Best familiar for combat?

[Budly]

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.

A familiar is ALWAYS the same, its not a summon. They are nor magical beasts you summon that goes back home when you feel like it. They are with you and linked to you.


To quote the forgotten realms wiki

A familiar is a normal creature that has been summoned to service by a sorcerer or wizard, after which it becomes a magical beast and gains new powers. They are magically linked to their masters, in some sense, practically existing as one being. All familiars have special abilities along with granting special abilities to its master.

Would you want something soul linked to you to be used as a meat shield? I would not.

EDIT: My wizard as slipped a bit towards darkness, it doesn't mean its a slave. You can still emote taping it and playing with it.  That is not areally a problem and you do not need some in dialog commando to do so.

[Bob]

Well, I do not dispute your sources. Not a bit. But note that you are quoting the Forgotten Realms Wiki. The POTM Intro for newbies specifies that POTM touches many worlds, and explicitly names several worlds that are not part of the Forgotten Realms. Krynn for instance, if I am not mistaken.

(anytime I make a mistaken statement, please feel free to correct me.)

This is not the Forgotten Realms version of Ravenloft. Not precisely. Not if it allows players to enter it from the other universes that are named during the character creation process.

In any case, Bioware did not adhere to the precise rules listed in the DnD, or the Forgotten Realms canon, when they designed Bioware. Rather than play the game the way I *wished* it had been designed, or the way I think that it *should have been* designed, I have chosen to RP Neverwinter Nights in compliance with the way the game engine actually *was* designed. Even if it doesn't precisely meet my personal preferences. YMMV.

[EO]

From d20srd, which is not linked to any specific campaign setting:

A familiar is a normal animal that gains new powers and becomes a magical beast when summoned to service by a sorcerer or wizard. It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but it is treated as a magical beast instead of an animal for the purpose of any effect that depends on its type. Only a normal, unmodified animal may become a familiar. An animal companion cannot also function as a familiar.

A familiar also grants special abilities to its master (a sorcerer or wizard), as given on the table below. These special abilities apply only when the master and familiar are within 1 mile of each other.

Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master’s level.

[Bob]

[blinks]

OK.

So which one is best for keeping you alive in a fight?

[Aahz]

From the NWN wiki

A familiar is a small creature that is magically linked to its owner and is able to assist in combat or scouting. If the creature dies, the caster loses 1d6 hit points, but the familiar will be available to summon again the next day.

http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Summon_familiar

As for keeping you alive, It all depends on how you play your mage. fire mephit, hell hound, ice mephit, and imp seem to be rather popular here for that kind of thing.

[Amon-Si]

Here is the absolutely top companion for leveling safely.

*strokes summoned Role Play*

Eliza's level 9 right now and I think she killed a rat... once, maybe twice. She still doesn't even know about the existence of familiars, let alone how to summon one. She has plenty of money and some awesome Sorc gear. I personally hate dungeoning these days, I must be a freak, but in my opinion:

Combat is not important.
Dungeoning is not important.
Why risk compromising the RP of your char just so you can get money/kill stuff? I'm having trouble seeing the point.

[LoLJohnFerro]

We are not all as awsome as you! And I mean that really your chars are awsome and love the rp But some of us are kind of hated all around and its hard to pure rp.

[Nalain]

Not every PC is cha 18 female who attracts a flock of male PC's, willing to do all of her bidding.

[Budly]

Not every PC is cha 18 female who attracts a flock of male PC's, willing to do all of her bidding.

You do not need to be a charisma 18 to get anywhere without battle. Yes, I myself been in dungeons a few times yes. But I have far from seen every big dungeon in the game and I think my 2 "mains" yet are rather fun to play. Both are terribly poor aside others, one got about 1000 gold and the other got 0 gold right now. But they survive.

I never had over 10.000 gold on any of my characters. They spent/lost all the coin but its possible very much to survive anyway

Anyway...sort of, off topic but I just wanted to drop this note.

Familiars? Go for a one that you think fit your RP and not the most powerful I say!

[Reptile1988]

Combat is not important.
Dungeoning is not important.
Why risk compromising the RP of your char just so you can get money/kill stuff? I'm having trouble seeing the point.

This seems a little closed minded. There are roleplay servers on text based chatrooms, although I cant think of any off the top of my head. You go to those chat rooms because combat and builds and the like are boring to you. NWN is a chat room like those, but with all the stuff I just mentioned too. If you dont use them all to boost your roleplay, to boost your game play, to boost your fun, you are not getting the full experience of neverwinter nights. No I am not a salesman for bioware:P Just a thought.

[Budly]

Combat is not important.
Dungeoning is not important.
Why risk compromising the RP of your char just so you can get money/kill stuff? I'm having trouble seeing the point.

