I really want to make a witch I think, but I'm a little worried about the fragility of my familiar. I've never played a caster that used one and from what I can tell they look pretty breakable? Any tips on what I can do to help out with my little friends survivability?
I really want to make a witch I think, but I'm a little worried about the fragility of my familiar. I've never played a caster that used one and from what I can tell they look pretty breakable? Any tips on what I can do to help out with my little friends survivability?
Get a scorpion. Keep it in your pocket.
Get a scorpion. Keep it in your pocket.
Is that all it takes to keep it safe from AoE's like fireball and such?
Get a scorpion. Keep it in your pocket.Is that all it takes to keep it safe from AoE's like fireball and such?
Pretty much. Unless your DM is adversarial.
If it's in your pocket, your euqipment should protect it from harm. By the rules, your equipment is only affected by area attacks if you roll a natural 1 on your reflex save. But seriously, I have no idea if anyone even uses that rule. Keeping track of all your equipment's HP seems like a lot of mostly useless extra work.
If it doesn't fit in a pocket or sleeve, keep it under your dress. And wear trousers as well.
If it doesn't fit in a pocket or sleeve, keep it under your dress. And wear trousers as well.
Backpack is the golden rule.
And if you want take an improved familiar with Invisibility at will later on. And let it stay invisible at all times...
my wife's turtle was just tied to her back pack like this
I really want to make a witch I think, but I'm a little worried about the fragility of my familiar. I've never played a caster that used one and from what I can tell they look pretty breakable? Any tips on what I can do to help out with my little friends survivability?
A good GM knows "the witch problem" and will act accordingly. Unless the player does something really stupid, I, as a GM, would not kill a familiar. If a player chooses a cat or raven or something else bigger than a cockroach, that´s fine. He or she should not be punished for that.
if the familiar is kept inside pockets/clothes/backpacks, there is no line of sight/effect, so they are pretty much safe from being targetted/affected by anything.
Gear is safe from AoE´s unless you Roll a 1, as mentioned, and I GUESS the GM could rule that if the backpack/clothes/etc is destroyed, then the contents are now open to Line of Effect, but that´s pretty damn rare, and honestly, with half your HPs, Familiars CAN eat a single random AoE like that.
If you want them to be out doing stuff in Combat all the time: first, the Famliar is not really going to be a priority target in most combats. Only intelligent, long-term opponents who are out to screw the PCs would ever possibly focus on targetting the familiar. In most cases, they will only be targetted incidentally by AoE´s and if/when they provoke AoO´s. If you plan on them being in those situations alot, you should use spells to give them Temp HPs, etc and otherwise beef them up.
There is an Archtype that also makes the Familiar´s Soul pretty much safe from harm (AND YOURS).
That is pretty broken if you use it per RAW, but restricited to the Familar, it´s pretty reasonable.
There is an Archtype that also makes the Familiar´s Soul pretty much safe from harm (AND YOURS).
That is pretty broken if you use it per RAW, but restricited to the Familar, it´s pretty reasonable.
I took a good long look at the Beast-Bonded archetype. I liked it a lot, but your giving up your hex's and that seems like a whole lot of the class.
Seems like the best way to protect a familiar is to put it in your pocket/backpack and forget about it. As long as your DM forgets too, you'll be fine. Outside of that, just have them withdraw from combat and hide all the time.
If you're gonna have one, you will either use it in combat or not.
Most of this advice has been for not using it.
In combat they are best for wand use, get imp familiar and either a dust mephit (unlimited blur so can always stealth) or a psycopomp (at will invis and the flavor text says use medium writing implements, jury is out on weather that is sufficient for wands)
Just to say something about improved familliars:
If you are a witch and have an outsider as a familliar and it dies you can't use the UM spell to revive it (and thus don't lose the spells you have tought him).
I really want to play a witch and am looking very much forward to doing so. My familiar will be a cat. A big, ginger, straylike, Greebo-esque cat that I will not ever hide away in my rucksack like the average umpteenth magical object. My DM is very aware of the problems I could face when losing my familiar - but he also very much encourages me to play with wathever fluff I wish to play with. I guess, he will start zapping lightning bolts at Kitty if I start doing really - reallyreally - stupid things with it. But then again, that will probably my own fault and not "the systems". Who knows, the worst case of Kitty exploding could even produce really cool roleplaying situations?
The familiar is an essential part of my witch's roleplaying look and feel. Degrading it to a never to be seen gadget seems pretty absurd to me.
Just a "tiny" issue with the scorpion in the pocket thing.
I believe the scorpion is a tiny creature. A housecat is also a tiny creature -- as is an owl and a hawk. I think it's completely unreasonable to keep a 10-20 lbs cat in your pocket. So it should also be unreasonable to keep a scorpion of that similar size in your pocket as well.
A diminutive creature is one you could potentially keep in your pocket. That would include the bat and the toad.
