Author Topic: Best familiar for combat?  (Read 25872 times)

Mrjunkie

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #25 on: October 15, 2009, 10:28:13 AM »
Find wich'ever one fits best with your casters rp. :mrgreen:

LoLJohnFerro

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #26 on: October 15, 2009, 10:31:15 PM »
RAVEN.....   is the only  thing to have as a familiar...


*nod nod* And name it Raven!

NO NAME IS CLARISA!

But yeah, i almost never use my familiars or companions for combat. RP is the main thing here. If i do use them in combat it is as a meat shield when trying to escape... [wins]
Also thing about John Darkmagic and his magic shows.

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Purist

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #27 on: October 16, 2009, 07:17:53 AM »
I do name my bats or ravens as Bat, or Raven so people will not METAGAME and stop speaking IC just because there is a commom animal around. Happens a lot if I wild shape into a badger and stay still behind a tree near people, they will just *Glances at the badger ((and shuts the hell up until it leaves))*. I bet people don't stop IC conversations when minks are around.

LoLJohnFerro

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #28 on: October 16, 2009, 07:47:32 AM »
Then get wildshape mink!

HellsPanda

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #29 on: October 16, 2009, 08:07:27 AM »
I just fireball swarms of Minks who get too close when talking secret things

Bob

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #30 on: October 16, 2009, 09:17:31 AM »
Why in the world *wouldn't* a sorcerer choose their familiar, at least in part, because they would be useful in combat? A familiar is supposed to be there to help the sorcerer aren't they? You are telling me anyone would choose a helllhound familiar as a scout?

Ingwulf

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #31 on: October 16, 2009, 09:33:19 AM »
I would think that the familiar would find the sorcerer, and pick whom it would follow... it's not like when they get a certain degree, someone says... "now choose one of these" And hands him a plate with familiars....

My opinion at least...

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Minstrel

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #32 on: October 16, 2009, 03:46:35 PM »
I do name my bats or ravens as Bat, or Raven so people will not METAGAME and stop speaking IC just because there is a commom animal around. Happens a lot if I wild shape into a badger and stay still behind a tree near people, they will just *Glances at the badger ((and shuts the hell up until it leaves))*. I bet people don't stop IC conversations when minks are around.

I feel your pain.

Anyway....

Why in the world *wouldn't* a sorcerer choose their familiar, at least in part, because they would be useful in combat? A familiar is supposed to be there to help the sorcerer aren't they? You are telling me anyone would choose a helllhound familiar as a scout?

Only if the same sorceror would pick his friends for their power in combat and that alone whilst ignoring anyone who couldn't help him kill things, and would abandon anything despite sentimental value if it would be a bit better for helping him kill things. Essentially, if his entire personality causes him to choose whatever will be the most effective in outright combat, yes, he'd likely go for a powerful familiar.

Your familiar isn't your battle minion, it's something you share a very deep bond with. Hells, in PnP, your familiar is essentially with you -all the time-. You can't unsummon it without huge penalties. Hence something inconspicuous is a tad better idea than a Fire Mephit. Especially in Barovia....

shadymerchant

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #33 on: October 16, 2009, 04:03:46 PM »
My mage often took his familiar into combat, and it was their teamwork that made them come across as a team to me. Maybe one shouldn't use them suicidally, but as a good friend they will likely have your back. Which, I think, is another thing. Some are smarter than others. My mage started out as CG as well, and ended lawful evil, but it wasn't any conscious choice by him and I really had no interest in picking a new familiar along the way. If he's ever redeemed, his faerydragon will be there to see it and play a part in it.

mayvind

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #34 on: October 16, 2009, 07:18:43 PM »
Yves familiar is pixie.... it the most horrifying and dangerous familiar !

Purist

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #35 on: October 16, 2009, 09:21:36 PM »
Yves familiar is pixie.... it the most horrifying and dangerous familiar !

You're gonna be so quoted.

Bob

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #36 on: October 16, 2009, 11:04:45 PM »
In all seriousness, a properly buffed pixie with a few levels is like a hornet, or maybe a yellow jacket. They sting hard and they are almost impossible to hit. I have taken possession of my pixie at night and cleaned out the south eastern and south western forests (both) using her alone between sunset and sunrise.

But they aren't very durable. That's the problem. They can kill almost anything, eventually. But if something is fast enough to actually hit them, they go down fast. I need something tough enough to take the hits and keep on coming back for more. Which also leaves out the panther. They are good for quick sneak attacks, but they die too soon against real enemies. They are assassins, not warriors. I need a warrior familiar.


