Variant Familiars

Wiseman · Post by **Wiseman** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:31 pm

I've been using this in my games, and I just decided to post it here to get other gamer's opinions as to whether it's a reasonable power or not.

A familiar can be any creature with a CR four levels less than unmodified caster level. If your level is four or less you can still have a familiar although it stays at CR 1 or less until you get to level 6 where upon it can reach CR2 and so on. When casting a spell on yourself, you can choose to have it affect your familiar regardless of how much distance is between you. All other usual effects for both master and familiar apply.

For example. Mialee is a 3rd level wizard, and she chose to make 1st level fighter Regdar her familiar. Mialee gains the benifit of the Alertness feat when Regdar is within arms reach. If Mialee casts a touch spell, she can have Regdar deliver it for her. If Mialee casts a spell on herself she can have it affect Regdar as well.

Regdar gains a +2 natural armor bonus and the benefits of improved evasion. He also has an empathic link with his master.

If Mialee advances to fourth level, Regdar remains as a level 1 fighter because of the CR limitations.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 5:53 pm

Probably better to go by hit dice. I like the variant where you can have a staff as a kind of item familiar instead.

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:20 pm

Sorry, was the intention that you can choose a level 1 Fighter instead of a cat? Because that sounds a bit broken up to level 3-4. Also, couldn't you choose a level 1 Cleric or Wizard and go buff crazy? Probably better to go level 1&2 = CR¼, level 3 = CR½, level 4 = CR1 if that's your intention, and allow only NPC classes.

I have to ask why, though? This only seems to power up primary casters, who hardly need the boost.

Ancient History wrote:Probably better to go by hit dice

Can you explain why you think this? One of the things that's always puzzled me is why certain things in 3e refer to Hit Dice as a limiter when CR seems to do everything you want much better. With CR as a (theoretically) objective measure of power, picking CR-2 ensures you should be getting something half as powerful as you are, whereas Hit Dice aren't necessarily linked to power in this way.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 7:28 pm

It's easier (or perhaps, more appropriate) to advance critters by HD than by giving them character levels. If the CR's were a bit more balanced I could entertain the argument, which is one reasons I dislike the regular summon monster lists.

Surgo · Post by **Surgo** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:24 pm

CR certainly makes more sense when it comes to creature power than HD does.

One possible advancement mechanism that would work with CR is to just have your familiars evolve Pokemon-style at the appropriate times.

Wiseman · Post by **Wiseman** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:27 pm

Ancient History wrote:Probably better to go by hit dice. I like the variant where you can have a staff as a kind of item familiar instead.

Yeah, but if you go by HD then you get stuff like the sorcerer having a pixie familiar that knows irresistible dance at level 1.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 8:50 pm

Oooh, good point. Maybe a CR/HD combo?

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Jul 25, 2012 10:38 pm

I like the idea that Mialee just makes her fuckbuddy Regdar her familiar. A caveat of "any creature with CR=Char Lv-4, with no levels in Full Spellcasting classes (wiz, clr, drd, sor, etc.)" might work better. But yeah, fractional CRs are treated as steps, so 2 crs less than CR 1 is CR 1/3, 3 less 1/4, etc. Basically a first level wiz can have a CR 1/6 creature, which is actually lower than most of their standard choices (the highest CRs being 1/3 for Hawk and Viper). So maybe just say 1st level characters can have any creature with a CR of 1/2 or less, which would allow you to take characters with a single NPC class level as familiars, which could then improve to a level of a non-spellcasting PC class when the character is level 5 (and really I'd say 3 less, not 4, so that familiars are slightly less powerful than cohorts).

also, scaling familiar feat here http://tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?p=39529#39529

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:54 pm

You know who is week and needs a powerup?

Wizards.

Those guys just really need this buff so hard, to go with the complexity of allowing all sorts of familiars, and mandatory leadership that stacks with leadership.

