Familiars

[HDL]

I'm spinning this off into a new discussion so that the other thread isn't spammed too much.

 

All familiars have:

 

1) A Default Name, a Familiar Type, and a Species.

 

eg.

Default Name: Miranda Type: Carnivorous Plant. Breed: Miniature Ravenous Abomination Shrub

Default Name: Captain Rufus Felix Northbridge Type: Cat Breed: Langsey Tabby

 

2) Artwork. All the familiar artwork has the same black background to it.

 

3) 5 points that are distributed throughout attributes.

 

4) An adventure told from their point of view. (Titled Familiar: Adventure Name)

 

5) An adventure told from your student's point of view, where your student and familiar work together.

 

6) A special ability? I'm not sure on this one. My monkey familiar had a special ability. The other students seem to often use their familiar's special abilities. I've not delved deeply enough into the game to find out if all familiars have one though.

 

 

The adventures seem to be the most work there. All the ones I've experienced for familiars are different and really indepth, tailored to the various familiars. They're one of the best points about having a familiar.

[HDL]

So Australian Familiars! Playtpuses here we come!

 

More Avian Familiars.

 

I'm actually stunned that there's no ravens or crows, they would seem to be one of the archetypal familiars.

 

I was looking for a songbird type familiar. There is, if I recall, a familiar that eats sound, and another which is trying to get everyone to dance. There's an event which has your familiar listening to an orchestra. I really liked the idea of my musical student having a familiar that would sing along with them. Now, I could create an exotic bird, based on the Lyrebird, which mimics sounds. But since, if I do do a familiar, I'll likely just do only one avian and even then only if I can beat an idea into expanding into an adventure.

 

The Parrot would know where the pirate's treasure is, clearly. YARRRR! And most familiars don't talk, but a Parrot familiar might have the issue of not being able to shut up.

[mecharm]

I'm meaning to add a BattleMace familiar, which could be upgraded by certain plastic parts found throughout adventures, random encounters, etc...

 

Still working on details. In my head that is.

[laclongquan]

Default Name: Big Boo Type: Hamster. Breed: Miniature Giant Space Hamster.

[Legate of Mineta]

Go for the eyes!

[mecharm]

Boo's cool, but for me, it's Cespenar all the way baby!

[mstevens]

This seems about right. The hard parts are really the adventures and the artwork.

 

1) A Default Name, a Familiar Type, and a Species.

 

Default Name: Quoth Type: Raven Breed: Trouble-tailed stormcrow

 

2) Artwork. All the familiar artwork has the same black background to it.

 

I can draw stick figures. Kind of. Maybe. Art is definitly going to be the sticking point on any mod I make

 

3) 5 points that are distributed throughout attributes.

2 points to Insight, 2 to Int, 1 to Finesse. A raven is a cunning, devious bird of prophecy and omen (mostly bad omens)

 

4) An adventure told from their point of view. (Titled Familiar: Adventure Name)

 

Familiar: Flying ahead of the storm

In which your familiar indulges it's curiosity and love of shiny things, and needs to move fast to stay ahead of the resulting trouble.

 

5) An adventure told from your student's point of view, where your student and familiar work together.

One Step Behind

In which trouble comes looking for your raven, and finds you first.

 

6) A special ability? I'm not sure on this one. My monkey familiar had a special ability. The other students seem to often use their familiar's special abilities. I've not delved deeply enough into the game to find out if all familiars have one though.

Bird of Ill Omen:

Ravens are often unfairly maligned as being followed by danger. Actually, they're just cunning enough to move out ahead of danger. By paying attention to your raven's dedication to the better part of valor, you can often see trouble coming. Spending an action studying your raven grants increases to your Danger Sense, Flawless Timing and Shiny Obje- *ahem* Jeweler skills.

[nightguard]

On the topic of special abilities, most familiars unlock their abilities as you complete steps in the familiar quests. For example, Mundigand, the snake familiar, learns a bite attack usable in duels, while Elephant, the fish familiar, shares his natural affinity for water with your character by allowing you to absorb water phemes. I'm not quite sure how this second one works, as I've never quite gotten the hang of pheme absorbtion, and I've never done much dueling, but the point remains that abilities from your familiar aren't available until you spend time working with them to develop their talents.

 

@RandomLogician

 

I'm liking this one already, especially the Bird of Ill Omen ability writeup. Shiny Object skill, indeed. I can't wait to see what you come up with for actual entries in the adventures. One of his other abilities might be tied to a temporary improvement of the Conversation subskill and Gossip parent skill. Part of their connection with bad news is a connection with news in general.

