Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-02-08, 12:28 PM	This class is an adaption of the dragon discple. The Familiar Mage Requirements: Skills: Concentration 8, Spellcraft 5 and knowledge (arcana) 5 Special: Familiar, Arcane caster level 8th HD: 8 Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape artist, Gather Information, Knowledge, Listen, Profession, Search, Spellcraft, Spot. Skill points at each level: 2 + Int modifier Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st: +0 +0 +0 +2 Familiar, Second Familiar 2nd: +1 +0 +0 +3 Speedy familiar regain 3rd: +2 +1 +1 +3 Heal familiar 1d8 4th: +3 +1 +1 +4 Need suggestion to replace caster skill +2 5th: +3 +1 +1 +4 Heal familiar 2d8 6th: +4 +2 +2 +5 Need suggestion to replace caster skill +2 7th: +5 +2 +2 +5 Heal familiar 3d8 8th: +6 +2 +2 +6 Need suggestion to replace caster skill +2 9th: +6 +3 +3 +6 Heal familiar 4d8 10th: +7 +3 +3 +7 Need suggestion to replace caster skill +2 Note: There is a spells per day, continuting, but I couldn't get it to cut and paste right onto the level chart thing. Weapon and armor proficiency: You gain proficiency with all simple weapons. Spells per day: at 2nd You continue to gain spells as though you were still your original arcane casting class. If you have more than one you must choose one. You do not gain other abilities such as bonus feats for leveling up in another class. Familiar: Same as sorcerer or wizard familiar. Your previous familiar also continues to advance, as in the sorcerer description. Second Familiar: Another familiar. It’s bonus abilities ( such as a weasels +2 reflex) stack, but having both within arms reach does not grant alertness twice. Speedy familiar regain: At 2nd level, if a familiar dies, it can come back after one month and one day, as apposed to one year and one day. Caster skill +2: permanently increases the attribute you use for casting spells (Cha, Wis or Int). Heal familiar: you may choose one of your familiars, and transfer 1d8 hp from yourself into it. You must touch your familiar to use this ability. The amount of D8 you transfer goes up with higher levels.
M-bark 04-02-08, 12:54 PM	Personally, I think it's too powerful. Any sorcerer would want to take this class because everything a sorcerer has continues to advance and he even gets extras! If you'd take away some caster levels (so that he'd end up as a 16th level caster) that then it'd be good. Also, the casting upping needs to go. A lesser aasimar sorcerer with 20 Cha would have 34 Cha at level 20 if he would put all of his stat ups in Cha and took all ten levels in this class. And that's only if he wouldn't have come accross one of those handy magic Manuals or Cha-upping trinklets.
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-02-08, 01:05 PM	Yes I was thinking maybe cut out the casting advancement at first level. The reason I put in the attributes, is the dragon disciple gets a similar thing. How do you think it would be without those bonuses and no continuation at first level? Also, I think maybe instead of the attribute bonuses, maybe some sort of familiar related power. Anyone have an idea for some?
M-bark 04-02-08, 01:14 PM	Well, the Dragon Disciple gets those bonuses spread out over multiple stats, and doesn't advance in casting levels at all... and those bonuses are merely because the Disciple slowly becomes a Half-Dragon. The Heal Familiar ability is interesting. Gives a way for an arcane caster to heal, but only his familiar. Question on the second familiar, though. For its advancement, does it advance as a normal familiar, but that only levels of Familiar Mage count?
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-02-08, 01:21 PM	Yes I suppose your right about the attributes, although in the end it gets +8 strength. (but +4 of that is at 10th) I quite like the heal familiar, it's going to be a nasty combination with vampiric touch, and using familiars to deliver touch attacks. I didn't think of that about the second familiar. I suppose it probably would just be the familiar mage levels.
Fireclave 04-02-08, 02:04 PM	Personally, I'd like to see some more abilities that benefit, or benefit from, synergy with your familiar(s). The familiars just seem to be tacked on and used as an excuse to get +10 to a casting stat. Heal familiar is interesting, but probably not all that useful. If your familiar is in position where it's liable to take HP damage, a few d8's per day most likely won't matter much. Granted, it's a nice ability to have, but not really a selling point of the class. As already pointed out, the caster skill progression is way too high. And a bonus to a casting stat is potentially much more potent that a bonus to strength since it increases the saves of your auto-wins. Full-casting progression, d8 HD, and extremely easy entry on top of that is just no good. I didn't think of that about the second familiar. I suppose it probably would just be the familiar mage levels. Familiars have a low enough survival rate as it is. Having the second familiar miss out on that little bit of extra survivability could really hurt your XP. Not to mention that it will always be stuck as a 10th level familiar should the character ever decide to go epic. If the second familiar is really important to your class concept, I say give it full progression.
