Familiar improvements

[Kevin Murphy 340]

This is a list of changes made to the various abilities on the familiar to make it feel less like walking a toddler through a demon infested dungeon of maniacal evil.

Hitpoints:

Hit Points: The familiar has the witch’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), regardless of its actual Hit Dice.

Commune with familiar:

Commune with Familiar (Su): She and her familiar can communicate with each other verbally as if they were using a common language only if they are in range to hear one another. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.
Otherwise a witch has an empathic link with her familiar to a distance of 1 mile. The witch can communicate empathically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link’s limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The witch has the same connection to an item or place that her familiar does.

Share Spells:

Share Spells: When a witch casts a spell with a target of “you” on her, the familiar also gains the benefits of the spell. A witch may cast spells on her familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar’s type (magical beast).

Damage Reduction:

Damage Reduction (Ex): If a witch is 3rd level of higher, her familiar gains damage reduction of 2/-, and every four levels thereafter, the familiar gains an additional +2 damage reduction.

Deliver Touch spells:

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If a witch is 3rd level or higher, her familiar can deliver touch spells for her. If the witch and the familiar are in contact at the time the witch
casts a touch spell, she can designate her familiar as the “toucher.” The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the witch would. If the witch casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell does not dissipate as the familiar itself is considered to be the caster of the spell.

Imbue with Spells:

Imbue with Spells (Su): If a witch is 5th level or higher, she can imbue her familiar with a number of spells that the familiar can then cast on its own. At 5th level, she can imbue a single 0-level spell. Unlike other cantrips, the familiar can only cast this spell once. At 7th level, and every two levels thereafter, the witch can imbue another spell into her familiar, each one level higher than the previous (1st at 7th level, 2nd at 9th level, and so on, up to a 5th-level spell at 15th level). This spell is cast as if the witch had cast it, using her caster level and save DC. Every spell imbued in this way consumes two of the witch’s available spell slots of that level until the spell is cast (0-level spells reduce the number of 0-level spells she can prepare by 2). When the witch prepares spells, she can remove imbued spells from her familiar.

Spell Resistance:

Spell Resistance (Ex): If a witch is 5th level or higher, her familiar gains spell resistance equal to the witch’s level + 5. To affect the familiar with a spell, another spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the familiar’s spell resistance.

Arcane Connection:

Arcane Connection (Su): The familiar is granted the same equipment based bonuses as the master, though the familiar does not actually posses the equipment and cannot use spell-trigger abilities, this only applies when the familiar is within five feet of the witch or has a spell to deliver a touch attack.

Scry on Familiar:

Scry on Familiar (Sp): If the witch is 13th level or higher, she may scry on her familiar (as if casting the scrying spell) once per day, gaining one additional use at level 17.

Familiar Death:

If a familiar is lost or dies, it can be replaced 1 day later through a special ritual that costs 500 gp per witch level. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete. A new familiar begins knowing all of the 0-level spells plus two spells of every level the witch is able to cast. These are in addition to any bonus spells known by the familiar based on the witch’s level and the familiar’s type (see Bonus Spells).

based on the Character Wealth chart on page 399.

A second level character should have 1000. So according to the mecahincs above if a familiar should die at that level the Witch has to lose all their waelth to bringing it back, implicating a hefty death for a pitiful game mechanic. Even if the player loses the familiar during second level not necessarily at the beginning the estimated amount of gear at level 3 is going to be reduced by 1500 when the player only should have 3000. This also takes into account that the familiar dies only once during a level. This overly punishes the caster should the familiar die. Once again if the Eidolon a superior pet dies can return full health and for free, while the useless familiar penalizes the caster unfairly.

[Abraham spalding]

One issue with the familiar death: Wealth is not a constant state variable, meaning that just because you spent 1,500 gp on raising your pet you shouldn't be out of that much equipment long term since that would put you below wealth per level, causing you to not be able to meet challenges of the level you are at. Since you can always gain more wealth or spend wealth the actual amount is in flux at any given minute... the wealth by level guidelines are just that -- guidelines for a DM to use to keep their characters at point. Unlike in some video games using that potion of cure light wounds doesn't mean that you are out that much money for the rest of your adventuring career, same with bringing the dead back to life.

So does the mechanic mean nothing? In the long term yes, however in the short term you are actually out of those resources for a time during which you must recharge (i.e. earn) the resource before you can spend it again.

[iZOMBIE]

while familiar death is not a good thing for witches, it is also not an unavoidable occurrence. just keep your familiar hidden safely in your backpack. comparing it to the summoners Eidolon is unfair as they have different roles. The Eidolon is the primary offensive ability of the summoner, the witches familiar is more like a spellbook.

[Heladriell]

A witch's familiar should be something very active in the game, and not hidden out of fear. I liked the ideas in the tread. they should be taken in consideration by the designers.

[Goblins Eighty-Five]

Heladriell wrote:

A witch's familiar should be something very active in the game, and not hidden out of fear. I liked the ideas in the tread. they should be taken in consideration by the designers.

+1. I like most everything you've said here Kevin, though the damage reduction might be a bit much. Still, you've addressed many major issues that the familiars have had since day 1. Though, I didn't see an evasion ability, did I miss that?