Alternatives to a Familiar for a Non-Specialist [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternatives to a Familiar for a Non-Specialist [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rakor
01-29-08, 10:48 PM Are there any published alternatives to the Familiar for a non-specialist wizard?
Sinfire Titan
01-30-08, 12:05 AM Why would you want that? Familiars are amazingly useful, and very potent with the right spells. Besides, statistically speaking, you lose more than you gain from swapping out a Familiar like that.

Unless your DM has a habit of killing every Wizard/Sorcerer's Familiar in strange ways, don't swap it out. They can be more useful than a Rogue, if played/built right.

My personal favorite use is to have a Coure Eladrin accompany around a Factotum who has maxed out Use Magic Device. Aside from getting to say the line below, there are several things that such a familiar is good for, most of them I won't mention so you can think of them yourself.

"Ok Tinkerbell, light 'em up!"

Because nothing beats a 6'' tall fairy with a Spartan Laser. Ever.
herrdoktor
01-30-08, 12:11 AM My personal favorite use is to have a Coure Eladrin accompany around a Factotum who has maxed out Use Magic Device. Aside from getting to say the line below, there are several things that such a familiar is good for, most of them I won't mention so you can think of them yourself.

you'd need to take a feat to do that (acquire...obtain... something like that.. familiar). factotums don't get familiars naturally

"Ok Tinkerbell, light 'em up!"

that is AWESOME
Sinfire Titan
01-30-08, 12:30 AM you'd need to take a feat to do that (acquire...obtain... something like that.. familiar). factotums don't get familiars naturally

that is AWESOME

Obtain Familiar can be taken at Factotum 3, and at 6th you take Exalted.

And yeah. Coure's are awesome just for that. They are useful as hell too. IMO, they are tied with the Imp for "Best Familiar".

Of course, that is from the list of Familiars WocT allows officially. If I had my way with that list, Broodling Kytons (BoVD) would be on the list, and there would be a formula for new ones.
herrdoktor
01-30-08, 01:30 AM exalted? i assume you mean celestial from BoED (which lets you get a coure eladrin)
unfortunately, the coure eladrin's required caster level is 7th, and due to the rather stringent rules on dismissing a familiar (xp loss, can't get a new one for a year and a day (PHB sidebar)), you'd sort of have to wait till 7th level to have either of those feats come into play (admittedly, if i were dming, i'd probably allow you to have one before then if it wasn't abnormally useful)
Sinfire Titan
01-30-08, 01:34 AM exalted? i assume you mean celestial from BoED (which lets you get a coure eladrin)
unfortunately, the coure eladrin's required caster level is 7th, and due to the rather stringent rules on dismissing a familiar (xp loss, can't get a new one for a year and a day (PHB sidebar)), you'd sort of have to wait till 7th level to have either of those feats come into play (admittedly, if i were dming, i'd probably allow you to have one before then if it wasn't abnormally useful)

I thought it was Exalted, sorry. Besides, you don't have to summon it immediately after you take the feats, so you don't need to dismiss it. That waiting period never made sense to me though. Why do Wizards have to wait that long when Druids get a new companion in 24 hours?
Mr_Teapot
01-30-08, 02:16 AM There was a flaw in a Dragon magazine where you gave up your familiar. So, you'd gain a feat for losing one. If you don't want one, that's a decent deal.
McPoyo
01-30-08, 11:55 AM Complete Champion has a nice sub for familiars. A really nice one. Might check that out, I'm afb so I can't give a page reference.
Sinfire Titan
01-30-08, 03:41 PM Complete Champion has a nice sub for familiars. A really nice one. Might check that out, I'm afb so I can't give a page reference.

