Special Conversion Thread: Supernatural Familiars

[Cleon]

Added to Homebrews.

No speed was given, so I gave it the same as a monkey.

It sounds like a racial bonus on Climb, Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, and Search checks, uncanny dodge (and possibly evasion), and Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes as bonus feats.

That's pretty much what I was thinking, except I wasn't going to give it Lightning Reflexes as a bonus feat and it already gets a racial bonus to Climb for its climbing speed.

I'm still not quite happy with the wording of Malevolence. I thought we were going for a single-target attack, but the wording is a little vague and I'd like it to have the "cannot use it when charming someone" bit. Maybe add the following changes:

Malevolent Gaze (Su): A durocib can unsettle a single opponent simply by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet, except that the durocib must take a standard action, and those merely looking at it are not affected. Whomever the durocib targets must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be shaken for xdx rounds. A creature that fails its save must make a second DC 13 Will save or fall instantly under the durocib's influence as though by a charm person spell from a xth-level caster, except the charm effect immediately ends if the durocib is ever further than 30 feet from its victim or if it uses its malevolent gaze on another opponent. The save DC is Charisma-based.
​

What do you reckon?

 

[freyar]

Cleon's edit seems reasonable. I say 1 round for shaken and 2nd caster level (same as HD) to try to keep it from getting too broken.

 

[Shade]

Yeah, the racial bonus to Climb is covered by the climb speed.

The malevolent gaze rewrite and suggestions sound good.

Updated.

+2 or +4 on the other racial skill bonuses?

 

[freyar]

+2, maybe +4 on Hide and Move Silently. They're already pretty good for familiars.

 

[Shade]

That seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Skills: 5 ranks

Feats: Improved Initiative (B), Lightning Reflexes (B), Weapon Finesse (B), 1 more

 

[freyar]

Listen 2, Spot 3?

Alertness? Their bonus feats are already pretty nice!

 

[demiurge1138]

Alertness seems fair, if we're giving them so many bonus feats. Frankly, I'd rather make Imp. Init or Lightning Reflexes a real feat.

 

[Cleon]

+2, maybe +4 on Hide and Move Silently. They're already pretty good for familiars.

I'd have just made it +2 on Hide, since they've already got +8 for being Tiny, but +4 would do OK for me.

That seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Skills: 5 ranks

Well we'll need to put at least a point in all their "Trained Only" thief skills, then see what we've got left.

Climb, Disable Device 1, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock 1, Search, Spot
​

How about dividing the remaining 3 points between Search, Spot and Move Silently?

Climb 0, Disable Device 1, Hide 0, Listen 0, Move Silently 1, Open Lock 1, Search 1, Spot 1
​

Feats: Improved Initiative (B), Lightning Reflexes (B), Weapon Finesse (B), 1 more

Seems a bit excessive to me. I'd make the Lightning Reflexes a regular feat, but we could do that to Improved Initiative instead, as Demiurge suggests.

I'd rather not give them Alertness. If we decide its Spot & Listen are a little weak we can always up their racial bonus.

 

[freyar]

Good opint about the trained only skills. I don't mind about dropping the Hide/Move Silently racial bonus back to +2 either.

Let's change either Lightning Reflexes or Imp Init to a regular feat, then. I only suggested Alertness because I thought someone wanted to give them all those bonus feats upthread.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Organization: Solitary or x (2-12)

Challenge Rating: x

Treasure: No coins; 1/10th goods (gems); no items?

Alignment: Usually neutral evil?

Advancement: 3–6 HD (Tiny)?

A durocib stands 1-1/4 feet tall and weighs x pounds.