Epic Mage familiars

[Anshar]

I did a search in the forums but could not find a specific entry regarding epic mages and familiars, so if this question has been asked previously, my apologies. Why is it that a 30 level mage's familiar only has 18hp? Logically, a familiar that has been with the mage from the beginning would have grown in endurance and such just as the mage did?

[Cortex]

They have no scaling anymore.

[Anshar]

Why? What sense does that make?

[Cortex]

They were over buffed, then their leveling was removed in exchange of infinite summon familiar/day(as long as they don't die).

The reasoning is to allow familiars to be somewhat relevant to mage RP without being overpowered or complete fodder. Not that mages need familiars to be strong.

[Anshar]

and how many epic characters travel in areas where a familiar with 18hp will survive a single hit....makes absolutely no sense....

[Anime Sword Fighter]

It was made that way because the familiars are not meant to be used as tanks or front line fighters, rather for utility and for mage RP.

[Cortex]

Some familiars are still absurdly broken.

[PinataPlethora]

and how many epic characters travel in areas where a familiar with 18hp will survive a single hit....makes absolutely no sense....

Unsummon before combat. Summon again when the coast is clear.

And this.

With your familiar, your familiar redirects aggro to you

[Lorkas]

Yea, your familiar will never die unless it invokes an attack of opportunity or gets caught in an area of effect spell because it's too close to you.

[frightnight]

a better solution was would be to just follow nwn 2's model and just have them give something like +1 save all,+20 hp..and be utterly useless

better than the current situation drawing anything and everything to attack you

[Lorkas]

It is not utterly useless, unless you only try to use it for things that it isn't useful for.

There are things that the familiars can do now that are impossible for any other class to emulate, and not just in terms of RP.

[Cihparg]

It is not utterly useless, unless you only try to use it for things that it isn't useful for.

There are things that the familiars can do now that are impossible for any other class to emulate, and not just in terms of RP.

I'm just curious; but tell me, what can the mech do that other classes can't emulate.

[Lorkas]

Possessed familiars are the only way in the game to scout indefinitely with absolutely 0 risk from spawns. Since familiars got the update to how AI interact with them (redirecting any aggro they accrue to the mage), spawns will not chase the familiar when possessed. The only risk would be walking over a trap. How many places in the module are not so tough to work through slowly, but sometimes spawn a huge ambush right at a transition that could kill an unwary group?

In some cases a stealther or invis'd character could do this job, but the invisibility will be useless if they are spawned right by the door, and the stealther is subject to spot/listen rolls and true seeing. The familiar is basically in Greater Sanctuary mode when the mage isn't nearby.

I can think of a few places in the module where possessing a familiar for various tasks would be invaluable for Arelith-specific reasons also, but I will leave those FOIG.

[Dinosaur Space Program]

As someone who never really depended on a familiar, I actually liked the change up so I can infinite summon it. I never allowed my familiar to be in combat to begin with as it made no RP sense for my mage to throw its fragile little bonded familiar into nasty combat with it. In PnP you lose Con if it dies so I always took more that mentality with it. Regardless, I have leveled a couple mages now with no reliance on a familiar and in one case, no reliance on summons. They were all normal wizards or sorcerers, none of the infinite magic classes. It isn't That hard to do.

The familiars as they are have more RP utility I think instead of just being popped out to do locks/traps or spam spells/bolts. Mind, I am still in the habit of not using my familiar because I am ingrained into the 'Once per rest' mechanic still. But the few times it's been nice to know that I can summon and dismiss it and summon it again without having to guzzle alcohol and screw up my rest cycles for it.

[Calligrapher]

Is there a wiki link to the modified skins?

[Dinosaur Space Program]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=38

First page of the lengthy summons thread! I am not sure about the wiki myself, sorry.