Familiars

[seekerofshadowlight]

yeah know i would love to see something diff done with familer. i myself have been running em kinda like monte cooks but with the psicrystal personalits
so there basically a part of your soul only u can see them but they can manifest for 10 rds if u wish but have to stay within 5 ft.when manifested they give u a +2 to spot and listen checks.they have the wizard ac and if touched disappear after 1d10 rds.you get a -1 caster level for that time. it does give the spell caster a +1 to Int checks if they have a rd to talk to there familer.
personality
Artiste +3 bonus on Craft checks
Bully +3 bonus on Intimidate checks
Coward +3 bonus on Hide checks
Friendly +3 bonus on Diplomacy checks
Hero +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
Liar +3 bonus on Bluff checks
Meticulous +3 bonus on Search checks
Nimble +2 bonus on Initiative checks
Observant +3 bonus on Spot checks
Poised +3 bonus on Balance checks
Resolved +2 bonus on Will saves
Sage +3 bonus on checks involving any one Knowledge skill the owner already knows; once chosen, this does not vary
Single-minded +3 bonus on Concentration checks
Sneaky +3 bonus on Move Silently checks
Sympathetic +3 bonus on Sense Motive checks

also
4th may move up to 5' per level from the caster
6th extend link may still communicate over distance from you
8th outer planner intellect adds another +2 to int checks
10th touch attacks
14th greater range up to 50' per caster level

any how some stuff would have to be changed but wanted to put this out and see what others thought or would like.

[seekerofshadowlight]

ok added some more to this this is mostly a repeat with adjustments for alpha.

so there basically a part of your soul only you can see them but they can manifest for 10 rds+ 1 rd per every 1 point you beat a DC 15 spellcraft check if you wish but have to stay within 5 ft .when manifested they give you a +2 to perception checks . they have the wizard’s AC but no HP’s and if touched disappear after 1d10 rds .you get a -1 caster level for that time. it does give the spell caster a +1 to Int checks if they have a rd to talk to there familer and helps you recall in casting your spells giving you a +1 caster level
personality
Artiste +3 bonus on Craft checks
Bully +3 bonus on Intimidate checks
Coward +3 bonus on perception checks for avoiding surprise attacks
Friendly +1 step to starting attitude if at lest indiffent
Hero +2 bonus on Fortitude saves
Liar +3 bonus on Bluff checks
Meticulous +3 bonus on perception checks
Nimble +2 bonus on Initiative checks
Observant may make a check to spot secret/concealed doors within 10 feet
Poised +3 bonus on acrobatics checks
Resolved +2 bonus on Will saves
Sage +3 bonus on checks involving any one Knowledge skill the owner already knows; once chosen, this does not vary
Single-minded +3 bonus on any one skill
Sneaky +3 bonus on stealthy checks
Sympathetic +3 bonus on diplomacy checks

also
4th may move up to 5' per level from the caster
6th extend link may still communicate over distance from you
8th outer planner intellect adds another +2 to int checks, speak with others
10th touch attacks
12th arcane thought adds a +2 to spellcraft check
14th greater range up to 50' per caster level
16th spell storage may store up to the caster INT mod in spells
18th extended manifest may manifest as long as the caster wills it

ok still would love any feed back folks have on this it may be a little much the level ability not sure yet were gonna run this soon though.feedback welcome though.

[seekerofshadowlight]

ok bringing this thread back so folks can post there ideal for familers on it any ideals are welcome . I really want to see what folks think of them and how they think they may be improved.

[Coridan]

I like the idea, and was thinking about Familiars myself today; at the very least I'd like to see a few new familiars added to the list. Hare, Fox, Parrot, maybe even something more arcane (a less powerful Pseudodragon, a sprite type creature...)

Another idea would be a spell that could let you put a familiar in an extradimensional space for when you don't want it around (like pulling a rabbit out of a hat)

[seekerofshadowlight]

yeah I wanted them to be useful and liked the ideal of them being there always even when others couldn't see them and the fact they cant really be killed . I have a few feats if any one is interested that give them more uses.

[Andrew Vallas]

Personally, I prefer familiars to be actual magical beasts as opposed to extensions of the wizard's soul, but I completely agree that it would be nice if they made some changes to how they currently work. I would love to see some increases in flavor abilities, as well as crunch changes to make them less of the liability people seem to see them as.

