My Dwarven Wizard Skelthane Seabeard has by some miracle survived all the way from the beginning, from 1st level to 21st. I chose to never take a familiar, as in my experience, the potential liability of massive experience loss is hardly worth the slight benefits each provides. Our party has made it all the way to the beginning of “Prince of Demons”, and finally something happened that made me decide against my usual cautionary stance on familiars: Dingoslag.
We tracked through the abyss to Pazunia, going to meet General Bagromar in “Enemies of my Enemy” to turn him against his brother. After a brief encounter with an aspect of Pazuzu (since we crossed his domain when we flew into the heart of the camp with Windwalk), our party found ourselves trying to gain entrance to Bagromar’s tent. The doorman, the Balor Dingoslag, did a fine job of delaying us, long enough that Major Enderan and his crew of Lancers showed up on the scene to nearly TPK us. Enderan had tried to challenge us earlier in the Blood Shallows, though since we were weakened from killing Gorgant and getting Lobster Craw (Obox-Ob) into the Flask, we fled. Now, Endaran revealed what a badass he was, doing about 160+ damage from one attack on a charge. Spirited Charge and Lances combined is just plain wrong, and if he had crit’d any of us, that would have been that. This was quite possibly the hardest fight we’ve had yet, and to make matters worse, Dingoslag was just sitting there, wailing away with his Vorpal sword. We knew that if we killed him, the resulting Deathburst would kill most of the party since the Lancers kept us continually at a wounded state. A solution to the problem appeared as I used a Limited Wish to reduce Dingoslag’s save against the next spell against him, and our Factotem August Simons X, followed up with a Baleful Polymorph from the newly acquired Staff of Transmutation. I think he rolled a 3 or 4…and poof! Dingoslag the Balor is now Dingoslag the rabbit! He also failed the Will save, and the DM was prepared to let him be ripped to pieces by a bunch of dretches. I see an opportunity, and give up my round of actions to go after the rabbit, retrieving him from the hungry, demons. We immerged victorious, and after a successful meeting with Bagromar, we returned to the Sea Wyvern, where I took the time to enact the ritual to gain a familiar. My new familiar is now the former Balor Dingoslag (who has a 15 intelligence…does that mean he remembers being a Balor or is he just really mean? My PC is Lawful Good….). We decided if we cast Greater Magic Fang and Razorfangs on him, he’ll get a Vorpal bite, so he can be a bit like a certain rabbit from a certain movie.
Yeah, but I wouldn't want to be you when that baleful polymorph is dispelled in combat.
Yeah, but coolness factor is always better than practicality. Besides, only Malcanthet and the thousands of other demons that witnessed the battle know what happened. That's no big deal, right?:p
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Besides, only Malcanthet and the thousands of other demons that witnessed the battle know what happened. That's no big deal, right?:p
....famous last words, then again my group has recruited from so many places (they are in ToD and none of them are on their first characters any more, in SWW thy used one of urol's potions in the ruins, and found a surviving lizardman in the webs on the coastline)
I wonder how he'd taste? ;) Evil? BTW....Lobster Craw? You call a demon prince Lobster Craw? Who came up with that one?
Yeah, but coolness factor is always better than practicality. ...
What rulebook is this line in? I wish I could get my players to do more of this. i think this should be a t shirt-maybe with a picture of bunny...
BTW....Lobster Craw? You call a demon prince Lobster Craw? Who came up with that one?
Speaking as another member of Rakshaka's party, I'm pretty sure it's one of those "laugh so you don't cry" moments. Because between the number of demon princes that know us by name and that blasted flask, I can certainly see how we're going to get screwed nine ways from Sunday.
...but until then, we have Lobster Craw in a Jar. ;)
...so he can be a bit like a certain rabbit from a certain movie.
Or a bit like a certain rabbit from a certain webcomic.
Lobster Craw is nowhere near as bad as the Lizard Man chieftain from City of Broken Idols, who's name translates to "rock hard" in commmon. COME ON!
Yeah, can't wait to be the first PC ever in game history to be killed by his own familiar... :)