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Hi all.
One of my players is looking for a snow leopard familiar for her witch. Before I wave my mighty hands and make it so I'm keen to find a way to do it within the rules without multiclassing.
Improved familiar seems an obvious choice, but I'm unsure at what level a leopard might become available. Are there alternatives?
Well Quasit and Leopard are both CR2 so i'd go with 7th level. However, for myself, i wouldn't allow a Medium creature as a familier even with the feat. I'd try to stear the player towards an alternative like an arctic fox or similar.
I'd just apply the young template at level 1 with the option to remove it by taking improved familiar at level 5+. Might be slightly stronger than other familiar at low levels but since you shouldn't send your spellbook into combat, I don't see much of a problem with that. A leopard is still weaker than say a mephit.
Well Quasit and Leopard are both CR2 so i'd go with 7th level. However, for myself, i wouldn't allow a Medium creature as a familier even with the feat. I'd try to stear the player towards an alternative like an arctic fox or similar.
I think level 7 looks good. I wouldn't worry about a medium creature as a familiar. A small character can gain a small sized familiar with improved familiar, thus it should be no problem for a medium character to gain a medium sized familiar.
In 3.5 there were the variant character class options presented in Unearthed Arcana,
one of which allowed a wizard or sorcerer to swap their familiar for a druid's animal companion.
From the D20 SRD:
Sorcerer/Wizard
A sorcerer or wizard might desire a more durable companion to accompany him on excursions into the wilderness.
Gain:
Animal companion[/b] (as druid; treat sorcerer or wizard as a druid of half his class level).
Lose:
Familiar.
I think level 7 looks good. I wouldn't worry about a medium creature as a familiar. A small character can gain a small sized familiar with improved familiar, thus it should be no problem for a medium character to gain a medium sized familiar.
Good point, I wouldn't allow it for small characters though.
Well Quasit and Leopard are both CR2 so i'd go with 7th level. However, for myself, i wouldn't allow a Medium creature as a familier even with the feat. I'd try to stear the player towards an alternative like an arctic fox or similar.I think level 7 looks good. I wouldn't worry about a medium creature as a familiar. A small character can gain a small sized familiar with improved familiar, thus it should be no problem for a medium character to gain a medium sized familiar.
Well a small character can't ride on a small familiar but could do so on a medium sized one.
Still, I think keeping the familiar safe is the most important thing, especially for a witch. Medium size only makes it a far easier target so I'd say compared to pretty much all alternatives, a leopard is worse overall.
Small Caster with Small familiar + Reduce Person = Caster can Ride his Familar.
I do it all the time Gnome on owl back. Firt level Flying mount. Caster with Monted Combat.
Use the statistics for a Cat familiar and just call it a Snow Leopard cub?
At 1st level, let them take Improved Familiar.
Level 1 - 3 : Use Housecat stats, call it a Cub
Level 4 - 6 : Apply Young template to leopard, call it Adolescent
Level 7+ : Use full grown Snow Leopard stats.
At 1st level, let them take Improved Familiar.
Level 1 - 3 : Use Housecat stats, call it a Cub
Level 4 - 6 : Apply Young template to leopard, call it Adolescent
Level 7+ : Use full grown Snow Leopard stats.
+1
I think you nailed it right there! I would let the player take the Improved Familiar feat at whatever level they want, so long as they don't get benefits before they take the feat.