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At GenCon, one of the GMs I was rooming with mentioned a particularly annoying wizard with a weasel familiar. He was upset with the weasel's ability to automatically grapple when it hit with a bite. Having never even looked at the weasel before, I was impressed with the ability.
Let's capitalize on it!
I imagine a barbarian with Eldritch Heritage and a weasel named Biteface. I pick a class with full BAB because the familiar gets his master's BAB, and I pick the class with the highest health because Biteface gets half the master's health. While raging, there's actually a strong argument that the weasel's hit points should increase when the barbarian's max hit points increase.
From there, he picks up Evolved Familiar at level 5 to give the little bugger reach. It should be a fairly accurate auto grapple from an adjacent square, providing the sometimes quite debilitating grapple condition on choice enemies. Archers and two-handed fighters beware!
And of course, the barbarian will still be a barbarian; he'll merely be without three feats normally spent on more common things. Naturally he'll have to have a pool of gold for obtaining replacement familiars. I'm picturing him grabbing Profession: Taxidermist.
Any thoughts? (Including how stupid the idea is, but I've already heard that a few times!)
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As far as max hit points, I would say nothing that lasts less than 24 hours would count... in the same way that casting Bear's Endurance on ones self should not increase familiar hps (not counting share spell), or being temporarily level drained decreases max hps.
Subject to table variation of course. It doesn't say anywhere, however, that casting bear's endurance does not increase the familiar's hit point total. The temporary bonuses ruling is regarding the use of abilities that can be used x stat + 3 times per day.
I'm thinking he'll be a Shoanti-raised Half-Elf. What do you think of the names Tames Small Rodents and Chews on Face?
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Weasels aren't rodents, but then again, the Blue Raja didn't wear a lot blue, either. ;-)
Weasels aren't rodents. They're Mustelids. Tames small mustelids doesn't have quite the same ring though.
edit: ninja'd
Tames-Small-Rodents can be his first name. Also-Small-Mustelids can be his middle name.
Since Wait-For-It has already been taken.
;-)
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Somehow, that reminds me of the Baldur's Gate games. I just can't quite lay my finger on the reason, though...
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Weasels on face not nearly as debilitating as squirrels in the pants.
Does anyone have any advice for making Chews-On-Face more combat effective? I was considering a corrosive amulet of mighty fists.
Use Magic Device + druid animal buffing spells.
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Well he'll have the high charisma anyway, so I suppose I could make him Dangerously Curious. You would have to be to train weasels I'm sure.
Thinking about it, the amulet of mighty fists would not add enough damage to be worth it. I'm better off just knowing that he's providing the grapple debuff to enemies.
Weasels on face not nearly as debilitating as squirrels in the pants.
I am disappointed to find this NOT a link to Ray Stevens.
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Somehow, that reminds me of the Baldur's Gate games. I just can't quite lay my finger on the reason, though...
GO FOR THE EYES, BOO! GO FOR THE EYES!
Reminds me of beast master he has 2 !
Weasels on face not nearly as debilitating as squirrels in the pants.
LOL =)
If you started with a small humanoid, you could reduce person to get tiny, then share spell enlarge person on the weasel, allowing you to ride him. Take greater raging mount and share all your rage powers, plus ragelancepounce.
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If you started with a small humanoid, you could reduce person to get tiny, then share spell enlarge person on the weasel, allowing you to ride him. Take greater raging mount and share all your rage powers, plus ragelancepounce.
Most adorable gnome barbarian ever.
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If you started with a small humanoid, you could reduce person to get tiny, then share spell enlarge person on the weasel, allowing you to ride him. Take greater raging mount and share all your rage powers, plus ragelancepounce.
Tempting, but I'll probably stay single-class for this.
Wand of mage armour would help with survivability. Is there a trait to get Profession as a class skill? I've just remembered that barbarians are the only ones without it.
What's a good archetype for a weasel-tamer?
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Alright, I thought I'd post a build. I'll be making this for PFS, and I'll be waiting for enough GM credits to just start him off at level 3, because what's the point of a weasel-tamer without a weasel?