Purist

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #37 on: October 16, 2009, 11:27:50 PM »
Try a companion hahaha. Druids are full of possible "warriors". Anyway in NWN I doubt if a arcane caster has a decent "warrior" familiar. Try the summons... but again they just last....actually they don't last at all, at low levels feels like they're instantaneous sometimes. I made a topic about Summons Duration, well...nothing changed, at least I tried ;D.

Minstrel

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #38 on: October 17, 2009, 05:18:46 AM »
In all seriousness, a properly buffed pixie with a few levels is like a hornet, or maybe a yellow jacket. They sting hard and they are almost impossible to hit. I have taken possession of my pixie at night and cleaned out the south eastern and south western forests (both) using her alone between sunset and sunrise.

But they aren't very durable. That's the problem. They can kill almost anything, eventually. But if something is fast enough to actually hit them, they go down fast. I need something tough enough to take the hits and keep on coming back for more. Which also leaves out the panther. They are good for quick sneak attacks, but they die too soon against real enemies. They are assassins, not warriors. I need a warrior familiar.

This post makes me so sad... And I quote from darkpriest:

Quote
There are allies, comrades and friends.

Allies fight for the same, they have same goal, but most likely nothing else. A commander of some allies is not personally attached anymore than he simply can value human's life. Some value it more, others less.

Comrades - you know the guys, they arre not nameless soldiers or simple Bobs or Joes the privates. You know they have families and you probably shared a few beers. You care for them more and more likely will try to not put them at too much risk and even weight gains against losses when considering sending on a risky assignment.

Friends or even beloved ones - these are the kind of people you care for as much as for yourself. You shared with them your childhood, first beer, etc. Some would even sacrifice their own life to protect the other. Commander that has a real friend or sometimes someone who he loves, will most likely not send that person on a risky mission and will substiute with someone from a list Comrades, or even more likely allies. You care much less for anonymous men (if at all) than true friends. It's not uncommon that some commander resigned or refused to fulfill order just becaused he cared for the ones he was going to send on a mission, which to him looked like a suicide mission. For extremly dangerous tasks volunteers are assigned.

Tie to a friend a physical and serious mental damage when he would die, and you get a familiar.

You want a warrior? Hire one. Use a Summoned Bear or something.

Not your familiar....

Budly

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #39 on: October 17, 2009, 05:27:57 AM »
I haven't been reading fully through this thread so I don't know if it been taken up before. But I remember in another thread, if you use your familiar like a kamikaze, jumping at the enemy in battle to die you should have problems return it. It is more then just summoning it over and over, have it step on traps and so on.

It lives, it knows and feels and thinks, it also follows you around always or is about since its not really a "summoning" of it since its not a summon. It is your...magical pet.

Bob

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #40 on: October 17, 2009, 12:12:56 PM »
That's why I am changing it. This guy started out with a panther. He was a good guy. Nice and polite, friendly and helpful. He loved that panther. People started shooting at it from ambush everywhere he went. Finally he had to let it go, fir its own sake. Broke his heart. One of the many things that started turning him bitter. The pixie is CG. Good fey. No evil in her at all. But this guy is slipping rapidly to the dark side. Turning cold blooded and nasty. She is pulling away from him. He will need to replace her soon.

And yes, he uses people now. He didn't used to, but he does now.

Budly

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #41 on: October 17, 2009, 01:35:57 PM »
People as in a familiar? Even if you get a sinister familiar, what makes it wanting to jump head into battle?  :)

Just a quesiton, no offense meant.

Rex

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #42 on: October 17, 2009, 04:45:05 PM »
People as in a familiar? Even if you get a sinister familiar, what makes it wanting to jump head into battle?  :)

Just a quesiton, no offense meant.

That's easy.  Computer Gamer thinking.  Familiar = Summonable Tanking Meat Shield, with Combat benefits, Zero repercussion for it's loss, completely renewable resource upon any rest.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  Same for Animal Companion as well.  *shrug*  Again, the reason why, my Familiars when chosen, are Bats and Ravens, and why my Animal Companions, are always something small, Badger, Rat, etc.  I just can't suspend disbelief well enough for a hafling to bend over in the middle of a dungeon and *POOF* a Bear, OR, DM sends you on an event in another Domain, *POOF* party member summons their Dire Wolf or Panther, *insert some vague emote about how said creature trots out of the woods, yet your PC has no recollection of said critter being in the Vistani Vardo with you*

Folks used to thinking in Computer Gamer terminology though, don't even consider such actions to be remotely questionable, and in fact will get violently defensive about it when challenged on the issue from a Role Player perspective.

hence, why I really like the familiar systems of other places, that just flush out and replace the "Issue" familiars and animal companions, with ones more Book Specific.  *Poof*  Problem solved.

