Best Familiar [Archive] - Wizards Community

Best Familiar [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
kcinlive
02-06-05, 02:22 AM What do you think is the best familiar for a sorcerer or wizard? Including the various familiars avalible using the Imporved Familiar feat. And why do you think it's the best familiar?
Escef
02-06-05, 03:55 AM Human. Take any familiar and baleful polymorph it into a human. You now have a 100% loyal minion that you have a psychic connection with that can go anywhere a person can and do anything a person can. If you have a level of fighter or some such it gives you the ultimate bodyguard. Deck it out in heavy armor with a decent weapon. It's only drawback is that it has half your HP, making it easy to drop.
MetalGemini
02-06-05, 05:26 PM Wow, Escef, its so funny how impossible that is. First, baleful polymorph turns the creature into a small creature of less than 1 HD, not the other way around. Second, familiars can't gain class levels. They don't even gain bonus HD like an animal companion. Finally, even risking a familiar out in the open as a bodyguard is suicide.

The best familiar is no familiar. Unless you plan on going straight Wiz/Sorc 20, your familiar will stop getting bonuses once you start taking PrC levels. Anymore, that could mean only 5 to 8 levels worth. After that, its more of a liability than a bonus. Smart DMs will pay attention to your familiar as well and make you pay for ignoring it. Forget the pet.
Escef
02-06-05, 05:45 PM Wow, Escef, its so funny how impossible that is. First, baleful polymorph turns the creature into a small creature of less than 1 HD, not the other way around.

Sorry, I'm still used to the older polymorph other spells that were permanent and didn't have restrictions about only turning things into inoffensive creatures, sue me.

Second, familiars can't gain class levels. They don't even gain bonus HD like an animal companion. Finally, even risking a familiar out in the open as a bodyguard is suicide.

Who said anything about it gaining class levels? It has access to all your skills, and probably your proficiencied as well (not specified, and given the unusualness of the situation I can understand not having a ruling in the core books). They use the caster's BAB and have half his HP. In fact, a caster with a good Con can send a beefed up familiar against enemies a few CRs below himself safely enough. I already mentioned the HP restrictin being a problem.

Also, did it occur to you that my whole post was tongue-in-cheek? Maybe I should've been liberal with smileys?

The best familiar is no familiar. [...] its more of a liability than a bonus.

For the most part I agree with this.
DwarvinJedi
02-06-05, 08:24 PM The Raven for non-improved familiar, 'cause it can talk, jsut make sure it speaks something like Draconic or Celestial that only you know, then it is a good sentry, or if you are a bard with the familiar feat, you have a singing buddy.
the Formian Worker, jsut 'cause Formians are cool, and follow orders well.
JustKim
02-06-05, 08:54 PM Hawks have good AC, high attack bonus and a fly speed of 60'. This effectively gives your touch spells a 60' range (120' charging), because you can pass a touch spell to your familiar and have it fly over to deliver the spell in the same round. Because of size and Dexterity bonuses your hawk will always have a better chance of delivering a touch than you will. It also probably has the highest AC in the group before you cast any defensive spells, so it's unlikely to be slaughtered in the one round it spends in melee.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kcinlive 02-06-05, 02:22 AM	What do you think is the best familiar for a sorcerer or wizard? Including the various familiars avalible using the Imporved Familiar feat. And why do you think it's the best familiar?
Escef 02-06-05, 03:55 AM	Human. Take any familiar and baleful polymorph it into a human. You now have a 100% loyal minion that you have a psychic connection with that can go anywhere a person can and do anything a person can. If you have a level of fighter or some such it gives you the ultimate bodyguard. Deck it out in heavy armor with a decent weapon. It's only drawback is that it has half your HP, making it easy to drop.
MetalGemini 02-06-05, 05:26 PM	Wow, Escef, its so funny how impossible that is. First, baleful polymorph turns the creature into a small creature of less than 1 HD, not the other way around. Second, familiars can't gain class levels. They don't even gain bonus HD like an animal companion. Finally, even risking a familiar out in the open as a bodyguard is suicide. The best familiar is no familiar. Unless you plan on going straight Wiz/Sorc 20, your familiar will stop getting bonuses once you start taking PrC levels. Anymore, that could mean only 5 to 8 levels worth. After that, its more of a liability than a bonus. Smart DMs will pay attention to your familiar as well and make you pay for ignoring it. Forget the pet.
Escef 02-06-05, 05:45 PM	Wow, Escef, its so funny how impossible that is. First, baleful polymorph turns the creature into a small creature of less than 1 HD, not the other way around. Sorry, I'm still used to the older polymorph other spells that were permanent and didn't have restrictions about only turning things into inoffensive creatures, sue me. Second, familiars can't gain class levels. They don't even gain bonus HD like an animal companion. Finally, even risking a familiar out in the open as a bodyguard is suicide. Who said anything about it gaining class levels? It has access to all your skills, and probably your proficiencied as well (not specified, and given the unusualness of the situation I can understand not having a ruling in the core books). They use the caster's BAB and have half his HP. In fact, a caster with a good Con can send a beefed up familiar against enemies a few CRs below himself safely enough. I already mentioned the HP restrictin being a problem. Also, did it occur to you that my whole post was tongue-in-cheek? Maybe I should've been liberal with smileys? The best familiar is no familiar. [...] its more of a liability than a bonus. For the most part I agree with this.
DwarvinJedi 02-06-05, 08:24 PM	The Raven for non-improved familiar, 'cause it can talk, jsut make sure it speaks something like Draconic or Celestial that only you know, then it is a good sentry, or if you are a bard with the familiar feat, you have a singing buddy. the Formian Worker, jsut 'cause Formians are cool, and follow orders well.
JustKim 02-06-05, 08:54 PM	Hawks have good AC, high attack bonus and a fly speed of 60'. This effectively gives your touch spells a 60' range (120' charging), because you can pass a touch spell to your familiar and have it fly over to deliver the spell in the same round. Because of size and Dexterity bonuses your hawk will always have a better chance of delivering a touch than you will. It also probably has the highest AC in the group before you cast any defensive spells, so it's unlikely to be slaughtered in the one round it spends in melee.