Power to the... Eyeball!?

[Meldread]

As someone who has chosen to use the Eyeball familiar, I have to say it really does suck ass compared to the other familiars.  The last familiar that I used was the skull, which was practically a Nightriser Warlock with its ability to cast negative energy rays, protection from negative energy, negative energy blast, and death armor.  Not to mention the fact that it had more HP than my wizard, had undead immunities, and I also believe it had better AC than my wizard as well... it once took out an entire pack of wolves.  Alone.

I've heard the rat is also extremely powerful, and the same goes true for several other familiars.

Yet, the Skull and the Eyeball are really the only two familiars that, when summoned can get you killed... just for using them.  The Eyeball has a few cold rays that it shoots from its eyes, and although I have not gotten it to a high level, it seems to have the ability to cast protection from evil... but the buff does not work.

Suggested Improvements:
-  Remove Protection from Evil
-  Add SR 11 + level (Total of 20 SR at 9th)
-  Give it +1 AC per level, because it's really small (19 AC at 9th).
-  Give it the same HP as the Skull
-  Give it +1 AB per level, because it's rays are ranged touch attacks
-  Give it +5 Rays per level (25 Rays at 5th, 45 Rays at 9th)
-  Allow Rays to do 1d6 damage, slightly better than Ray of Frost  (It will still only get 1 attack per round)
-  Allow it's Rays to do Magic Damage instead of Cold Damage
-  Give it Invisibility 1/per day every three levels starting at level 3 (Total of 3/day at level 9)
-  Give it See Invisibility 1/day at level 5
-  Give it Find Traps 1/day at level 7
-  Give it True Seeing 1/day at level 9
-  Give it Spot +2 and Search +2 per level (Total of 18 if wizard / sorcerer makes it to level 9)
-  Give it a Speed increase of +10%

This plays into the theme of the eyeball, and gives it a few useful spells to either help it with scouting or to cast on someone else.  

This basically puts the Eyeball on par with the Skull.  Although the Eyeball gets more attacks, the Skull's negative energy rays damage increases as it levels.  The Eyeball is effectively using a wand of frost ray with a chance to miss on each attack.  The increase in speed makes it as fast as the skull - they both hover in the air, and thus are not impeded by terrain.  The spells it casts would be situational, making it different than many other familiars which tend to be buffs.

Finally, the most useful aspect of the Familiar would perhaps be the minor amount of additional damage it could provide in combat, and / or it's limited scouting abilities.  While some of the other familiars are comparable in the scouting department, the eyeball still remains at a disadvantage.  Simply using it could risk attack of both the familiar and the wizard resulting in the death of both.

[TheImpossibleDream]

Fun facts about touch attacks. They can crit on targets immune to crits. They negate quite a bit of ac. Though I would like to see the rays that you suggested. The spells are a bit crazy. Negative energy protection is not on par with True seeing at any level.

[lovethesuit]

So

Give it everything?

Voted yes

[Meldread]

I did not know that about touch attacks.... that is useful to know.

EDITED:  I should point out that True Seeing is granted through Polymorph into an Umberhulk and can be cast by a wizard that is level seven, has the spell Polymorph Self, and can cast Transmutation Spells.  The Spell True Seeing itself can also be cast by some level 7 Clerics depending on their domain choices.  Also, if I am not mistaken, the slime familiar by virtue of being a slime also has the ability.  (Note:  I am not 100% certain on the last part.  I have not used a slime, but slimes generally have the ability of True Seeing.)

---

...and yes... give it everything.  Give it POWAH!  Or at least make it more useful than it is currently.  

"Yay!  I have an eyeball that has at least a 50% chance of leading to my death...  I'll...have it.... um... shoot eyebeams.  That are easily blocked through a level one spell.. and.. um... that miss a lot...  YES!  What can stop me now!?"

