[REQUEST] Choose familiar

EpitomyofShyness

If it is possible I'd like to be able to choose a familiar, instead of being forced to have one type based on Alignment. Additional familiar options would be nice as well. (coughWolfcough)

However, using only the familiars allowed currently as an example;

Lawful Good - Psuedo Dragon, Fairy Dragon, Ferret, Rabbit, Cat
Neutral Good - Psuedo Dragon, Fairy Dragon, Ferret, Rabbit, Cat,
Chaotic Good - Psuedo Dragon, Fairy Dragon, Ferret, Rabbit, Cat
Lawful Neutral - Psuedo Dragon, Ferret, Rabbit, Cat, Imp, Dust Mephit
True Neutral - Psuedo Dragon, Ferret, Rabbit, Cat, Imp, Dust Mephit
Chaotic Neutral - Psuedo Dragon, Ferret, Rabbit, Cat, Dust Mephit, Quasit
Lawful Evil - Ferret, Rabbit, Cat, Imp, Dust Mephit, Quasit
Neutral Evil - Ferret, Rabbit, Cat, Imp, Dust Mephit, Quasit
Chaotic Evil - Ferret, Rabbit, Cat, Imp, Dust Mephit, Quasit

Of course I'd like to see a few more added to these ranks as well, but being able to choose between several different familiars rather than being railroaded thanks to alignment would be awesome.

Conphantus

While I like your idea of not being forced to choose a familiar of the exact same alignment as your character (if a neutral aligned character can keep evil NPC:s in its party, why shouldn't he or she be able to keep an evil familiar aswell?), I think that unless the devs are planning to make the familiars available for NPC mages aswell (which I'd like to see), the adding of new familiars is a feature only a few players would ever take advantage of

Greel

I wouldn't agree Conphantus... nearly EVERY character I've made had some sort of ability to use arcane scrolls. Thusly opening a familiar as an option.. A great boon, since your HP would skyrocket at summoning, besides a familiar is quite useful too.. for scouting

Conphantus

Is not familiars restricted to the mage protagonist? In my eyes that means most players will benefit only slightly from adding new familiars, as most of us will probably only be making one mage protagonist run-through anyway, and there's quite a lot of familiars to choose from as it is (at least if we remove the alignment restriction). Now, if the devs would allow the NPC mages to summon familiars aswell, I'd be more likely to see the point in adding more of them.

Galactygon

I'd like to see this spell removed from the game and instead have this be cast through a scroll (much like protection scrolls). This spell is used maybe once or twice and only by the protagonist. It's a waste of a spell slot.

-Galactygon

Cadros

You can always unlearn it to free the spell slot and carry around a spare scroll for it instead if this worries you to a great extent, the only other downside I can think of is that it gives you one less starting spell, but that just makes it a more interesting choice to take. In its current form at lvl 1 it is easily the most powerful spell availiable.

Dee

In a similar vein, I'd like the familiar to have a portrait in the UI - a familiar that dies should be able to be resurrected by a priest, and having the familiar's portrait appear as a mini-NPC (put the portrait to the side of its master's portrait, kind of like a little tab) would facilitate that.

HeroicSpur

Familiars constitute an area of the game that is so ripe for enhancement, it's painful none will be forthcoming.

Dee

I'm of the mind that they should just be removed from BG1, as they weren't originally a part of its original release. That would give the developers time to "do it right", and either release the spell post-ship, or just wait until BG2:EE. Either way, it would give them more time to do the enhancements it seems they'd like to be able to do.

MERLANCE

They should make familiars weaker in BG1, then boost them to their normal power level in BG2 or at least force you to cast it again. Would be interesting if they added something in Irenicus's dungeon about trying to find your missing familiar, or finding it dead and having to cast a new one.

For Sorceror's it is a terrible idea to pick it as a spell known. Maybe they should remove it from the list of spells you can pick starting, and add a quest to get a scroll of it in Candlekeep so that you don't accidentally waste one of your precious spells known on it?

Three classes can get it easily though. Wizard, sorc, and bard. Then anyone that dual classes or is a multiclass in wizard. It really is more open to just a few people that play one run through with a straight arcane caster.

In BG2, high level rogues can get one too with the Use Any Item ability. By that point its just an hp boost though.

Tanthalas

I never played a Bard so I was wondering if they could get a Familiar. I'm surprised that even Thieves can get one with "Use Any Item".

Were Familiars even permitted to classes other than Mages/Sorcerers in DnD?

HeroicSpur

I agree with Aosaw that the ideal solution to this is that:
-Familiars are avaiable at start of BG1
-Their improvements are principally as a result of special 'familiar quests', these help enhance the RP element, as well as staging/controlling the power of familiars so they don't become too powerful early on.

I think otherwise Aosaw is correct, might be better to wait for post-release and see that this is done properly. Having your familiar appear with a portrait would also be incredible.

The range of familiars is limited, so you would only need one portrait for each familiar. This is especially considering that you're only allowed one familiar in your party, so there's no danger of having say, two rabbits with the same portrait.

