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  1. - Top - End - #1
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    Default Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    This thing tied for 3rd place on the GitP PrC Contest XXXIII: Pet Me! so I decided to repost it for critique and refining.

    Familiarist

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    "She is not some mere beast, she is my dearest friend, and she doesn't take kindly to people attacking me."
    Albrick Sol, Familiarist

    A familiar is a magical example of a small animal that is bonded to a mage, stronger and smarter than others of its kind, it is often seen as a servant or vulnerability by mages. Not so for the familiarist, they see it as a living extension of their magic that can be cultivated and made stronger, a body guard capable of keeping up with the mage, and a partner and friend that they will have for life. They are able to alter, empower, and make their familiar better, and improve on themselves along the way as well.

    BECOMING A FAMILIARIST
    A familiarist is always an arcane spellcaster or invoker that has some combat training and the ability to summon a familiar. Bards are surprisingly common among the ranks of the familiarist, as are battle sorcerers and dragonfire adepts. Other common familiarists are the hexblade and duskblade, both of whome benefit greatly from the enhanced familiar.

    ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
    Base Attack Bonus: +3
    Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 8 Ranks, Spellcraft 8 Ranks
    Feats: Bonded Familiar, Improved Familiar
    Spellcasting: Arcane Caster Level 5th
    Special: Proficiency with at least one martial weapon
    Special: Ability to summon a familiar
    Special: Must have had the same familiar for a year and a day.

    Class Skills
    The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana/The Planes)(Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int).
    Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

    Hit Dice: d8

    {table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spellcasting

    1st|
    +0
    |
    +0
    |
    +0
    |
    +2
    |Familiar Advancement, Infused Familiar|---

    2nd|
    +1
    |
    +0
    |
    +0
    |
    +3
    |Familiar Growth|+1 Arcane Caster Level

    3rd|
    +2
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |
    +3
    |Augment Familiar|+1 Arcane Caster Level

    4th|
    +3
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |
    +4
    |Familiar Growth|+1 Arcane Caster Level

    5th|
    +3
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |
    +4
    |Enhance Familiar|+1 Arcane Caster Level

    6th|
    +4
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |
    +5
    |Familiar Growth|---

    7th|
    +5
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |
    +5
    |Fortify Familiar|+1 Arcane Caster Level

    8th|
    +6
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |
    +6
    |Familiar Growth|+1 Arcane Caster Level

    9th|
    +6
    |
    +3
    |
    +3
    |
    +6
    |Empower Familiar|+1 Arcane Caster Level

    10th|
    +7
    |
    +3
    |
    +3
    |
    +7
    |Familiar Growth, Shared Spells|+1 Arcane Caster Level[/table]

    Weapon Proficiencies: A familiarist does not gain any new weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Spellcasting: At every familiarist level except 1st and 6th, the familiarist gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a familiarist, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

    Familiar Advancement: A familiarist's bond to his familiar is greater than that of other mages. For the purposes of determining the familiars abilities treat his character level as his level for determining familiar benefits and abilities.

    Infused Familiar (Ex): A familiarist's familiar is filled to the brim with magical power, more so than a normal familiar, and this causes a number of changes in the familiar itself, the first of which is that the familiar has a number of Hit Die equal to its own Hit Die + the familiarist's caster level - 2. The familiar uses it's own Base Attack Bonus, HP, and Hit Die for any ability or effect if it would be higher.

