| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Having taken an air elemental familiar with Improved Familiar, can it deliver touch spells while in whirlwind form?
Also, would delivering touch spells with Flyby Attack incur attacks of opportunity?
Flyby Attack does not ignore attacks of opportunity, though if you invest in familiar evolution you can give it reach making it that much more viable against creatures without reach.
Whirlwind form does not prevent it from attacking so it should be possible, though it is a standard action to assume the whirlwind shape and lasts for 1 round per 2HD, still not quite sure the familiar is actually treated as a higher HD creature for effects dependent on HD, I think so there probably is a FAQ about it, if that is not the case whirlwind will not last long enough to matter.
An air elemental can move 100' in one move action...that should be plenty of time to deliver a touch spell. And I'm reasonably certain familiars are specifically treated as higher HD creatures for effects dependent on HD.
An air elemental can move 100' in one move action...that should be plenty of time to deliver a touch spell. And I'm reasonably certain familiars are specifically treated as higher HD creatures for effects dependent on HD.
I am not so sure the familiar gets a free attack though, you can designate them as 'the toucher', but the free attack action is part of casting the spell. Move without free action would still not accomplish much, I am sure there was a thread on this never got to read the final conclusion on that.
I think the design team effectively neutered the HD issue of Familiars so their abilities don't increase as the master increases in levels.
Things tied to their HD do not change.
Its in the errata or FAQ, I forget which.
-S
well, poop.
sorry, forgot to thank you for your responses! appreciate it. i still think air elemental is good, but will re-examine my options.
I am not so sure the familiar gets a free attack though, you can designate them as 'the toucher', but the free attack action is part of casting the spell. Move without free action would still not accomplish much, I am sure there was a thread on this never got to read the final conclusion on that.
Familiars don't get the free action touch. But the Whirlwind ability lets the elemental make a kind of attack as part of it's movement, and successful attacks trigger held spells. Does the Whirlwind ability count? I'd say yes, if they take damage.
Familiars don't get the free action touch. But the Whirlwind ability lets the elemental make a kind of attack as part of it's movement, and successful attacks trigger held spells. Does the Whirlwind ability count? I'd say yes, if they take damage.
I am not so sure the familiar gets a free attack though, you can designate them as 'the toucher', but the free attack action is part of casting the spell. Move without free action would still not accomplish much, I am sure there was a thread on this never got to read the final conclusion on that.
I never considered that, still not sure what I think about that really, either way it would cause AoO though, I'd go with the reach evolution and just fly over them to tap them on the head.
I think the design team effectively neutered the HD issue of Familiars so their abilities don't increase as the master increases in levels.
Things tied to their HD do not change.
Its in the errata or FAQ, I forget which.-S
Not in the errata, not in the FAQ. AFAICT, air elemental familiar would use the master's HD to determine duration of whirlwind.
I never considered that, still not sure what I think about that really, either way it would cause AoO though, I'd go with the reach evolution and just fly over them to tap them on the head.
No AoO.
Not in the errata, not in the FAQ. AFAICT, air elemental familiar would use the master's HD to determine duration of whirlwind.I think the design team effectively neutered the HD issue of Familiars so their abilities don't increase as the master increases in levels.
Things tied to their HD do not change.
Its in the errata or FAQ, I forget which.-S
Really, I thought that it was stated with the Silvanashee (outerplanar cat) that it would not increase it's laying on hands ability. I'll try my google-fu though it repeatedly fails me.
No AoO.
I never considered that, still not sure what I think about that really, either way it would cause AoO though, I'd go with the reach evolution and just fly over them to tap them on the head.
Why not ? it still moves through threatened squares.
"Technically, that should scale with HD, so as written, a wiz20's silvanshee improved familiar would have 7 uses of 10d6 LOH per day. Which is, of course, way too good. We're probably going to errata the silvanshee so the damage still scales up with HD but it remains capped at 1/day."
Quote by SKR, so familiars still increase with HD though he admits it is probably too good in that specific case of the outerspace cat.
i'm kinda sorry i missed the profanity and jabs. where did that even come from?
i'm kinda sorry i missed the profanity and jabs. where did that even come from?
I missed it too. Over air elementals to boot. What a weird thing to get upset about.