This seems a little closed minded. There are roleplay servers on text based chatrooms, although I cant think of any off the top of my head. You go to those chat rooms because combat and builds and the like are boring to you. NWN is a chat room like those, but with all the stuff I just mentioned too. If you dont use them all to boost your roleplay, to boost your game play, to boost your fun, you are not getting the full experience of neverwinter nights. No I am not a salesman for bioware:P Just a thought.

I think you should let Amon-Si play NWN the way Amon-Si want to play NWN instead of telling her/him to play the "full" game. If he do not like  combat and builds it do not matter. This is a roleplay server and I myself also aswell focus on the roleplay as much as possible, it is how wep lay our ways. I do not want to hear someone tell me to "have fun and battle some". We all may focus on how to play our own game after all if we do not ruin others fun?

Did I overreact? I do not think so Sorry If I was missunderstanding your post but this is how I took it.

[Aahz]

I think you should let Amon-Si play NWN the way Amon-Si want to play NWN instead of telling her/him to play the "full" game. If he do not like  combat and builds it do not matter. This is a roleplay server and I myself also aswell focus on the roleplay as much as possible, it is how wep lay our ways. I do not want to hear someone tell me to "have fun and battle some". We all may focus on how to play our own game after all if we do not ruin others fun?

Then perhaps we could just answer the question Bob asked and not have 5 pages of suggestions on how he "should" play the game?

[Budly]

Perhaps not, but I do not think I told him that he should go to a text based RPG room instead. Non the less lets keep out of the flame.

I still proclaim this is a RP server and we should try to focus more on RP then whats "best" for combat.

My opinion. We all have our rights to defend our opinions.

[DM Nocturne]

Sometimes it's more fun for the extra challenge of having a 'low-tier' familiar.

[Reptile1988]

Oh wow sorry I think my first post was totally taken the wrong way. I was not telling anybody to go play a text based rp setting. I was defending the ability to be able to farm monsters, build characters, pvp, and in the case of this topic, powerful familars. This game supports it, its something you can't get on a text baesd server like MIRC rp channels.My point can be said in 1 sentence

"You really cant blame someone who chose to rp on nwn instead on MIRC, for using all the aspects of the game."

[Rex]

Sometimes it's more fun for the extra challenge of having a 'low-tier' familiar.

No such thing as a Low Tier Familiar.

~Rex

[LoLJohnFerro]

Well... The rat.

[Budly]

Oh wow sorry I think my first post was totally taken the wrong way. I was not telling anybody to go play a text based rp setting. I was defending the ability to be able to farm monsters, build characters, pvp, and in the case of this topic, powerful familars. This game supports it, its something you can't get on a text baesd server like MIRC rp channels.My point can be said in 1 sentence

"You really cant blame someone who chose to rp on nwn instead on MIRC, for using all the aspects of the game."

I have to say, if that is your first aim. To go farm mosnters, build a fighting char and PVP. Then In my opinion, any of the great action servers out there fits much better. Cause I cannot see what fun an action player get here, it's like trying to RP on a action server or login on as a prude on a one of those unqiue social servers. It just makes the whole deal a bit odd. Simply my opinion.

I still suggest BoB to pick what fits his roleplay and not what fits his build. My wizard got a raven still, he could have changed it perhaps to something more useful but he likes the little bugger

EDIT: And do NOTICE, that is only in my opinion. I am very sincere when I say this and proclaim you should of course have your own.

[Amon-Si]

I find I must apologise for my confrontational post, you're absolutely right, it wasn't exactly helpful.

I cast my vote for the hell hound when dealing with packs of weak things.

[failed.bard]

  My druid Lilindi has a badger, it's never been killed, and she made it to 16th without needing it as a meatshield.  Right now it's following her around Port-a-Lucine, because she hasn't found a safe place she can leave it there yet.  She was a complete pacifist when the mists took her, and a combat oriented companion wouldn't have made any sense for her.
  Maria has a hell hound.  She's evil, she's a summoner, and it fit the backstory of the character.  It's been used in PvM once, and to kill and eat some thugs once.
  Dribo had a faerie dragon, it was used in PvM twice, and was never so much as injured.  Again, it fit the character.
  Wilhelm, my first character here, a fighter/wizard, has a panther.  It's been used in PvM quite a bit, got killed many times when he was mid level (5th to 12th, really), but then again, he got killed quite often too, being my first character here.  It also fit his character, since he was a follower of Bast when he got it.

  If the character in question is a loner, take a familiar to reflect that.  Rats, wolves, hell hounds, and such, are all pack animals.  Yes, it should be survivable if it's going to be used in PvM, but it should also make sense to be bonded to the character.

[Bluebomber4evr]

I don't understand why people think going into dungeons or fighting monsters can't be roleplaying--it can be just as much roleplaying as sitting around the campfire, and a hell of a lot more interesting. We didn't spend countless hours making dungeons and their inhabitants just so people could sit around having a tea party and talk about the weather.