Why would most creatures even target a familiar?
So a monster in the middle of a battle against a couple of spell-casters and an armored knight or two is going to take the time to attack the stray cat that's wandering around on the edge of the fight? Or the raven that happens to fly overhead?
I'd like to see a GM justify that decision.
It's not so much that the creature would go out of the way to kill a familiar. The problem is the attack of opportunity mechanic. A housecat walking around in combat is essentially going to get smashed.
Familiars ideally need to stay out of combat. The only exception should be specifically combat-oriented Improved Familiars and/or using strong buff spells.
Why would most creatures even target a familiar?
So a monster in the middle of a battle against a couple of spell-casters and an armored knight or two is going to take the time to attack the stray cat that's wandering around on the edge of the fight? Or the raven that happens to fly overhead?
I'd like to see a GM justify that decision.
The problems i have seen are mostly of those two kinds:
1) AoE.2) Left over attacks, for example i am full attacking (3 attacks) the fighter in front of me and i drop him with my second attack but the familliar is within my reach so i use my last attack on the familliar.
I have a rogue/wizard with a cat familiar. Fuzzbutt gets improved evasion and his master's reflex save (with his own mods). He gets to use his master's ranks in stealth with his own mods. Since cats get a big racial mod, if the cat hides, he's darned hard to find. Only rarely has he done anything except hide at the first opportunity. The occasional stray fireball still crisps his whiskers but improved evasion has saved him many times.
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I took a good long look at the Beast-Bonded archetype. I liked it a lot, but your giving up your hex's and that seems like a whole lot of the class.There is an Archtype that also makes the Familiar´s Soul pretty much safe from harm (AND YOURS).
That is pretty broken if you use it per RAW, but restricited to the Familar, it´s pretty reasonable.
Take a longer look at it. Yes you are giving up a bit of power, but realistically you are spending 3 hexes for effective immortality and one of the strongest attacks in the game. As for the lost Hexes you just buy them back with the Extra Hex feat and keep going. Witches really don't need very many feats to function and you can spend the remainder on extra hexes or give them to your familiar.
Back to your original question the best way to keep your familiar alive (before taking improved familiar) is to take one that flies, gives them a great movement rate and the ability to stay outside of the range of every AoE that's going to be used at you. It's also much better at the job low level familiars are designed for. (spying, delivering messages, petty theft, etc.)
Once you switch up to the improved familiar the same rules still apply but I'd highly recommend looking into a Homonculus familiar instead. They have the best standard defenses in the game, They fly, they can have their Hit Die upgraded so they get more feats to spend on defense, and you get to modify their innate abilities (depends if your DM lets you use the construct rules from Ultimate Magic)
I have a rogue/wizard with a cat familiar. Fuzzbutt gets improved evasion and his master's reflex save (with his own mods). He gets to use his master's ranks in stealth with his own mods. Since cats get a big racial mod, if the cat hides, he's darned hard to find. Only rarely has he done anything except hide at the first opportunity. The occasional stray fireball still crisps his whiskers but improved evasion has saved him many times.
I have an AT in training with a monkey familiar. Monkey has a climb speed and ridiculous acrobatics (thanks to my skills and his nature). He's also an excellent pick pocket. ;-)
Once you switch up to the improved familiar the same rules still apply but I'd highly recommend looking into a Homonculus familiar instead. They have the best standard defenses in the game, They fly, they can have their Hit Die upgraded so they get more feats to spend on defense, and you get to modify their innate abilities (depends if your DM lets you use the construct rules from Ultimate Magic)
They do?
Imp:
DR 5/good or silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10
Fly 50ft
Invisiblity at will
Fast healing 2
Homunculus:
Defensive Abilities: construct traits
Fly 50ft.
And to get even 1 more feat than the Imp you will need to pay 8050gp for it.
For 2 more feats 12050gp.
So unless you are really high level and want to have your 20HD 38k gp Homunculus Familiar (who is arguably still worse than the Imp) the Homunculus is a bad choice.
But the best is still the Nosoi:
DR 5/adamantine; Immune death effects, disease, poison, Resist cold 10, electricity 10
Fly 50ft
Invisibility at will
Darkvision, Low Light Vision, Blindsight 60ft (can automatically tell if its alive or not additionally).
Useful Fascinate Ability whichs DC will increase with your lvls and is usable an unlimited times per day...
The only thing this familiar needs is a ring of fire resistance.
Then it stays invisible next to you all day and has a Wand of Faerie Fire plus smoke sticks (probably also a Wand of Cure Light Wounds). It will automatically detect anything in 60ft around you, except if its on the ethereal plane. And can then highlight it (which will break its invis, but well).
Plus he has a good Charisma Score (16) and thus can even be your face (he will use your ranks after all)
@Alienfreak
The DC increases for the Haunting Melody? How do you figure?
