A Familiar question... [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Familiar question... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
hughman
03-11-05, 09:45 PM A Familiar Question I am sure, but for some reason I was under the impression that Sorcerers don't get any abilities with familiars other than Empathic Link. But the SRD clearly is saying they do. I don't have the 3.5 PHB or DMG at hand. Can someone check and see if there is a discrepancy between the books and the SRD please?

In the same vein, how is training your familiar handled? Can you train a familar to do things like Guard? Do you even need to Train them? I am thinking of training my familiar to stand guard for us while we rest, maybe to fetch things I have stashed or that it is carrying (if I get captured) things like that.

Third Question (cause one is never enough :P ): For the basic Familiars, I see a cat listed, yet don't see any stats for cats in the monster......Ah there is is under Animals... Never mind. :pbbbtt:

OK Found a valid third question: If you are multiclassing a Familar character, does the familiar improve up with each Character level or each Class level? SRD seems to say Character, just making sure

Guess that two questions will have to do, for now.

Hughman
DM Denubis
03-11-05, 10:19 PM 1. Yes, they do gain all familiar benefits, as does any other arcane caster who takes the Obtain Familiar feat.

2. I have no idea. But as they start with humanoid intelligence, I would say it's not necessary to train them, I suppose. But I don't recommend having your kitty in combat.

3. Class levels, not character levels. This is supposed to be the major balancing point in taking a full progression prestige class.
BladeBoy
03-12-05, 02:57 AM No, you don't train them, they'll simply do whatever you want, they're an extension of you.
roguebfl
03-12-05, 03:51 AM No, you don't train them, they'll simply do whatever you want, they're an extension of you.

yep, it Animal Companions the required training (but gain a bonus number of tricks they can learn)
zamil77
03-13-05, 04:24 PM A familiar has far more intelligence, and you get to speak with the thing to communicate completely intelligably. There is no training required for the familiar, which is a magical beast, to guard the way while you sleep.

A familiar is given all bonuses on that chart based on the caster's sorcerer, or wizard level. If you multiclass into say archmage, you don't get to progress the familiar's abilities up until one of two things happen, you take OBTAIN FAMILIAR, which automatically gives you back all levels of familiar progression back if the class grants you arcane casting at any level, also you could go back to sorcerer or wizard, and start progressing it again, but unless you take that feat, you never get those level back in other classes to progress your familiar up.

I've always found it ridiculous that the familiar never get more HD rolls, nor skill points, nor feats, nor anything else. It gets half your hp or its hp whichever is better, everyone knows that after 5th level its hit points are less than half of yours no matter if you have an improved familiar or not...usually. anyway, there you go.

Don't forget to learn or scribe Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability :) only way in the game, other than leadership, to get off more than one spell a round anymore :)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
hughman 03-11-05, 09:45 PM	A Familiar Question I am sure, but for some reason I was under the impression that Sorcerers don't get any abilities with familiars other than Empathic Link. But the SRD clearly is saying they do. I don't have the 3.5 PHB or DMG at hand. Can someone check and see if there is a discrepancy between the books and the SRD please? In the same vein, how is training your familiar handled? Can you train a familar to do things like Guard? Do you even need to Train them? I am thinking of training my familiar to stand guard for us while we rest, maybe to fetch things I have stashed or that it is carrying (if I get captured) things like that. Third Question (cause one is never enough :P ): For the basic Familiars, I see a cat listed, yet don't see any stats for cats in the monster......Ah there is is under Animals... Never mind. :pbbbtt: OK Found a valid third question: If you are multiclassing a Familar character, does the familiar improve up with each Character level or each Class level? SRD seems to say Character, just making sure Guess that two questions will have to do, for now. Hughman
DM Denubis 03-11-05, 10:19 PM	1. Yes, they do gain all familiar benefits, as does any other arcane caster who takes the Obtain Familiar feat. 2. I have no idea. But as they start with humanoid intelligence, I would say it's not necessary to train them, I suppose. But I don't recommend having your kitty in combat. 3. Class levels, not character levels. This is supposed to be the major balancing point in taking a full progression prestige class.
BladeBoy 03-12-05, 02:57 AM	No, you don't train them, they'll simply do whatever you want, they're an extension of you.
roguebfl 03-12-05, 03:51 AM	No, you don't train them, they'll simply do whatever you want, they're an extension of you. yep, it Animal Companions the required training (but gain a bonus number of tricks they can learn)
zamil77 03-13-05, 04:24 PM	A familiar has far more intelligence, and you get to speak with the thing to communicate completely intelligably. There is no training required for the familiar, which is a magical beast, to guard the way while you sleep. A familiar is given all bonuses on that chart based on the caster's sorcerer, or wizard level. If you multiclass into say archmage, you don't get to progress the familiar's abilities up until one of two things happen, you take OBTAIN FAMILIAR, which automatically gives you back all levels of familiar progression back if the class grants you arcane casting at any level, also you could go back to sorcerer or wizard, and start progressing it again, but unless you take that feat, you never get those level back in other classes to progress your familiar up. I've always found it ridiculous that the familiar never get more HD rolls, nor skill points, nor feats, nor anything else. It gets half your hp or its hp whichever is better, everyone knows that after 5th level its hit points are less than half of yours no matter if you have an improved familiar or not...usually. anyway, there you go. Don't forget to learn or scribe Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability :) only way in the game, other than leadership, to get off more than one spell a round anymore :)