I'm going to assume 3150 gp to work with (6 x 500 + 150). Also, one of my credits is coming from a master summoner I'm retraining, and he happens to have the cold endurance boon from Shades of Ice; therefore I'm going to be going with the invulnerable rager archetype to also nab heat endurance.
NG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +9 (+11 when near Bites-Face)
DEFENCE
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+6 armour, +1 Dex)
hp 38 (3d12 +12)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +3 (+5 vs. enchantments)
DR 1/- (2/- against non-lethal); Immune sleep; endure elements
OFFENCE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee mwk cold iron scythe +6 (2d4+3/x3) or mwk silver warhammer +6 (1d8+3/x3)
Ranged spear +4 (1d8+2/x3) or sling +4 (1d3+1)
Special Attacks rage 11 rounds/day (+4 to strength and constitution; +1 to attack rolls; +2 to will saves; -3 to AC)
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 13
Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 16
Feats Alertness, Eldritch Heritage (Arcane), Power Attack, Skill Focus: Knowledge (Nature)
Skills Acrobatics +4 (+7 to jump), Climb +6, Intimidate +5, Knowledge (Nature) +10, Perception +9, Swim +3, Use Magic Device +8
Traits Dangerously Curious, Elven Reflexes
Languages Common, Elven, Shoanti
SQ rage powers (reckless abandon)
Gear oil of magic weapon, oil of bless weapon, potion of spider climb, mwk cold iron scythe, mwk silver warhammer, sling, spears (5), mwk agile breastplate, leather armour, cloak of resistance +1, backpack, silk rope (50 ft.), wayfinder, 175 gp
Init +2; Senses low-light vision, scent; Perception +7
DEFENCE
AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 15 (+1 armour, +2 Dex, +2 natural, +2 size)
hp 19 (3 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +2
Defensive Abilities improved evasion
OFFENCE
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +7 (1d3-4 plus attach)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 6, Wis 12, Cha 5
Base Atk +3; CMB +3; CMD 9 (13 vs. trip)
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +16, Climb +14, Intimidate -2 (-10 vs. medium creatures), Escape Artist +6, Knowledge (Nature) +1, Perception +7, Stealth +14, Swim +6, Use Magic Device +0
SQ empathic link, share spells
Gear weasel-sized leather barding
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Attach (Ex) When a weasel hits with a bite attack, it automatically grapples its foe, inflicting automatic bite damage each round.
336 gp mwk cold iron scythe
402 gp mwk silver warhammer
5 gp spears (5)
550 gp mwk agile breastplate
1,000 gp cloak of resistance +1
50 gp oil of magic weapon
50 gp oil of bless weapon
300 gp potion of spider climb
250 gp wayfinder
2 gp backpack
10 gp silk rope (50 ft.)
10 gp leather armour
10 gp tiny weasel-shaped leather barding
175 gp left
I'm doing this, but it'll take several weeks to rack up the requisite GM credits. If anyone has suggestions as to making the build better, feel free to post! :)
This is absurdity brought to a whole new level.
I just hope the guy who will be making a halfling barbarian for my game on Saturday doesn't see this thread.
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This is absurdity brought to a whole new level.
I just hope the guy who will be making a halfling barbarian for my game on Saturday doesn't see this thread.
You know you like it! :P
Anyway, the requirement of 13 charisma for Eldritch Heritage (and a further requirement of 13 intelligence for Evolved Familiar to eventually grab reach) actually turns out a more well-rounded barbarian than most 7 charisma examples. So I'm pretty happy about that bit.
You know you like it! :P
As a matter of fact I do.
I've had some pretty absurd characters show up at my table, such as the ogre barbarian named Grunt because that was all he could do when he was first found orphaned in the jungle, or the elven ranger with an 'attack goose' animal companion. The latter player would honk madly in combat.
My current game has an all 'little people' party. Three gnomes and two halflings. A halfling druid with a leopard mount. A halfling barbarian I have not yet seen the build for. A gnome fighter who has a 10 word vocabulary. And the Grundletaints, a married pair of gnomes from the 'grunderdark.'
Mergy, are you at all familiar with the Weird Al Yankovich song, Albuquerque? If not: Albuquerque.
As a matter of fact I do.
