Improved Familiar FIGHTING

[Carthrat]

Familiars

A wizards familiar is more than just a useful pet. A familiar is a companion, a friend, a source of strength and a source of insight. A familiar is an extension of the mage's magic. It is not the same as the bond between rider and mount, or a favoured pet. More akin to a Faustian pact, a familiar exchanges freedom and a portion of his soul in return for intelligence, longevity, and protection.

The bargain is not one-sided. The mage sacrifices a piece of his soul to the familiar, as well, to give it strength and give it a mind. Using powerful magic to seal the pact, for good or ill, once bound, a familiar is akin to the mages flesh- when one is harmed, so forth the other. It is not a bargain to enter into lightly- once made, the pact cannot be broken.

Clasically, the familiar is a small animal, never larger than a cat or bird. Most familiar spells think of the sensory powers a familiar lends his master, of the particular incenses that must be burned, of what a master stands to lose.

These lesser bindings do exist. But more studied mages know the truth- these are a protective measure, designed to keep apprenti magi from sacrificing their souls to beasts that they then carelessly lose. The true familiar is a deeper pact, with greater responsibilities- but greater strength.

A true familiar is indeed a small animal, but by inclination rather than necessity- though a familiar grants insight and magical strength, they are not physically strengthed so much that they could stand beside a wizard and face the same challenges he might. No, a wizard hides and cloisters his familiar, protecting it from the dangers of the outside world as best he can. Though a familiar can serve as a scout, more than one cocky mage has felt the sundering of spirit that can accompany such a plan gone wrong. Wizards are quick to target the familiars of each other, knowing that they are a great weakness.

As a symbol of magical skill and readiness to take a step to higher power, a familiar represents a magi's bonding with the world he walks on- and to other people- a check to hubris, and a source of strength. Made unprepared, the pact can spell doom. Made by one of great character, it can be a source of joy.


1) Familiars are usually small animals, summoned forth by the caster to serve in 'The Great Experiment' of life. When the pact is sealed, the familiar and the caster can communicate telepathically from then on- though, just as many masters need speak a direct word to it as necessary. A master can see through his familiar's eyes and smell through his nose.

2) Familiars grant some magical boon to the caster- over time, this bond can mature, granting additional powers. Examples include:

: -1 to all saving throws against the casters spells.
: +1 to effective caster level of all spells.
: Once per day, a spell can be cast as if all variable die rolls resulted in   the best possible result.
: Twice per day, a spell can be cast without any components (excluding spells with costly components.)
: An additional spell slot, in which any known spell of a level the wizard can   prepare can be prepared.
: Once per day, a spell can be cast, but not wiped from the mind of the   caster.
: The casting time of all spells is reduced by 2 (never less than 1).
: +1 Intelligence.


3) Familiars have the intelligence and strength of the caster bottled up inside of them- though the caster can access these traits at will, as long as the familiar is near, being seperated from his pacted creature can result in a terrible loss. However, the creatre immediately gains 3 points of intelligence- and as the pact matures, it continues to grow.

4) Familiars are friendly to the caster, but usually only to the caster- trust comes slowly to an animal steeped in magic.

5) Terrible things happen to a mage who's familiar dies of anything other than natural causes. He must immediately make a system shock check, or die- either way, he is dazed for 1d4 rounds and loses 2 points of constitution and a point of intelligence on the spot, as part of his soul screams to the netherworld with the familiar.

The benefits are clear- merely the process is not. Study and courage are needed to unearth these secrets, and a mage must wrest this knowledge from another or find it in a forgotten corner. Either method can be dangerous.. and even if successful, a mage soon learns that power is not all that comes with a familiar's loyalty.

[Carthrat]

Carthrat: They're nothing like 3rd ed familiar rules, which are just as gimpy as the 2e ones
Shairthewm: heh
Carthrat: These make having a familiar, y'know, mean something.
Carthrat: Which it should, given that you basically have this targetable weakness from then on (in both sets, if something kills your familiar, it's save or die!)
Shairthewm: yah
Shairthewm: What's the hp setup?
Carthrat: Hmm, good question.
Carthrat: 50% of mine is how it was before.
Shairthewm: Always thought the 1/2*mage hp was a little on the low end since usually that's 'one hit' type range.
Carthrat: I don't have a complain with that 'cos Saul is tanky.
Carthrat: But maybe 100% of the mages health will do?
Shairthewm: Yeah.  Since it can reasonably kill you, and as a rule in being a small animal, is more vulnerable anyhow
Shairthewm: That way the first time your familiar gets stumbled underfoot in a fight, we don't find a dead mage behind us.
Carthrat: Naturally.
Carthrat: If stuff targets the familiar it'll go down pretty fast.
Carthrat: And sensible people *would*.
Shairthewm: Sensible people who know much about familiars
Shairthewm: I suspect that mages would not make this highly public knowledge
Shairthewm: More like rumor/hearsay type stuff
Carthrat: I tend to run off the assumption that everything we fight is sensible until proven otherwise.
Carthrat: I think it'd be a pretty common rumor that "that bird gives the witch power, let's kill it and see what happens"
Carthrat: Rather, I wouldn't make my *familiar* public knowledge.
Carthrat: If Iddy hadn't already used the concept, I'd actually try to have my familiar as a bodyguard type thing
Carthrat: But hey.
Shairthewm: I'm saying that you should cover the general seeing of such
Shairthewm: yes, they might eat it and all
Shairthewm: but, its better to have a defined culture for it
Carthrat: Mmm... you know, I'd rather dune made that, but I guess I have to.
Shairthewm: Does everyone know what mages familiars do?  Specifically?