[mstevens]

Wait, there's a duel ability as well? I did not know that. I wonder what else we're missing. Anyway, platypus:

 

1) A Default Name, a Familiar Type, and a Species.

 

Default Name: Gaya-dari Type: Platypus Breed: Duck-billed Beaver-tailed Wingless Platypus

 

3) 5 points that are distributed throughout attributes.

2 to Insight, 1 to Charm, 1 to Fitness, 1 to Luck

 

4) An adventure told from their point of view. (Titled Familiar: Adventure Name)

Familiar: Platypus dreaming

 

Swiftflow the dreamriver, and sweet the dreamsong. But a discord grows within the harmony of the dreaming. To rally the platypus kin. To shepard the blossoms of conception. To guide spur against a darkness in the dream.

 

5) An adventure told from your student's point of view, where your student and familiar work together.

[\quote]

 

Bunyips in the Bathtub

 

Bunyips are big creatures. Huge. Dangerous. Near-mythical. Only found in unusually large bodies of water.

 

But for some reason, very small creatures, that look an awful lot like bunyips have been popping up around you. There was one in the sink this morning, and another in your soup tonight. What could possibly be going on?

 

6) A special ability?

[\quote]

 

Categorical Ambiguity:

Is it a wingless bird? A fish with legs? A furry reptile? An egg-laying rat? Who knows? The platypus defies all attempts to fit into your neat little boxes. By acting as a living reminder of the arbitary nature of your ideas, the platypus gives you increases to First Principals and Theory of Revision, and may expand a random Zoology subskill by one step.

 

7) A duel ability

[\quote]

 

Poison spurs!

[Nyaa]

The muffin man quest is my favorite so far!

 

1)

Default Name: Mr.Muffin

Type: Food

Breed: Cornbread

 

2) Artwork (Not my work)

 

 

3) Stat: 1 to Insight, 4 to Charm (0 to other stats)

 

4) Familiar: I hate you, bro!

After an heated argument with you about the ethnicity of bread-slaughtering, Mr.Muffin attempt to leave your room and find a new master. But first, he will have to convince the cleaning lady to give him a ride and who knows what he will encounters in his adventure of the school.

 

5) Where in the world is Mr.Muffin!

Mr.Muffin was left all alone, somewhere in the cafeteria filled with hungry students and their herbivores familiar!

 

6) Special Ability: Talk as one

Mr.Muffin may be annoying, but you two finally sorted out the differences and become best buddies, so you allow him to occasionally join or assist in any conversations.

 

If bond of food silver is 10, +1 Charm and +10%Chance of Success on any Social Action.

 

7) Duel Ability: Annoyance

Mr.Muffin just won't stop blabbering and annoy your opponents to no end! Luckily, you're already used to his constant annoyance, so it won't affect you.

 

Opponent must make a concentrate check vs. Mr.Muffin's Charm+(Insult/3) or suffer a 10% spell casting failure this turn.

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

Default Name: Good (Your Name) and Evil (Your Name)

 

Type: Materialized Subconscious Urges

 

Breed: Paired Conscience Imps (Shoulder Angel and Shoulder Devil)

 

As a result of some juvenile magic gone wrong, your good and evil sides have physical form as a tiny angel and devil, both with your features and voice. On the down side, they constantly nag you toward extremes of behavior and their conversation sometimes reveals your secrets to anyone within hearing range. On the up side... well, you're sure you'll think of something!

 

Stat: 5 Insight, but +3 to Chance of Discovery (as aspects of your own mind they know themselves quite well, but they just won't shut up!)

 

Familiar: Sibling Rivalry

In a desperate attempt to get rid of your evil twin, you've landed him/her and yourself in trouble far away from your master. Can you manage to work together with your eternal nemesis long enough to get back home?

 

A Plague of Conscience

Suddenly, good and evil imps are appearing by everyone around you. And it's contagious! Can you discover who or what is responsible, and stop it, before everyone in the Academy loses their own familiar and has their innermost secrets exposed by gossiping imps?

 

Special Ability: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell - Bond of Stars 10

You have reached a deeper understanding of your innermost urges, and can tap into it, gaining +3 to Insight for 10 actions.

[Legate of Mineta]

EML;

 

Such a Familiar is deserving of special mechanics, just for it.

[Evil Midnight Lurker]

I'm no modder, but if you want to take something like this and run with it, I'd be honored