I'm playing a Tiefling Witch (Deception Patron) in Plunder and Peril, we start next week. It's a pirate themed module. I thought monkey familiar would be fun. Unfortunately I'm not very familiar with familiars (pun intended). So I'd like your input and advice on the fluff and some rules issues too. This is more for fun, I'm not looking answers for "Can he use weapons/wands?" type of questions.
Mechanics first:
1) How do I communicate with him before level 5? We start on level 4 so that's not a big issue but still. Is there some spell for this?
2) How do I calculate his skill points? I've looked over the monkey entry from SRD but it leaves me baffled. +5 Perception? How do you calculate that? I presume that he does not gain his own skill ranks, because he uses the masters ranks if they are higher.
Second, the Fun!
1) Cast Invisibility on him. Make him steal stuff. Or throw poo out of nowhere!
2) Make him climb a tree. Throw poo from there!
3) Use Prestidigitation on him - if GM lets me houserule that for the witch. Or just plain Disguise him with hooked hands, deadly looking sabres and eye patches and Intimidate enemies with his pirate-foo! Yarrr! I have +11 Intimidate (through Clever Wordplay) so that could work mechanically too. If not, then just for kicks. Also, no poo this time.
Suggestions?
Just realised that the Intimidate thing would not work, mechanics wise, cause he uses his own CHA modifier. So it's like +1 to the roll. Just for fun then!
Everybody's got something to hide except me and my monkey.
As far as communication is concerned, he's intelligent enough to understand Common even though he can't yet speak it, and you do have at least an empathic connection. And if you'd like prestidigitation, the Two World Magic trait can fix that if house rules don't. Y'know, to help with cleaning up all the poo. :)
Re the existing skills; perception +5 comes from 1 rank, wis 12 for another +1, class skill for +3 = +5 total. Acrobatics comes from +2 dex, +8 racial. Climb comes from +2 dex (as a tiny creature it can use dex instead of str) and +8 from having a climb speed.
Besides these it gets the same skill ranks as your witch but uses its own class skills and ability scores. So if your witch has 4 ranks in spellcraft, the monkey gets to add its own -2 int modifier for +2 total; if your witch has 4 ranks in stealth, the monkey gets to add its +2 dex, +3 class and +8 size bonus for +17 total.
How do I communicate with him before level 5?
Your monkey is pretty smart, but does not understand Common. However, the Handle Animal skill works fine (even though it's no longer an animal as such). You're not going to be discussing philosophy with your little buddy for another level, so do take the time to teach it a few tricks.
Second, the Fun!
- Share Alter Self with him, and have a Troglodyte on your team.
- Take the Evolved Familiar feat, and give the monkey the Skilled evolution for a +8 to a skill like Intimidate. Or Stealth maybe?
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I had monkey familiar on Serpent Skull. When I was angry with another survivor (pc), my familiar went and peed on his stuff.
The familiar was played by me when it was on my line off sight and by gm when it was not. Lot of hilarity issues. Especially when exploring places where no other fitted in.
By the way, I had named the monkey Asmo(deus).
if your witch has 4 ranks in stealth, the monkey gets to add its +2 dex, +3 class and +8 size bonus for +17 total.
That's... that's awesome! I'm not very good at number crunching and was thinking how do I get him to be stealthy without Invisibility. Thanks!
Your monkey is pretty smart, but does not understand Common. However, the Handle Animal skill works fine (even though it's no longer an animal as such). You're not going to be discussing philosophy with your little buddy for another level, so do take the time to teach it a few tricks.
Umm, is there a FAQ for this? I mean the talking bit? To me it makes more sense that I cannot talk to him before level 5, otherwise there would be no gain. Still, @Rennaivx has a different opinion so is there some official ruling on this?
Handle Animal sounds good. Too bad my CHA is 10, so I imagine most of the time, even if he's trained, something like this happens:
Witch: See that fruitbowl there? Go get some fruit for me, I'm hungry!
Monkey: Stares with a blank expression
Witch: Fruit. Get. Now.
Monkey: Starts to scratch its groin
Witch: Oh, why bother. Just do what you want.
Monkey: Starts to throw poo
I had monkey familiar on Serpent Skull. When I was angry with another survivor (pc), my familiar went and peed on his stuff.
The familiar was played by me when it was on my line off sight and by gm when it was not. Lot of hilarity issues. Especially when exploring places where no other fitted in.
By the way, I had named the monkey Asmo(deus).
I had a co-worker named Asmo. He was a Union man, tough as old boots, prone to fits of rage when employer suggested any changes to working conditions. He was also a lovely old man, had a twisted humor and could paint like Michelangelo.
Yes, I think this little guy will be known as Asmo too =)
If your GM agrees that familiars can't understand common until 5th level the workaround is really easy. Have your witch spend 1 skill point on linguistics. The monkey now also has a rank in linguistics, even if it can't speak to you yet it can understand the language you both learned. Problem solved.
Have your witch spend 1 skill point on linguistics. The monkey now also has a rank in linguistics, even if it can't speak to you yet it can understand the language you both learned.
Again I beg to differ.
Learn a Language: Whenever you put a rank into this skill, you learn to speak and read a new language.
It's not your Familiar that puts a rank in the skill, it just gets to make checks using its master's ranks. And knowing a language involves no check, but is a by-product of investing the skill point.
Still, the only real answer is always: ask your GM.
btw, if I cast Invisibility on myself while the monkey sits on my shoulder, does it become invisible too? And turns visible if he leaves the shoulder? Or does he float in the air, fully visible, scary as ever?