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-02-08, 03:23 PM	Any suggestions for new familiar ability's? I've already said above that I'm taking out the +10 cha/int/wis, I just couldn't think of anymore ways to improve the familiar. Do you have any suggestions? Also I'm taking out the spell progression at 1st level.
Sinfire Titan 04-02-08, 03:49 PM	Give the familiar bonus feats as you advance in class levels?
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-02-08, 04:15 PM	That might work. Or maybe give the atribute bounuses to the familiars instead of the the familiar mage.
Fireclave 04-02-08, 05:25 PM	Any suggestions for new familiar ability's? I've already said above that I'm taking out the +10 cha/int/wis, I just couldn't think of anymore ways to improve the familiar. Do you have any suggestions? Also I'm taking out the spell progression at 1st level. That would depend on where you want to take the class. Take the Familiarist class in my sig for example (which is getting a power update soon, btw). My concept was to empahsis the magical connection between familiar and master, so alot of abilities emphasis that. A little bit of flavor text would help.
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-02-08, 05:54 PM	I'm thinking somthing that lets the familiars go out and fight for a fairly long period of time (the party is mostly spell casters) and let the master stay back and use fireball and that sort of thing. So more towards familiar combat things is what I'm trying to get.
BugBytes 04-02-08, 09:29 PM	It's an interresting idea, and a spellcaster-based party could use something like this to replace the fighting skills of a barbarrian or a cleric. Perhaps you could give the second familliar a few bonus spells just in case it's life is threatenned. This and a combination of the ability to link minds would create a great recon soldier.
teshen 04-03-08, 02:03 AM	You could deepen the connection with the familiar by making it some kind of personal totem. Think about the ability to absorb your familiar for short durations and transforming yourself into a feral version of yourself, or possibly just upping the hit points you share from 1/2 to full and your second familiar could have 3/4 your hit points... There are a lot of places you could go with this.
Fireclave 04-03-08, 02:17 AM	I'm thinking somthing that lets the familiars go out and fight for a fairly long period of time (the party is mostly spell casters) and let the master stay back and use fireball and that sort of thing. So more towards familiar combat things is what I'm trying to get. I say bringing the familiar's power closer to that of an animal companion or cohort would be a good start. Detaching the familiar's HP from being 1/2 of the player's, and giving it its on HP progression would be nice as well. Perhaps make an entry requirement Improved Familiar and have the class power-up the 2nd, already more combat focused, familiar. Though I'll echo teshen. There's lots of directions you could take such a class. Perhaps you could give the second familliar a few bonus spells just in case it's life is threatenned. This and a combination of the ability to link minds would create a great recon soldier. There's already a class for this (http://forums.gleemax.com/leaving.php?destination=http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php%3Fp%3D11227903%23post1122 7903) :D
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-03-08, 11:34 AM	Hmm... I wonder, for hitpoints for the familiar, should I roll and add con, ordo 3/4 or equil to mine? I like the idea of giving it spells, although it couldn't give it to many.
teshen 04-04-08, 12:06 AM	Hmm... I wonder, for hitpoints for the familiar, should I roll and add con, ordo 3/4 or equil to mine? I like the idea of giving it spells, although it couldn't give it to many. Hit Points The familiar has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice. Also, if you haven't, take a look at Fireclave's shameless link to his familiarist prc. It's very well done... Of course, if I had made something that cool, I'd have no shame about it either. :D
Jamfalcon_the_gnome 04-06-08, 05:53 PM	Ok I tryed it yesterday, I used 3/4 hp. I still need suggestions for a replacment for caster skill +2's
Rinian2 04-10-08, 11:17 AM	I think there should be at least a few levels with a +1 level of existing spellcasting class. And perhaps an ability that allows for the familiar progression with other non-spellcaster classes. (Since it's not too clear whether or not the familiar improves with every level the character gets or with every new level of Wizard or Sorcerer, this ability would avoid the question. :)) As far as ability bonuses go, why not grant some to the familiar instead of the mage? Perhaps some extensions of existing familiar abilities? Some familiars can deliver touch spells for their master or share the effects of some magic, why not an improvement of this? Increased range for sharing spells or the familiar could deliver ranged touch spells? (Which would be handy if the master had an awful Dex bonus.) Or even increase the range on all of the current limits on how far apart a master and a familiar can be. Familiars offer increased awareness to their masters and this awareness could be enhanced with the feats Skill Focus (Spot) or (Listen). As a possible 10th-level ability, the master could link with the familiar even more and gain the Evasion ability from his familiar. I can imagine a wizard diving out of a fireball's blast by following his familiar out of harm's way.
