If you are a Mage is it possible to get a familiar? If you can how do you do it?

By finding yourself the scroll Find Familiar, and then either cast it directly, or write it in your spell book, memorize it, and cast it 8 hours later.

Okay, Thanks!

CAREFUL: If they die you lose 1 const.pt.
Talk to it and you get the option of adding it to your inventory, where it will be safe.
Job's a good'un.

Uh, okay. Thanks Is is possible to change what familiar you get? cos Ive been lumbered with a strange 'Fairy Dragon' which looks evil

No, the familiar you get is based on your alignment. You can't change familiars ever in the game. And they don't ever get any better than they currently are. And to be honest, while they are cool at first, later they become quite useless. So enjoy the bonuses you get as a mage from the familiar, but I'd consider leaving it in your backpack most of the time. Because if it dies, then you really are screwed.

I've been pretty happy with my familiar. They're great for scouting stuff out, but I usually put mine away when things start heating up. Nothing worse then finishing a battle and realizing your familiar took a dirt nap! :)

Uh, so what type of familiar did you get?

A cat.

Cool!! So what alignment do you have to be to get one then?

you're lucky then, all I got is a stupid Dust Mephit. Just look at the table, he's the worst of the bunch :)

Alignment Familiar AC HP Abilities
--------------- ------------- -- -- ----------------------------------
Lawful Good Pseudo Dragon -2 24 50% magic resistance, renders
victims unconscious, casts Blur

Neutral Good Pseudo Dragon -2 24 (same as above)

Chaotic Good Fairy Dragon 4 24 32% magic res., casts Invisibility
10' Radius & Mirror Image 1/day

Lawful Neutral Ferret 0 24 50% magic res., 75% Pickpocket,
40% Stealth, 20% Detect Traps

True Neutral Rabbit -4 16 50% Detect Traps, 30% Stealth,
75% resistance to fire, cold, elec

Chaotic Neutral Cat 0 24 Pickpocket, 99% Stealth,
50% magic res.

Lawful Evil Imp 2 18 Polymorphs, 25% magic res.

Neutral Evil Dust Mephit 6 24 Casts Glitterdust 2/day, 10% magic
res.

Chaotic Evil Quasit 2 24 Casts Horror, 25% magic resist.

I'm a chaotic neutral mage. I guess I did luck out with the cat. Although a fairy dragon would be pretty cool too!

Thanks everyone, Nylson have you *seen* the Fairy Dragon? It looks like a dragonfly!

Psst, don't tell anyone but the fairy dragon is nothing but the downsized animation of everyone's favorite wyvern. :)
Check this shot I took in the beta and you'll see what I mean. http://www.sorcerers.net/Articles/Sorcerers_Way/bII_29.jpg
(the bigger is the wyvern, the smaller the "dragon") ;)

Aerie, Yeah that may be true, but looks aside, it does have some cool abilities!

Good point Nylson!

Out of all the familiars to have based on ability I'd say the cat and the fairy dragon are the best and maybe the rabbit. I'm happy with my little kitty though. Its kinda hard to get used to having a familiar though. Sometimes I'll select all my characters and send them at an enemy and forget I still have my familiar running around and next thing you know theres cat pizza :(

My sorcerer has the rabbit, but I can't say it has been very useful. But then, I usually forget I have him in the pack, so I've probably just not tried to take advantage of its skills.

Makes me feel kind of bad, though. It keeps saying it is hungry, and I've never found anything to feed it. ;)

:D

[This message has been edited by Mobeus (edited December 30, 2000).]

Really? Mine never says its hungry and I never have to feed it. I don't even know if thats possible?!? I sometimes forget mine in my pack as well. I like using my cat to pickpocket people in the taverns and for scouting dungeons, but once he's done, in the pack you go!

I think that Familiars are crap
at first its just cool that you can have a familiar, but when u think about they didnt put enough work into the familiars fx the faerie dragon, pseudodragon, quasit, dust mephit and are the same avatars and also looks the same in the inventory and neither the faerie dragon nor the pseudodragon have their breath weapon (which sucks anyway but still!) and the familiars dont get better and you are at lvl 17 and they still are as they were when you got 'em it sucks

Oh and by the way AERIE!!? she and Haer'dalis are the worst characters in the game and certainly not someone you want to name yourself after( oh and Nalia is crap too)

Ok so the familiars aren't all they should be but they do add to the game, and make pretty descent scouts, depending on your the familir you get. And Aerie does not suck. She may be the most annoying NPC ever created, but her spell casting abilities are good as anyones.

I use my cat for scouting a lot, using the hide in shadows. I find that I can prepare for battle much better when I already know where the enemies are.