Familiar Overhaul

[Stranger]

This merits its own thread.

I know nothing of the toolkit, and a lot of this sounds unfeasibly complicated...

[hide="ShadowParagon"]

• Retain the penalty, but incentivize familiar/companion usage through conferring some sort of minor bonus to the master (as opposed to making the creatures themselves overly mechanically strong) such as:
• a buff that is applied on summon and disappears on unsummon or death
• an increase in XP gain from killing monsters while the familiar/companion is summoned

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• Reduce or remove the penalty, but replace it with something else... some examples would be:
  • a simple system that prevents the familiar/companion from being summoned again for some IRL period after its death.
  • OR a more complex custom familiar system that makes familiars/companions into things that you can find or purchase ICly and bond with... (but when they die, their death is permanent and irreversible)
  
  Naturally this is not a very likely thing to be made, but it would enable a diversity of familiars/companions, and would also give more mechanical scope for concepts like:
  
  - mages/druids/rangers that go through many familiars/companions that they don't particularly give a shit about...
  
  - or mages/druids/rangers that seek deeper bonds with familiars/companions for the unique benefits such bonds provide (with the caveat that such bonds increase the chance that a familiar/companion's death would do horrible things to you... like slam you with negative XP, spell failure, negative stats, or even just straight up kill you)
  
  and a lot more potential stuff i won't bother going into since it's not really relevant to the original suggestion

[/LIST]

[/hide]...but all of it sounds cool, and I know this is an eventual goal for the dungeon staff.

I particularly like the idea of a familiar's buff lasting only for as long as it's summoned. It has me tingling with nostalgia for D&D's rulebook, and would highlight how these are permanent, personal companions that travel with their masters.

Animal partners could provide appropriately druidic advantages to the characters they're bonded with, while out and about, from totem powers to heightened senses.

[Howlando]

I would fully support an animal companion/familiar overhaul but it's a lot of work. If anyone with the technical expertise wants to take a shot at it let me know!

[GetFirstPC]

Well I suggest to these familiars to be able exp. After all they die its perma death. And lets say this 2 lvl druid tame  some rat(about right on his lvl) now he goues through lot  get to  lvl 8 and have still same rat with 15 hp which you cant summon at any quests or oyu will have to leave it at entrance to keep it form harm they got perma death in this case they really should be able power up by time otherwise it kills totally ussefulnes of these animal companions. Otherwise most peoples  will  abadon rat and train something else. Coz lets say it directly for example rangers uses buddy companions mainly if they in dangerous situations. Dont know how other druid but if I played one I used my companion too to help me up if we was in danger, and it was a lot after all underdark is full of momnsters... druids dont have invis to cast they can just use hide whats necessity for all druids although they have to give 2 points per lvl 1 skill otherwise they cant mowe through wild "safely".

[Howlando]

It's unfortunate to me that some of the IRC feedback about this change has been kind of negative! As I stated in my post when we're satisfied with lack of bugs and implementation, there will be efforts made to provide all kinds of variety for different kinds of companions. In my opinion the net result of this change will definitely be a plus...

Those active PCs who had an existing attachment to their current companion are more than welcome to find myself or another DM to have it replaced with something with the same model.

There will be something at some point to make it so the companion is getting stronger with time. Unfortunately it's impossible for it to actually level or gain XP, but - again - when we're satisfied with current implementation, there will be something so a loyal companion gets better as it spends time with its friend.


As for wizard familiars, I don't think we'll use this system for them. Whatever we do with wizard/sorc familiars will preserve the fact that PCs can possess them.

[Howlando]

Not to be off topic, but I also don't think players realize how this makes it so much easier for us to reward cool rangers/druids with very unique kinds of companions (whether through an app or through a DM reward).

A water elemental themed druid could get a water elemental
A malarite could get an actual malarite panther
A freaky Lowerdark ranger could train a hook horror
A slaver could get an enslaved bugbear
etc.

[Talir]

You now have access to a selection of animal companions in the starting area, if you have a level of ranger or druid.

[Stranger]

This has been an awesome addition.

[johanmaxon]

Cool as hell was my thought as well.