What would you do with a bat? (or, Help! My familiar is proving relatively useless)

[Djeta Thernadier]

Ahem...

"..and then He-Yah! I, um, kicked her sir."

[hijack of own thread]

*signs off EnWorld because she realizes it's been far too long since she's seen that movie and must do so now*

"well, sir, considering how long you've been dead, I'd say you look pretty good..."



Thank you evileeyore, for bringing Bartok back to me

[/hijack of own thread]

Carry on.

 

[Azlan]

I think he tends to be forgotten during the game and i think that may be part of the problem.

As a veteran DM, I encourage you, as a player, to be imaginative and think of ways to bring your neglected familiar into the limelight more often.



As someone mentioned earlier, a bat is more useful as a scout in dungeons and caves than an owl would be, particularly if those dungeons and caves are totally unlit. But outdoors, at night, an owl is definitely going to be more useful as a scout, most of the time.

If I were playing a wizard or sorcerer with a familiar, I'd probably go with an owl over a bat just because, overall, the former is more useful than the latter. Then again, the idea of having a bat as a familiar is pretty cool, especially one named Nosferatu.



Or how about a bat familiar named "Mouseferatu"... ? For sure, that's what I'd go with, if I were playing a halfing wizard/rogue.

[Edit] Oh, wait: Your familiar is named Rasputin, not Nosferatu. What was I thinking of? Never mind...

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

You wouldn't say that to Kira, the thrush familiar of my halfling arcane trickster, once she blasted you with her wand of cone of cold (holding it via alter self (that was 3.0 still) and using it with use magic device ). Also, once you aquire 6th level spells, Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability (Tome & Blood) becomes available and you can use it as a kinda source for "quickened" spells (nice for those low level buffs or even dispel magic (i.e. to get you out of Tenser's Transformation, if it's starting to get you into trouble )).

Bye
Thanee

I stand by my comments, being the dumb fighter that I am...

 

[Number47]

I read through this thread and not one person mentioned one of the (oft-overlooked) great abilities of familiars. The ability to use their master's skill ranks! If you have any knowledge skills, use magic device, hide, move silently, spot, listen or search ranks, these go great with familiars. Even speak language is good, because even if a familiar can't speak, they will be able to "hear" in different languages.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

I'd paint him white, and call him Shikaka.

 

[Cedric]

Well...you could use your bat to deliver touch spells for you. Especially if you have beneficial ones you want to deliver during combat. That way the bat can do it instead of you.

With your bard levels you could take cure light wounds and have him deliver that for you. Would make him useful but keep him enough out of the limelight to not be a target.

Cedric

 

[bret]

In terms of giving it personality, figure out what it's favorite food is. I've got an owl familiar, and a rather large stash of treats for it. Doesn't mean much, but it is kind of cool to be able to give them a treat at times.

As for abilities, being able to spot invisible creatures is the main thing. Since you only need to know what square they are in to hit with Glitterdust, Web, or Fireball it is a lot easier to deal with invisible creatures.

Remember that the familiar has all the same skill ranks as you do, allowing it to identify spells if it sees them cast. The point made above about a bat familiar blending in with normal bats is also great.

It would be humorous to have the bat familiar eat a swarm of flying insects. Summon Swarm vs. the eatting ability of the bat.
The main thing is have fun with them.

 

[LightPhoenix]

On a crunchier note...

Dragon #280 had an article on familiars, including several new "familiar" spells (Familiar's Sense, Familiar's Touch, Share Life, Familiar's Form, Call Familiar)and one notable feat (Enspell Familiar). A good idea they mention is Enlarge - a giant bat appearing out of nowhere could be interesting, and I'm sure you could find some interesting facts out in the vein of "if a bat were the size of a dog...". They're not anything incredibly powerful (in fact, a think it's an pretty underpowered article) but they might add a little utility.

Tome and Blood has a couple of spells as well, including Familiar Pocket, Enhance Familiar, Fortify Familiar, and Imbue Familiar With Spell Ability. All are in the Universal school.

You could always research (or talk with your DM) some familiar-oriented spells as well.

 

[Thanee]

I read through this thread and not one person mentioned one of the (oft-overlooked) great abilities of familiars. The ability to use their master's skill ranks! If you have any knowledge skills, use magic device, hide, move silently, spot, listen or search ranks, these go great with familiars.

*points to example on top of page*

But I must admit, it's a bit hidden in my post!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I just started playing a wizard PC in a new game, and I was very keen on wanting to make my familiar memorable.

I wanted something that would be expressive, have lots of personality, and get a reaction on first glance. The benefit I got from him was secondary... Since my PC was going to be pretty serious, I wanted to have him be a little silly, but still useful. I was definitely thinking of the animal sidekicks in various Disney flicks.

So I now have Pepe, the chihuahua familiar. He's been a great success thus far.

As it turns out, in the campaign world we're playing in, canines have been extinct for centuries. They're remembered as being Dire Wolf sized creatures. We explained Pepe away as a Grey Elven magical experiment to reintroduce dogs into the world.

As one the other PC's put it: "Is he a success, or a failure?"

Me: "That is the subject of some debate..."

As it turns out, Pepe is pretty damn useful. Aside from familiar bonuses, he has scent, and can track by smell. We don't have a ranger, so in our first session, Pepe ended up tracking some grimlocks back to their lair - luckily grimlocks smell really bad, so it wasn't too tough...

It's really going to be a blast when Pepe starts to talk to the party members...