Aron_Times, ah yes! Neverwinter Nights 1 is my ultimate D&D cat game! Wizards, sorcerers, and especially druids, in that game get an awesome black panther, complete with sneak attack ability! (The ranger gets it too, but at a significant two-level penalty.)
The druid can even "Awaken" the cat to make it stronger. And, certain spell revision mods make the player able to cast buff spells on it. (Bull's Strength, Bear's Endurance, Stoneskin, equals very tough cat, with sneak attacks.)
The updated versions of NWN2 have the black panther as well, but only for druids and rangers, (boo, NWN2 familiar nerf!), and it doesn't get its sneak attack, and, since it was an add-in, it doesn't animate well.
NWN1 and its expansions are, for me, the ultimate game for my cat-loving characters! I usually name my NWN1 panther after my beloved, sadly now passed-away beloved black cat, Ariel.
Back on topic; you seem to be playing a Thief szb, how is it you have a familiar? Used scroll with that high-level thief ability that lets you use anything?
Edit: Derp. Probably playing a thief/illusionist. Should've thought of that.
The quick action bar, if that's what led you to that conclusion, belongs to that cat -- not the PC. (For one thing, it doesn't have casting.) So while you came to the correct conclusion, you did so on incorrect criteria.
I'm liking my Dust Mephit (NE), Glitterdust once a day, Glas Dust Twice. I didn't activate my familiar until Level 3/3 fighter/mage, though, to try to keep some balance.
On my recent insane solo run through the Black Pits, my Cleric/Mage relied heavily on her Dust Mephit as a diversion for all of the Tier 1, and a few of the Tier 2 battles. The glitter and glass dust spells were also a huge boon right at the start of combat to disable the group long enough for me to summon some reinforcements. I was eventually forced to retire him to my pack once my foes ranged DPS got too strong, but he was a real trooper!
I also got a ton of mileage out of my Beast Master's Pseudo Dragon. Protip: familiars are naturally immune to petrification, making killing basilisks a breeze for a Beast Master who specializes in bows. Plus, the thing has -2 AC and regenerates 1 HP/rd, meaning it's basically immortal against fodder like gibberlings and kobolds. The 2 attacks/rd with chance of sleep on hit are just icing on the cake!
Familiars can be a real blessing to new players rolling mages. My friend got chunked by either Shank or Carbos. XD I had to walk him through some stuff so he could win XD
NWN 1 had much worse overpowered familiars than cats. I mean, wizards and sorcerers got Pixies! Pixie was a rogue, it could sneak attack, pick locks, disable traps and function effectively in combat with minor preparation (or even none at all.)
I consider this familiar almost necessary if you dont drag along an henchman rogue to deal with all those locks and traps, the later which would be the doom of many wizards and sorcerers. I actually miss Pixies, should be able to get one in NWN2 too, would disable the need for rogues in my party..
I must say that I never used panthers. So, can't comment on them. I've heard of them being quite powerful in combat though. Even in NWN2 I always used wolves for the knockdown and rp aspect.
The moral of this story is clear: don't mess with cats.
@Sily panthers are really very versatile in combat in NWN1. They work as fighters and in the same time as rogues. If I didn't have Time Stop probably my familiar(in NWN1) would defeat me 1 on 1, just probably.
This makes me want to do a solo run with just a cat. Roll a sorc with a 9 Con and choose only buffing spells that can be used on said cat Let the kitten rip everything to shreds
I once played with a crazy NE mage, and while killing the rats in that warehouse at the beggining I decided to kill the cats too (hey, NE). I had 3hp left (or 2, can't remember, but I think 3), the cat attacked me and scored a critical. I died.
I changed one of my true neutral characters to chaotic neutral just so I could get a cat familiar.
Woah, how dare you?!
My little rabbit helped me killing Firebead at Lvl 1 in Candlekeep Pushed me straight to Lvl 2... Magic Resistance ftw! (Yes, a bit luck was also useful) Ok, it was just a test - as a True Neutral Character normally I don't kill the first person I met, I swear!
I just changed my character's appearance to that of a cat using ShadowKeeper, and then took on that first wolf outside Candlekeep in single combat. It was close, but in the end the cat prevailed. It just sat in front of the furious wolf and stared it down. Hmm, I think my next stalker might be a cat... Let's see, dual-wielding daggers to simulate the front paws... increase movement speed a bit... never use ranged weapons... Now where to find a portrait?
Awesome reminds me of this... http://twitter.yfrog.com/kkvm7yoj There are many reasons why I love Nathan Fillion, him being a cat man is just one of them...
@Sily, I always take a black panther when I play NWN. I just also take either Tomi or Dorna, and sometimes I do a cross-train build and handle the traps and locks myself. That ability to cross-train comes in handy with 3rd edition.
...No love for the eyeball familiar of NWN? But...he had feeble eye-rays that he'd use up in the first combat of the day!! Also...he was a baby beholder! That's ADORABLE.
On topic: I haven't had the stones to pull my familiar out of the bag since I got it. She can stay right where she is, feeding me permanent hitpoints. But wow. Good job shredding Tarnesh. I get the feeling there will be some Familiar runs making an appearance in the No Reload thread soon. This is good.
