Quasqueton
First Post
A few weeks ago I created a back-up character at the suggestion of the DM. (So if something happens to the primary character, a player could start back in quickly.) I created a gnome wizard with a toad familiar. I chose a toad familiar for two reasons: First, I liked the image in Tome & Blood of a gnome mage with a toad sitting on his shoulder. Second, I have only seen raven and hawk familiars used by mages, and I've heard so much about how the toad familiar is unbalanced; I figured to see for myself how uber it is.
Well, my primary character died. I immediately brought in my 3rd-level gnome wizard, with toad. I kind of like the toad familiar as a kooky companion to be talking to. But now, having seen how the 3.5 toad is going to give only the equivelant of the toughness feat, I'm thinking I've made a very bad choice for game mechanics. (My wizard is already 3rd level, so I don't need toughness to survive the 1st and 2nd levels.) A raven or hawk or owl can fly, attack, and in the case of the owl, stand guard overnight. The cat, rat, snake, and weasel are pretty mobile. But the toad is . . . well not much by itself. Sure, a +21 on hide checks is good. But without the move silently skill, and with only a 5' speed, Lucky (my toad's name) has to be put in position by someone else.
The only thing the toad has going for it as a familiar is the +2 to the master's Con. Now I'm afraid I'll have a useless familiar when our group upgrades to D&D3.5. I'm already wishing I had taken a raven for a familiar. He could scout the outdoors terrain, talk, and even deliver touch spells for me.
I need suggestions on how to make the toad familiar work/useful. I also would appreciate any real-life info on toads that might be useful to a fantasy mage.
Right now, my wizard has an oversized pocket in the front of his shirt where the toad can sit in comfort and have his head poking out to see. Other than sitting on my shoulder, the pocket is the only way for Lucky to follow me around.
Quasqueton
Well, my primary character died. I immediately brought in my 3rd-level gnome wizard, with toad. I kind of like the toad familiar as a kooky companion to be talking to. But now, having seen how the 3.5 toad is going to give only the equivelant of the toughness feat, I'm thinking I've made a very bad choice for game mechanics. (My wizard is already 3rd level, so I don't need toughness to survive the 1st and 2nd levels.) A raven or hawk or owl can fly, attack, and in the case of the owl, stand guard overnight. The cat, rat, snake, and weasel are pretty mobile. But the toad is . . . well not much by itself. Sure, a +21 on hide checks is good. But without the move silently skill, and with only a 5' speed, Lucky (my toad's name) has to be put in position by someone else.
The only thing the toad has going for it as a familiar is the +2 to the master's Con. Now I'm afraid I'll have a useless familiar when our group upgrades to D&D3.5. I'm already wishing I had taken a raven for a familiar. He could scout the outdoors terrain, talk, and even deliver touch spells for me.
I need suggestions on how to make the toad familiar work/useful. I also would appreciate any real-life info on toads that might be useful to a fantasy mage.
Right now, my wizard has an oversized pocket in the front of his shirt where the toad can sit in comfort and have his head poking out to see. Other than sitting on my shoulder, the pocket is the only way for Lucky to follow me around.
Quasqueton
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