Familiar Problems

[Nikki Styx 0]

It looks like there is still no real limit in place as to what kind of effects familiars can have. Might I suggest that the familiar idea get closed down until such a time as a clear line is drawn.

Looking through the thread I see that players clearly do not grasp the idea of choosing a combat, defensive, or support class as they still try to gain permanent buffs and allow their familiars to fight. I have also noticed that several of the familiars do more damage than weapon based attacks. No clear limit was set in the first post so I can see where some of these might be showing up as an issue now.

A size issue is clearly still needing to be enforced as it looks as though some players are trying to gain enlarged animals by means of unique measurements. (ie. Meters, Max size, etc.)

I am not making this suggestion because my own familiars ability was no good. instead I would prefer to have some clear boundaries put in play so that I can, as well as the other players, go through and properly evaluate my familiar and come up with an idea that is both fair and cool and hopefully have it approved in the future.

One of the suggestions I do have that I am fond of is an idea similar to armor stats.

Support Familiars

Pets can buff 1 point to something. Be it 1 point to damage, 1 point to BD, LD or CD, or something of the like. If a pet were to instill bleed damage to its controller, then that would last one additional turn. (ie. Opponent bleeds for 2 turns on a critical strike) This way we do not end up with broken players because there familiar is making them do +2 and this or that.

Defensive or Healer Familiar

Pets can heal their owner or be used to absorb damage. This one is simple. Yer pet can heal you for maybe 2 or 3 damage every 3 of the owners posts. AS a defensive bonus this ability is not done using a combat dice so it will work when the owner decides to use it, as well as can be used even if the owner attacks. However it is still not broken or OP even if done while the owner attacks. Alternatively a tank pet could stand by its owner and as an activated ability its owner could siphon their own damage off onto the pet. (They would need to announce in their previous post that the next damage they take will be siphoned off to the pet.) This creates a unique set of defensive options for players who may try to go that route. (Note. Healing pets can not be used to siphon damage)

Attack or assault Familiar

Even simpler. This familiar attacks. The owner cannot attack when a familiar does, meaning that players who go through and create an attacking familiar need to actually have the beast taming skill set. Players using a familiar are essentially using it as a weapon instead of a sword or other weapon. The pet attacks with the base damage, and does additional damage based off of item stats (Ie. Pork chop Necklace +2 to familiar damage). Like weapons I believe that pets being used for attacking purposes should have the ability to use sword skills or special attacks like other players and that they should have cool downs just as other players with weapons do.(The familiar is the weapon)

On a final note I would love to suggest and petition the ability for a familiar to be used as nothing but a mount. I understand that according to SAO cannon horses are the only mounts and that they can be rented or bought or anything like that. However I feel that the idea of a few species of unique mounts would really flesh out our experience as well as open the entire board to a broader and more colorful RP experience. I believe as well that the canon available is still limited and that it could very well have been possible for players to tame a different type of mount, perhaps it just never occurred often enough to get noticed in the wide world of SAO. Im not suggesting opening the idea to all species, however a few land based species would help to enrich the world a bit. I could make suggestions to such a limited list if anyone would like. To enable this use of familiar would clearly need a larger size variant, which is where the familiars mount ability comes into play. Unless it is used as a mount it is in its small form, and when used as a mount it returns to its original form. The moment a player dismounts is the moment the pet shrinks.

[Guest]

Well my familiar Sif, she is a assualt class who has a primary attack, and a secodary attack, her primary has no effects, just a normal attack as her secondary has a effect, Mawl of the Abyss (Secondary): A frightening attack that targets the opponents throat, this causes a bleed effect that deals 2 points of damage for 2 turns. But Sif has a -2 to her battle die roll for next 2 turns. As the cool down rate is also 4 turns. I made sure that she had a special attack, but to also make sure that her attack was not to have but back drawls, I only use this if I have no other resort in battle.

[Seldentar 0]

The issue with that, is you can choose just not to use the familiar during those two turns. Since you can only attack with either your familiar or yourself, that is not really a detrimint. Also, since not a single familiar has been approved yet, realistically not one of us can use ours yet.

[Miaki 0]

This is absolutely brilliant and clearly well thought through by establishing a base idea of what you can do with familiars. I would agree that size needs to be address but given the liberty of being larger than the current restrictions. Perhaps based on the type of beast/pet and it's use would give a proper size parameter. And towards Seldentar, the process of accepting familiars has started. Only a couple have been accepted though.