Ok, so I've been pondering for a long time, to take Improved Familiar or not to take? While many of the Improved Familiars seem outstandingly nice, it comes at the loss of the original familiar bonus, usually in my case a +4 initiative from a scorpion familiar.
Now, there are a couple of main things that should be noted about my GM. A. He does not allow familiars to use rods, staves, ect. So no monkey with a magical stick, or imp or what not. Secondly, familiars who often take a more combat oriented role often attracts more "agro", and more likely to get killed as a result.
With these things said and done, what improved familiars would likely be considered top contenders for a familiar? Would improved familiar even be worth it considering the GM's thoughts on familiars?
Honestly, with your DM handling familiars the way you say he does, I don't think it'd really be worth taking improved familiar. In my opinion, losing the +4 initiative bonus for something with a special ability that can't use wands or rods and will possibly draw attacks to it just doesn't sound like a good idea.
As far as which I'd choose, I'd probably go for something that'd make a decent scout at least. Something you could potentially talk to. Perhaps a small earth elemental. That would probably be putting it into danger as well, I would think though.
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If your DM is going to actively nerf your familiar to that degree then you should unload the big gun on them.
Get the Inevitable Arbiter and use it with the shield Other spell.
It's natural Regen ability will effectively double your (and your party heavies and everyone else if you want) HP's from the safety of your backpack.
Never dies, laughs at incoming damage and since the damage is untyped the only way to stop it is to specifically go digging in your backpack and beat on it with a chaotic aligned damage effect.
Flying shapechanging familiars make really good scouts, though of course you could share spells disguise self with your familiar for much the same effect.
Second, some improved familiars have really killer SLAs (most impressively, commune), but I think if your GM isn't going to let them use wands or something, it may not be worth it just for those. YMMV.
Imps with invis , fly and fast healing(rings of shield other ) make good scouts . But without the ability to use wands its probably not worth it.
Sadly can't take Inevitable Arbiter, as I'm Chaotic Neutral. The two main improved familiars I've thought about taking is the Clockwork Familiar, since it provides a constant bonus for use magical device as well as craft, as well as being able to constantly have detect magic on if slotted with a spell scroll (would also fit in flavorwise considering how my character is addicted to finding magical trinkets). The second is the Faerie Dragon, as it is mostly debilitating effects, and additionally can cast greater invisibility on itself 3 times a day, ensuring its able to more safely assist.
Does your DM has a problem with regular (animal) familiars using wands or with any familiar (including things like the imp) using wands?
Does your DM has a problem with regular (animal) familiars using wands or with any familiar (including things like the imp) using wands?
More of any familiar using wands. Admittingly, if we lost our cleric, he might be willing to allow it, if only for something like a wand of cure light wounds or something along those lines. likelihood of something like that happening though is pretty low.
If that's the case then i strongly advise you to stick with the +4 initiative, if he doesn't allow (or just doesn't like) familiars using wands then if you start using a familiar like imp (who has at will invisibility) for things like scouting, scrying and other such things or with other abilities like commune i am sure that your DM won't like those either.
So i advise you to stick with the +4 initiative.
Nerfing Improved Familiar by taking away Wands is probably the nail in the coffin for the feat.
Under normal circumstances, there are too many great choices to list. With his crappy changes, you might consider a Psuedodragon--their sleep poison DC scales with HD, so it could end up pretty sick. I'd probably just stick to the +4 initiative--er, I mean scorpion that you totally took for flavor because you like scorpions and not at all because you converted your familiar into a bonus feat :P
Familiars that grant Initiative bother me, especially because they're such stupid choices thematically, but everyone does it anyway because it's too strong not to.
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Nerfing Improved Familiar by taking away Wands is probably the nail in the coffin for the feat.
Under normal circumstances, there are too many great choices to list. With his crappy changes, you might consider a Psuedodragon--their sleep poison DC scales with HD, so it could end up pretty sick. I'd probably just stick to the +4 initiative--er, I mean scorpion that you totally took for flavor because you like scorpions and not at all because you converted your familiar into a bonus feat :P
Familiars that grant Initiative bother me, especially because they're such stupid choices thematically, but everyone does it anyway because it's too strong not to.