[lovethesuit]

- Spell Resistance 20
- AC 19
- +9 AB
- 45 Rays at 1d6 magic damage
- Invis 3/day
- See Invis 1/day
- Find Traps 1/day
- True Seeing 1/day
- +18 Spot/Search
- 110% speed

That's not overpowered at all for a familiar. ;)

[Drakill Tannan]

I thought bolts did 1d6 damage per 2 caster levels? if so maybe lower the number of bolts, but keep them elemental. at level 9 they do 4d6 damage, it's a lot. something like 1 bolt per caster level of each element (fire, ice, acid, electric and sonic) would be fine, at level 5 that means 25 bolts, at level 9, 45.

[derfo]

the eyeball suggestion isn't as strong as the rat familiar lol

[Meldread]

- Spell Resistance 20
- AC 19
- +9 AB
- 45 Rays at 1d6 magic damage
- Invis 3/day
- See Invis 1/day
- Find Traps 1/day
- True Seeing 1/day
- +18 Spot/Search
- 110% speed

That's not overpowered at all for a familiar. ;)

The speed is incorrect.  It would just be a flat bonus of +10% the same as the Skull.  But otherwise, that's a level 9 familiar.  It's not like a ton of people will make level nine as a wizard or a sorcerer.  I've never even had a level nine character.  Ever.  :(

It also isn't as powerful / useful as some of the other familiars.  The invisibility isn't going to be useful to you in combat, because you'd have to possess your familiar, set up the hotkey, and then cast it on yourself.  As a wizard / sorcerer if you need invisibility you don't have time for that, though it is useful as a pre-combat buff or as a scouting buff.  The same is true for see invisibility, find traps is very situational and virtually guarantees that other people will see you using the familiar, true seeing is also situational and guarantees that someone will see you using the familiar.  The bonuses to spot and search make sense ICly due to the fact that it has like five or six eyes, and when combined with invisibility makes it a useful scout when there is no rogue in the group to detect traps.  Of course, it has no way to disable or mark traps so it does not replace the rogue either.

Outside of that, combat wise, if it's given what is the equivalent of ray of frost with magical damage instead of elemental damage, it is the same as using a cantrip wand.... with the ability to miss on attacks.

Also, let's not forget the largest disadvantage of using the familiar:  It can get you killed on site, and if it doesn't get you killed it has a high probability chance of getting your familiar killed.  That's an 100XP penalty and some damage for the wizard.

Compare this to say, the rat familiar, and the suggested improvements are rather minor in comparison.  ;)

[FleetingHeart]

Ray attack damage increases with level too, by the way. And these already get a rather huge number of uses per day.

Of course, that isn't to say that these are not on par with other familiars. And, indeed some may still be wildly over powered.

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

Yes

[Meldread]

Just for reference, here is the current Eyeball Familiar at level 5.

Level 5 Eyeball Familiar (Aberration - Chaotic Evil)

Strength: 8
Dexterity:  12
Constitution: 10
Intelligence: 8
Wisdom: 14
Charisma:  3

20 HP
13 AC
+2 AB
One attack:  1-2-1 (Critical:  20 / x2)

Fortitude: 2
Reflex: 3
Will: 7
Spell Resistance:  12
Immunity:  Mind Spells

Skills:
7 Discipline
1 Hide
1 Move Silently
2 Listen
7 Search
10 Spot


Powers:
10 Eyeball Frost Rays
1 Protection From Evil (Broken - doesn't work)

[derfo]

Also, let's not forget the largest disadvantage of using the familiar: It can get you killed on site, and if it doesn't get you killed it has a high probability chance of getting your familiar killed. That's an 100XP penalty and some damage for the wizard.

Pretty sure this doesn't happen. Maybe a bug

[Meldread]

It happens.  My first eyeball was horribly murdered and I lost 100 XP and I think took 1 to 4 points of damage.

[OneHeart]

that'd be pretty overpowering, TS 1x per rest :)

Anyway I think, that eyeball could bet some improvements.  Bit more hp and AC,to no get killed "on sight" would be nice.
Due to it's extremly low AC,hp, and no hide skills (really, what it can do well?  I'd say just to stare) it is really hard to use it even as scout,spy and other non-combat activities.

[scrappayeti]

The little cube has no TSing...

Sad but true.

The other oozes wont play hide and seek with it.