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How to cast find familiar

goonergeezergoonergeezer Member Posts: 2
in Archive (General Discussion)
i have tried on numerous occasions to cast this spell to no effect! i don't suppose someone could post an idiots guide to doing so?

Comments

  • EudaemoniumEudaemonium Member Posts: 3,199
    Are you trying to cast it on an NPC? I learned recently that the spell only works on a PC character, and has no effect when cast by an NPC.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • EudaemoniumEudaemonium Member Posts: 3,199
    @Bhaaldog, I only learnt this like... 2 days ago, I think. It made me glad that i decided to use the Find Familiar scroll on my PC Bard rather than Edwin, haha.
  • goonergeezergoonergeezer Member Posts: 2
    ah that explains it, i was trying to get an npc to cast it, tyvm both :-)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Click on the spell (if it's in your spellbook and memorised) or on the scroll in you quickslot, then point at the ground where you want your familiar to appear, you then get an animated summons sequence. Talk to you familiar if you want to ask it to get into your pack, or just to pet it.

    My neutral evil Jester and Fighter/Mage CHARNAMEs find the Dust Mephit very useful (Glitterdust x 1, Glass Dust x2), but the Chaotic Good Fairy Dragon (Invisibility - 10' Radius, Mirror Image) is awesome for my Illusionist/Thief.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • SilverstarSilverstar Member Posts: 2,207
    Also keep in mind that it's not worth learning the spell; that's wasting a slot in your spell book seeing as you only cast it once. So just use the scroll, don't learn it. Granted you -can- use the spell again should your familiar die, but you really don't want your familiar to die.
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Silverstar said:

    Also keep in mind that it's not worth learning the spell; that's wasting a slot in your spell book seeing as you only cast it once. So just use the scroll, don't learn it. Granted you -can- use the spell again should your familiar die, but you really don't want your familiar to die.

    Especially true for a Sorceror or Bard, who are likely to have limited spell slots
  • MathmickMathmick Member Posts: 326
    That little condition is mentioned at the very end of the spell descriptions, like one of those ads for extremely cheap online shopping places having a little note at the bottom of the screen saying that the advertised prices don't include the $999999 "You are gullible" tax. It's really easy to miss, like when I was trying to get my 6-person 'multiplayer' party mage to cast it.
  • LifatLifat Member Posts: 353
    Actually... Learning Find Familiar and then casting it only once is worth it. You can erase it afterwards so that it doesn't fill up your spellbook if you are worried about that and you get that insanely IMPORTANT 10 XP :P
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,675
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  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    That annoys me a bit in Black Pits. Technically, all 6 party members are PCs, yet only the one created first can have a familiar or spirit animal. If I want one of that, I must put a mage/sorcerer/bard or druid in the awkward situation to automatically load in frontline, regardless what formation or character order I use later.
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    Lifat said:

    Actually... Learning Find Familiar and then casting it only once is worth it. You can erase it afterwards so that it doesn't fill up your spellbook if you are worried about that and you get that insanely IMPORTANT 10 XP :P

    But if playing on core or above there is a chance of failure, unless you have Int in the high twenties, and I've only come across 2 Find Familiar scrolls in the whole game...
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    Silverstar said:

    Also keep in mind that it's not worth learning the spell; that's wasting a slot in your spell book seeing as you only cast it once. So just use the scroll, don't learn it. Granted you -can- use the spell again should your familiar die, but you really don't want your familiar to die.

    For me, it is important that my Wizard learns every single spell he encounters. Thus I use potions of Genius to 'Remove' the spell max cap. Plus, if you want to cast it at the beginning of BG2, you will need to keep it memorized (or memorize it again at the tail end of the game).

    But yeah, for bards and Sorcerers, probably not a good thing to do.

