4e pets

[gabado]

is their any word on pets i.e.. dogs, ravens, owls and the like for 4th edition?
if so, could you give me a link or tell me in what book they appear.
thanks.

[Behold_the_Void]

If you want something that actually has combat application, that's the Animal Companion Ranger in Martial Powers. If you want something that's just a pet, you don't really need rules for it, you just have it.

[Thajocoth]

Shamans also get a combat pet...

[Asbestos]

Arcane Power, coming out in April, will bring back familiars for members of arcane classes.

[NPCMook]

Arcane Power, coming out in April, will bring back familiars for members of arcane classes.

Are you sure? I only read rule for summoning monsters during encounters

[nightwyrm]

Are you sure? I only read rule for summoning monsters during encounters

I think they're adding them as feats. I could be wrong though.

[Behold_the_Void]

I think they're adding them as feats. I could be wrong though.

I wouldn't be surprised for a return of familiars. Familiars as feats is also a good way to do it, I'd say.

[Dragonmuncher]

Familiar as a feat would be neat- anything to get away from the "get a +2 bonus in certain situations," or the "shift 1 square after blah blah" feats.

[RTGoodman]

I wouldn't be surprised for a return of familiars. Familiars as feats is also a good way to do it, I'd say.

Familiars are definitely in for Arcane Power. There's a spoiler in this months "Previews for March and Beyond" article (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4pr/20090302) all about them. For your convenience:

April: Arcane Power (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=products/dndacc/9780786949571)

Last month we kept mum; this month, let's start spoiling some information! While Martial Power presented animal companions, Arcane Power brings back the concept of familiars. What are they and how do they work? Take a look.

What is a familiar?

A familiar is a spirit that accompanies you as your friend and ally. It's not a real creature, and it doesn't need to eat or breathe. The most common type is a creature familiar -- a spirit that takes the form of a little animal or monster.

Many consider a familiar and its master to be one and the same, and some familiars do act as mere extensions of their masters' wills. However, most familiars grow personalities all their own, and undertake the commands of their masters with individuality and, sometimes, attitude. All familiars have some amount of arcane knowledge.

How do familiars work?

The Arcane Familiar feat (see below) lets you choose a familiar. You can determine how your familiar looks, and suggest to your DM what sort of personality it has. Familiars have two modes: active and passive. Both modes give you constant benefits, but you lose them if your familiar is destroyed. You can keep your familiar in passive mode to protect it. In active mode, your familiar can scout ahead or grant you special abilities described in its statistics block. You can control a familiar when it's in active mode by using your actions, but a familiar isn't a combatant. It can't attack on its own, and it vanishes for a while when it is destroyed.

Arcane Familiar (Familiar)
Prerequisite: Any arcane class
Benefit: You gain a familiar. For each familiar feat you have beyond this one, your familiar gains a +1 bonus to its defenses.

Of course, you should also see some examples of actual familiars; in this case, we offer both an animal and a monster.

Cat Familiar
Cats are willful, independent familiars, and their willingness to
act alone makes them excellent spies.
Senses low-light vision Speed 6
Constant Benefits
You gain a +2 bonus to Acrobatics checks, and you can make
an Acrobatics check to reduce the damage you take from falling
even if you are not trained in that skill.
Active Benefits
Independent Spirit: A cat familiar has no range limit on
the distance it can exist away from you.
Silent Predator: A cat familiar gains a +5 bonus to its
Stealth checks.

Bound Demon Familiar
This ugly blob of flesh is a creature bound to your service, but
it would prefer to be back in the Abyss.
Speed 5, fly 3 (hover)
Constant Benefits
You gain a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.
You can read and speak Abyssal.
Active Benefits
Alchemical Synergy: Once per encounter, when you hit
a bloodied creature adjacent to your bound demon, you gain
1d8 temporary hit points.
Level 11: 2d8 temporary hit points.
Level 21: 3d8 temporary hit points.


There ya go.

[hewhosaysfish]

Heh heh.


....it doesn't need to eat or breathe...

.....

....Familiars have two modes: active and passive....
... You can keep your familiar in passive mode to protect it....


Sounds like familiars now work by the rules the same way everybody (:vaarsuvius:) has been treating them for years.

[Douglas]

Untyped skill bonuses? I wonder if there's one for Arcana. If so, I'll have to think about whether it's worth ditching any of my wizard's current feats to boost Arcana even higher (I already have skill focus).