New Familiar Blues

[JackOfSwords]

Being a cat person, I'm tremendously sad that there isn't an option for a cat familiar.  What self-respecting witch wouldn't have a black cat?  *Sighs*  :(

I'd like to see cats added, someday.  Not necessarily like a panther or jaguar, which would've been nice but I'm assuming they were considered over-powered.

Perhaps creating a new blueprint of a panther, shrunken down in size and nerfed in power so that it's merely a housecat?

Perhaps it could replace the raven, given that there's 3 birds to choose from? ;)

[MisterPAIN]

On the Raven, wikipediaed:

"Over the centuries, it has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art and literature. In many indigenous cultures, including those of Scandinavia, ancient Ireland and Wales, Bhutan, the northwest coast of North America, Siberia and northeast Asia, the Common Raven has been revered as a spiritual figure or god"

Imo the raven stays.

[Howlando]

I considered this but scaled down monsters still have the highlighted ghost effect which looks awful, and would be particularly so for an ever present familiar being used in potentially crowded areas.

Rangers/Druids will have jungle cats to choose from, though.

[LackofCertainty]

I've seen house cat models on others servers. :confused:

(not scaled down panthers, actual house cat models)


Edit: Forgive my ignorance if house cats are difficult to add somehow.

[Snoteye]

Impossible without haks. Peronally, I'd much rather have a chicken anyway.

[Luke Danger]

Sorry about multible subjects per thread, but when are the new familiar's being added?

[JackOfSwords]

On the Raven, wikipediaed:

"Over the centuries, it has been the subject of mythology, folklore, art and literature. In many indigenous cultures, including those of Scandinavia, ancient Ireland and Wales, Bhutan, the northwest coast of North America, Siberia and northeast Asia, the Common Raven has been revered as a spiritual figure or god"

If you notice, those are all colder climates, not really all that fitting for the more tropical setting of the islands.  Cats deal well in nearly any climate, and are handy for pest control on merchant ships that might be hauling grains or foodstores.

But, alas, it does not seem that scaling them down will be an option, and I'm guessing that larger cats are favorable to the DM's as they would be too powerful as a familiar.  Perhaps I'll make a druid/wizard when I make my witch...  :)

[MisterPAIN]

Species of crows exist in climates like the Northern American Southwest, Hawaii and Brazil so you could just call it a crow instead and you're pretty much done with climate.  So crows are actually fitting to the tropical setting instead of a raven, oh wow.

[JackOfSwords]

It's not so much that I'm arguing against the raven whatsoever, so much as birds comprise 1/3 of the possible familiars you can choose from, and ravens are the least appropriate of those birds for the setting.

[LackofCertainty]

But Ravens are the only bird-familiars that can talk in DnD! :p


From Ze PHB:
"A raven familiar can speak one language of it's master's choice as a supernatural ability."


Makes me want to make a depressed wizard with a raven that croaks "Nevermore" at him. :)


(and yeah, I'm the rules lawyer for my group. >_>)

[JackOfSwords]

Parrots should be allowed the talk rule, as well!

Makes me want to have my current bubbly wizards' parrot squawk, "Evermore"...  :-D

[PanamaLane]

I believe its mentioned somewhere that only Imps, floating skulls and eyeballs can talk intelligently, but parrots and ravens and the like can say a few short phrases.

[MisterPAIN]

It's not so much that I'm arguing against the raven whatsoever, so much as birds comprise 1/3 of the possible familiars you can choose from, and ravens are the least appropriate of those birds for the setting.

This isn't necessarily true, seagulls although coastal don't really seem to fit being a choice of wizards/sorcerers being a squawking noisy shit machine and seems more fitted for ranger/druids.  I don't think many arcanists would desire to have a loud seagull shitmaker bonded to them other than being able to cast endurance.  A studious wizard or a sorcerer not wanting seagull poop on him would probably not want one.  If I was smart I would pick the less noisy, less pooing, talking, symbolic raven or crow which actually -does- exist in tropical settings making them no less appropriate than any of the other birds.

[Lansert]

I am a cat person too (well I'm an everything person) but, do not touch the Raven.  They are too cool.

[derfo]

I'm A Dinosaur Person Myself And Looking Forward To The Dinosaur Familiar