  • moopymoopy Member Posts: 938
    @Oxford_Guy

    One is on the assassin outside the inn in Nashkal after you beat the mines, where is the second?
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    I think the one in Nashkel is the only reliable drop; others can come from random mobs. I once got a scroll from... a ghoul or ghast when resting in High Hedge.
  • LifatLifat Member Posts: 353
    Tbh I mostly lower difficulty to normal when reading scrolls. But at times I do keep it on high difficulty throughout... In which case I stack up the spells I want to learn so that I have a bunch of them and then I use pots to make sure I have 100%. Nothing worse than failing to learn a spell.
  • the_spyderthe_spyder Member Posts: 5,018
    For me, whenever I think about casting 'Find Familiar' I am reminded of Jhereg and when Vlad first cast the spell to get Loish. Now THERE was a familiar.
  • KidCarnivalKidCarnival Member Posts: 3,747
    I think of Neverwinter Nights and my mini beholder familar. I miss his insights.
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    the_spyder said:

    For me, whenever I think about casting 'Find Familiar' I am reminded of Jhereg and when Vlad first cast the spell to get Loish. Now THERE was a familiar.

    The evil familiars do give you some sass, but yeah. Loish was great.
    KidCarnival said:

    I think of Neverwinter Nights and my mini beholder familar. I miss his insights.

    It would be cool to get more options for familiars, and for modders to add some more familiar interaction to dialogs. Heck, even if it's in your backpack, it should still chime in (not quite a back-seat driver... a back-pack driver?).
  • AHFAHF Member Posts: 1,376
    Oxford_Guy said:

    Silverstar said:

    Also keep in mind that it's not worth learning the spell; that's wasting a slot in your spell book seeing as you only cast it once. So just use the scroll, don't learn it. Granted you -can- use the spell again should your familiar die, but you really don't want your familiar to die.

    Especially true for a Sorceror or Bard, who are likely to have limited spell slots
    If you are doing any kind of no-reload or hardcore run, I think it is well worth it to get the spell out of the gate with a sorcerer. Even though you are burning a slot, you still can get every spell you really need from the first level list and the bonus 12 HP plus early support from your familiar can be a lifesaver.

    What is the possible downside for a bard?
  • Oxford_GuyOxford_Guy Member Posts: 3,729
    AHF said:

    Oxford_Guy said:

    Silverstar said:

    Also keep in mind that it's not worth learning the spell; that's wasting a slot in your spell book seeing as you only cast it once. So just use the scroll, don't learn it. Granted you -can- use the spell again should your familiar die, but you really don't want your familiar to die.

    Especially true for a Sorceror or Bard, who are likely to have limited spell slots
    If you are doing any kind of no-reload or hardcore run, I think it is well worth it to get the spell out of the gate with a sorcerer. Even though you are burning a slot, you still can get every spell you really need from the first level list and the bonus 12 HP plus early support from your familiar can be a lifesaver.

    What is the possible downside for a bard?
    Bards don't usually have enough points to spare to go max Int, unless you spend hours rolling (I usually set a limit of 10 or at most 20 rolls), my Bards usually only have 15 Int, which gives only 11 spells per level unless cheesing it by scribing more than 11 scrolls whilst boosted by a potion (though I think potions are not cheesy if just used to increase the chance of successful scribing)
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    There used to be an exploit to use a Find Familiar scroll for any CHARNAME.

    Does that still work?
  • AHFAHF Member Posts: 1,376
    Nifft said:

    There used to be an exploit to use a Find Familiar scroll for any CHARNAME.

    Does that still work?

    If you are talking about the "use potion/switch the potion with the scroll" exploit, that no longer works.
  • varlakvarlak Member Posts: 15
    Can you only use that spell if the caster is your team leader ? (the firstc haracter you create).

    it seems like that I can't use it on my wizard (I create 6 player as I solo play in multiplayer)
  • NifftNifft Member Posts: 1,065
    AHF said:


    If you are talking about the "use potion/switch the potion with the scroll" exploit, that no longer works.

    Aww, that's too bad.
    Druid solo runs with a fire-breathing bunny companion might be entertaining.
    varlak said:

    Can you only use that spell if the caster is your team leader ? (the firstc haracter you create).

    it seems like that I can't use it on my wizard (I create 6 player as I solo play in multiplayer)

    Yep, gotta be the character which was created in position 1.

    I discovered this in the Black Pits -- there is actually a way to summon a familiar in the pits, but it takes some planning. ;-)
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