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View Full Version : (3.5) Two (Invocation)s for those with Familiars (PEACH)



DracoDei
2011-06-08, 04:58 PM
Designing this with Warlocks in mind I don't have the books for any other invocation using class, but I assume that it would be applicable to some or all of them.

I am hoping these are towards the lower end of the min-maxing spectrum for warlocks since they are mostly designed to power up my Coward's Strike Warlock (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9544650#post9544650) prestige class. Then again, I am not so sure that it matters. The first one is a "three for one" but they are all pretty tightly focused and hardly "break the game" type spells. I could have combined the Enhance Familiar and Fortify Familiar effects, or made the equivalent spell level the one for the HIGHEST spell replicated, rather than the LOWEST, but I thought this way would keep it slightly weaker.

Enhance Familiar

Least; 3rd
..Each time you activate this invocation, it acts as ONE of the following spells: Enhance Familiar, Familiar Pocket, or Fortify Familiar. These spells may be found (probably among other places) in Complete Arcane on pages 105, 106, and 108 respectively.
..You may only have one instance of each of these effects in effect at any given time. To emphasize: this means that you can have all three in effect at one time, but not two instances of any one of them.





Imbue Familiar with Invocation

Greater; 5th
..This invocation allows you to transfer the ability to cast one Least or Lesser invocation into your familiar. If your caster level for invocations is at least 18 you may instead transfer either two Least invocations or a single Lesser or Greater invocation. No instances of the invocations to be transferred may be active at the time of the granting of the invocations to the familiar and multiple castings of Imbue Familiar with Invocation do not increase the number or type of invocations that may be transferred.
..You may not use the transferred invocation(s) as long as this invocation is in effect.
..The variable characteristics (range, duration, area, and so on) of a transferred invocation function according to your level. You may not use the invocation(s) so transferred until Imbue Familiar with Invocation is dismissed, dispelled, or otherwise expires.
..In an an Anti-Magic Field, the familiar loses the ability to cast the imbued invocation(s), but regains it again if it leaves the field. This suppression does not qualify as causing the spell to expire.
..If any transferred invocation requires a focus or material component, you must have it on your person each time the invocation is used (components are consumed without requiring you to bring them to hand). Any XP costs from a transferred invocation are deducted from your total when the familiar casts the invocation.
..This invocation is a bit harder to dismiss than most, requiring a 1 hour ritual by the caster of this invocation, the death of the familiar, or that both you and your familiar to use a standard action. In the last case these actions need not be simultaneous, but in the gap between them both this invocation and any transferred invocations are unavailable to BOTH the familiar and you. When dismissed all ongoing effects of an invocations that were transferred with this invocation immediately end.

Private-Prinny
2011-06-08, 06:28 PM
..This invocation is a bit harder to dismiss than most, requiring a 1 hour ritual by the caster of this invocation, the death of the familiar, or that both you and your familiar to use a standard action. In the last case these actions need not be simultaneous, but in the gap between them both this invocation and any transferred invocations are unavailable to BOTH the familiar and you.

The only thing that really bugs me about this is why the 1-hour ritual is even an option. If you have an entire hour to perform the ritual, you can obviously spare 1 round of standard actions.

Lateral
2011-06-08, 08:17 PM
The only thing that really bugs me about this is why the 1-hour ritual is even an option. If you have an entire hour to perform the ritual, you can obviously spare 1 round of standard actions.

In case your familiar is unconscious or something? :smallconfused:
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What are the durations of these?

Veyr
2011-06-08, 08:20 PM
In case your familiar is unconscious or something? :smallconfused:
-----
What are the durations of these?
Invocations are typically just "always on" unless otherwise noted.

For the first one... I'm confused why you have it as having to activate it three times. Why not just allow one activation to have all three, then you don't need funky wording.

DracoDei
2011-06-09, 01:30 AM
In case your familiar is unconscious or something? :smallconfused:
I was specifically thiniking of "turned to stone", but there are many possibilities.

What are the durations of these?
The three-for-one has durations as per the spell it is replicating at the time. As it happens they all happen to have 1 hour per caster level durations, so each effect lasts that long before needing to be renewed

The Imbue invocation has permanent duration (not as great as it sounds...).



For the first one... I'm confused why you have it as having to activate it three times. Why not just allow one activation to have all three, then you don't need funky wording.
Short version: A tiny nerf so you have to spend two rounds instead of one re-buffing your familiar if it gets hit with major dispelling stuff.

deuxhero
2011-06-09, 01:33 AM
Warlock Caster level=Warlock levels right? It was "cast x level spells" they had to jump through hoops for right?

DracoDei
2011-06-09, 01:38 AM
Warlock Caster level=Warlock levels right?
Yes (if I am somehow wrong about this I need to re-write one or both of these invocations).

Veyr
2011-06-09, 10:20 AM
Warlock has full caster level. Obviously, things can change your caster level (various bonuses, plus the possibility of PrC levels, etc), but yes, by default it is equal to the Warlock's class level.

Also, that's not exactly a tiny nerf. Assuming the Familiar needs all 3 effects (though I doubt that's the case), you're not going to be able to re-buff it before the average combat ends.

DracoDei
2011-06-09, 01:34 PM
Also, that's not exactly a tiny nerf. Assuming the Familiar needs all 3 effects (though I doubt that's the case), you're not going to be able to re-buff it before the average combat ends.
Technically one of those effects goes on a contain/pocket/whatever, not on the familiar itself, and in combat would make the other two pointless if actually used(since the familiar can get in it and close itself up and have total cover, which basically means that as far as the fight goes it might as well have locked itself inside an air-tight chest). Keeping options open IS worth something, but...

DracoDei
2011-06-10, 01:43 PM
Added a small bit of semi-obvious boiler-plate to Imbue Familiar with Invocation.

..You may not use the transferred invocation(s) as long as this invocation is in effect.



Also added this at the end:

When dismissed all ongoing effects of an invocations that were transferred with this invocation immediately end.


Actually, I am waffling on whether the caster of this SHOULD lose the invocations in question and if ongoing effects SHOULD need to be ended/end at all. I don't think that Sorcerers have that sort of problem with Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability (Complete Arcane I think).

I also am considering allowing EB dice to be transfered (perhaps with a "tax") so that you can usefully give your familiar Blast Shape and Eldritch Essence invocations. Perhaps if I specify that they MUST use at least one such invocation every time they use the blast?