Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Threefists 09-24-07, 08:56 AM	Now, the Staffs of the Magi is a variant which allows the Wizard/Sorcerer to trade the normal living Familiar for the ability to turn a Masterwork quarterstaff into a psuedo-familiar. I'm considering using this variant, and I was wondering if anyone else has used it, and if it's any good for a Wizard planning on going the full 20 levels? Any help would be greatly appreciated. On a somewhat related topic, the Necromancer Variant in Unearthed Arcana, which allows you to gain a Human Warrior Skeleton as a familiar, does that make a decent bodyguard? Obviously it can be turned/rebuked by a Cleric of the correct level, but stacking the Spellstitched template onto it should help negate that. Also, it states that the Skeleton gains HD every level the Wizard gains...does that mean the Skeletal Minion gains feats? The rules in question don't seem to say either way, but to me it kind of seems to suggest that the Skeleton is advanced by HD rather than the normal method of Familiar enhancement, which is basically the same HD but a increase in Hit-Points based on the Master. Obviously with a Poor BAB, the Skeletal Minion's not likely to run around making the Fighter feel bad, but it does make for a nice mobile shield that won't ***** about being caught in the middle of a Maximised Cold-Substitued Lord of the Uttercold Fireball. Also, with a little bit of work, you can turn it into a walking spell-component cupboard...just insert shelves into the ribs, screw pannels into the rib cage and voila, insta-minion/portable reagent cupboard.
Ra-Tiel 09-24-07, 02:54 PM	I've been toying around with the idea of a "staff wizard", too. One suggestion: if possible take the feats "Craft Staff" and "Recharge Staff". You can make your wizard's staff into a "normal" (magic item) staff and recharge it. Each 5 spell levels you expend for that ability give the staff back 1 charge.