If you want dune to do it, you should make it clear and have it out beforehand.  Because Saul should know how well known it is
Shairthewm: as should the rest  of us who'd play around it
Carthrat: I think it'd be common 'knowledge' that 'familiars help mages do magic stuff'
Carthrat: Exactly what they do could be totally unknown.
Carthrat: And the rumors that pop up would be different from place to place, honestly, depending on the society.
Shairthewm: And that's what I'd see.  Albeit, I'd put it not in common but in uncommon knowledge.  Stuff folks that listen to things about mages would have heard and occassional folks would have seen mages with pets, rather than 'guard on street will know that's a familiar'
Carthrat: Mmm.
Shairthewm: The kind of thing you might hear a bar tale about.
Shairthewm: but you wouldn't see a 5 year old coming up to you going "Do you have a familiar?"
Carthrat: Yeah. It really depends on the pervasiveness of magic in society as well.
Carthrat: Which I can't really pick out right away. It's not like people really treat me any different for being a mage.
Shairthewm: Yup.
Shairthewm: Anyhow, either way, you should work it out and get it posted so everyone can play.

[Anastasia]

Hm.

I'll decide on familiar HP tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'll use - I want them fragile enough that it is an issue, but not so much that they're really not in any danger.

As for familiar knowledge in general? Most mages will know of the weakness if they've researched it at all, and I'd assume the average mage of any quality(Say, level 5 or higher) would at least know they're a serious weakness. Those that aren't mages or that don't have spellcraft may have an inkling, but that's it.

Anyway, feedback if you're gonna do it.

[Anastasia]

ADDED C-RAT BONUS PASTE:

* Dracos has too many memories of mid-low con wizards with 11 hp familiars
> I need to figure out HP on that front.
* Kotono nod sand pats.
> I'm going to rewrite Find Familiar when this is done, so it's not set in stone yet.
* Midnight (danchou@adsl-18-32-110.mco.bellsouth.net) Quit (Ping timeout)
<Dracos> A good 15-16 is about two blows.
<Dracos> The usual notion I always  find with it is: if something wants to kill a familiar...they usually die quick
<Dracos> Unless their hp is in the hundreds.
> Tarrasque Familiar!
<Dracos> The whole side effect of generally being a small fleshy animal.
<Dracos> with no armor
<Dracos> and no unnatural super abilities.
* Kotono smiles. I can bring back TARRIE-CHAN, Rat! Yay!
<Dracos> Bad Kotono.

Not serious, but let's smile and consider that!

[Carthrat]

Familiar's a magical beast; it could just as easily have magical protection instead of more HP. What form that takes would depend on the familiar, I guess.

[Dracos]

Reading up a bit.

I'd poke that it'd probably be  much neater from a mythos standpoint if you doint have the 'lesser bindings/lesser familiars' deal.

Make it special, something not all mages will do and not some casual stepping stone deal like magic missile.  Yah?

Dracos

[Carthrat]

Well, sure, but mages are arguably pretty rare from a mythos standpoint. I guess it's up to Dune's interpretation of the world. Definately like not making it a general thing everyhting has (I am taking it for ego points. >_>)

[Dracos]

That'd make it even more of an issue.  lesser bindings and all to help 'apprentices' are less likely in a situation where there's not a large formalized academy type setup where they'd design such spells for teaching and practice.

Rat, roll for coolness.  +2 for ego!

Dracos

[Carthrat]

Am I aiming for a *high* or *low* number?

[Anastasia]

That's fine - I can hype up Find Familiar if you want. However, if there is only a greater version, it will increase the level/difficulty/material component aspect of the incantation. Fair warning.

As for in world? Mages aren't common, but they aren't unknown, either. A mid level magic setting, about on par with a loosely magical campaign.

[Carthrat]

I dunno. How high level would you be shooting for?

I figure that the reason most mages would choose not to do it is because of the risk and highly personal aspect of a familiar, rather than because they just *can't*.

In other words, it's finding out how to do it that's hard, but the process is accessable. At least, that's how I saw it. >_>

[Anastasia]

I dunno. How high level would you be shooting for?

I figure that the reason most mages would choose not to do it is because of the risk and highly personal aspect of a familiar, rather than because they just *can't*.

In other words, it's finding out how to do it that's hard, but the process is accessable. At least, that's how I saw it. >_>

Level 2, probably. A boost up in the skill level to reflect a more serious, potent magic feels right. It makes it still available while underscoring that this is serious magic.

[Dracos]

Rat:

And also in creating a weakness.  Mages that are often in the public eye or are particularly self-centered likely wouldn't want it for  the notion of not allowing an external weakness.

Between having to have a pet, give up part of your soul, and create a weakness I'd say there's plenty of discouragement to explain a low threshold of mages with familiars without making it exceedingly difficult to manage doing it if you are a skilled mage.

Dracos

[Carthrat]

Mmm. Keeping it away from apprentices, I guess. Cool.

[Anastasia]

Rat:

And also in creating a weakness.  Mages that are often in the public eye or are particularly self-centered likely wouldn't want it for  the notion of not allowing an external weakness.

Between having to have a pet, give up part of your soul, and create a weakness I'd say there's plenty of discouragement to explain a low threshold of mages with familiars without making it exceedingly difficult to manage doing it if you are a skilled mage.

Dracos

It is, yes. It's a powerful ally, and a glaring weakness rolled into one. With the set of weaknesses mages already have, another is risky business.