Surgo · Post by **Surgo** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:26 pm

While it's true that wizards hardly need buffing, I wouldn't really see anything wrong with giving familiars the Tome metamagic treatment. That is to say -- they are currently weird, and either blatantly underpowered or (if you abuse them) blatantly overpowered. I'm okay with turning that into something that is merely strong, and racial-substitution-leveling out if you don't want it still (which is what I do to familiars anyway, because they are weird).

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:30 pm

Surgo wrote:While it's true that wizards hardly need buffing, I wouldn't really see anything wrong with giving familiars the Tome metamagic treatment. That is to say -- they are currently weird, and either blatantly underpowered or (if you abuse them) blatantly overpowered. I'm okay with turning that into something that is merely strong, and racial-substitution-leveling out if you don't want it still (which is what I do to familiars anyway, because they are weird).

In what possible way does this ever make them less powerful?

Also, it's super more complicated and super more powerful.

Complex powerful things are bad, because people feel like they have to use the complex thing, because it nerfs them too much to give it up.

Surgo · Post by **Surgo** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:31 pm

Oh, I'm in complete agreement with you on that one. I think turning them into mini-Leadership is a pretty bad idea. Though if you're going to do it that way at all, having advancement be Pokemon-style evolution is probably the best way.

virgil · Post by **virgil** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 2:32 pm

I say give familiars the Tome treatment for someone who needs it, unless you alter the wizard to not be as powerful to accommodate, which you should probably do once you Tome-ify spellcasting/metamagic feats.

Wiseman · Post by **Wiseman** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:21 pm

Maybe i should include: Your familiar may not be able to cast spells, although they may have spell-like and supernatural abilities.

Wiseman · Post by **Wiseman** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:04 pm

I've Got it!

Improved Familiar [General]
You have something way more cool than a puny toad or raven as your familiar.
Prerequisites: Unmodified Caster level of at least 5. Familiar class feature.
Your familiar can be any creature with a CR four levels less than unmodified caster level. When casting a spell on yourself, you can choose to have it affect your familiar regardless of how much distance is between you. All other usual effects for both master and familiar apply.

For example. Mialee is a 5th level wizard, and she chose to make 1st level fighter Regdar her familiar. Mialee gains the benifit of the Alertness feat when Regdar is within arms reach. If Mialee casts a touch spell, she can have Regdar deliver it for her. If Mialee casts a spell on herself she can have it affect Regdar as well.

Regdar gains a +3 natural armor bonus and the benefits of improved evasion. He also has an empathic link with his master.

If Mialee's base caster level increases by one, Regdar advances a level as well.

Hows this? Making it a feat instead of a class feature balances it out.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:49 pm

"unmodified" doesn't mean anything.

Wiseman · Post by **Wiseman** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:56 pm

Well it's supposed to mean that effects that increase your caster level don't count towards this feat. Can you suggests a better wording?

Red_Rob · Post by **Red_Rob** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:00 pm

Here's the feat we've been using in our campaign:

Improved Familiar [Metamagic]
Your familiar is the envy of wizards for miles around.
This is a Metamagic feat that scales to the highest level spell you can cast.
Special: You must have the Familiar class feature to take this feat.
Lvl Benefit
0: Your familiar gains Energy Blast (Su): As a standard action you can fire a blast of magical energy. This is a ranged touch attack out to Short Range that deals 1D6 energy damage (Fire, Cold, Lightning or Acid, choose one).
1: You can store 1 level 1 spell in your familiar, as if it was ring of spell storing, which the familiar can cast when needed.
3: Your familiar pokevolves into another form, which must be CR2 or less and Small. It's Energy Blast now deals D6/2 levels out to Medium range and it can now store 3 levels of spells.
6: Your Familiar can now store 6 levels of spells.
9: Your Familiar evolves into a Medium creature of CR 12 or less. It's Energy Blast now deals 1D6/level and it can store up to 9 levels of spells.