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Once you switch up to the improved familiar the same rules still apply but I'd highly recommend looking into a Homonculus familiar instead. They have the best standard defenses in the game, They fly, they can have their Hit Die upgraded so they get more feats to spend on defense, and you get to modify their innate abilities (depends if your DM lets you use the construct rules from Ultimate Magic)stuff
Past 10th level 38K gold is not that much, especially considering you are protecting all your spells and fully capable of using that body yourself.
The Homonculus gives you:
Low-light vision, Darkvision 60'
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). (ignore the Enchantment & Illusion schools)
Immunity to disease, death effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep e ffects, and stunning.
Not subject to ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, or nonlethal damage.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless
the eff ect also works on objects, or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage.
Constructs do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
Telepathic Link to see & hear everything it does from 1500 ft away.
Considered 20HD for any effect based on HD score giving it better saves then any other possible familiar choice. It also has a maximum of 20 ranks in any skill so it will auto succeed on any UMD or Skill check you want it to.
If you are allowed to use the guidelines in the Ultimate Magic book you can bump all of it's physical stats to 20+ (expensive but doable), shoot it's natural armor bonus through the roof and add free weapons built into it.
Finally, the main reason you'd want the homonculus is, as a Beast bonded Witch you WILL be spending 90% of your time in your familiars body. All the benefits listed above are applied to your character whenever you want them.
Add to that Constructs don't age so you are functionally immortal at 10th level.
edit: The one question that still needs to be answered is how Familiar form works for none animal Familiars. IF the Devs lets you use it as intended then you'll be able to shapechange into any Golem in the game and that's nasty powerful. Otherwise it's just a lost Hex and that's ok too.
Once you switch up to the improved familiar the same rules still apply but I'd highly recommend looking into a Homonculus familiar instead. They have the best standard defenses in the game, They fly, they can have their Hit Die upgraded so they get more feats to spend on defense, and you get to modify their innate abilities (depends if your DM lets you use the construct rules from Ultimate Magic)They do?
Imp:
DR 5/good or silver; Immune fire, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10
Fly 50ft
Invisiblity at will
Fast healing 2Homunculus:
Defensive Abilities: construct traits
Fly 50ft.And to get even 1 more feat than the Imp you will need to pay 8050gp for it.
For 2 more feats 12050gp.So unless you are really high level and want to have your 20HD 38k gp Homunculus Familiar (who is arguably still worse than the Imp) the Homunculus is a bad choice.
But the best is still the Nosoi:
DR 5/adamantine; Immune death effects, disease, poison, Resist cold 10, electricity 10
Fly 50ft
Invisibility at will
Darkvision, Low Light Vision, Blindsight 60ft (can automatically tell if its alive or not additionally).
Useful Fascinate Ability whichs DC will increase with your lvls and is usable an unlimited times per day...The only thing this familiar needs is a ring of fire resistance.
Then it stays invisible next to you all day and has a Wand of Faerie Fire plus smoke sticks (probably also a Wand of Cure Light Wounds). It will automatically detect anything in 60ft around you, except if its on the ethereal plane. And can then highlight it (which will break its invis, but well).
Plus he has a good Charisma Score (16) and thus can even be your face (he will use your ranks after all)
Anyone can confirm if the Nosoi can use wands??
The fluff mentions writing utensils, not wands
and it can't change into a form with hands
wands need command words, so ability to speak.
hands per se aren`t important if they can hold a stick-like object somehow (tentacle?)
that's pretty loose.
Don't we usually go with needing the ability to speak AND hands (hence the love for imps, quasits, mephits)
Don't get me wrong, I'm not flat out calling it BS.
The Fluff Text SORTA supports thier use:
Nosois often use their skill as scribes to aid their mortal masters. Despite their size and apparent lack of hands, they may use medium-sized drawing and writing tools without penalty. They grant their masters a +2 bonus on skill checks made to scribe scrolls.
Now, I'd probably allow a creature that had enough dexerity with it's feet to carry out a complicated task, like scribing and say well, yeah it could probably point a wand.
Just wndering if I'm being overly generous?
Anyone can confirm if the Nosoi can use wands??
The fluff mentions writing utensils, not wands
and it can't change into a form with hands
Why shouldn't they? A wand must be hold (in hands or what passes as such) and you must be able to speak (a Nosoi can speak).
Since we have no entries for what passes as hands we must assume that claws in which things can be hold qualify as such. If tentacles do...
The point here is simply to limit the amount of wands one can use by using one of his manipulation limbs. So the Wizard has to use a hand and can't glue it to his shoulders...
@Alienfreak
The DC increases for the Haunting Melody? How do you figure?
Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher.
Which I read that the Familiar is treated as having as many HD as the master for rule purposes..
Its a supernatural ability which goes by the formular 1/2HD plus Charisma...
So I would assume it increases accordingly.
But you could of course read it differently... *shrug*