Familiars are worthless

[erick]

I didn't even notice when I lost mine. But when I did I did not bother to load a previous save. It was poor in combat and you can't use group or auto control buttons because you always have to keep it far away from combat. I lost the constitution point but it was worth it. I'd suggest not even getting one. In actual D&D they are useful however.

[LukanGamer]

There are so so so so many things wrong about what you said here...

But ya ok you don't like the old/this style familiar and point ??
Are also blind with issues of noticing or paying attention (clearly) again point ?

Showing you Might even be confusing what a familiar is ?


Or do you want tips or are Ignoring early game, other uses/capabilities/immunities/utilities, hp buff, keeping them safe, roleplay stuff, etc...

But ya they a bit too risky and not a animal companion or what some much later games had a mount they are a tiny animal familiar that provides the mage a small amount of help in some way while looking cute and saying you a mage and my master now please don't throw me at that big monster or else you lose perma hp instead of just getting buffed :P.

[erick]

I saw nothing in your comment that changed my mind. They just get in the way and are a liability. Especially since you lose a point of constitution, permanently. A hit point loss should be enough. The hit on constitution isn't worth the risk.

[Zotliatlicor]

Originally posted by erick:

I saw nothing in your comment that changed my mind. They just get in the way and are a liability. Especially since you lose a point of constitution, permanently. A hit point loss should be enough. The hit on constitution isn't worth the risk.

It is SO easy to keep them safe. You talk to them and tell them to get in your backpak, and they stay there until you release them.

And they are NOT a summoned creature that is supposed to fight for you, at all. I Suggest your read through the Spell description more carefully. Some of them have really useful spell abilities or other abilities that can greatly help you at times. You simply must not consider them a Combat Team Member.

Except on LOB difficulty. Then they change a lot, and are useful in Combat. And if it dies you die so you "Will" notice hahah. And the Extra HP you gat as Mageling is always a great boost. +12 (or in one case 9) HP is same as a full fighter HD in Hit Points. On LOB it is + 34 Hit points as the Familiar gets 68 Hit Points.

It is all about micro management. If your familiar dies on you then you are not playing the "familiar" way, not the "correct" way.

[LukanGamer]

ya kid does not understand how to notice/understand simple things.

Hell the kid says "in actual DnD" ... to put it blunt and simple, very lacking in knowing DnD - Biggest being he likely only computes and maybe even thinks there is only 1 version of it :D and idk what he thinks this is then. (and hell screw actual DnD these days, pray they go out of business ).

-Also not sure which version of DnD he referring too where familiars are way more useful, trashfire 1cell DnD is not even out yet sooo is it 5e edition idk off hand (and 5e changed and became a mess though no where near as bad as what 1 will be which will again hopefully be the last 1 nail needed to nail their company coffin).

If you are reffering too 5e... Familiars quick google of them and yaa.... they far far more useless sounding seeming no buff or immunities as much, too many can use it, and of course worst yet most eh "good" ones are just because they birds ie fly ..
and then you get a lot of useless sea creatures and farr too small of ones ie from sea horse-tiny useless frog
Soo... 12hp + most immune to petrification (bait them petrify annoying fs) and have like
cat with possibly better pickpocketing
mini dragons + imps instead of birds
ferret instead of idk tiny real spider that you have to debate rather it fair to say it can spin webs even.

Yaaa.. so no thanks you can have your neighbor, mother, and guy across the street some how all able too call them and spending 10gold to pocket dimension their household troubled spider or the way too many birds that may as well make them just be falcon handlers.

[erick]

Kid? I was talking about actual D&D with the manuals, dice and actual people.

I was not aware of the putting them in your backpack. That changes things greatly, thanks.

[Wicket W. Warrick]

Originally posted by erick:

I didn't even notice when I lost mine. But when I did I did not bother to load a previous save. It was poor in combat and you can't use group or auto control buttons because you always have to keep it far away from combat. I lost the constitution point but it was worth it. I'd suggest not even getting one. In actual D&D they are useful however.

