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Sourcemaster2
Senior Scribe
USA
361 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Jul 2004 : 04:43:13
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Is it just me, or are the improved familiars unbalanced? Evil spellcasters have imps, quasits, and eyeball beholderkin, each of which has some magic on its side. The neutrals are decent, but the good-aligned are fairly weak. Tressyms are cute, but hardly formidable, and pseudodragons, while having telepathy and poison, don't have the spell-like abilities of the evil ones. Are there any other possible good familiars with a bit more bang for your buck?
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But what have all the passing years/Done, but breed new angers, fears?/Show me now an equal worth/To innocence I earned at birth. |
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Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2004 : 04:46:56
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| Elementals? Dragon wyrmlings? Lantern archons? |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2004 : 05:33:51
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I like my tressym familiar! 
Of course, I have a weakness for all felinoids, but my half-elven wizard's tressym is fun.  |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Sarta
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2004 : 05:39:38
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You might want to take a look at the options available in the CW version of the improved familiar feat: Blink Dogs for LG and Hippogriffs for Neutral are both fairly nice. I think the winter wolves listed for Neutral Evil might be the most bang for your buck though. When combined with the spell augment familiar from the same tome one can wind up with a pretty formidable companion.
Sarta |
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Sourcemaster2
Senior Scribe
USA
361 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2004 : 05:44:21
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| I don't have anything against tressyms, but they aren't as powerful as, say, an imp, who can detect good and evil, as well as become invisible. A tressym is cuddly and has nice sneakiness, but I prefer magic. Tiny elementals were proposed in the Wizards site, and could work well. Lantern archons are nice, but the continual flame might be too much. A dragon wyrmling may be a bit too powergamer-tasty, especially for a long-lived character. Imagine an elven mage with a dragon for a familiar; maybe a PrC? |
But what have all the passing years/Done, but breed new angers, fears?/Show me now an equal worth/To innocence I earned at birth. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2004 : 07:11:46
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Actually, the dragon familiar is only possible while the dragon is a wyrmling. Once it advances beyond that age category, the bond is broken. So no matter what, you can only have a dragon familiar for a maximum of five years -- and that assumes you initiate the bond at its hatching.
It also requires the Dragon Familiar feat (Improved Familiar doesn't count) and a minimum caster level as well as a qualifying alignment. The minimum you can be is 7th, and that only with a white (assuming you are neutral, chaotic neutral, or chaotic evil). The Familiar Special Abilities are also delayed. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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MuadDib
Senior Scribe
South Africa
442 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jul 2004 : 07:38:02
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| You coul look up that created amusing creatures thread, and summon a baby balrog |
MuadDib - Candlekeep Inn Barhand |
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Portanas
Acolyte
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2004 : 16:03:18
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I am trying to find a good familiar for a character in my online game right now. I would like something semi-cool. She is a Lawful Neutral Elven Mage. We are using the 2nd Ed rules. I just didnt want one of the "lame" familiars in the find familiar spell. Is there somewhere else I could look?
Thanks
Jason |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2004 : 01:34:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Portanas
I am trying to find a good familiar for a character in my online game right now. I would like something semi-cool. She is a Lawful Neutral Elven Mage. We are using the 2nd Ed rules. I just didnt want one of the "lame" familiars in the find familiar spell. Is there somewhere else I could look?
Thanks
Jason
Hmm, how about third edition? |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2067 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2004 : 02:46:51
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| If your character is an elf, I might suggest a cooshee or elven cat would be cool. Your DM will have to come up with the qualifying requirements. |
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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Sarelle
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
508 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2004 : 13:45:26
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| I have used elven cats ala Eric's bestiray twice - my DM and I set them at 5th, though that might be a bit low by about a level. |
Chair of the The Rightful Return of Monster Deities to FR Society (RRMDFRS)
My character, drawn by Liodain: Sarelle / Sarelle (smaller) |
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tauster
Senior Scribe
Germany
399 Posts |
Posted - 08 Jul 2004 : 18:04:19
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| how about faerie? there are lots of different "faerie-ish" creatures out there, brownies, sprites, nixies, gremlins or jermlaine (for evil characters)... or how about an osquip? |
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Portanas
Acolyte
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 09 Jul 2004 : 16:04:14
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Eric and others,
I am the DM for this game. The elven cat intrigues me. But to be honest, I don't know anything about it. Where could I find info about it.
