badger familiar [Archive] - Wizards Community

badger familiar [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
icarus1863
04-29-07, 08:38 AM Im creating a dwarven sorcerer, and i believd a badger wound make a better familiar choice. Anyways I cannot seem to find a rules for alternate familiars, and I am not shure as to the special qualities the badger should give the caster. Do you think Rage would be to much?
Charlie_PFC
04-29-07, 11:26 AM IIRC Familiars are always 2-3 size categories smaller than thier masters. A badger is small though and therefore too big for a dwarf. Check out the Improved familiar and familiars for large/tiny rules in the DMG and compare the badger to the examples there, the most similar IMO is the dire rat which is available to Large characters and grants a bonus to fortitude saves.
bloodtalon
04-29-07, 07:52 PM IMHO if a druid can have a wolf which is bigger then a familiar the a chacacter with a mood for the earth should have a badger

the badger might loose hitdice but would be the same as a regular familiar jsut with a burrow speed and give the master a tremor sense of 10 feet
Evil DM Mk3
04-29-07, 08:20 PM Nah, badgers are stoic and deliberate in their actions, a will save bonus would be better.
bloodtalon
04-29-07, 09:06 PM that would work i was just going off the top of my head and not thinking
bigbbodp
04-29-07, 09:13 PM I think that it should give a bonus to str checks the badger is pound for pound one of the stronger animals alive
Geddonight
04-29-07, 09:17 PM I would have to say that Badgers are the meanest, most aggressive critter I've seen on our farm. "Stoic" is not how they come across :)

I think a bonus to Intimidate checks would be better (or make it a class skill, perhaps, for the spell caster?). Kinda prickly little devils, but Dwarves already take a hit to their charisma, so I don't know if it's really worth knocking it down another as a drawback, though I'd think about it for flavor. But yeah, sorcerors and wizards already get good will save progressions, so I don't know if adding to it with the familiar would be "needed." I see a conspicuous lack of will save boosting familiars on that list... perhaps it was intentional?

As a DM, I'd have no problem with a small-sized badger familiar... especially if it doesn't magically disappear whenever it's not useful :D

Cheers!
Grizzled Gryphon
04-29-07, 09:59 PM IMHO if a druid can have a wolf which is bigger then a familiar the a chacacter with a mood for the earth should have a badger

the badger might loose hitdice but would be the same as a regular familiar jsut with a burrow speed and give the master a tremor sense of 10 feet

?? The Druid can have a wolf or a badger as an animal companion, which is completely different than a familiar. As they are completely different, a Sorcerer should NOT be able to have a badger as a familiar. At least not at first. He could reasonably be able to get one with the improved familiar feat later on, though.

In fact, I would allow a "smaller" badger at first, that doesn't have any real combat ability (like normal familiars), and then, when you take the Improved Familiar feat, have it "grow" into a full sized one.
icarus1863
04-29-07, 11:46 PM thanks for the ideas
icarus1863
04-29-07, 11:55 PM I like the Intimidate+3, the rest of the familiars donate +3 for a skill, 0r +2 for a save.

Ive encountered one before in the woods, near his/her home: Intimidating is an understatement. Thanks
divinebadger
04-30-07, 12:36 AM I agree with the intimidate bonus. Just had to chime in on this one.
Charlie_PFC
04-30-07, 11:24 AM Intimidate bonus would work, I was thinking of how hard a badger is to kill, heard stories about them killing pit bull terriers and surving getting run over. I saw a documentry about honey badgers once and they're really tough, one survived a snake bite and a lame, starving one fought with a leopard for 45 minutes before it finally suffocated. The locals even thought they were possessed because they were "the very devil himself to kill" so I reckon either intimidate +3 or fort save +2.
Lixith
04-30-07, 02:06 PM i'm gonna agree with the will save bonus
BW0222
04-30-07, 06:09 PM Folks,

While a normal (North American) badger runs about 15-17lbs, there are sub-species which are smaller. The ferret badger (China) runs less than 7lbs. This puts it close to that of that house cat.

I can't see anything wrong with taking the badger stats and decreasing it to tiny size.

I also vote for intimidate. Badgers will often stand up to bears and mountain lions -- and win.
Evil DM Mk3
04-30-07, 06:40 PM I would have to say that Badgers are the meanest, most aggressive critter I've seen on our farm. "Stoic" is not how they come across :)

I was refering to the fact that the thing is bloodyminded and no matter what you do, short of killing the damned thing (illegal in the UK of course) IT ALLWAYS FINDS A WAY IN AND COMES BACK.

