Firstly i think the chicken is a brilliant RP took, great fun, and very handy with it's lvl 5 ability. However, it also think that most of its abilities are frankly crap purely because of its low HP.
I didn't actually realise how weak it was until I played around with other bird familiars like Ravens and Parrots, which have far higher HP and typically are tougher than their masters.
The chicken gets a wide variety of minor offensive spells, two of which are cone effects. It also gets 2hp a level. Any other familiar could get close enough to deliver them. The chicken, on the other hand can get one-shotted by a Goblin. I love the amusement value of a a chicken with such spells, but there's no chance of ever using them, as why risk 200 xp over a spell?
The other familiars are mostly used just as buffbots. This one could be slightly useful offensively in some areas if it just got a bit of HP.
From what I've seen from your post Egon, that the chicken is ridiculously powerful for a familiar as it stands.
I don't want to spoil the surprise of what the spells are, so I'll PM them to you if you want. One only affects <5HD targets, 2 are cones and the other is the only one with any range to it. They are only DC 12 in any case.
Compare a chicken with 8hp at level 4, no useful skills and only one spell it has a chance in hell of firing to the Parrot with I think 39 hp, high ranks in 2 combat skills and a useful buff. If it had say 2/3 of the HP of other familiars it would be alright, but as it stands I daren't bring it out in case a stray arrow costs me 200XP.
100xp. Familiars cost 100xp.
Umm you expect a "Chicken" to fight for you?
Replace that with "parrot", "raven" or "rat" and the same applies. Also, see "cockfighting" for a history of fighty chickens (That's a bloodsport, not a fetish btw) NO sense in having one familiar weaker than all else.
It's a chicken not a cock I think!
The "tough" familiars are a bug actually I think. They're not suppose to be that powerful. They're suppose to be more like the chicken.
I'm not sure if the bug has been fixed, but I do know that in the past quite a few of the familiars were receiving double the hit points they were supposed to have.
Familiars are meant to be weak. Think of them like a wizard's lab assistant, or friend they play around with. Rarely would a wizard ever put his or her familiar in grave danger, let alone throw them into combat.
The chicken is more of a roleplay tool, and the familiars which are more powerful should be toned down.
I have to point out, as it is insanely hilarious to me, that the rat, at level 5, Has a grand total of around 45 (likely it's supposed to be half that). But from what Egon has told me, the chicken familiar has only around 10 hp at level 5.
I think this fact puts them on par, and even higher (With all the sweet spells), to the old familiars of EfU.
Yeah. You guys all remember the 2 hitpoint imp, supposedly awesome for evil RP, then getting killed by a kobold goofing around with a crossbow.
The chicken itself is clearly the best familiar.
"... Why are you making fun of my cock?"
At level 7 I am able to get my rat to 90+ HP.
In order to get the most out of the chicken familiar, you've got to know your chicken. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAh1sMtObfg)