, such as Spell Reduction and Natural Armor.
These changes are hoped to give some people some fun roleplaying options while still keeping the characters in balance. The characer will undoubtably find ways to become more powerful than other familiars in the game, but keep in mind that this is being done at the cost of another party member. My main hope is that these changes will not allow a character to become an amazingly powerful character simply by turning into an animal, but still allow them to become as powerful as they would if they were a human (just in slightly different ways). Any comments or questions would be appreciated.
Roleplaying as a Familiar
Start by creating your character normally as whatever race and class you chose. At some point (either at some point in you characters history, in the planning stage, or in an early quest), your character is altered as if by a Polymorph spell (or a Wish spell, or similair means of changing you into an animal permanently). You then join with a caster as their familiar. For all practical purposes, you now play as an animal and a familiar, following most of the rules apply. The following are special rules that apply:
Animal modifications
You do not recieve any penalties for not being "used to" your body if you chose to start the game in this manner. If you take the amimal form later on, penalties last until you reach your next level.
The creature you polymorph into must be a first level (1 HD) animal that is eligible for a caster to have as a familiar. The animal may be undead if the character fulfills the requirements of having an undead familiar, but it may not be a construct or any creature of another plane (even if the caster is normally allowed such familiars).
As per the spell Polymorph, you give up all of your physical abilities/properties/bonuses and trade them for those of the animal, while your mental abilites and skills remain. However, the following restirctions apply (they are necessary for balance):
Physical ability scores may not be above 17 (as opposed to 18 for normal starting characters).
Add the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of the animal. If they are greater than 35, subtract 1 from all mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) for every point over 35. If a mental ability drops below 3, the animal (or ability score combination) is not eligible.
Any animal that has a natural ability score of 1 for a mental ability is not eligible. If the animal has a natural mental ability score of 2, subtract 2 from your score in that ability. Again, if a mental ability drops below 3, the animal (or ability score combination) is not eligible.
Familiar modifications
You may gain levels in any class
Inteligence is no longer a function of the master's level.
Familiars characters may not have any caster levels greater than one half of their master's, rounded down. This does not include virtual caster levels for spell-like abilities.
Familiars hit points are still determined by 1/2 of their master's.
For purposes of multiclassing, the character retains favored classes the same as their original race.
Animals cannot talk, except to their master according to level, or in the case of rare animals such as the thrush. They may still understand any languages they learn, and are allowed to read and write (although often slowly and with very bad handwriting) if they possess the right appendages to do so. Spells that allow characters to talk to animals will allow them to talk to the familiar.
Familiar character's no longer have their master's skills. They gain they own in a normal manner with the following exceptions. Some skills, however, should be modified for the purpose of presige classes (a hawk, for example, should not be required to take ranks in "climb" to gain access to a prestige class, but might have to substitute a similar ability like the "Improved Flight" feat. These changes are at the discression of the DM).
The character still gains all other special abilities from being a familiar, such as Spell Reduction and Natural Armor.
These changes are hoped to give some people some fun roleplaying options while still keeping the characters in balance. The characer will undoubtably find ways to become more powerful than other familiars in the game, but keep in mind that this is being done at the cost of another party member. My main hope is that these changes will not allow a character to become an amazingly powerful character simply by turning into an animal, but still allow them to become as powerful as they would if they were a human (just in slightly different ways). Any comments or questions would be appreciated.