    Familiar Growth (Ex): Each time this ability is gained, the familiar gains the abilities of another familiar that the familiarist could obtain. This has multiple possible effects as described below:
    *Size Increase: The familiar's size increases one size category, with all the normal bonuses and penalties. Maximum size for a familiar is Large.
    *Combined Familiar: You combine the traits of a creature you could gain as a familiar to your existing familiar. The familiar gains all the special attacks, special qualities, and natural attacks. Use the best of each familiar's ability scores, movement modes, and natural attacks.
    *Strange Familiar: Give your familiar a template with an LA up to half your familiarist level.
    *Evolve Familiar: Your familiar gains a number of evolution points to spend on Eidolon Mutations equal to your Casting Stat bonus + half your Familiarist level, your selection of evolutions is limited to the ones a Summoner of your caster level could select. This Familiar Growth can only be taken once.
    *Extra Familiar: You gain an additional familiar. It benefits from all the same Familiar Growths as the original, but different options can be chosen for each ability (Ex. Combined Familiar could combine an imp into one familiar, but a bat into another). A familiarist can only take this Familiar Growth once.
    *Familiar Class: Your familiar can gain the class features of a class of your choice as if they had a number of levels in the class equal to half their Hit Die. It gains no other benefits from that class. You cannot choose a spellcasting or manifesting class (unless there's an alternate that trades the spellcasting/manifesting abilities).
    *Familiar Fusion: The familiarist fuses with his familiar, gaining all movement modes, natural attacks, special qualities, and special attacks of the familiar (including feats and class features). Additionally, the familiarist gains a bonus to his physical ability scores equal to the same ability scores -10 (Ex: a familiar with Str 14, Dex 18, and Con 16 would result in a +4, +8, and +6 bonus respectively). The familiarist can separate from his familiar at will. The familiarist may use this ability a number of times per day equal to their casting stat modifier or half their class level, whichever is lower. The familiarist must be at least 8th level to select this Familiar Growth. If the familiarist has the Extra Familiar Familiar Growth, he can only fuse with one of his familiars at a time.

    Augment Familiar (Sp): A familiarist of 3rd level gains the ability to cast Augment Familiar as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his class level + his Casting Stat. Additionally, the familiarist can sacrifice a spell of 2nd level or higher spell to cast Augment Familiar. Spells that specifically target your familiar are now Extended as if by the Extend Spell feat.

    Enhance Familiar (Sp): A familiarist of 5th level gains the ability to cast Enhance Familiar as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his class level + his Casting Stat. Additionally, the familiarist can sacrifice a spell of 3rd level or higher spell to cast Enhance Familiar. Spells that specifically target your familiar have their effects doubled.

    Fortify Familiar (Sp): A familiarist of 7th level gains the ability to cast Fortify Familiar as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to his class level + his Casting Stat. Additionally, the familiarist can sacrifice a spell of 4th level or higher spell to cast Fortify Familiar. Spells that specifically target your familiar are now Persisted as if by the Persist Spell feat.

    Empower Familiar (Ex): A familiarist of 9th level can spend a use of Augment Familiar, Enhance Familiar, and Fortify Familiar to cast all three on his familiar simultaneously as long as it is within close range of its familiarist. Additionally, the familiar grows one size category and has the damage die of its natural attacks increased as if by taking Improved Natural Attack when under the effects of Empower Familiar.

    Shared Spells (Ex): At 10th level, whenever the familiarist casts a spell on his familiar, he may duplicate its effect on himself (including spells that would only affect the familiar) as if he was benefiting from the Share Spell ability. Additionally, the familiarist may share spells with his familiar as long as it is within close range.

    PLAYING A FAMILIARIST
    A familiarist is dedicated to their partner, and vice versa. They are connected in a way that's deeper and more meaningful than blood ties. The Familiarist relies on his familiar, just as the familiar relies on the familiarist.
    Combat: A familiarist is one that gets into the fray alongside their familiar, the mage able to hang back and fire off spells while the familiar plows into the enemy or both charging in to tear into their foes.
    Advancement: Because the familiarist's familiar is based on character level rather than class level, it is advised that the familiarist continues to meld sword and sorcery, whether as a spellsword, an eldritch knight, a knight phantom, or an abjurant champion, as long as the mix is advanced, the familiarist will grow in power.
    Resources: A familiarist draws on the same resources as most mages and warriors.

    FAMILIARISTS IN THE WORLD
    "Neva seen an't'ing like it b'fore, tha' fella's pe', was qui'e a beaut' too."
    Unknown street rat after seeing a familiarist's familiar

    Familiarists are fairly rare, the dedication to their familiar is beyond what most mages do, and the cultivation of the bond is a tedious task for many. Only the most dedicated of mages can get to the point where their familiar 'evolves' and they can become a familiarist.
    Daily Life: Familiarists often try to cultivate their bond with their familiar, caring for them and training with them, always strengthening their bond as it's the source of their abilities and strength.
    Notables: One of the most notable of familiarists is Adriana Gian and Guinevere. Adriana was a skilled bard that made a bond with a simple house cat named Guinevere. Over time, she grew more and more attached to it and the cat bacame her familiar, and eventually, the bond grew stronger until she became a familiarist. The cat grew in size, gained a pair of feathered wings like those of a falcon, and a gold crown shrouded in blue flames floated above its head, it became her greatest companion. Combining her music and the familiar's combat skills, it was quite an impressive display. Eventually, she settled down, joining a mage's college alongside Guinevere where they taught others to become familiarists. She became known as the Mother of Familiars, and Guinevere gained the name The Sapphire Queen.