I am glad that they added the bonded item option for the people who don't care for having a familiar, but for those of us that do, it would be nice to see some improvements. And, more choices for familiars would be great, especially if we could get some that work off the Pathfinder setting/flavor.

[Pneumonica]

Here's a question... why would a spellcaster have a familiar? Am I going to invest a portion of my soul into a critter that is nearly defenseless and easily slain all so that I can have a +2 bonus to Perception and to one other Skill?

Shouldn't there be more arcane benefits? A familiar in lore is supposed to actually improve your spell ability.

As for the system, I like seekerofshadowlight's notion of having more modular bonuses. This is especially appropriate for different cultures. If I played a Celtic Wizard, it wouldn't be a raven with the power to talk (technically, it'd be a carp). Incidentally, the power for the familiar to speak should be added to the list... maybe "talkative".

Using this system, all animals of a certain HD or less with a certain CR or less can be used freely, and just apply an appropriate bonus. If you want, you can allow magical beasts to be added so long as they fit the HD and CR restrictions, but they don't grant a bonus to any of those above abilities (so no Frog bonus to saves against poison if you instead choose a magical beast, etc.).

[tergiver]

I agree that familiars need love, especially if they're competing with bonded items. I'm ambivalent about the golden compass familiars vs. standard familiars - but I think we need to think about why wizards would take familiars (as Pneumonica said).

I'd like to ditch the skill focus-style bonus and somehow have the familiar to be a more active participant in the game. Hopefully this will make them harder to forget!

Ideas:
1) Familiars get Perception as a class skill, freeing their master not to take it. This is the 'Lassie' solution ("What is it, girl? Timmy's being eaten by a grue?")
2) Familiars can maintain concentration for a spell - Nar Demonbinders get this power (IIRC) in Unapproachable East, and it seemed like a good idea to me. A familiar could sustain a detect magic, or perhaps an illusion, while the master concentrates on other things.
3) Familiars as the center of spells - a spellcaster can go past 'share spell' and actually have his familiar be the focus of a spell. This could be quite interesting/abused - I'm wondering about a familiar with repulsion or antimagic shield. Probably not in genre.
4) The familiar can make 'aid another' checks for the master - again, this turns into a +2 bonus on <blah>, so I don't really like it.
5) Familiar as counterspeller/defender - taking the concept of imbuing the familiar with spell ability and making it more of a core concept. Kind of a bundled item with a mind of its own, so not so great.

[Archade]

Here's a simple fix.

Let Familiars gain Feats as they level up, and offer some specific feats *they* can take to improve their abilities.

I could see feats for the following:

- one that grants them matching hit points to their master
- one that allows them to concentrate on a spell for their master
- one that lets a touch spell be kept 'charged' on the familiar, while the master can cast other spells

Just an idea.

[seekerofshadowlight]

well I did add that having a familer gave the caster a +1 caster level since the familer was there to help recall arcane lore and and the finer details of spell casting I think thats in the 2nd post
here are a few feats I haven't fleshed them out to much but there Ideals

Improved familer
Your familer gains a second personality fragment in your familer. You gain the benefits of both familer personalities. Your familer personality adjusts and becomes a blend between all implanted personality fragments.
You can take this multiple times.

Solid manifestation
Your faimiler takes on a solid form . your familer can now move objects and has ½ your hit points states common for its type.. if it is killed them the familer will be inactive for 24 hours.

Resistance touch
A familer may make a will save of 15 pluses any damage to resist dissipating after being touched. The familers will save is the same as the casters-2.

Improved manifestation
Your familer can manifest an number of minutes equal to half your caster level.

Angelic/demonic familer
Your familer becomes a imp{le} or a quasit [ce] while manifested also any spell cast vs. the opposite aliment is at a +2 DC.. Angelic have the same states imp[LG] quasit[CG/NG]

Perquisite
Solid familer and improved manifestation

Improved solid manifestation
Your familer becomes a tougher version of itself. Add the dire template to your familer.
While manifesting

Perquisite
Solid manifestation and Improved manifestation ,Resistance touch

[seekerofshadowlight]

I do think they need a new system I love familer but most players dont take them or forget there there. My system fixes some of that since they cant die unless there solid and even then there just doment for a day and you loss the benfits so its not a huge thing. but still I think paizo needs to give the familers some love to make them attractive not a liability.