First question: I know you keep logs of edges used by shifters when they get undesirable forms but is there any data on how many people delete when they get Raven familiar?

Familiars have strengths and weaknesses but I assume they should all be on a level playing field with one another.

I just got raven after role written, levels gained solo thanks to martial classes 'working skills' and finally cast the familiar spell and get Raven and I feel disappointed.

If I compare it to quasit, as it is the only other familiar I am familiar with the raven can do the following. The Quasit can do much the same with the exception of 'fly' but it gives regen boosts and can invis, sneak and hide to go undetected, it can swim and it can climb for the areas where not flying might be a chore. The Raven and the Quasit are both limp in combat and die quickly so Honors even there. Both detect invis and hidden so again, a draw.

In terms of skills, the Quasit can unlock, open, get from containers as well. It seems like the Raven should be red-headed instead of Black.

Your familiar can do the following:
north south east
west down up
crawl look where
release kill murder
flee visible scan
sleep socials stand
rest wake who
inventory get fly
drop give

The Raven cannot even 'flyto' and it takes forever to fly through the air above the lands. What am I missing?

Does the raven fly faster above the air with higher level?

Can the Raven be allowed to 'flyto' or at the very least allow 'flyto' to the conjurer only?

A random factor in gaining a familiar should not be a make or break one but it really feels like Raven is.

Bob

>First question: I know you keep logs of edges used by
>shifters when they get undesirable forms but is there any data
>on how many people delete when they get Raven familiar?

Nope.

So the raven(and quasit) are both scouting familiars. One has more on the ground mobility the other just has more area mobility. One can avoid people through hide the other through fly and they both can't fight.


I would prefer the raven because while I am sleeping a couple of ticks to conjure I can have it check several areas for targets, far more then the quasit could in the same time frame. I can also use it against people who can detect hidden because more people can see hidden than can see "in the air".

The other gem is when you combine tesserect with the raven. Fly your raven half way across thera in a minute drop it down and tes to it. You can use that tactic for all sorts of things, with the quasit you aren't saving yourself much time because although a familiar can move faster then a PC its not gong to generate as much as a speed advantage as the raven.

Preface: I've never had raven.

It has detect hidden, which is solid all around. That saves you from assassination deaths while you conjure/sleep, which is big because conjurers usually do this in unsafe places.

Fly is AMAZING when paired with detect hidden for scouting and when paired with get.

Do all familiars gets 'crawl'? If not, that's actually pretty damn handy if you get creative with it. There are a lot of very niche but awesome things a familiar can do if it can crawl and pick up objects.

Beyond that, I guess it depends no how sturdy raven gets with all the familiar edges.

All that said, this is the crux of conjurers and familiars. It's a gamble. Just like with Shapeshifter forms, some have to be "better" than others, or less offensive/defensive and more utilitarian, etc., eotherwise they might as well just give everyone tiger form and call it a day.

If you absolutely can't live with it, reroll. Since you know it's a gamble from square one, do what the power-gamers do and don't invest much in your character until you know what your familiar is so you can reroll until you get what you want.

PS: Giving it flyto seems reasonable, especially if it really sucks in combat.

A flying familiar with detect hidden is invaluable for scouting.

Maybe the quasit is "better" overall, but time yourself checking Seantryn, Arkham, Hamsah, Voralian, Galadon, Tir-Talath, and Udgaard with both of these familiars and I think you'll see that the Raven accomplishes the task in 1/10 the time of a walking familiar.

Giving "flyto master" is a great idea, though.

.

That will work fine if you're just using your familiar to scout, but not if it's collecting items for you.

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