SAO - A question on familiars

[Lycan 0]

If I manage a "fighter" familiar, how does that work? Does it just do 1 damage when I make a successful hit? Is it half the base damage of my character? Is it affected by 9 and 10 crits? No details are covered in the guide.

Also, can the familiar be an astral creature? Does it have to be tangible and attack able? (Like if I have a LD+1 Astral Cat) If it can be attacked, what are its parameters? Half of the master? What about Mitigation? Does it generate hate? Does it take damage when you take damage? Can it block for you at the cost of its HP?

These questions will help narrow what I may or may not decide to aim for.

[Calrex 0]

From what I know of how familiars work, in the system they add a permanent +1 bonus to your damage, but in flavor it means they add on an "attack" to your assault. So in this case they are just a +1 to your base damage.

Other than that everything else is mostly for RP flavor. They don't have stats, so they aren't normally treated like another part of your party, but more an accessory to your character.

[Lycan 0]

So they don't need to be present icly to provide the buff? If so, then they could be astral in nature like your falcon soaring high above. Hmm... I think I want an Alpha Blink Wolf or an Astral Ancient Wolf. Given the more hostile nature of the animal, likely a +1 dmg familiar.

[Ariel - The Crowned Lion 0]

On 3/2/2016 at 8:06 AM, Calrex said:

an accessory

*Kimba bites Calrex's neck for being called that. Now he dead.*

 

On 3/2/2016 at 2:25 PM, Lycan said:

If so, then they could be astral in nature like your falcon soaring high above

yes. Calrex's falcon acts in that fashion. They don't have actual stats except the bonus they provide, that still needs to be under the equipment caps. (ex. if your familiar gives +1 dmg, then your weapon can give you a maximum a +5 damage at tier 2, as +6 dmg is the current dmg cap until we clear floor 21)
One could kill his familiar for the sake of IC story purposes.

 

On 3/2/2016 at 2:25 PM, Lycan said:

Astral Ancient Wolf

Sure, as long as you keep in mind that SAO doesn't have any magic in it. I've seen people get Phoenixes as familiars but they still need to have a physical form and manifest in a 'animal' fashion. aka. don't speak but can understand human speech and so on.

[Lycan 0]

Can I maintain the benefit of the familiar without them being present? Easy with birds, but a land animal, no so much.

[Baldur 0]

Yea most people just ignore the existence of their familiars and treat them just like an accessory. Or pick a familiar that fits in your pocket or "soars overhead"

[Mack 0]

Can the Essence of Steel quest drop be used to buff a familiar?

[Lowenthal 0]

@Mack no it can not

[Mack 0]

Good to know, thanks @Lowenthal.