Dee

@HeroicSpur: I'm sure you mean, "One portrait for each familiar, plus Boo."

And as long as the portrait appears as a footnote beside its master, there's no risk of familiar portraits getting confused - PC1's otter and PC2's otter have the same portrait but it's patently obvious to whom each otter belongs.

Dee

This was addressed in a previous thread. I'll see if I can find it.

Briefly, my personal proposal for this problem: Remove the "Find Familiar" spell from the list of spells that can be learned at level up (including character creation) for BG1, and possibly remove it from the game entirely. Then figure out how best to implement the spell, and release it in a patch post-ship.

I'll try and find the thread, and post the link when I do.

EDIT: Found it! Here you go: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/496

sarevok57

i think for familiars make it so you have to be level 7 before you can cast the spell ( not actually make it a level 4 spell but make it so that when you cast it, the spell says: You do not have the appropriate spell casting level to cast this spell) then it makes it so when you are in bg II everything will still work hunky dory ( on average you will be in chapter 5 or so when you hit level 7 so thats no to bad) and with the totemic druid, what @Succubus says is an awesome idea, give away their immunity to non magical weapons, and maybe make it so you dont get your first use to level 5 or so? usually my level 4 or 5 team can take on cave bears and ogre beserkers, so i think thats fair, plus you will only have 1 spiritual animal, and 2 at level 10 which is still pretty fair since you will only be ever to have 5 summoned creatures at once anyhow

Skydree

I don't think Familiars ever had an immunity to non magical weapons in BG2, or at least, mine kept dieing against ghouls for no reason.

Space_hamster

Agreed, familiars will imbalance the game greatly.

Bugrat

Don't familiars give bonus HP to the mage who summoned it too? What is it, like +10? You could have a mage starting out with 16 HP.

Tanthalas

@Bugrat

They get half the hit points of the Familiar summoned. So it might be possible for a Mage to start with more HP than a Half-Orc Barbarian with maxed out CON.

Quartz

Very good point sir. Very observant of you to think of this.

O_Bruce

@Tanthalas thanks for reminding of this one. Just another reason to do something with familiar's problem.

Bhryaen

This discussion was created from comments split from: Familiar and Totemic Druid's "pets" tweaks for BGEE.

Xzar

Strongly disagree with OP. This is one of reasons why I hate 3.5 familiars. I always saw familiar as an metaphysical extension of protagonists alignment, materialization of his soul to some degree, not some random pet you buy in the market to keep around.

Keep familiars as they are now.

Luge

Tanthalas said:

@Bugrat

They get half the hit points of the Familiar summoned. So it might be possible for a Mage to start with more HP than a Half-Orc Barbarian with maxed out CON.

Is this really such a bad thing though?

It's possible for a mage to start with 1hp and the ability to cast only one spell per day. They can't wear armour or hit the side of a barn with weapons. If you want to play as a pure-class mage for a protagonist, you'll be reloading every 5 minutes until you gain a few levels and gets some NPCs to form a wall of steel around you. Even then, a single arrow shot or trap can kill you.

It's hard to be a mage for the first few levels. Even if a starting mage had 10hp, they STILL only get one spell per day and can't do any real damage. Familiars don't unbalance the game as much as people think.

L.

CrazedSlayer

HeroicSpur said:

-Their improvements are principally as a result of special 'familiar quests', these help enhance the RP element, as well as staging/controlling the power of familiars so they don't become too powerful early on.

Im not familiar with how the spell operates in PnP format, but what if it were changed to let you charm animals or creatures in the world and adopt them as a familiar? (eg. black bear, rabbit, faerie, ghoul). I think they need to be made a little more useful or important if im gonna bring them out and risk suffering a constitution penalty if they die.

bigdogchris

I believe 'Find Familiar' is random per D&D Rules. I see no reason to change it other than maybe add more options than one familiar per alignment (two or three per).

RedGuard

Personally I'd like the familiar improved overall, not just having the ability to choose one. I haven't played with one in BG1, but in BG2 they didn't feel really worthwhile and were pretty easily killed off.

I think @HeroicSpur idea of some 'familiar quests' to level them up is not bad. Though I think these would probably be better served as mini-quests or little diversions rather than a full blown quest. Something filled with more dialogue and roleplay options than actual fighting. Though maybe it could end up with a mid level boss fight in the right circumstances. Just my opinion.

bigdogchris

When you start with 4 HP it's nice to summon a familiar and throw it in your bag.

Demoss

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure in BG2 there was only certain locations you could get a familiar, which means by default none of the locations in BG1 would actually give you one no? unless areas were edited.

sandmanCCL

Conphantus said:

the adding of new familiars is a feature only a few players would ever take advantage of

Fail to see how this is relevant. There's only a few players that take advantage of a lot of features of the game.

LadyRhian

I want the ability to have a Tressym as a familliar (Cat with Wings from the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar Module). Now, that would be kickass, as well as Realms-specific. As I recall, they gave the advantages of both a cat an owl. Flight, night sight, stealth... The best part of it was the note that they enjoy teasing Dogs.