teshen 04-13-08, 02:00 AM	[Hijack] Eldritch Totemist Requirements: Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, either Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks or Survival 4 ranks Spells: Arcane caster level 5th Special: Must have summon familiar as a class feature or the Obtain Familiar feat Hit Die: d6 LV Base F R W Special Spellcasting 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Personal totem - 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Sacred spirit +1 level of existing arcane class 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Thaumavore +1 level of existing arcane class 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Nature's gift +1 level of existing arcane class 5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Additional bond +1 level of existing arcane class 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Bonded souls - 7 +3 +2 +2 +5 Devour magic +1 level of existing arcane class 8 +4 +2 +2 +6 Nature's gift +1 level of existing arcane class 9 +4 +3 +3 +6 Pack mentality +1 level of existing arcane class 10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Totem forms +1 level of existing arcane class Class Skills The eldritch totemist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Arcane) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis). Spells per Day When a new eldritch totemist level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an eldritch totemist, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day. Personal totem The magical connection between an eldritch totemist and his familiar strengthens until it becomes a somewhat spiritual connection. An eldritch makes an amulet, icon, or some other representation of his animal, and, through it, he and his familiar share increased power. The first is the ability to cast any spell with inexpensive material components without actually having the components, as per the eschew materials feat. He also no longer needs foci that do not requiring a gold cost neither, as his totemic symbol acts as a channel for his arcane energies. Second, when sharing spells with his familiar, he may share spells at a distance of 10' + 5' for every level in the eldritch totemist prestige class. He also gains his familiar benefits, such as the alertness feat and the circumstancial bonus on a skill or save at this range as well. He also gains an additional +2 to any skill bonus granted by his familiar or a +1 if it is a save bonus. So for example, a bat familiar's normal +3 to listen checks becomes a +5 while a weasel's +2 to reflex saves becomes a +3. The toad's bonus hit points become +5 rather than +3 as if it were a skill. Lastly, the eldritch totemist adds his levels in eldritch totemist to any levels that would count for the purposes of familiar advancement. He no longer loses any experience upon the death of his familiar. Instead, the eldritch totemist sets aside an amount of experience equal to the amount he would have lost upon a successful fortitude save when his familiar dies (100xp per character level), and may use that at any point within the next one week per eldritch totemist level to raise his familiar as a supernatural ability. This takes one hour and the expenditure of the experience he normally would have lost upon the familiar's death. If the time elapses without the eldritch totemist raising his familiar, then the experience is lost and an automatic calling effect takes place as if the totemist were summoning a new familiar. Sacred spirit Through the bond the familiar and the totemist share, a familiar begins to transformation into an idealized form. The familiar's hit points are now equal to three quarters of the eldritch totemist's hit points (rounded up), and the familiar may acquire a +1 template at no cost. At sixth level a familiar's hit points are now equal to the eldritch totemist's hit points. At tenth level, the familiar may add an additional +1 template or exchange his original +1 template for a +2 template. Also, the familiar can transform into a primal version of itself for short durations. For a number of rounds equal to the eldritch totemist's level + his casting modifier, a familiar may grow up to two sizes larger with the accompanying changes to strength, dexterity, and constitution (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#sizeIncreases). It also gains a +1 sacred/profane bonus to AC for every two levels of eldritch totemist his master has. It's natural attacks are also treated as one size catagory larger than his new size. It takes a move action that provokes an attack of opportunity for the familiar to transform into it's primal form. The familiar may as a swift action revert to his normal form. These rounds need not be consecutive. Thaumavore A familiar who serves an eldritch totemist has learned how to metabolize magic. An eldritch totemist may lose a spell as if he had cast it of up to any level he can cast. His familiar absorbs the energies and heals 1d8 per spell level and gains a the effects of a haste spell for a number of rounds equal to the spell level sacrificed. Nature's gift At fourth level and again at eighth level, an eldritch totemist gains the knowledge of a spell from the druid spell list and adds it to his list as an arcane spell. The spell is treated as one level higher for all purposes and he may only choose a spell up to one level lower than the highest level he could cast. For example, a wizard 5/eldritch totemist 4 can cast fourth level spells. He could choose a level one, two, or three druid spell and cast it as a level 4 wizard spell. Additional bond An eldritch totemist may summon a second familiar, if he so desires. This second familiar's advancement is based on the eldritch totemist's arcane caster level. All familiar feats and abilities apply to the second familiar as well as the first, but need not apply in the same way. For instance, should the eldritch totemist take the improved