It is for Sorcerers. All of the Wizard ACFs involve their 5th level feat.
McPoyo
01-30-08, 04:21 PM Ah, right. Knew I was forgetting something.
Cartigan
01-30-08, 04:36 PM exalted? i assume you mean celestial from BoED (which lets you get a coure eladrin)
unfortunately, the coure eladrin's required caster level is 7th, and due to the rather stringent rules on dismissing a familiar (xp loss, can't get a new one for a year and a day (PHB sidebar)), you'd sort of have to wait till 7th level to have either of those feats come into play (admittedly, if i were dming, i'd probably allow you to have one before then if it wasn't abnormally useful)
Exactly. The problem with getting good familiars is you either wait until you get to the proper level (thus making no use of the ability) or take a crappy one and have to deal with all the bs repercussions of losing one when you want a good one.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rakor 01-29-08, 10:48 PM	Are there any published alternatives to the Familiar for a non-specialist wizard?
Sinfire Titan 01-30-08, 12:05 AM	Why would you want that? Familiars are amazingly useful, and very potent with the right spells. Besides, statistically speaking, you lose more than you gain from swapping out a Familiar like that. Unless your DM has a habit of killing every Wizard/Sorcerer's Familiar in strange ways, don't swap it out. They can be more useful than a Rogue, if played/built right. My personal favorite use is to have a Coure Eladrin accompany around a Factotum who has maxed out Use Magic Device. Aside from getting to say the line below, there are several things that such a familiar is good for, most of them I won't mention so you can think of them yourself. "Ok Tinkerbell, light 'em up!" Because nothing beats a 6'' tall fairy with a Spartan Laser. Ever.
herrdoktor 01-30-08, 12:11 AM	My personal favorite use is to have a Coure Eladrin accompany around a Factotum who has maxed out Use Magic Device. Aside from getting to say the line below, there are several things that such a familiar is good for, most of them I won't mention so you can think of them yourself. you'd need to take a feat to do that (acquire...obtain... something like that.. familiar). factotums don't get familiars naturally "Ok Tinkerbell, light 'em up!" that is AWESOME
Sinfire Titan 01-30-08, 12:30 AM	you'd need to take a feat to do that (acquire...obtain... something like that.. familiar). factotums don't get familiars naturally that is AWESOME Obtain Familiar can be taken at Factotum 3, and at 6th you take Exalted. And yeah. Coure's are awesome just for that. They are useful as hell too. IMO, they are tied with the Imp for "Best Familiar". Of course, that is from the list of Familiars WocT allows officially. If I had my way with that list, Broodling Kytons (BoVD) would be on the list, and there would be a formula for new ones.
herrdoktor 01-30-08, 01:30 AM	exalted? i assume you mean celestial from BoED (which lets you get a coure eladrin) unfortunately, the coure eladrin's required caster level is 7th, and due to the rather stringent rules on dismissing a familiar (xp loss, can't get a new one for a year and a day (PHB sidebar)), you'd sort of have to wait till 7th level to have either of those feats come into play (admittedly, if i were dming, i'd probably allow you to have one before then if it wasn't abnormally useful)
Sinfire Titan 01-30-08, 01:34 AM	exalted? i assume you mean celestial from BoED (which lets you get a coure eladrin) unfortunately, the coure eladrin's required caster level is 7th, and due to the rather stringent rules on dismissing a familiar (xp loss, can't get a new one for a year and a day (PHB sidebar)), you'd sort of have to wait till 7th level to have either of those feats come into play (admittedly, if i were dming, i'd probably allow you to have one before then if it wasn't abnormally useful) I thought it was Exalted, sorry. Besides, you don't have to summon it immediately after you take the feats, so you don't need to dismiss it. That waiting period never made sense to me though. Why do Wizards have to wait that long when Druids get a new companion in 24 hours?
Mr_Teapot 01-30-08, 02:16 AM	There was a flaw in a Dragon magazine where you gave up your familiar. So, you'd gain a feat for losing one. If you don't want one, that's a decent deal.
McPoyo 01-30-08, 11:55 AM	Complete Champion has a nice sub for familiars. A really nice one. Might check that out, I'm afb so I can't give a page reference.
Sinfire Titan 01-30-08, 03:41 PM	Complete Champion has a nice sub for familiars. A really nice one. Might check that out, I'm afb so I can't give a page reference. It is for Sorcerers. All of the Wizard ACFs involve their 5th level feat.
McPoyo 01-30-08, 04:21 PM	Ah, right. Knew I was forgetting something.
Cartigan 01-30-08, 04:36 PM	exalted? i assume you mean celestial from BoED (which lets you get a coure eladrin) unfortunately, the coure eladrin's required caster level is 7th, and due to the rather stringent rules on dismissing a familiar (xp loss, can't get a new one for a year and a day (PHB sidebar)), you'd sort of have to wait till 7th level to have either of those feats come into play (admittedly, if i were dming, i'd probably allow you to have one before then if it wasn't abnormally useful) Exactly. The problem with getting good familiars is you either wait until you get to the proper level (thus making no use of the ability) or take a crappy one and have to deal with all the bs repercussions of losing one when you want a good one.