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Familiars

Mrpenfold666Mrpenfold666 Member Posts: 428
in Archive (General Discussion)
I've not really noticed this in BG:EE or BG vanilia (and thus not tried it in BG2) but what does a familiar do? ive not seen what they do in any of the 2nd ed books, do they give you abilities like 3rd ed does? and can you choose or is it always a cat? perhaps the devs could add this to BG2:EE if its not too late or something

Comments

  • SionIVSionIV Member Posts: 2,689
    edited September 2013
    Familiars all have a different set of abilities they can use. Some abilities (Cat) have rogue skills, while the fairy dragon have an invinsibility spell.

    You get a different Familiar depending on your alignment. If you're chaotic neutral you will always get a cat.

    The familiar comes with it's own little ability and then adds a certain amount of hitpoints to your mage.

    You can talk with your familiar, play with it, feed it and also put it into your inventory to keep it safe. If the familiar is in your inventory it won't be able to use it's ability, but you'll still get the health out of it. This is the way most people use them, as if your familiar dies you lose 1 point of constituton permanently.

    Here is a list of alignments, familiars and what they do. http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/familiars.php
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    All Familiars also add half of their total HP to that on the Mage who summoned them, which is in effect for as long as the familiar is alive. This can more than double a level 1 Mage's HP, making them quite useful.

    Later in the series they're pretty much a straight swap of 1 inventory slot for a few extra HP, as they are quite squishy and the Constitution penalty means getting them killed isn't an option.
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    edited September 2013
    I really liked the idea of having a familiar but in truth in BG2 they are a bit ho-hum. They are not quite good enough at anything to be useful and they are way too vulnerable to be risked. Once the novelty has worn off you tend to just stick them in your back pack and completely forget they are there.
  • kamuizinkamuizin Member Posts: 3,704
    SionIV said:

    Familiars all have a different set of abilities they can use. Some abilities (Cat) have rogue skills, while the fairy dragon have an invinsibility spell.

    You get a different Familiar depending on your alignment. If you're chaotic neutral you will always get a cat.

    The familiar comes with it's own little ability and then adds a certain amount of hitpoints to your mage.

    You can talk with your familiar, play with it, feed it and also put it into your inventory to keep it safe. If the familiar is in your inventory it won't be able to use it's ability, but you'll still get the health out of it. This is the way most people use them, as if your familiar dies you lose 1 point of constituton permanently.

    Here is a list of alignments, familiars and what they do. http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/BG2/familiars.php

    You can also slap your familiar if you're from an evil alignment. Evil familiars aren't going to like to be pet around, normally mocking the main char.
  • Mrpenfold666Mrpenfold666 Member Posts: 428
    huh familiars are a bigger part than i thought, thanks alot maybe ill have a much easier time now :D well on my current playthrough neera will have a much easier time as im a cavalier paladin
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    Only CHARNAME is special enough to get a familiar without mods, unfortunately. Party NPCs are not allowed to summon them.
  • Mrpenfold666Mrpenfold666 Member Posts: 428
    odd....
  • elminsterelminster Member, Developer Posts: 16,315
    edited September 2013
    Mrpenfold666 said:

    odd....

    Its because of game mechanic reasons.
  • ShinShin Member Posts: 2,345
    kamuizin said:

    You can also slap your familiar if you're from an evil alignment. Evil familiars aren't going to like to be pet around, normally mocking the main char.

    This always bothered me a bit with the evil familiars, I'd have wanted them to be more like Amon of the Purple Brotherhood's imp, Pooky. ("Smelly is threatening me again, he is! Threatening!")
  • CorvinoCorvino Member Posts: 2,269
    It might be fun to have familiars as more a party NPC than a summon. At present their lack of level scaling, the limited information you have about them and their scant additional abilities and dialogue compared to party NPCs makes them an unattractive option.
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