    On the other end of the spectrum, is the mage known as Ironhand, a battle sorcerer that bred a powerful imp as his familiar, which he then fused with other beings, increasing its strength and size, turning it into a greater devil, a carnage machine with the brute strength, cunning, and stealth to be a threat all its own. It was at that point, that the imp was "promoted" and became a new creature, one far more powerful than before. With this being at his side, Ironhand was able to infiltrate a Magocratic City and assassinate the leaders, taking over with his familiar as his advisor, where he ruled until the day he died and his familiar took the reins, quickly plunging the city into the Nine Hells along with everyone in it. The familiar can still be found in hell today, surving his reborn master, a pit fiend of great influence and power fighting in the blood war.
    Organizations: Most mage colleges have at least one familiarist in their ranks, though most are only beginners that have retired early in their careers. However, for the more experienced familiarists, there's one organization that caters specifically to them, The Beast Magi Guild.

    NPC Reaction
    Mostly, the familiar is what is noticed more than the familiarist, the familiar is often exotic and magestic in appearance, having obvious signs that it is magic. The familiarist, unless he shows his magical skills, is almost always seen as an adventurer that picked up some sort of exotic magical beast and tamed it.

    FAMILIARISTS IN THE GAME
    A familiarist is like an arcane druid, its familiar being a smarter version of the druid's animal companion. This has about the same impact as the animal companion itself.
    Adaptation: As it stands, the familiarist's familiar is simply evolving as more magic is poured into the bond and the familiar, causing it to change and become more powerful. A GM could easily change it so that the familiarist fuses other possible familiars into his main one or it could search out an exotic animal and infuse his existing familiar into the beast, making it his new familiar.
    Encounters: When faced with a familiarist, you must be cautious, as the mage and familiar are often finely tuned to each other, fighting in a tactical manner that optimizes their abilities. They are a truely dangerous pair.
    Last edited by EdroGrimshell; 2012-11-09 at 08:01 PM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by GFawkes View Post
    You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
    Quote Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze View Post
    good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:

    P. hysical
    M. ind
    S. pirit

    XD

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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    No comments? Opinions are welcome and encouraged, I want to improve on this so it's even better
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    Quote Originally Posted by GFawkes View Post
    You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
    Quote Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze View Post
    good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:

    P. hysical
    M. ind
    S. pirit

    XD

    Spoiler
    Show


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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    I'm kinda disappointed that this isn't getting any love at all
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    Quote Originally Posted by GFawkes View Post
    You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
    Quote Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze View Post
    good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:

    P. hysical
    M. ind
    S. pirit

    XD

    Spoiler
    Show


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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    *Familiar Class: Your familiar can gain the class features of a class of your choice. It gains no other benefits from that class. You cannot choose a spellcasting class (unless there's an alternate that trades the spellcasting abilities).
    So how does this work? Does the familiar gain class features of the chosen class equal to its hitdice? Or only the level 1 benefit? All the benefits up to level 20?
    Additionally, is there anything stopping the familiar from using psionics? How about incarnum? Invocations? Pact Magic? Maneuvers?
    Last edited by Vauron; 2012-11-04 at 09:44 AM.

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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    Quote Originally Posted by Vauron View Post
    So how does this work? Does the familiar gain class features of the chosen class equal to its hitdice? Or only the level 1 benefit? All the benefits up to level 20?
    Additionally, is there anything stopping the familiar from using psionics? How about incarnum? Invocations? Pact Magic? Maneuvers?
    Equal to its hit dice, I forgot to add that when looking through it earlier.

    Spellcasting and Psionics only (psionic-magic transparency). You could get an incarnum wielding familiar, a familiar that's able to make pacts with Vestiges, or make one trained in martial combat, generally speaking though, this was only really taking into account the SRD classes.
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    Quote Originally Posted by GFawkes View Post
    You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
    Quote Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze View Post
    good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:

    P. hysical
    M. ind
    S. pirit

    XD

    Spoiler
    Show


    The Hub, for PTA & PTU community building. If you're interested, take a look.