We are sticking with 2nd Ed rules, so if they are in 3.0 I would need help on how to convert that. I have never had to do it before.
Thanks for all your help folks.
Jason |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2004 : 09:13:56
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Well, if you're sticking to 2e, you're in luck -- the elven cat was never officially converted to 3e. There are some fan versions of it on the Web, but it's a bit of a hard conversion. (For instance, the elven cat has a 99.9% chance to hide . . . how many racial points go to the Hide skill for that?  )
As to balancing higher-level familiars, I say do what was done with dragon familiars: they count as familiars of a master lower in level. Well, that isn't exactly what was done, but it's a start. I'm not certain that it works, either, but it's an idea. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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ericlboyd
Forgotten Realms Designer
USA
2067 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2004 : 10:36:33
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Portanas,
I assume you're actually asking for the 2e version of the elven cat?
I don't recall for sure, but it was in one of the following:
Elves of Evermeet
MC3 - FR MC Compendium
MC11 - FR MC Compendium
MC5 - GH MC Compendium
--Eric |
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http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/ |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2004 : 14:20:40
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quote:
Originally posted by ericlboyd
Portanas,
I assume you're actually asking for the 2e version of the elven cat?
I don't recall for sure, but it was in one of the following:
Elves of Evermeet
MC3 - FR MC Compendium
MC11 - FR MC Compendium
MC5 - GH MC Compendium
--Eric
If he desires the Cath Shee, then it is in Elves of Evermeet, page 122. |
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Mystery_Man
Senior Scribe
USA
455 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jul 2004 : 14:55:06
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One of my players is taking the imp familiar feat in search of a psuedodragon. Any advice for him?
thanks |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 07:44:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Elf_Friend
One of my players is taking the imp familiar feat in search of a psuedodragon. Any advice for him?
I assume you mean the Improved familiar feat, not the Imp Familiar. 
The monster description just says it lives in "temperate forests," so you can build a miniadventure around trying to find one that the PC could get to accept him. This could either be in a forest (where they might encounter some druid that needs help or something), or they could find a wizard who will provide a pseudodragon in exchange for services.
Either way, the PC would have to be careful not to anger the pseudodragon, since an ill-treated potential familiar can refuse the bond automatically. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Sarelle
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
508 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 13:30:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Well, if you're sticking to 2e, you're in luck -- the elven cat was never officially converted to 3e. There are some fan versions of it on the Web, but it's a bit of a hard conversion.
Fan versions? I'm surprised Eric hasn't given you a good whipping!  J/k! It might not be official but a proper 3e write-up can be found here - http://www.ericlboyd.com/dnd/monsters.html |
Chair of the The Rightful Return of Monster Deities to FR Society (RRMDFRS)
My character, drawn by Liodain: Sarelle / Sarelle (smaller) |
Edited by - Sarelle on 17 Jul 2004 13:30:52 |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 13:50:15
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| I never looked at his beastiary before. Much better 3e elven cat than I've seen elsewhere. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2004 : 17:44:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
I never looked at his beastiary before. Much better 3e elven cat than I've seen elsewhere.
I think that Bestiary a wonderful resource... I'm currently working on a werecat NPC, inspired heavily by the Bestiary. And once I nail down the concept I want, I'm gonna make my own Alias Vessel NPC, as well. 
The Bestiary is also perhaps the longest single document I've ever printed. |
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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Sarelle
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
508 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2004 : 16:30:41
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I think that Bestiary a wonderful resource... I'm currently working on a werecat NPC, inspired heavily by the Bestiary. And once I nail down the concept I want, I'm gonna make my own Alias Vessel NPC, as well.
The Bestiary is also perhaps the longest single document I've ever printed.
I think the Alias Vessel template was inspired - when I first found it I created a AV NPC who is also a Half-glass golem, and half-wanted just to be a mindless construct.
If anyone has seen the odd picture of a ''Mulan'' (illuskan) warrior in the PtGF - a somewhat more striking version of the dreadlocked readhead is how I envision her, with glass arms and legs of course. |
Chair of the The Rightful Return of Monster Deities to FR Society (RRMDFRS)
My character, drawn by Liodain: Sarelle / Sarelle (smaller) |
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Improved Familiars
