Uncommon familiars

[Neo]

Capuchin monkey +2 to Climb and Jump rolls

Bloodhound (grants Scent feat)

Nightingale +2 to perform (sing) rolls

Insect Swarm (again one for improved Familiar feat) grants +1 INT (+2 to Scry and Spot reflects hive link, and many eyes)

Koala (+2 Climb)

Viper (immunity to its poison, +2 to Sense motive (fear)

Squirrel (+1 to intiative, +2 Climb)

 

[Quickbeam]

The raccoon is great for rogue-like spellcasters, and believe it or not, hummingbird was already on my list of possibilities .

As for improved familiar -- I haven't really considered this an an option yet. Is it worthy of further exploration?

 

[Carnifex]

An octopus!

"For the love of God, take you octopus familiar off your head!"

 

[KnowTheToe]

I'm thinking of running an elven sorceror in the next game I play in, with the intention of becoming a Mirror Master, from BoEM.

I was thinking that for a high-charisma, mirror-obsessed sorceror, maybe a Pomeranian, or a Shiitzu? Some little yappy lapdog...

Perfect. The Character has to have outfits made for the dog as well.

 

[Neo]

<<As for improved familiar -- I haven't really considered this an an option yet. Is it worthy of further exploration?>>

Very much so, it opens up larger animals, lesser elementals, some magical beasts, imps, quasits, pseudodragons and the like for possibility as familiars.... but most have a minimum spellcaster level requirement.

It's also worth checking out Dragon Issue 280 for a heap of other Familiar related spells and Feats, such as Familia construct, Undead Familiar, Extra Familiar, Token Familiar and so on....

 

[Ferret]

I've never played a spellcaster, but I have a fondness for Spidermonkeys and ravens

 

[rootbeergnome]

I have had some interesting familiars in my games in the past, but lately in my Seas of Fire Campaign, one of the players is a Druid with a Wallaby animal companion(a small Kangaroo type critter) and he is always putting things into "Wiggles" the Wallaby's pouch. He has a habit of placing valuable things in the pouch, which is great because it makes the other characters flinch and worry, but so far his friend has not lost anything....yet

 

[Bagpuss]

A saggy old cloth cat baggy and a bit loose at the seams.

Animate Object at will, but limited to childrens toys, which then become free-willed, duration limited to "while Bagpuss is awake".

 

[Quickbeam]

Neo:
Thanks for mentioning the Dragon #280 resource option.

rootbeergnome:
I love the wallaby concept...that's pretty damn funny !

Carnifex:
Octo-creatures are given lofty status here in Detroit, as any good hockey fan would know .

Kid Charlemegne & CamelToe:
How about a pair of pugs? Together they provide the requisite benefits to the wizard/sorceror, but singularly they're just dogs.

 

[wolff96]

For sheer style points, the prize that I've played with goes to a vampiric wizard that had a skeletal raven for a familiar.

A bone white familiar circling a couple of hundred feet up is really hard to spot!