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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    I totally love the idea of this, and it's a pretty great implementation, too. Good on you, Edro.

    I'm a little concerned about the Familiar Class ability, especially in combination with the Extra Familiar ability. A wizard with what amounts to two super-powered cohorts is a touch more scary than I hope you were intending. Even sticking to core, you've left barbarian and (Full BAB) rogue as options for the familiar, both of which can be decent options on their own; layer those classes onto a powerful monster and you might have a mess on your hands.
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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    Quote Originally Posted by Lyndworm View Post
    I totally love the idea of this, and it's a pretty great implementation, too. Good on you, Edro.

    I'm a little concerned about the Familiar Class ability, especially in combination with the Extra Familiar ability. A wizard with what amounts to two super-powered cohorts is a touch more scary than I hope you were intending. Even sticking to core, you've left barbarian and (Full BAB) rogue as options for the familiar, both of which can be decent options on their own; layer those classes onto a powerful monster and you might have a mess on your hands.
    Hm, maybe half HD is a better option
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    Quote Originally Posted by GFawkes View Post
    You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
    Quote Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze View Post
    good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:

    P. hysical
    M. ind
    S. pirit

    XD

    Spoiler
    Show


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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    This is too powerful. Particularly the Extra Familiar ability. At 10th level, you could have two imps running around, activating magic items and buffed with all of your buffs (Nightstalker's Transformation? Mental Pinnacle? Shapechange? Even just Alter Self can be brutal). Both imps have full class levels in classes of your choice - make them both swordsages, and they're both running around murdering people, and locking down whoever they can't kill.

    Both imps are half-fey, getting such gems of spell-like abilities as Dominate Person and Lesser Geas. If you're feeling nasty, send your imps to sneak - invisibly - into peoples' houses as they sleep, and use their Geas/Quest spell-like on them. Both imps are also half-fiend, but not necessarily the same type of half-fiend. Maybe one is half-succubus, giving them even more enchantment SLAs and increasing all their save DCs. The other could be half-goristro, growing in size, and getting huge boosts to natural armor, Constitution, and especially Strength. Whatever floats your boat.

    Also, you could fuse with any one of them at will, getting damage reduction 5/good or silver, darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic and iron, fast healing 2, immunity to enchantments and poison, resistance to acid/cold/electricity/fire 10, SR 25, all of their spell-like abilities, alternate form, +2 Strength, +11 Dexterity, fly 50 (perfect), six feats of your choice, and all the class features of one class of your choice. If you fuse with the half-goristro one, your abillity increases are instead +12 Strength, +7 Dexterity, and +8 Constitution.

    You get all of this, and you're a full caster, with 9th level spells?

    Extra Familiar, Familiar Class, and Familiar Fusion are all way too good. The first two probably just need to be ditched; Familiar Fusion could work, but it needs to be toned down.

    Infused Familiar is probably too good, but it's not completely over the top. I'd be hesitant to let it stay with Familiar Fusion around, though. Also, how does it interact with an imp, or a pseudodragon? Do they suddenly switch to Magical Beasts?

    Combined Familiar just seems like it's too powerful to me; but, imps pretty much already get everything you could want to give them, so it's probably fine.

    Strange familiar can be powerful combined with Infused Familiar. Half-Celestial/Fiend, Phrenic, whatever other templates that grant spell-likes based on HD.

    For evolve familiar: are they limited by the level requirements?

