Pseudodragon familiar...

[airbornemist6]

I've got a player who is using their starting gold to get themselves a psuedodragon, but she wants to make it her familiar (she's a sorcerer) is this even possible?

 

[Jack Simth]

I've got a player who is using their starting gold to get themselves a psuedodragon, but she wants to make it her familiar (she's a sorcerer) is this even possible?

If you're within one step of Neutral-Good ... and at 7th level or higher ... and take the Improved Familiar feat, yes. Core, even.

 

[Dragon-Rider]

I don't have my books in front of me, but I believe a character needs to have the Improved Familiar feat and be caster level 7 (in a class that grants a Familiar) in order for to make a Pseudodragon their familiar.

I believe the DMG has a section on alternate Familiars. If the rules for the Pseudodragon are not in that section, then they should be in either the "Tomb & Blood" splat book or one of the "Complete X" books.

~Dragon

EDIT: Jack Simth was quicker than me with his response and he remembered the alignment restriction that I had forgotten. Thanks Jack.

 

[airbornemist6]

Yay! But, also, what does one step mean exactly? Would that mean that for example, she'd have to be either true neutral, or any good alignment?

 

[Dragon-Rider]

One step away from Neutral Good means you may change either the Neural part of the alignment or the Good part of the alignment one step in any direction. Below would be the alignments that are one step away from Neutral Good:

Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, and Neutral Neutral (sometimes called True Neutral or just Neutral).

~Dragon

 

[Vegepygmy]

One step away from Neutral Good means you may change either the Neural part of the alignment or the Good part of the alignment one step in any direction. Below would be the alignments that are one step away from Neutral Good:

Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, and Neutral Neutral (sometimes called True Neutral or just Neutral).

That's correct. However, in the case of an Improved Familiar...

The spellcaster may choose a familiar with an alignment up to one step away on each of the alignment axes (lawful through chaotic, good through evil). For example, a chaotic good spellcaster could acquire a neutral familiar. (DMG, page 200)

So in the case of a pseudodragon (NG), the spellcaster's alignment could be LG, NG, CG, LN, N, or CN. In other words, any non-evil.

 

[freyar]

This isn't RAW, but I'm DMing for a wizard who's had a pseudodragon familiar since level 1 (no improved familiar feat, either). I've kept it as a normal pseudodragon (none of the benefits from being a familiar) to level 5. FWIW, it hasn't been game-breaking, partly because the player is pretty protective of the little thing. A few encounters a low levels ended a little early due to the sleep poison, but not many. And the poison DC becomes too low to be important fairly quickly.

 

[roguerouge]

A pseudodragon's pretty powerful scout and spy at low levels: aerial scouting with good maneuverability, the ability to spam a save or nap poison, strong AC, incredible hide check, short-range telepathy.... Drawback of having to take an AoO to even get into melee is a strong one.

Still, I'd have it operate as a companion rather than a familiar. Then you get to let the little guy's dragon ego go wild without pesky "orders" from "master".

 

[airbornemist6]

So in the case of a pseudodragon (NG), the spellcaster's alignment could be LG, NG, CG, LN, N, or CN. In other words, any non-evil.

Actually, I think Dragon-Rider was correct, you do have to remember that the alignment system is a biaxial system. The way I tend to look at it is like algebraic biaxial graphs with good vs evil as the X axis and law vs. chaos as the Y axis.

EDIT:

By the way, technically, a pseudodragon has more personality than most of the familiars, I have a feeling it would still make a more... interesting familiar than your run of the mill owl, rat, weasel, etc. But, yes, it would be more interesting as a companion. But my players have pretty one track minds, they would forget they have two small creatures following them and not just one.

 

[ElectricDragon]

Actually, the pseudodragon does not take AoO for getting into melee. It has a 5 ft. reach with its tail; thus it only needs to get into its opponent's space when it wants to bite or full attack. Mobility is its best defense; so full attacks should be avoided.

Ciao,
Dave