BTW Skald song buffs Familiars too (+2 To hit/damage with each attack, -2 AC), so you can buff your cat (that sounds *wrong* somehow...), actually you can do this anyway with Bless, Chant, Protection from Evil 10' etc.
So...AOE spells hit it, but not single targets, is that what i'm to take from this? ...Strength of One. Conan Kitteh demands lamentation of women for one turn! ... Quickly, quickly! Only 24 seconds left. Go on. Lament!!
...No love for the Gauth familiar of NWN? But...he had feeble eye-rays that he'd use up in the first combat of the day!! Also...he was a baby beholder! That's ADORABLE.
On topic: I haven't had the stones to pull my familiar out of the bag since I got it. She can stay right where she is, feeding me permanent hitpoints.
My neutral evil Fighter/Mage uses her Dust Mephit alot, Glitter Dust x 1 and Glass Dust x2 per day, doesn't even need to get near enemies (though still does for weak ones). Also auto-regenerates HP.
I'm also "road-testing" a Neutral Good Skald with a Pseudo Dragon, a Skald song-buffed Pseudo Dragon has -4 AC (-7 AC with it's innate Blur spell), so is relatively safe to use in melee (50% magic resistance too) and does 2-5 damage x 2 with it's claws when the Skald Song is up and get's a +2 THAC0 (though I think the base in-game THAC0 of 13 reported in the in-game description may be wrong), which means those claws (which can also stun opponents) are more likely to hit. It's proving quite effective so far, but I've not gone very far into the game with it yet.
Comments
The druid can even "Awaken" the cat to make it stronger. And, certain spell revision mods make the player able to cast buff spells on it. (Bull's Strength, Bear's Endurance, Stoneskin, equals very tough cat, with sneak attacks.)
The updated versions of NWN2 have the black panther as well, but only for druids and rangers, (boo, NWN2 familiar nerf!), and it doesn't get its sneak attack, and, since it was an add-in, it doesn't animate well.
NWN1 and its expansions are, for me, the ultimate game for my cat-loving characters! I usually name my NWN1 panther after my beloved, sadly now passed-away beloved black cat, Ariel.
SAREVOK! ELIMINISTOR! SPIDER BOSS! MOAR MOAR MOAR PLZ
That is pretty impressive. Now you need to find a picture of a cat on the internet that most relates to yours.
I also got a ton of mileage out of my Beast Master's Pseudo Dragon. Protip: familiars are naturally immune to petrification, making killing basilisks a breeze for a Beast Master who specializes in bows. Plus, the thing has -2 AC and regenerates 1 HP/rd, meaning it's basically immortal against fodder like gibberlings and kobolds. The 2 attacks/rd with chance of sleep on hit are just icing on the cake!
So... Yeah, familiars are awesome. Use them!
NWN 1 had much worse overpowered familiars than cats. I mean, wizards and sorcerers got Pixies! Pixie was a rogue, it could sneak attack, pick locks, disable traps and function effectively in combat with minor preparation (or even none at all.)
I consider this familiar almost necessary if you dont drag along an henchman rogue to deal with all those locks and traps, the later which would be the doom of many wizards and sorcerers. I actually miss Pixies, should be able to get one in NWN2 too, would disable the need for rogues in my party..
I must say that I never used panthers. So, can't comment on them. I've heard of them being quite powerful in combat though. Even in NWN2 I always used wolves for the knockdown and rp aspect.
@Sily panthers are really very versatile in combat in NWN1. They work as fighters and in the same time as rogues. If I didn't have Time Stop probably my familiar(in NWN1) would defeat me 1 on 1, just probably.
Evil magic doers, cover in fear!
My kitty is here!
Roll a sorc with a 9 Con and choose only buffing spells that can be used on said cat
Let the kitten rip everything to shreds
My little rabbit helped me killing Firebead at Lvl 1 in Candlekeep
Ok, it was just a test - as a True Neutral Character normally I don't kill the first person I met, I swear!
Hmm, I think my next stalker might be a cat... Let's see, dual-wielding daggers to simulate the front paws... increase movement speed a bit... never use ranged weapons... Now where to find a portrait?
What am I talking about? Baldur's Gate IS real life!
1d2/1d2/1d3
Cats are the ultimate mage killers.
Whut? Bring it, I dares ya...
Also...he was a baby beholder! That's ADORABLE.
On topic: I haven't had the stones to pull my familiar out of the bag since I got it. She can stay right where she is, feeding me permanent hitpoints.
But wow. Good job shredding Tarnesh. I get the feeling there will be some Familiar runs making an appearance in the No Reload thread soon. This is good.
...Strength of One.
Conan Kitteh demands lamentation of women for one turn!
...
Quickly, quickly! Only 24 seconds left. Go on. Lament!!
I'm also "road-testing" a Neutral Good Skald with a Pseudo Dragon, a Skald song-buffed Pseudo Dragon has -4 AC (-7 AC with it's innate Blur spell), so is relatively safe to use in melee (50% magic resistance too) and does 2-5 damage x 2 with it's claws when the Skald Song is up and get's a +2 THAC0 (though I think the base in-game THAC0 of 13 reported in the in-game description may be wrong), which means those claws (which can also stun opponents) are more likely to hit. It's proving quite effective so far, but I've not gone very far into the game with it yet.