Post/Author/DateTime	Post
camael 06-21-04, 08:46 PM	A friend and I have been discussing the faults and favours of the item familiar for a little while now. We are both highly sword foccused characters and are both interested in acquiring this feat. There are a few problems we can see that reduce the quality of an otherwise powerful feat. We are both spellcasters; a hexblade and a bladesinger, so we can both use the invested spell slots, that's good. I will be gaining the 10% xp bonus for taking the item familiar feat between 3-6 level, that's good. My friend cannot get it before then, that's bad luck for him. Our main problem is, once the item familiar (i.f.) gains intelligence it gains powers at 10,14,18 but it says in the book that lesser, greater, and dedicated powers still entail an item creation, or the base price gp to empower the item. How does this fall in with the progression of the item familiar. It costs you a feat, it entails investing skill points, and spell slots for no significant advantage over finding an intelligent item or buying one and paying for the enhancements. You seem only to gain 2 things an extra low level spell and 10% bonus xp. The additional bonus abilities that are free e.g. spell use, cantrips, and +1 weapon/armour abilities are hardly in comparison to the lesser/greater/dedicated powers. Surely there should at least be a reduced cost for these items as the item familiar is meant to be a variant to an intellgent item not just the same thing. Am I just being nitpicky, but this does seem to us as a little broken. Camael
Veton 06-21-04, 10:00 PM	To me, the Item Familiar is more of a flavor thing then a mechanical thing. It's supposed to help the players decide what their sword will have, and grow attached to it. They'll use it more often, which is one of the archtypes of fantasy stories (The hero and his old and trusty sword). This way, they don't have to rely on outside help to make their weapon better.