familiar feat, and he qualifies for more than one of the possible improved familiars, he could chose one type for the first and a different type for the second. Bonded souls An eldritch totemist's tie is so strong with his familiars that they are treated as the same creature for some effects. If someone affects one of his familiars with a beneficial spell or spell like effect, he may share it as if it had been cast on him as well. If someone affects one of his familiars with a negative spell or spell like effect, he may choose to have it affect him in place of his familiar. He and the familiar in question must be within the radius of his improved share spells effect. Also, if the eldritch totemist is ever killed, he may be brought back to life by effects that bring subjects back from the dead, such as raise dead and resurrection, by targeting either familiar. They are treated as a part of him for the purposes of such spells. Also, spells that restore life, treat the caster as if he had just died within the last minute, no mater how much time has passed, since a small portion of his soul is inhabiting his familiar(s). Familiars who have a master that have reached this level of eldritch theurge now age as their master does, and maintain all familiar benefits, even if their master dies. So if, for example, an elven wizard 5/eldritch theurge 6 who dies from a slay living spell, his familiars would continue to live out their lives with the same life span as the elven wizard would have had with the bonus to intelligence, natural armor, improved evasion, etc. from being familiars. This means his familiars a chance to bring their master back to life, provided they are not also slain. Devour magic An eldritch totemist's familiars have learned to absorb the magic from anyone they come in contact with. When a familiar makes a successful melee attack roll against an opponent, he may affect the opponent as if he were the target of a targeted dispel magic, caster level equal to his master's caster level. For each spell dispelled, the familiar absorbs the magic in a similiar fashion as his thaumavore ability. He gains 1d8 hit points of healing per 2 caster levels (rounded down) of the effect he dispels and 1 round of haste per 2 caster levels (rounded down) of the effect he dispels. A familiar may also share some of this healing with his master as long as they are in the range for their improved share spells ability. A familiar may attempt to devour magic a number of times per day equal to 1 + its wisdom modifier. Pack mentality A eldritch totemist and his familiars have learned to use their bond to function as one creature rather than two or three seperate ones. Any time the eldritch totemist and one of his familiars is flanking a creature, or when his two familiars are flanking a creature, they receive a +4 to flanking attacks rather than the normal +2. Also whenever a master and a familiar are within range of their improved share spell radius, they are treated as having the uncanny dodge feature. If the eldritch totemist already has the uncanny dodge ability, then both he and his familiar(s) are also treated as if they have the improved uncanny dodge ability. Totem forms The eldritch totemist and his familiars may fuse into one creature. They can do this in any combination, such as the totemist and his first familiar or the totemist and his second familiar, or the two familiars, or even all three. If the totemist is part of the combination, he controls the actions of the fused creature. If he is not part of it, such as with a combination of two familiars, he may direct it as normal. The fused creature has the sum of the current hit points of the creatures involved. The fused creature knows all the abilities and can use all the abilities each individual creature possesses. It also knows or has prepared any spells the individual creatures had before the fusion. Likewise, all feats, racial abilities, and class features are pooled (if both creatures have the same ability, the fused being gains it only once). For each of the six ability scores, the fused creature's score is the higher of the creatures, and the fused being also has the higher Hit Dice or caster level—this effectively means the fused creature uses the better saving throws, attack bonus, and skill modifiers of either member, and it casts spells at the higher of the caster levels that you or the other creature possessed before becoming joined. You decide what equipment is absorbed into the fused creature and what equipment remains available for use. These fused items are restored once the ability ends. When the ability ends, the fused creature separates. The other creature(s) appears in an area adjacent to you that you determine. If separation occurs in a cramped space, the other creature is expelled through the Astral Plane, finally coming to rest materially in the nearest empty space and taking 1d6 points of damage for each 10 feet of solid material passed through. Damage taken by the fused being is split evenly between the creatures when the ability ends. A creature cannot leave the fusion with more hit points than it entered with, unless it was damaged prior to the fusion and the fused being was subsequently healed. Ability damage and negative levels are also split between the creatures. (If an odd number of negative levels or ability score reductions must be split, you decide which creature receives the additional loss.) If a fused being is killed, it separates into its constituent creatures, all of which are also dead. This ability may be used twice per day and lasts up to ten minutes per use, but no more than once per encounter. A eldritch totemist may end the ability prematurely if he so desires. It takes a full round action to change into a totem form and all the creatures merging must be in physical contact with each other. The psionic power fission cannot be used on a creature who changes into a totem form. [/end hijack]