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Budly

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #43 on: October 17, 2009, 04:53:06 PM »
Well You're right I guess Rex :)

I right now, cannot without feeling guilty call out for Aleyi's animal companion, He did not get to where he is by normal means nor would running about with a wolf in town be so good.

My Drows familiar is bashed dead, cut in half. She need to find away to solve that...or somehow get a new one so not going to "summon" it either. It gets more fun this way I think then just seeing them as a brainless 3d model.

Nalain

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #44 on: October 17, 2009, 05:05:47 PM »
I think some another server had a script that made familiar/companion death permanent. It'd be nice if they'd be treated like dead pc's, would drop a corpse at death and raise dead would revive them back to life.

Budly

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #45 on: October 17, 2009, 05:32:17 PM »
As a matter of fact, it takes a lot of more scripting. That is the problem  :( I think it be complicated to make.

Bob

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #46 on: October 18, 2009, 12:05:30 AM »
It can be worked around. For instance, remember the panther that Drizzt had? It was a spirit beast that he summoned via a magic icon. When it became too badly hurt to continue, the beast simply transported itself (vanished) back into its home dimension for healing.

My pixie gets squashed? No problem. You can't kill a fey (my version) without either cold iron or magic that is more powerful than anything a mortal mage is likely to be able to summon. She wasn't killed, she merely cast invisibility on her self and snuck off. Pixies are notoriously good at that ya know.

As far as suddenly appearing, a familiar IS a magical beast after all. You cast a spell of summoning, and it is summoned. Where was it before? Maybe it was sitting in its home dimension playing checkers. In the case of an imp, maybe you don't summon a particular imp, maybe you just summon AN imp. Maybe you summon a mephit, but not necessarily the same mephit you had last time.  The fact that you use the same name for it doesn't necessarily prove anything. On POTM the scripts have been simplified so that you can't really interact with a familiar other than - stay closer - stay farther away - how do I possess you again? So what's in a name?

On the other hand, if you think of a familiar as a spirit beast, then perhaps their body is an artificial construct anyway. At least for some for them. All kinds of possibilities.

Reptile1988

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #47 on: October 18, 2009, 11:11:27 AM »
Actually I would love to know more about familars in general. This post has enligtened me a lot. In POTM, are they normal creatures that obtain  a "planar" being, which is why they can come and go at the mages command, or are they still normal animals and we just have to overlook that "summon/dismissal" thing? Do we need to rp finding a new animal friend, kinda likea ranger, when they die? PnP says after obtaining a certain level the mage can telepathically communicate with the familar if its less than 1 mile away. Does POTM support that? Could the staff nail down these things and maybe make a post that says "this is how it is"?
« Last Edit: October 18, 2009, 11:13:42 AM by Reptile1988 »
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Emomina

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #48 on: October 18, 2009, 11:59:55 AM »
It can be worked around. For instance, remember the panther that Drizzt had? It was a spirit beast that he summoned via a magic icon. When it became too badly hurt to continue, the beast simply transported itself (vanished) back into its home dimension for healing.

That is not a familiar, he has a magical item called a "figurine of wondrous power"  and the panther is a magical beast that the figurine summons from its native plane, the Astral plane.  Its not applicable to how familiars come or go.
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Bob

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Re: Best familiar for combat?
« Reply #49 on: October 18, 2009, 04:01:07 PM »
I know, I was just using it as an example of one way that...  never mind. I am digressing.

The fact is, a familiar is *different* from an animal companion. I play characters that use both, and I interact with the two types of beasties in different ways. Even in single player. An animal companion, to me, is a "companion". Whereas a familiar will talk back to you and use terms like "yes, master". A familiar is a servant. And since it will do absolutely anything you tell it to do, up to and including commit suicide, I consider it a mind controllable slave. Quite a bit different than a companion.

This may conflict with what some tabletop DnD rule sets define as appropriate. But on POTM I am not playing tabletop DnD. I am playing NWN. And this is the way that Bioware designed NWN to operate. I am merely adjusting my RP to fit the game mechanics as they are written. Especially since the simplified scripting for familiars on this server does not really permit any interaction with the familiar.

It is different with an animal companion on POTM. You can pet it, play with it, scold it, etc. Just like normal. But a familiar only lets you give it simple combat commands, tell it to move close or hang back, or offer advice on how to take over its mind. To me, this is not a companion. This is a slave. Especially for a character that is slipping over into the darkness.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2009, 04:05:21 PM by Bob »