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BlackRabite
2008-05-05, 12:38 PM
I'm playing a bard in our last big campaign before 4th edition comes out, I had never played a bard before and it sounded like fun. Everyone else in my party is very optimized for dealing with any possible threat so my bard has been doing nothing but singing during battle and playing with illusions, I'm having my fun with the roleplay. We hit level 9 this weekend and I burned my feet on taking a familiar, something I have also never done.

My question is this, what the heck can I do with a familiar? I took him mainly to have a second smaller character that only I can talk to, but I hope he has other fun uses as well.

I have yet to choose what kind of animal he is, so thats open and we have all books available to us. Tell me playground, what familiar should I get and what the heck can it do for a lowly bard? I saw that they share skill points with me, can I get a familiar with UMD?

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-05-05, 12:55 PM
Ravens are usually the best Familiars out there, as they can talk, fly, and UMD, so you can have it use wands to buff you or your buddies while you sing the song that ends the world. Other Familiars cannot UMD by the RAW, but you may be able to argue that their communication abilities are enough to let them say the command word, even if it is in their language.

Other point that may matter:If you put a rank in Speak Language:Draconic, can your Familiar thereafter use that skill to speak it? And would that be enough to let it UMD with your skill points?

Edit: This may be the best use of that feat ever. Wow. You, my friend, deserve props. You made a Familiar not just useful, but cool.

Frosty
2008-05-05, 12:58 PM
This is actually pretty cool. I just got an idea. Familiars use your ranks in skills. You're a bard. You max out Perform. So now you've got a singing, dancing Raven who is more talented and a bigger superstar than most the people you'll meet in the next town.

Think of the money you can make! A performing bird!

RTGoodman
2008-05-05, 01:03 PM
I like the idea of a Raven, too, if only because it can talk. That's always cool. I know a lot of people talk about Hummingbirds as familiars, but I don't know where they're from. I believe their bonus is +2 to initiative or something like that.

I get that you're taking a familiar for roleplaying purposes, but there are probably a very small number of things you could do with one as a Bard. I guess you could scour your books to find personal buff spells and touch spells that it could deliver, and it wouldn't be that bad. Of course, you definitely don't want to put it in harm's way.


Other point that may matter:If you put 2 ranks in Speak Language:Draconic, can your Familiar thereafter use that skill at half ranks to speak it? And would that be enough to let it UMD with your skill points?

I don't think that works. The language of magic isn't necessarily Draconic. Draconic is just sort of like Latin - it's old and sort of universal (in the Western world, anyway). Magic requires special words and phrases that are in a completely different language. That's why not all arcanists speak Draconic - ancient texts might be written in it that can help them, but they don't actually need it to cast spells.

EDIT: Yep, Frosty has made me decide that Raven is the way to go. I mean, just think of the possibilities for a Raven with ranks in Perform! And not just Perform - Sleight of Hand, Disguise, Bluff, and all the other Bard skills!

Sstoopidtallkid
2008-05-05, 01:12 PM
I don't think that works. The language of magic isn't necessarily Draconic. Draconic is just sort of like Latin - it's old and sort of universal (in the Western world, anyway). Magic requires special words and phrases that are in a completely different language. That's why not all arcanists speak Draconic - ancient texts might be written in it that can help them, but they don't actually need it to cast spells.But if the familiar can talk, even if the activation word is in a language he doesn't speak, he can still sound it out the same way any other UMDer would.

Plus, who wouldn't enjoy having a pet weasel that can not only insult Nidhogg in his native tongue, but then can shoot him with a bolt of arcane might? I'd probably spend a feat on that alone.

Ascension
2008-05-05, 03:03 PM
I like weasels. Boosting reflex saves is nice, and I just like weasels. Your mileage may vary.

Chronos
2008-05-05, 04:55 PM
I've never seen them statted out, but you might talk your DM into allowing a nightengale or mockingbird. The stats would be similar to a raven or other small bird, and the bonus would logically be +3 to verbal types of Perform (singing and oratory). One of the characters I've pre-prepared, but never got a chance to use, was a bard who performed fiddle-and-flute duets with her mockingbird familiar, with the bird taking the flute part.

