Familiar hit dice: Effects and Special Attacks relation [Archive] - Wizards Community

Familiar hit dice: Effects and Special Attacks relation [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tsuul
03-01-05, 02:43 PM I have a character with a Winter Wolf Familiar gained through Improved Familiar Feat presented in Complete Warrior. I want to know if the familiar Hit Dice rule, pg 52 PHB, affects the breath weapon of the wolf?

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.

I know this is used to determine things like being affected by a sleep spell or a cloudkill spell but what about effects it produces?
primemover003
03-01-05, 04:25 PM The HD wouldn't do anything for the breath weapon. It's only used to determine if the familiar can survive things like Blasphemy or Cloudkill effects (by using the Wiz/Sor's HD total instead of it's own).

There's no real way to improve the breath weapon beyond what it has when you summoned it... unless you cast Bear's Endurance on it. That will at least boost the save DC.
Slagger the Chuul
03-01-05, 07:13 PM I can't remember anything that limits it to effects that the familiar suffers. Given that the HD (and thus saving throws) of monsters you face tends to increase faster than your level, there's probably not much wrong with having a creature whose breath weapon scales up at your own HD rate.
God of Slivers
03-01-05, 07:21 PM I can't remember anything that limits it to effects that the familiar suffers. Given that the HD (and thus saving throws) of monsters you face tends to increase faster than your level, there's probably not much wrong with having a creature whose breath weapon scales up at your own HD rate.

According to the RAW it doesnt help any familiar abilities, however I allow them to increase. Its a fine houserule as it allows your familiar, that you spent a feat on, to retain some shred of usefulnes.
Slagger the Chuul
03-02-05, 03:51 AM The familiar section (in the sorceror entry of the PHB) describes it as applying to effects based on the familiar's Hit Dice. The DC of the breath weapon is based on Hit Dice, which means that its effect can benefit from the increased Hit Dice the creature has from being a familiar.

If you know any rules that contradict this, post your evidence.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tsuul 03-01-05, 02:43 PM	I have a character with a Winter Wolf Familiar gained through Improved Familiar Feat presented in Complete Warrior. I want to know if the familiar Hit Dice rule, pg 52 PHB, affects the breath weapon of the wolf? 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. I know this is used to determine things like being affected by a sleep spell or a cloudkill spell but what about effects it produces?
primemover003 03-01-05, 04:25 PM	The HD wouldn't do anything for the breath weapon. It's only used to determine if the familiar can survive things like Blasphemy or Cloudkill effects (by using the Wiz/Sor's HD total instead of it's own). There's no real way to improve the breath weapon beyond what it has when you summoned it... unless you cast Bear's Endurance on it. That will at least boost the save DC.
Slagger the Chuul 03-01-05, 07:13 PM	I can't remember anything that limits it to effects that the familiar suffers. Given that the HD (and thus saving throws) of monsters you face tends to increase faster than your level, there's probably not much wrong with having a creature whose breath weapon scales up at your own HD rate.
God of Slivers 03-01-05, 07:21 PM	I can't remember anything that limits it to effects that the familiar suffers. Given that the HD (and thus saving throws) of monsters you face tends to increase faster than your level, there's probably not much wrong with having a creature whose breath weapon scales up at your own HD rate. According to the RAW it doesnt help any familiar abilities, however I allow them to increase. Its a fine houserule as it allows your familiar, that you spent a feat on, to retain some shred of usefulnes.
Slagger the Chuul 03-02-05, 03:51 AM	The familiar section (in the sorceror entry of the PHB) describes it as applying to effects based on the familiar's Hit Dice. The DC of the breath weapon is based on Hit Dice, which means that its effect can benefit from the increased Hit Dice the creature has from being a familiar. If you know any rules that contradict this, post your evidence.