Special Conversion Thread: Supernatural Familiars

[freyar]

Monkeys come in various collectives, and I like "troop" for this organization.

CR 2.

10 lb, and the rest looks good.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Do we want to retain any of these benefits for the master?

A magic-user who acquires a durocib as a familiar can receive all the sensory information the creature gathers, through a telepathic link that has a range of 12". The master also gains an 18 dexterity and a bonus of +1 on all saving throws.

If we do retain some of it, I'd prefer a bonus on Dex-based skill checks rather than an actual Dex boost.

 

[freyar]

Personally, I think the empathic link (and later, scry on familiar), improved evasion, etc, probably are enough. I suppose these could be "special" benefits like normal familiars grant, but none of the improved familiars have those as far as I know.

 

[Cleon]

Monkeys come in various collectives, and I like "troop" for this organization.

I prefer "gang" myself.

Troop sounds a little too organized, gang has more chaotic and unpleasant connotations.

CR 2.

10 lb, and the rest looks good.

The Challenge Rating is fine, but 10 pounds seems too heavy. That's in Small territory, and they're Tiny size.

I'm thinking about 5-8 pounds, the size of a capuchin monkey. Say, 6 pounds on average.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

Do we want to retain any of these benefits for the master?

If we do retain some of it, I'd prefer a bonus on Dex-based skill checks rather than an actual Dex boost.

I agree. How about a +2 bonus on two skills, say Hide and Move Silently?

 

[Shade]

Personally, I think the empathic link (and later, scry on familiar), improved evasion, etc, probably are enough. I suppose these could be "special" benefits like normal familiars grant, but none of the improved familiars have those as far as I know.

Apparently there is precedent. From Races of Faerun...

Flying snake (level 3) = Master gains a +2 bonus on saves against acid
Lizard, spitting crawler (level 3) = Master gains a +2 bonus on saves against acid
Lynx (level 3) = Master gains a +3 bonus on Move Silently checks
Osquip (level 5) = Master gains a +2 bonus on Hide and Listen checks

I agree. How about a +2 bonus on two skills, say Hide and Move Silently?

Based on the precedent above, that seems reasonable.

 

[freyar]

Ok, but I hope the masters need to be higher than level 5 to take these as a familiar! That gaze is pretty good when it works.

Hey, my cats are Tiny and weigh 10+ lb!

 

[demiurge1138]

Make it so that a master has to be 7th-9th level to take one of these as a familiar?

 

[Shade]

Yep. The supernatural familiars were all 7th-level. These guys might be a slight bit worse (compare to the nalg, which also has blood drain, but tops it with SLAs and some resistances and immunities). So maybe break the mold and make the first 6th-level improved familiar?

On the other hand, the gaze might be enough to even it all out.

 

[demiurge1138]

I think the gaze evens things out. CL 7th.