Wild Empathy or Familiar?
- Thread starter Driddle
- Start date
Gold Roger
First Post
This is comparing apples and whatever the other thing in the saying is.
They fill completely different roles in completely different ways.
The only thing they have in common is that they help define the flavor of the classes (in case of familiar a flavor part many could do without as inherent to the classes).
They fill completely different roles in completely different ways.
The only thing they have in common is that they help define the flavor of the classes (in case of familiar a flavor part many could do without as inherent to the classes).
Ridley's Cohort
First Post
A Familar in the safety of a pocket grants Alertness plus the equivalent of another Feat.
That is 2 whole Feats. Nothing to sneeze at, even if they are not top shelf feats for the Wizard/Sorceror in question.
If you are willing to risk the Familiar's skin, there is heck of a lot of neato things to do with it.
The problem I have with Wild Empathy is that you have to have a lot of class levels before it is notably better than Calm Animals. At that point in the campaign, animal-like things do not tend to be a big factor in adventures. That is a 25 gp scroll. If you want to better results, you surely will need to cast Speak with Animals anyway.
A Druid who really wants the benefits of Wild Empathy is probably better off getting ranks in Diplomacy and casting Speak with Animals. Wild Empathy is a half-measure, but I guess it is "free" and therefore better than nothing.
2 Feats vs. a 25 gp scroll.
I do not think this one is difficult to decide.
That is 2 whole Feats. Nothing to sneeze at, even if they are not top shelf feats for the Wizard/Sorceror in question.
If you are willing to risk the Familiar's skin, there is heck of a lot of neato things to do with it.
The problem I have with Wild Empathy is that you have to have a lot of class levels before it is notably better than Calm Animals. At that point in the campaign, animal-like things do not tend to be a big factor in adventures. That is a 25 gp scroll. If you want to better results, you surely will need to cast Speak with Animals anyway.
A Druid who really wants the benefits of Wild Empathy is probably better off getting ranks in Diplomacy and casting Speak with Animals. Wild Empathy is a half-measure, but I guess it is "free" and therefore better than nothing.
2 Feats vs. a 25 gp scroll.
I do not think this one is difficult to decide.
InVinoVeritas
Adventurer
I suppose ultimately, it doesn't matter.
Last edited:
Blue
Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal
Familiars can be very useful. At the most basic and without exposing them to risk, they have all your ranks in skills. Use them to aid another whenever you're doing anything. Scouting. Imbue with spell ability. Give them magic items. A bird dropping a bead from a necklace of fireballs is nasty. Familiars are very useful out-of-combat.
Wild empathy works like diplomacy, but lags behind it because it's class level instead of skill ranks. If you try to do it in a hurry (which has a penalty), unless you are a high level straight class with a high charisma (not otherwise a primary class ability), you'll have little chance to affect hostile animals. And really, how often do you meet animals that are friendly that you need to upgrade to helpful?
Cheers,
=Blue(23)
Wild empathy works like diplomacy, but lags behind it because it's class level instead of skill ranks. If you try to do it in a hurry (which has a penalty), unless you are a high level straight class with a high charisma (not otherwise a primary class ability), you'll have little chance to affect hostile animals. And really, how often do you meet animals that are friendly that you need to upgrade to helpful?
Cheers,
=Blue(23)
