Familiar
From NWN2Wiki
A familiar is a small creature that is magically linked to its owner.
Familiars are summoned creatures and can be summoned or unsummoned freely unless they are killed. They do not try to engage in combat, and usually just follow behind the master. While summoned, they grant a bonus that is roughly the equivalent to a feat. As the master advances, so do the familiars. They gain more hit points, better saving throws, and so on. They also gain evasion and spell resistance. During character creation, they can be named and tinted. Some creatures have multiple tint maps. They are intended to essentially be small buff totems and cool looking pets.
Familiars can be directly controlled. Note: doing so gives the PC a semi-permanent Immunity: Mind Spells effect that will remain even after the familiar is unpossessed and dismissed. Only death, rest, or dispel magic removes it. This bug is still present as of 1.22.
If a familiar is killed, the master suffers -2 to Constitution for 8 hours and cannot summon the familiar again until he or she has rested. [1]
[edit] Creature types
Unlike NWN, all of the creatures available as familiars are ordinary animals. [2] [3]
- Bat: Master gains +3 to Listen checks.
- Beetle: Master gains +1 hit point per level.
- Cat: Master gains +2 to move silently and hide checks.
- Pig: Master gains +3 to diplomacy checks.
- Rabbit: Master gains +1 bonus to all saves.
- Rat: Master gains +2 to fortitude saves.
- Spider: Master gains +3 to bluff checks.
- Weasel: Master gains +2 to reflex saves.
The creature types will be defined in 2DA files, so the choices may be modified very easily (add/subtract). [4] Owls, ravens and snakes are not available, because the creature models were never made. [5]
[edit] See also
[edit] Pre-release notes
- Obsidian has stated that familiars will not be "combat critters" in NWN2; they will not fight. The only way they can initiate an attack is by being a conduit for a touch spell from the master. [7] Familiars will actively avoid enemies and try to move away from their master during combat unless commanded to do otherwise. [8]
- Possessed familiars may not engage in conversations, but they may talk on the chat bar. [9]
- "They gain evasion and a few other abilities, but their hit points advance as the master does -- they don't have a portion of the master's hit points. Also, they do not share the benefits of spells." [11]
- Familiars will not have a collar inventory slot to accommodate magic items like a collar of spell resistance or collar of elemental protection. [12]
- Obsidian originally intended for familiars to be carried in a character's backpack, but that was changed and they're again associates like in NWN1. [13]