They are totaly impossible to put off!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
icarus1863 04-29-07, 08:38 AM	Im creating a dwarven sorcerer, and i believd a badger wound make a better familiar choice. Anyways I cannot seem to find a rules for alternate familiars, and I am not shure as to the special qualities the badger should give the caster. Do you think Rage would be to much?
Charlie_PFC 04-29-07, 11:26 AM	IIRC Familiars are always 2-3 size categories smaller than thier masters. A badger is small though and therefore too big for a dwarf. Check out the Improved familiar and familiars for large/tiny rules in the DMG and compare the badger to the examples there, the most similar IMO is the dire rat which is available to Large characters and grants a bonus to fortitude saves.
bloodtalon 04-29-07, 07:52 PM	IMHO if a druid can have a wolf which is bigger then a familiar the a chacacter with a mood for the earth should have a badger the badger might loose hitdice but would be the same as a regular familiar jsut with a burrow speed and give the master a tremor sense of 10 feet
Evil DM Mk3 04-29-07, 08:20 PM	Nah, badgers are stoic and deliberate in their actions, a will save bonus would be better.
bloodtalon 04-29-07, 09:06 PM	that would work i was just going off the top of my head and not thinking
bigbbodp 04-29-07, 09:13 PM	I think that it should give a bonus to str checks the badger is pound for pound one of the stronger animals alive
Geddonight 04-29-07, 09:17 PM	I would have to say that Badgers are the meanest, most aggressive critter I've seen on our farm. "Stoic" is not how they come across :) I think a bonus to Intimidate checks would be better (or make it a class skill, perhaps, for the spell caster?). Kinda prickly little devils, but Dwarves already take a hit to their charisma, so I don't know if it's really worth knocking it down another as a drawback, though I'd think about it for flavor. But yeah, sorcerors and wizards already get good will save progressions, so I don't know if adding to it with the familiar would be "needed." I see a conspicuous lack of will save boosting familiars on that list... perhaps it was intentional? As a DM, I'd have no problem with a small-sized badger familiar... especially if it doesn't magically disappear whenever it's not useful :D Cheers!
Grizzled Gryphon 04-29-07, 09:59 PM	IMHO if a druid can have a wolf which is bigger then a familiar the a chacacter with a mood for the earth should have a badger the badger might loose hitdice but would be the same as a regular familiar jsut with a burrow speed and give the master a tremor sense of 10 feet ?? The Druid can have a wolf or a badger as an animal companion, which is completely different than a familiar. As they are completely different, a Sorcerer should NOT be able to have a badger as a familiar. At least not at first. He could reasonably be able to get one with the improved familiar feat later on, though. In fact, I would allow a "smaller" badger at first, that doesn't have any real combat ability (like normal familiars), and then, when you take the Improved Familiar feat, have it "grow" into a full sized one.
icarus1863 04-29-07, 11:46 PM	thanks for the ideas
icarus1863 04-29-07, 11:55 PM	I like the Intimidate+3, the rest of the familiars donate +3 for a skill, 0r +2 for a save. Ive encountered one before in the woods, near his/her home: Intimidating is an understatement. Thanks
divinebadger 04-30-07, 12:36 AM	I agree with the intimidate bonus. Just had to chime in on this one.
Charlie_PFC 04-30-07, 11:24 AM	Intimidate bonus would work, I was thinking of how hard a badger is to kill, heard stories about them killing pit bull terriers and surving getting run over. I saw a documentry about honey badgers once and they're really tough, one survived a snake bite and a lame, starving one fought with a leopard for 45 minutes before it finally suffocated. The locals even thought they were possessed because they were "the very devil himself to kill" so I reckon either intimidate +3 or fort save +2.
Lixith 04-30-07, 02:06 PM	i'm gonna agree with the will save bonus
BW0222 04-30-07, 06:09 PM	Folks, While a normal (North American) badger runs about 15-17lbs, there are sub-species which are smaller. The ferret badger (China) runs less than 7lbs. This puts it close to that of that house cat. I can't see anything wrong with taking the badger stats and decreasing it to tiny size. I also vote for intimidate. Badgers will often stand up to bears and mountain lions -- and win.
Evil DM Mk3 04-30-07, 06:40 PM	I would have to say that Badgers are the meanest, most aggressive critter I've seen on our farm. "Stoic" is not how they come across :) I was refering to the fact that the thing is bloodyminded and no matter what you do, short of killing the damned thing (illegal in the UK of course) IT ALLWAYS FINDS A WAY IN AND COMES BACK. They are totaly impossible to put off!