I've had some pretty absurd characters show up at my table, such as the ogre barbarian named Grunt because that was all he could do when he was first found orphaned in the jungle, or the elven ranger with an 'attack goose' animal companion. The latter player would honk madly in combat.
My current game has an all 'little people' party. Three gnomes and two halflings. A halfling druid with a leopard mount. A halfling barbarian I have not yet seen the build for. A gnome fighter who has a 10 word vocabulary. And the Grundletaints, a married pair of gnomes from the 'grunderdark.'
The attack goose sounds hilarious!
I am going to be the philistine who asks if you the following:
-Aaron
-.- Oh I am very aware...
So does 'taint' as in "t'ain't your hee and t'anin't your haw." As in the area between your genitals and rectum.
My players are so classy...
I have to be honest, the fact that he isn't a goblin feral gnasher is dsappointing. I like the idea of barbarian+familiar latched on to some much larger enemy, swinging wildly around. I suppose it's not PFS legal, though. But if you take racial heritage: goblin, well....
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Hey. You've got weasels on your face.
-Aaron
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I have to be honest, the fact that he isn't a goblin feral gnasher is dsappointing. I like the idea of barbarian+familiar latched on to some much larger enemy, swinging wildly around. I suppose it's not PFS legal, though. But if you take racial heritage: goblin, well....
Sadly, I am not one of the thirty people in all of Society play with access to a goblin boon. Alas, I'll have to go with the more optimal choice.
It's a shame. Optimization be damned, you know if you had the chance you'd do it.
Do you think a weasel familiar could be combined with beguiling gift and a box of doughnuts?
Beguiling gift forces the target to "Accept and immediately use the object." How does one "use" a weasel?
Seems as good a place as any to put this.
Contender for "Best Thread Title". :)
Do you think a weasel familiar could be combined with beguiling gift and a box of doughnuts?How does one "use" a weasel?
Just say "Thank you" and be glad it wasn't a gerbil...
I'd...I'd have a hard time not allowing this in TT, because it is just that awesome.
Do you think a weasel familiar could be combined with beguiling gift and a box of doughnuts?Beguiling gift forces the target to "Accept and immediately use the object." How does one "use" a weasel?
Opens box. Stealth weasel "face biter" springs into action.
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Opens box. Stealth weasel "face biter" springs into action.
"Stealth weasel" has me wondering how much a fitted, weasel ninja outfit would cost. Awesome thread!
Opens box. Stealth weasel "face biter" springs into action."Stealth weasel" has me wondering how much a fitted, weasel ninja outfit would cost. Awesome thread!
Please report your findings to the group. We may have a new trend.
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Do you think a weasel familiar could be combined with beguiling gift and a box of doughnuts?
Candygram for Mongo!
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The barbarian is a fine idea for your reasons stated, but a paladin would get more out of the necessary charisma. Also, it would be cool for said paladin to later take Improved Familiar to make the weasel a Celestial Weasel, granting SR, DR/evil and Smite.
Alternately, a witch, wizard or sorcerer with a weasel familiar might designate it as the toucher for a Chill Touch spell, so that it delivers an additional d6 damage and potential point of strength damage each round of clinging.
The paladin idea has merit. I was trying to give the familiar as much health as possible, and the d12 hit die provides that.
Now I want two weasel characters...
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Actually, if I'm going to have a 13 charisma anyway... I wonder if there would be a good way of getting it to 14. I've just noticed the Inspire Ferocity rage power, which ordinarily is a very poor choice; however, being able to provide bonuses to everyone's attack (including the weasel's) could possibly be useful if it were for more than one round.
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Now I want two weasel characters...Two weasel characters? Well, you could branch out a little by giving one of them a mongoose instead--a mongoose uses the same stats as a weasel, but gives +2 to fortitude saves instead of reflex saves.
Come to think of it, a Celestial Mongoose sounds somewhat more appropriate than a Celestial Weasel.
Which book is that in? Anyway, I think +2 to reflex saves would be better, as it covers a weakness in the build. He's bound to have a high fortitude save no matter what.
I'm now looking into the Aasimar race: specifically the Agathion-blooded variant for +2 to constitution and charisma. It also gains +2 to Handle Animal and Survival and is very beastial, which is appropriate. The downside is no Power Attack until level 7.