    Sorry I kind of tore into your class. Believe me when I say I wouldn't have taken the time to do so if I didn't like it.
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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Sorry I kind of tore into your class. Believe me when I say I wouldn't have taken the time to do so if I didn't like it.
    Don't worry, I was looking for something like this.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    This is too powerful. Particularly the Extra Familiar ability. At 10th level, you could have two imps running around, activating magic items and buffed with all of your buffs (Nightstalker's Transformation? Mental Pinnacle? Shapechange? Even just Alter Self can be brutal). Both imps have full class levels in classes of your choice - make them both swordsages, and they're both running around murdering people, and locking down whoever they can't kill.
    I'm changing the Class one to half level. I had said that before your post. And Extra Familiar is a feat you can take. I just made it part of a class.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Both imps are half-fey, getting such gems of spell-like abilities as Dominate Person and Lesser Geas. If you're feeling nasty, send your imps to sneak - invisibly - into peoples' houses as they sleep, and use their Geas/Quest spell-like on them. Both imps are also half-fiend, but not necessarily the same type of half-fiend. Maybe one is half-succubus, giving them even more enchantment SLAs and increasing all their save DCs. The other could be half-goristro, growing in size, and getting huge boosts to natural armor, Constitution, and especially Strength. Whatever floats your boat.
    Yea, I don't see that being a problem since they need to be a certain level already. By that level, as a wizard, you're breaking the game anyway. That's not an excuse but it it's not nearly as strong as your comment says.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Also, you could fuse with any one of them at will, getting damage reduction 5/good or silver, darkvision 60 ft., DR 5/magic and iron, fast healing 2, immunity to enchantments and poison, resistance to acid/cold/electricity/fire 10, SR 25, all of their spell-like abilities, alternate form, +2 Strength, +11 Dexterity, fly 50 (perfect), six feats of your choice, and all the class features of one class of your choice. If you fuse with the half-goristro one, your abillity increases are instead +12 Strength, +7 Dexterity, and +8 Constitution.
    Yes, but, you're trading the extra creature to boost yourself. I could remove the feats and class features carrying over, if that helps, but I think it's not as powerful as it first appears.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    You get all of this, and you're a full caster, with 9th level spells?
    *nods* you're focusing on your familiar, why, you lose two caster levels, making it so you need to get to 19th level to get 9th level spells.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Extra Familiar, Familiar Class, and Familiar Fusion are all way too good. The first two probably just need to be ditched; Familiar Fusion could work, but it needs to be toned down.
    I really don't think so, I can rework them to be less of a problem.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Infused Familiar is probably too good, but it's not completely over the top. I'd be hesitant to let it stay with Familiar Fusion around, though. Also, how does it interact with an imp, or a pseudodragon? Do they suddenly switch to Magical Beasts?
    No. I'll clarify that in a bit.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Combined Familiar just seems like it's too powerful to me; but, imps pretty much already get everything you could want to give them, so it's probably fine.
    Not everyone wants an imp or wants to power game like that.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Strange familiar can be powerful combined with Infused Familiar. Half-Celestial/Fiend, Phrenic, whatever other templates that grant spell-likes based on HD.
    Not as much as you'd think. You'd have to be the right level first, and i just noticed I had it as Character Level, not Caster level... Will fix that shortly.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    For evolve familiar: are they limited by the level requirements?
    Yes.
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    Quote Originally Posted by GFawkes View Post
    You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
    Quote Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze View Post
    good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:

    P. hysical
    M. ind
    S. pirit

    XD

    Spoiler
    Show


    The Hub, for PTA & PTU community building. If you're interested, take a look.

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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    Quote Originally Posted by EdroGrimshell View Post
    Don't worry, I was looking for something like this.
    I'm glad! I hope I was/am helpful.

    I'm changing the Class one to half level. I had said that before your post.
    Yeah, sorry, I really took my time posting, kinda got ninja'd. I'm still not thrilled by it - especially alongside Fusion - but that's better.

    And Extra Familiar is a feat you can take. I just made it part of a class.
    The feat even specifies you can take it more than once! That's Dragon magazine for you. But okay! I guess... technically... it's official...

    Yea, I don't see that being a problem since they need to be a certain level already. By that level, as a wizard, you're breaking the game anyway. That's not an excuse but it it's not nearly as strong as your comment says.
    Well sure, if you're a wizard. But this is something even balanced classes can get, too, like Duskblades or Spellthieves.

    Yes, but, you're trading the extra creature to boost yourself. I could remove the feats and class features carrying over, if that helps, but I think it's not as powerful as it first appears.
    Honestly, I think the main thing that gives me pause is the at-willness of it, and maybe the abilities being boosted. Otherwise it's a pretty straight comparison to Fusion.

    *nods* you're focusing on your familiar, why, you lose two caster levels, making it so you need to get to 19th level to get 9th level spells.
    I suppose.

    Not everyone wants an imp or wants to power game like that.
    I'm not sure I understand. Are you disagreeing with me and saying it's too powerful, or agreeing with me and saying it's fine?

