Author Topic: Improving Familiars at Higher Levels?  (Read 1818 times)

Offline Zelkon

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Improving Familiars at Higher Levels?
« on: December 23, 2012, 10:25:49 AM »
I'm playing around with the idea that familiars not only gain some minor abilities as you advance, but also change forms and become more powerful as you advance.

Offline Halinn

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Re: Improving Familiars at Higher Levels?
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2012, 11:16:57 AM »
I suggest going through books for creatures that could expand the improved familiar list, then. Basically anything small or smaller, with a CR around a third of the caster's level or less (going by existing trends). You primarily want to look at planar creatures and elementals, as it's easier to justify those doing the ol' Pokémon Evolution.

Offline Zelkon

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Re: Improving Familiars at Higher Levels?
« Reply #2 on: December 23, 2012, 11:35:21 AM »
Actually, I just thought up the following as a way to unify a bunch of pets under one roof. It's more balanced, and basically makes the druids animal companion equal to the wizards familiar. I don't have any of the actual crunch down yet, but it's coming along.

All familiars fall into a few different categories.
The first of these is type, which dictates in which ways the familiar advances. This categories are usually magical beast or construct for arcane casters (dragon and undead are also available via feats or ACF), while druids and the like usually have animals or magical beasts, but swarms of vermin, plants, fey, and later monstrous humanoids and elementals are all available to druids. Clerics have the chance to obtain an outsider familiar. Artificers can choose a creation of theirs to be a familiar.
The second of these is subtype. A subtype affects minor parts of the “type” progression. Not all familiars have a subtype. Some familiars are swarms; this is the only major ability that a subtype will net you in terms of a familiar.
The third is path. This determines the focus of the familiar. This works like class of a character. A familiar effectively gains levels in a path like you do in a class. Multiclassing (or multipathing) is possible. For example, an artificer might want his familiar to craft better but also wants him to be able quickly use infusions. Many classes restrict what paths their familiar can take. This replaces normal advancement.
The fourth is class. A class adds minor bonuses to his familiar, as listed below.

Offline veekie

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Re: Improving Familiars at Higher Levels?
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2012, 12:26:16 PM »
Something like this?
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