I don't see anything wrong with planning your character out ahead of time, and there's no need to jump on someone for doing so. That having been said, even if you do farm dungeons etc., this is a roleplay server and you should be in-character and roleplaying as you do them. If you plan your character's build ahead of time, it should make sense from an IC perspective and not have a bunch of illogical combinations that are only there to "pwn" stuff.

[Reptile1988]

Oh wow sorry I think my first post was totally taken the wrong way. I was not telling anybody to go play a text based rp setting. I was defending the ability to be able to farm monsters, build characters, pvp, and in the case of this topic, powerful familars. This game supports it, its something you can't get on a text baesd server like MIRC rp channels.My point can be said in 1 sentence

"You really cant blame someone who chose to rp on nwn instead on MIRC, for using all the aspects of the game."

I have to say, if that is your first aim. To go farm mosnters, build a fighting char and PVP. Then In my opinion, any of the great action servers out there fits much better. Cause I cannot see what fun an action player get here, it's like trying to RP on a action server or login on as a prude on a one of those unqiue social servers. It just makes the whole deal a bit odd. Simply my opinion.

I still suggest BoB to pick what fits his roleplay and not what fits his build. My wizard got a raven still, he could have changed it perhaps to something more useful but he likes the little bugger

EDIT: And do NOTICE, that is only in my opinion. I am very sincere when I say this and proclaim you should of course have your own.

you got upset with me because you thought i was telling someone else to leave this server and to go a text based game for rp, and then you basically do the same thing, telling me to go to an action server because I like a little bit of gaming with my rp? lol...

[Budly]

Oh wow sorry I think my first post was totally taken the wrong way. I was not telling anybody to go play a text based rp setting. I was defending the ability to be able to farm monsters, build characters, pvp, and in the case of this topic, powerful familars. This game supports it, its something you can't get on a text baesd server like MIRC rp channels.My point can be said in 1 sentence

"You really cant blame someone who chose to rp on nwn instead on MIRC, for using all the aspects of the game."

I have to say, if that is your first aim. To go farm mosnters, build a fighting char and PVP. Then In my opinion, any of the great action servers out there fits much better. Cause I cannot see what fun an action player get here, it's like trying to RP on a action server or login on as a prude on a one of those unqiue social servers. It just makes the whole deal a bit odd. Simply my opinion.

I still suggest BoB to pick what fits his roleplay and not what fits his build. My wizard got a raven still, he could have changed it perhaps to something more useful but he likes the little bugger

EDIT: And do NOTICE, that is only in my opinion. I am very sincere when I say this and proclaim you should of course have your own.

you got upset with me because you thought i was telling someone else to leave this server and to go a text based game for rp, and then you basically do the same thing, telling me to go to an action server because I like a little bit of gaming with my rp? lol...

I suggest if we gonna continue discuss this we do so in PM I am very sorry for derailing.

The pixie is a rather cool familiar by the way, Seelie or unseelie?

[Bob]

*sigh*

One level rogue. Switched to sorcerer. Now has four levels in sorcerer. Like I said. Started out as nice guy with a panther familiar that he loved. had to get rid of it, for its own safety. Now using a pixie, purely for practical reasons. He made a pact with the fey, trading something that he absolutely will not discuss or reveal to anyone, in return for the service of one of the good fairies. But he is slowly succumbing to the corruption of the mists, losing control, losing perspective, losing his mind. The guy that started out as a well spoken, well read, polite young man with a fair amount of training in magic is reverting to the street punk that he began as. His speech is coarsening, his vocabulary is shrinking, and his outlook is getting more bitter and bleak by the day. The fairy is starting to break free of his control. By the time he levels up again, she will no longer be willing to serve him. He will need a new familiar. Why?

He has CHA of 17. He has STR of 10. DEX of 15. CON of 11. etc. Get the picture? The guy can't take the hits in melee. He needs a familiar that can run interference for him and keep him alive long enough to let him get off a spell or an arrow. Whether he *should* do it that way or not does not enter into his calculations. He wants to stay alive. Anyone else's opinion matters less than nothing to him.

[Purist]

Hey Jonie Jonie this is turning into build talk now ;Ç. Anyway, I think that starting with 17(or 16) in any attribute that doesn't have a racial bonus will make anything very unbalanced. You could had started with 15 cha, getting +5 points to distribute in character creation, and you could put all in cha after while leveling til 20, ending with 20cha which is a decent value I think. Having more than that, for bonus slot isn't much, you'll get what? More 1 or 2 slots in low to mid levels spells?

Back on topic, I think the main issue about the familiars and companions is due to the summons lasting so few, therefore you sometimes must rely on that meatshield to spare your arse, where you could have been using the summons for that. Summons are "wastable", familiars and companions are not. But unfortunately it is believed that summons can't last longer 'cause it'll get too unbalanced and people would rather spend more time cleaning dungeons.