I actually agree that all the familar thing could have been developped better, because the risk of losing it make you take them in the backsack for most of the time. And many of them don't have many possible uses.
Anyway it's a free HP bonus for a backsack slot.

[Trickle]

-1 inventory space for 20? ish hitpoints in BG2? Sounds like a good trade to me.

[philos3]

Originally posted by Trickle:

-1 inventory space for 20? ish hitpoints in BG2? Sounds like a good trade to me.

Especially after you acquire a bag of holding. Lots of room then.

[erick]

Yeah, I was wrong. I'll just keep it in the backpack. It also seems the computer sometimes goes after your weakest member. So I had battles where a monster is running around after the weakest member followed by my other guys. You could play the Benny Hill theme to it.

[Luka]

Actually, a major point of having a familiar is to boost your HP, then you can keep them in your bag. Being Chaotic Neutral is a + because you get the cat, which is good for scouting and pick pocketing

You're not supposed to be fighting with your familiar out

[LukanGamer]

Originally posted by erick:

Kid? I was talking about actual D&D with the manuals, dice and actual people.

I was not aware of the putting them in your backpack. That changes things greatly, thanks.

Ya you seem too be a "kid" due too lack of knowing dnd and since you ignored all I said.
You know not only did I explain 5e version too some extent, which again I do believe is the current one... but this uses 2e (maybe minorly tweaked especially with ee but pretty sure it still a rule book like 2ea ).
Now I know you still at a lost some how.. But
5e and 2e mean they using the "actual D&D with the manuals, dice and actual people"... rule set of 5th edition and 2nd edition which too translate further for you are the "manuals" of the game.. one being the I believe the most current (until trashfire 1 comes out) and 2e being when this game was made.

But for real how exactly are the "actual dnd" familiars so beyond more useful.. that they go from absolute worthless to actually useful to you?

-Clearly you don't backpack them as then you would have tried to do here..
-Making it so you don't lose a con. point does not mean they are "actually" useful (since if correct, current don't even give a health boost.. and 99% on you if they die as its not like a turn based game where even unbackpacked they are not like tethered to your character and can't leave more then a few feet from them.. to point you can scout with them even)
-You not complaining that only mages can use them ..
\soo what..., genuine at a lost as too how maybe I need to reread the current version of familiars or using 3e/4e and I need too re-look into them ?

[Hamish]

I agree familiars are useless in the sense of combat, but what I do is wait till ToB to get the 24hp and stick them in my back pack for the rest of the game. This is extra useful if you are, for example. a sorcerer rather than a dualed mage from a fighter.

[Zotliatlicor]

Some of the Familiars are 100 % resistant to varius elemental damage, like Fire. A Casting of Invisibility can make you safely toss fire spells at a longer range (at your Familiar) and be safe.

You can of course do this with other summons, which may be better in many ways, but the familiar DO has its uses. You must just be very careful with it, and as so knowledge of any given encounter is a big help. So you know when it is safe to let your Familiar run free.

The Scouting and pickpocket is a great help if you play Solo Mage or such, or else does not have a thief.

7 of the 8 familiars have 24 HP and thus give you + 12. One of the evil ones has 18 and gives +9 to you. All familiars (i think) are immune to Petrify in addition to varius other immunities, and most can cast some type of spell. Some of theese spells are really good. like Glass Shards/Dust and Invisibility 10' Radius (for map transfers and safe travels)

They also seem to have low regeneration like 1/round.

*edit* The Imp always has less HP than the other 7.

In Legacy of Bhaal mode (the highest difficulty) they change a lot for the better. They all get 68 HP and thus gives your character a + 34 HP bonus, which is great. They also get fast Regeneration like 6/round, and much improved AC and much improved Thac0.

I play LOB and choose the Pseudo Dragon (Neutral & Lawful Good Alignement) when i play wizards, and this familiar can stun-lock every enemy in Irenicus Dungeon and in Most of SoA. It is incredible strong. I play with it out most of the time, and it never get serious hurt. If it is damaged it is back to 100 % in mere seconds.

[erick]

So far Dings the cat seems pretty worthless.

[erick]

https://baldursgate.fandom.com/wiki/Dings