A dragon by any other name... [Archive] - Wizards Community

A dragon by any other name... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
GrymReaper
08-05-04, 02:52 PM My character - a half-elf Wizard 7/Alienist 10/Planeshifter 4/Cosmic Descryer[epic] 3 has a pseudodragon familiar (from the Improved Familiar feat) that has acquired the pseudonatural template from her Alienist class (which grants it low DR, moderate SR, electricity and acid resistance, true strike once/day, and alternate form for -1 morale penalty to enemies' attacks on it). By my calculations, though, a single Polymorph Any Object would let her turn it into a 15-HD Copper Dragon juvenile - duration factor +5 for same kingdom, +2 for same type/class, and +2 for related (pseudodragon to dragon, dragon type)... Copper dragons fit a good-aligned pseudodragon's temperment, as stated in the Monster Manual.

So now she has a tweaked familiar that can alter its own form (via the dragon abilities and a special collar she gave it), has a permanent buff (permanent-ed Enhance Familiar from Tome and Blood), and all of the crazy good dragon abilities and such.

Insane? Yes (that's part of being an Alienist). Within the rules? Of course.

What does everyone think?
Shemeska the Marauder
08-05-04, 03:00 PM As I recall, a familiar can't have HD higher than half of yours. Only nitpick.
GrymReaper
08-05-04, 03:05 PM From the SRD:

Familiar Basics: Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar’s kind, but make the following changes:

Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.

Thus, the 15-HD limit is the one hard-set by the Polymorph spell from which the Polymorph Any Object derives its definition and effects.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
GrymReaper 08-05-04, 02:52 PM	My character - a half-elf Wizard 7/Alienist 10/Planeshifter 4/Cosmic Descryer[epic] 3 has a pseudodragon familiar (from the Improved Familiar feat) that has acquired the pseudonatural template from her Alienist class (which grants it low DR, moderate SR, electricity and acid resistance, true strike once/day, and alternate form for -1 morale penalty to enemies' attacks on it). By my calculations, though, a single Polymorph Any Object would let her turn it into a 15-HD Copper Dragon juvenile - duration factor +5 for same kingdom, +2 for same type/class, and +2 for related (pseudodragon to dragon, dragon type)... Copper dragons fit a good-aligned pseudodragon's temperment, as stated in the Monster Manual. So now she has a tweaked familiar that can alter its own form (via the dragon abilities and a special collar she gave it), has a permanent buff (permanent-ed Enhance Familiar from Tome and Blood), and all of the crazy good dragon abilities and such. Insane? Yes (that's part of being an Alienist). Within the rules? Of course. What does everyone think?
Shemeska the Marauder 08-05-04, 03:00 PM	As I recall, a familiar can't have HD higher than half of yours. Only nitpick.
GrymReaper 08-05-04, 03:05 PM	From the SRD: Familiar Basics: Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar’s kind, but make the following changes: Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher. Thus, the 15-HD limit is the one hard-set by the Polymorph spell from which the Polymorph Any Object derives its definition and effects.