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The Colonel · 07-12-2019, 04:11 AM

If going with 3.5 and sorcerers, I would offer you an old idea of mine that the familiar be limited to the sorcerer class and be the physical manifestation of the sorcerer's fetch/spirit ally. The sorcerer's spell list is then the powers that your spirit ally can grant or arrange for you. I was also tempted by giving the familiar an ego score and letting PCs pile upgrades onto it in return for loss of reliability (yes, your familiar can be a cave bear, but if it is, don't rely on it doing what you tell it to all the time...) Perhaps use warlock for those whose relationship with their totem is less equal.

Alternatively, see if you can find rules for the old Arabian adventures Shahir, part of whose shtick was that his familiar actually went out and found spells for him to cast … easily re-fluffed to your fetch going out to recruit a compliant spirit to work your magic for you.

Depending on how fantasy you want your world, go with wizarding as a serpent-man thing that humanity can steal (doesn't everyone love a serpent man precursor species?) and replace their familiar with an upgraded staff (there was a Dragon article offering you precisely that - Bing suggests #338 - I think Paizo are still selling the pdfs aren't they?)

07-12-2019, 04:11 AM	#3
The Colonel Join Date: Jul 2006	Re: Discovery of Magic in the Neolithic If going with 3.5 and sorcerers, I would offer you an old idea of mine that the familiar be limited to the sorcerer class and be the physical manifestation of the sorcerer's fetch/spirit ally. The sorcerer's spell list is then the powers that your spirit ally can grant or arrange for you. I was also tempted by giving the familiar an ego score and letting PCs pile upgrades onto it in return for loss of reliability (yes, your familiar can be a cave bear, but if it is, don't rely on it doing what you tell it to all the time...) Perhaps use warlock for those whose relationship with their totem is less equal. Alternatively, see if you can find rules for the old Arabian adventures Shahir, part of whose shtick was that his familiar actually went out and found spells for him to cast … easily re-fluffed to your fetch going out to recruit a compliant spirit to work your magic for you. Depending on how fantasy you want your world, go with wizarding as a serpent-man thing that humanity can steal (doesn't everyone love a serpent man precursor species?) and replace their familiar with an upgraded staff (there was a Dragon article offering you precisely that - Bing suggests #338 - I think Paizo are still selling the pdfs aren't they?)