Hadn't really found a thread like this with the search function, so I thought I'd make a new thread on it.
I've got a Wizard character that has a Familiar and the Familiar is VERY important to the character, to the point where the presence of the familiar is the only thing keeping him Neutral Good (long story short, the familiar came to him after his whole adventuring group was killed horribly in a really bad dungeon trip).
I've toyed with the idea of using Improved Familiar to get some extra millage out of the Familiar, but with how dependent the character is on the presence of the Familiar, I can't come up with any possible reason he'd replace it with a better Familiar. My GM also does not subscribe to the idea that a Familiar could "evolve" into an Improved Familiar like I typically subscribe to.
Is there a way I can improve my base Fox familiar without replacing him? At least, I'm looking for a way to permanently increase its survivability. Giving it some other powers would be nice but not necessary.
the feat evolved familiar to give him a 1pt edilion evolution.
Though you could take improved familiar that has a shapechange ability and say the other familiar always was the former.
the feat evolved familiar to give him a 1pt edilion evolution.
Though you could take improved familiar that has a shapechange ability and say the other familiar always was the former.
Is the Cassisian Angel the only one that's viable for NG and has Shapechange?
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there is always the celestial animals. nothing about them has to LOOK different.
i would flavor it as the familiar's celestial nature finally catching up to it on this plane,
the first time you called it from off-plane somehow, and it needed a further ritual to re-integrate the celestial stuff.
really, given your back-story about the familiar helping keep you good, that just MAKES SENSE.
(that it was kind of/'really' a celestial fox all along, just with it's powers missing)
if your GM doesn't go for shapeshifted cassisian angels, i would try the above angle for a celestial fox.
Also, if your GM is being a stickler, consider taking Improved Familiar Feat and doing the ritual to call a more powerful being... And let the Fox continue to tag along, without Familiar abilities or benefits, but you could continue to treat it the same.
the feat evolved familiar to give him a 1pt edilion evolution.
Though you could take improved familiar that has a shapechange ability and say the other familiar always was the former.
Sort of a side question:
The Skilled evolution tied to UMD sounds amazing, as does increasing reach so that my tiny familiar stops provoking when I want it to deliver my touch spells.
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I can see how a GM would balk at the idea of having a fox familiar "evolve" into an elemental or imp, but if it is simply the celestial template I see no reason why it can't be the same animal. If the GM won't allow this though, then there is pretty much no way to improve it, short of giving it a headband and a necklace (provided the GM even allows those).
Suppose you could just use spells to buff it, but that takes time out of combat which could probably be put to better use.
Well its not like improving the fox is going to anyway break the game.. Alot of the power u get from improved familiar is the ablity to have a hip-pocket wand user, that usually flies and has great defenses.. Letting the fox "get better" at the cost of a feat to me doesnt sound bad at all.. kinda sounds like a D-Bag gm to railraod your rp/flavor for somthing like this.. maybe thats not the case.. I would point his out to him, that it doesnt fly, cant use wands, has no special abilities... hell ask him about just adding the advanced template and maybe the celestial template.. this does nothing but make it better at surviving..
Permanacy Spell and
Spell Minimum Caster Level GP Cost
Magic fang 9th 2,500 gp
Magic fang, greater 11th 7,500 gp
Resistance 9th 2,500 gp
Telepathic bond* 13th 12,500 gp
*Only bonds two creatures per casting of permanency.
Belt of CON Familair get 1/2 you HP
Toughness Feat for you agian familair get 1/2 your HP
Magic Items for them.
Evolved Familiar
Your familiar is different from others of its kind.
Prerequisites: Int 13, Cha 13, familiar class feature.
Benefit: Select an evolution from the list of 1-point evolutions available to a summoner's eidolon. Your familiar has this evolution. The familiar must conform to any limitations of the evolution. For instance, no familiars can benefit from the mount evolution and only familiars with wings can take the wing buffet evolution.
If you gain a new familiar, your old familiar loses all evolutions, and you can select a new 1-point evolution for the new familiar.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack, granting a new 1-point evolution to your familiar each time you gain this feat.
Equip it.
Lightweight armors, rings, cloak, etc etc.
Imbue with spell ability.
Get creative! Pick the Throw Anything feat for yourself. Cast [Touch spell]; designate Foxy as the delivery platform; throw Foxy. Opponents don't get an AoO on a giant-thrown boulder; they shouldn't get one vs any other projectile either.
I know this would really mess with a lot of builds, but would you want to take 1 level of sorceror?
A tattooed sorcerer gains a familiar as an arcane bond, as a wizard equal to her sorcerer level. Her sorcerer levels stack with any wizard or witch levels she possesses when determining the powers of her familiar—this ability does not allow her to have both a familiar and a bonded item.
Unlike most familiars, her familiar can transform itself into a tattoo that she carries in her flesh. Transforming into a tattoo or back to normal familiar form is a move action for her familiar. In tattoo form, the familiar looks like a stylized version of itself, but does not count as a creature separate from the tattooed sorcerer. In tattoo form it continues to grant its special familiar ability, but otherwise has no abilities and can take no actions except to transform from tattoo into creature. A familiar tattoo cannot be erased or dispelled.
This ability replaces her 1st-level bloodline power.
This is a completely legal RAW way you can make your familiar unkillable (provided you don't die yourself) so should keep your DM happy, and adds a nice hook for roleplaying the close connection with the familiar.
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Your familiar gets all the skill ranks you have, but it's got different abilities and class skills. Also, size modifier (+8 to stealth for tiny animals) is pretty significant. With some skill ranks in the right place, your familiar can become an excellent scout. (Stealth and Perception are class skills for familiars.)
Yeah, I have to say, I don't see what the problem is with using Improved Familiar to add the Celestial template, and having the fox essentially ascend to a higher state of being. But if your GM says no, then I guess our hands are tied.
One way to increase it's survivability is to increase your own HP. The toughness feat, anything that increases your constitution, etc. Not only do your own HP go up, by by extension so do your familiar's. If you take Craft Wondrous Item you can kit your familiar out with gear, too: a magical collar would be appropriate. I once played a wizard who doted on his beloved cat familiar; he gave it a collar and kept enchanting it with various effects as money allowed, adding a little charm (like on a charm bracelet) each time.
EDIT: Oh, and if you do this, be sure to take the magic item cost discount for making an item with restricted use: familiars only!
I feel your pain, though. I hate having to lose a familiar and I will almost never even consider dismissing one voluntarily. I wish your GM would be more lenient, as it's not as though you're asking for much.
My familiar was attacked for the first time last week, but I'm beginning to worry as well if there are other ways to keep him safe. Today, I stumbled across the Familiar Satchel, worth 25 gold. The bag gives the tiny or smaller familiar total cover. An attack can't be made against a creature that has total cover.
Polymorph it into a foxy lady.
What? It'll be a Humanoid then, capable of wearing all magical gear a PC could. Why else would you...
Oh. Oh, right. Yes. Well, I guess that becomes possible too, then.
Also, if your GM is being a stickler, consider taking Improved Familiar Feat and doing the ritual to call a more powerful being... And let the Fox continue to tag along, without Familiar abilities or benefits, but you could continue to treat it the same.
On this vein. If he no longer is your familiar he will revert to a wild animal and more then likely run off. Have your familiar Awakened. It automaticly cant be your familiar anymore, but retains a keen Intelect. That should allow him to continue to travel with you. Or at least you can reason with him enough to stay friends.
Then your free to pick up Imp Familiar.
Also if you dont mind Multi-classing, the witch is a wonderful idea. At level 10 your fox can be basicly whatever you want him to be.