Another use for familiars is that, while you're making a skill check, your familiar can use the Aid Another action to give you a +2 on the check that stacks with everything. The familiar has to make a DC 10 check in the skill, but with it sharing your skill points and buff spells, that shouldn't be a problem. One feat for +2 to every skill check I make? Yes please.

And, of course, there's also sending your familiar out to scout, or to retrieve small unattended items, or the like. Stuck in prison? Let your familiar fetch the keys from the hook on the far wall.

cupkeyk
2008-05-05, 05:51 PM
And since you are pretty skill dependent as a face, having a talking familiar give you that +2 bonus on your skill checks can be useful to deadly. Its like having Ability focus(bardic music) since your fascinate and soothing voice(if you have it) DC's go up when the raven assists you. Have it UMD with your skill points too, it is even mentioned in tome and blood(but I am not sure if has been translated to 3.5) that a raven can use spell trigger devices.

Rutee
2008-05-05, 06:07 PM
...I'm sorry, I can't provide useful advice. The idea of a Black Rabite familiar was too awesome.

Hal
2008-05-05, 07:29 PM
This is actually pretty cool. I just got an idea. Familiars use your ranks in skills. You're a bard. You max out Perform. So now you've got a singing, dancing Raven who is more talented and a bigger superstar than most the people you'll meet in the next town.

Think of the money you can make! A performing bird!

Pfft. Take a frog familiar. Give it a top hat and cane.

Instant awesome. Now use it to drive your fellow players into insanity.

monty
2008-05-05, 07:35 PM
Pfft. Take a frog familiar. Give it a top hat and cane.

Instant awesome. Now use it to drive your fellow players into insanity.

Quick poll: How many people have actually seen that original cartoon?

Flickerdart
2008-05-05, 07:38 PM
Wait, Ravens can UMD?

So...you get a bunch of wizards and sorcerers, have them all summon Raven familiars, give them Wands of Fireball and send them on strafing runs/dogfights? This just got awesome.

Rutee
2008-05-05, 07:39 PM
Quick poll: How many people have actually seen that original cartoon?

Yo. Character Limit.

Benejeseret
2008-05-05, 09:04 PM
If the language usage of skill points works then so should skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel...

Also, as a bard your familiar will have more HP, more skills, higher saves, and higher BAB than a normal familiar. So future feats like improved familiar, or any other providing an upgraded familiar pay-off much more than for wizard/sor.

Doing this and going down Warchanter, or some such full BAB/high HP prestige and that improved familiar can become a descent front line fighter.

Wooter
2008-05-05, 09:14 PM
Quick poll: How many people have actually seen that original cartoon?

I have seen it at least seven times, and it's still great.

The Sandman
2008-05-05, 09:16 PM
Doing this and going down Warchanter, or some such full BAB/high HP prestige and that improved familiar can become a decent front line fighter.

"Go for the eyes, Boo! GO FOR THE EYES!" :smallbiggrin:

Cuddly
2008-05-05, 09:19 PM
We hit level 9 this weekend and I burned my feet on taking a familiar, something I have also never done.

Was it a fire mephit?


My question is this, what the heck can I do with a familiar? I took him mainly to have a second smaller character that only I can talk to, but I hope he has other fun uses as well.

Have it deliver touch spells, like charm person or feeblemind. Wait, neither of those are rouch spells. Well, uh, there's probably something out there.
Chain of eyes? UMD magic into the cat?

"What a nice kitty!" *bends to pet cat*

The Sandman
2008-05-05, 09:22 PM
Have it deliver touch spells, like [/s]charm person or feeblemind.[/s] Wait, neither of those are rouch spells. Well, uh, there's probably something out there.
Chain of eyes? UMD magic into the cat?

"What a nice kitty!" *bends to pet cat*

And then it turns into a tibbit.