Magic-User Options

[Master Lok]

Just my two cents.

Love the Arcane Bolt idea.

I would keep it to the same to hit as everyone else, I know the ability check idea has good basis, but for me, I'm trying to keep it simple. Ability checks are for saves and for skills. Since Arcane Bolt is a concussive force, then there's a chance that armor may deflect damage. It's a replacement for crossbows and daggers for me.

And there are some spells to require to hit rolls, but not a lot. In 2nd ed. there was the old Ray Enfeeblement or Chromatic Orb but yah it's not common.

I'm also stipulating that the caster has to be armed with a rod/staff/wand to cast it. That way I can disarm him if he's captured. The best thing about Arcane Bolt? I'm going to make my players shout out an attack word like 'Stupify' or 'Expelliarmus' when they cast it. hee hee.

[SmootRK]

This is my take on it as well, but I said as much earlier.

Did anyone put together a good Familiar system or mechanic? MU are definitely lacking in that department. Hopefully something can be put together that scales a bit more with the MU level (meaning the critter gets better in various ways, additional critters, or other things like a 'signature' wand/staff/etc).

[Master Lok]

This is my take on it as well, but I said as much earlier.

Did anyone put together a good Familiar system or mechanic? MU are definitely lacking in that department. Hopefully something can be put together that scales a bit more with the MU level (meaning the critter gets better in various ways, additional critters, or other things like a 'signature' wand/staff/etc).

There's a Familiar spell in the Spells Supplement, but I'm guessing that you're already aware of that one, and that wasn't what you were looking for.

I like your familiar idea. So familiar gets tougher as caster gains levels. Caster gets bonus hp or one higher spell level when familiar is around?

common familiars: cat, rat, bat, crow, snake, owl, kobold? hobbit?

[Joe the Rat]

How much of the 3.x SRD do you want to pilfe- er, I mean use as inspiration for this? They've got some nice shiny gears and baubles, but it gets a bit crunchy rather quickly.

[SmootRK]

I think a good basic familiar might have HP equal to 1/4 of the MU (25%, round down). Uses the same Saves as MU. AC equal to 10 plus 1/2 the level of MU (round down). Attacks may vary slightly (generally in the 1-2 points range). Perhaps something that says a familiar is a summoned creature that serves the magic-user in various ways. Most are natural animals that might range from the size of a rat to the size of a large cat or very small dog. The familiar is quite intelligent for an animal, having an intelligence equivalent to 1/2 the level of the MU (but min 3).

Basic Perk for the MU: a sort of mental link exists between the mage and his familiar. This bond allows the magic-user and the familiar to know the status of each other, reducing the chance of either to be surprised by 1. In addition, with full concentration the MU may see through the eyes of his familiar and may communicate mentally with the familiar (bearing in mind the animal intelligence, albeit enhanced). Best of all, when the familiar is within reach of the MU (generally within 3 feet or actually touching) the MU casts spells as if 1 level higher (but this does not mean additional spells, just when a spell is cast it may last longer, deal additional damage, or otherwise benefit as if the MU was one level higher when cast).

anyone have more ideas?

[Joe the Rat]

While most familiars would benefit from taking the MU saves and partial HP, I'd say use 1/4 MU HP, AC 10+1/2 MU level, or their natural HD/hp and AC, whichever is better. Since we're looking at typically 1hp/level of MU, this would allow more survivable familiars for those first few levels. Also, by establishing this as the rule, it allows for larger or more "fantastic" familiars down the road if you decide to add the option.

When a Magic User is seeing through his familiar's eyes, s/he should probably benefit from any special sensory abilities. Mostly this is for a cat's low-light vision, but other options could be involved as well. Spells can't be targeted from the familiar's POV, as the concentration required to see through the familiar prevents spell-casting.

Enchantments may be cast on familiars, though they may have different results. For instance, Magic Mouth would result in the familiar "talking" rather than a mouth sprouting on its back - unless, of course, your wizard is that creepy.

Borrowing from the saves rules, if we treat the familiar as "being in the possession of the Magic-User," it also qualifies for any magical protections on its master. For simplicity's sake, they have the exact saves of their masters. I think this is what you meant, but I figured a little more clarification might not be amiss. And yes, I'm saying that if you've sent your raven to deliver a message across town, it still benefits from that ring of protection you're wearing.

Intelligence of 1/2 MU's intelligence means a minimum of 4 (assuming we round down), as the MU minimum is 9. You should probably specify on rounding. I'm inclined to say round down for familiar intelligence. "Naturally" intelligent familiars (brownies, imps, fairies, certain varieties of miniature dragons) pop up in literature, but they take a slightly different role (half familiar, half advisor). Maybe a higher level "familiar" spell to allow for larger companions and/or inherently smart/magical ones?

[SmootRK]

My take on Intelligence is that a familiar gets more and more intelligent as the MU advances in level. So I propose species minimum or 1/2 the level of the MU (whichever is better). This allows a 20th level MU to have a cat with the intelligence of a average intelligence man (10). Should it be more?

As to minimums for others, yes each species has likely got its own minimum and being a familiar should not penalize it... but it gets better with the MU level.

Saves, Yes, you get what I meant. The familiar has the actual saves of its master (from link).

Good point on Familiar Senses. Yes that makes sense.

I also would expect that "special familiars" as we know them (Imps, Quasits, Brownies, Psuedodragons, etc.) are special cases, and these may require special rules unique to each (as the power levels can vary, so should too the rules for them). I would not really mind a MU having a Special Familiar in addition to an Animal Familiar.

Forgive my writing in stream of thought in this post and the previous. Whenever I get to 'real writing' of the details, that is when I write fully in gamer-legalese... or the equivalent for old school.

[Sir Bedivere]

Interesting stuff on familiars. One question, though:

My take on Intelligence is that a familiar gets more and more intelligent as the MU advances in level. So I propose species minimum or 1/2 the level of the MU (whichever is better). This allows a 20th level MU to have a cat with the intelligence of a average intelligence man (10). Should it be more?

What if the 20th level MU only has an INT of 9? Should a familiar ever be more intelligent than its master? (Well, except for supernatural familiars who are also a kind a guide, anyway.)

[Joe the Rat]

My take on Intelligence is that a familiar gets more and more intelligent as the MU advances in level. So I propose species minimum or 1/2 the level of the MU (whichever is better).

Heh, And every time I reviewed, I kept reading that as half the Magic-User's intelligence, not level.


Honestly, if the Magic-User has an intelligence of 9, I've got no problem with his familiar being slightly smarter. But I'd be inclined to make his familiar smarter from the get-go as a point of contrast. Even if said familiar is a toad. Especially if said familiar was a toad.

[SmootRK]

That is the extreme worst case scenario for INT of MU vs an animal Familiar; therefore I would overlook that possibility (because otherwise the mechanisms are sound). In actual play, it is very unlikely to ever be encountered for the players (unlikely that a player who rolls a 9 INT will opt for MU in normal situations, and equally unlikely to be in play at 20th level - but theoretically possible I suppose). If it ever actually came up, the GM could caveat the rule, limiting the familiar INT. I would not bother to write it in real legalese to cover every illogical situation; that is just contrary to the Old School mentality in my mind.

For those special familiars, they probably require some special rules - likely specific to each one.