Unfortunately as far as I've been able to research the fairy dragons sleep poison doesn't improve. Since the familiar stays at it's normal HD and is only treated as higher for effects then it's DC stays exactly the same.
Really takes the joy out of it.
My witch has a Doru Div, no hands so no wands, but it's still fantastic to have. Yes losing +4 Init really hurts, but with constant detect magic, telepathy 100ft and some pretty nice spell-likes, it's more than worth the downside.
Unfortunately as far as I've been able to research the fairy dragons sleep poison doesn't improve. Since the familiar stays at it's normal HD and is only treated as higher for effects then it's DC stays exactly the same.
Really takes the joy out of it.
DCs are effects of HD. If that doesn't work, then I'm just totally frustrated with their use of the word "effects" in abilities like that.
One vote for the Faerie Dragon. It's SLA of Grease and Silent Image are both great battlefield control spells, being able to disarm opponents and direct the flow of battle with what are essential free actions for you. I've often won initiative to have my Faerie Dragon familiar cast 'Wall of Thorns' or 'Wall of Iron' (read, Silent Image) to bottleneck the enemy straight into the path of my BSF. No wands required.
Okay you folks who are ragging on the GM. If you see a spellcaster whose familiar is effectively using wands against your party, are you simply going to ignore that familiar?
I don't think so. If you make your familiar into a combat threat, expect the opposition to take that into account, and react appropriately.
I don't think that anyone (at least in this thread) suggested something like that.
This certainly isn't the most optimized choice, but I took a celestial familiar at 3rd level because it fit beautifully with the character's RP goals. As it turned out, if your build doesn't really need the 3rd level feat that badly, having a flying familiar with DR/SR/resistances that can bombard enemies using a smite evil bonus ain't too shabby for a third level feat.
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I'm planning to take an Earth Elemental for my Earth School Wizard. While I think my GM will (grumblingly) allow it to use wands, the main value will be as a scout that can just go through the walls. That earth-melding ability earth elementals have is comparable to flying in how much freedom it gives you.
I like Cacodaemons a lot. They make decent scouts with constant invisibility/flight plus shape change, and nothing says intimidation like "I will literally steal your soul and damn you to oblivion if you mess with me."
Faerie Dragons make amazing scouts (Tiny size, perfect manueverability, Greater Invisibility 3/day) and having a pocket caster who can drop a half dozen Silent Images a day opens up a LOT of doors.
I like Cacodaemons a lot. They make decent scouts with constant invisibility/flight plus shape change, and nothing says intimidation like "I will literally steal your soul and damn you to oblivion if you mess with me."
This is true. Flight, constant invisibility and telepathy out to 100 feet makes for a damn good scout... and how nice is the occasional Commune when you really need it?
DR 5, Fast healing 2, immunity to acid, poison and disease, energy resistance 10 vs. cold, fire and electricty - all add tremendously to its survivability.
Wait...your familiar can't be a wand wielder? What's the point then? Oh wait...all the OTHER stuff they do.
Is your character a crafter in any way? Pick up an improved familiar (any) with hands and the ability to speak w/you. Now have them spend 8 hrs crafting alongside you, preferably with the Valet archetype applied.
I agree with others; the loss of wand use is regrettable. I have a wizard PC in my current game; he's maxing out his UMD now so that he can take the group's wand of CLW and then hand that off to his owl for combat healing. He's also crafting other utility/buff wands so that his familiar can buff on the fly or apply utilities like floating discs or ant hauls as needed.
"Wand Use" doesn't have to mean "obvious combat threat." However familiars can EASILY serve other roles in the team. I'm about to become a player in another guy's campaign; for flavor reasons I took a humunculus familiar. Since it's a homegame I asked, if I spent more gold could I improve the little sucker. He said not in HP, but was willing to work w/me. You ready for this? Shrink Item.
My guy is an origami master. His humunculus is a paper doll (granted it has some leather bits as well as rare resins and magical density so it qualifies as a regular humunculus for AC and such) so the concept is the thing can accordian down to 1/16th its size and either go up a sleeve if I'm captured or go under a door and then re-inflate. Instant spy!
I just feel like, if you look at your familiar as a utility to be used OUT of combat, suddenly there are FAR too many improved familiars to choose from.