    Not as much as you'd think. You'd have to be the right level first, and i just noticed I had it as Character Level, not Caster level... Will fix that shortly.
    That's probably a bad idea, considering all the caster level boosting shenanigans there are. It'd also play weird with temporary caster level boosts; there aren't many, but they exist. Also, a familiar's effective HD are already based on your character level (well, technically your HD, but whatever), so I think that's a better basis, anyway.

    Personally, I'd just scrap this ability entirely for something a little more intuitive. If you keep it, though, I'd include something about how the familiar gets to use its BAB if it's higher than the master's, and its HP if they're higher than half the master's. Also, a note specifying what counts as class skills for their skill points they get.
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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Yeah, sorry, I really took my time posting, kinda got ninja'd. I'm still not thrilled by it - especially alongside Fusion - but that's better.
    I'd have to see it in playtest to see just how powerful it is.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    The feat even specifies you can take it more than once! That's Dragon magazine for you. But okay! I guess... technically... it's official...
    Yea, Dragon isn't always 100% balanced but this isn't as bad since you can take the feat multiple times

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Well sure, if you're a wizard. But this is something even balanced classes can get, too, like Duskblades or Spellthieves.
    True, Duskblade is a good class to have this one because it's able to boost you a lot if used right.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Honestly, I think the main thing that gives me pause is the at-willness of it, and maybe the abilities being boosted. Otherwise it's a pretty straight comparison to Fusion.
    Hm, how about limiting it to a number of times per day equal to your casting stat?

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    I'm not sure I understand. Are you disagreeing with me and saying it's too powerful, or agreeing with me and saying it's fine?
    Neither, I'm saying that people that RP straight may not actually choose an imp as a familiar.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    That's probably a bad idea, considering all the caster level boosting shenanigans there are. It'd also play weird with temporary caster level boosts; there aren't many, but they exist. Also, a familiar's effective HD are already based on your character level (well, technically your HD, but whatever), so I think that's a better basis, anyway.
    No they don't, they have their starting Hit Die, that's it.

    Quote Originally Posted by DaTedinator View Post
    Personally, I'd just scrap this ability entirely for something a little more intuitive. If you keep it, though, I'd include something about how the familiar gets to use its BAB if it's higher than the master's, and its HP if they're higher than half the master's. Also, a note specifying what counts as class skills for their skill points they get.
    Something more like the Animal Companion progression?

    Also, familiars already use their stats (BAB, Saves, HP, Skills, etc) if they're better than their master's.
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    Quote Originally Posted by GFawkes View Post
    You didn't poke fate with a stick. You set fate on fire, then whacked it with a 2x4 several times.
    Quote Originally Posted by blackwind1kaze View Post
    good thing they did body attribute instead of Physical attribute, otherwise the stats would look like:

    P. hysical
    M. ind
    S. pirit

    XD

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  12. - Top - End - #12
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: Familiarist PrC (3rd Place in PrC Contest XXXIII)

    Quote Originally Posted by EdroGrimshell View Post
    Hm, how about limiting it to a number of times per day equal to your casting stat?
    I mean, obviously that depends on the duration, but assuming a duration of ~one encounter, that sounds fine to me.

    Neither, I'm saying that people that RP straight may not actually choose an imp as a familiar.
    Right. And Combine Familiar lets people who want to RP straight get a familiar that's on par with an imp, letting them roleplay without sacrificing power. Also, because there's not really much you can add to an imp, it wouldn't let powergamers do anything too crazy. Which is why I'm for the ability and think it's good. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.

    No they don't, they have their starting Hit Die, that's it.

    ...

    Also, familiars already use their stats (BAB, Saves, HP, Skills, etc) if they're better than their master's.
    Source? Because based on my reading I see HD being based on your character level (not your HD, I was wrong on that part) if it's higher, half your HP regardless of what's higher, and your BAB regardless of what's higher.
    Quote Originally Posted by SRD
    Hit Dice
    For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.

    Hit Points
    The familiar has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.

    Attacks
    Use the master’s base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar’s Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to get the familiar’s melee attack bonus with natural weapons.
    Emphasis obviously mine. Skills and saves you do use yours or the familiars, but for each of those it's specifically spelled out that you do.

    Something more like the Animal Companion progression?
    That wasn't what I was thinking, but it could be good. I don't know, take some time, think about it.
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