Well what's the more realistic problem, that the familiar is almost too good or worse than Wild Shape? Trying to balance what makes it better than Wild Shape with what makes it worse than Wild Shape. WS can't cast spells, FF can. FF needs to be cast for its long casting time, WS doesn't. WS benefits your attacks, movement, and especially health; FF doesn't. If I gave them temp HP = your max HP, then only the above would be the practical differences.
I am still unsure what you want to do with this exactly, to be honest...
Wouldn't it be easier to take something similar to the Beast master and rework it into a Druid subclass (possibly taking out the obviously and already highlighted problems with Beast master)?
Seems to me you want something more similar to an Animal companion rather than a familiar, but I might be wrong so I'd appreciate clarification in order to better advice you.
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
Main objective is to create a reasonable option that flavorfully and mechanically succeed at becoming an alternative to Wild Shape, while remaining druidic flavorfully.
It's not easy to change 3 - 8 features, but is easier to give an additional option to use those features differently. The key feature being two uses of Wild Shape as groundwork with which to use the extra option -- a free casting of FF with FF's details altered slightly when cast this way.
It's not easy to create an archetype, and by doing so I prevent the non-WS option from being used with any other archetype, defeating its point.
My goal is to create a houserule optional feature (treat it like a free feat for being a druid) that allows Wild Shape to be treated as you summoning said beast instead of transforming, reason I don't use Ranger's Companion is that at 3rd level, you just now have a companion, and it's a big process to regain one once it dies; however, at 2nd level WS unlocks your ability to magically transform into a beast up to two times between each rest, so its alternative should allow you to call upon a beast with magic up to two times between rests. The only mechanical thing I feel needs to change to work flavorfully is allow spellcasting. However, I hadn't thought of perhaps changing the FF cast into an instantaneous effect, but have a duration same as WS, and I *suppose* you couldn't cast spells during that time.
Try it out with 1/2 CR(of your normal CR amount) for the familiars wild shape and let you spell cast, see how it works out. If you guys have fun with it RUN WITH IT! play it for a few sessions that way and start making decisions on how it goes from there. If you need to make an adjustment see how it feels making it so you can't use concentration spells while it is active. I think this will be see what works for your group.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I'm thinking maybe to make the familiar ALMOST be identical to reflavoring Wild Shape. Use Wild Shape to summon it, can't cast spells w/o Beast Spells, it remains for a number of hours equal to half your druid level, (rounded down) it is a beast you choose within the parameters of Wild Shape and does not become a Celestial, Fey, or Fiend; to balance the health *you'd* gain from Wild Shape, the familiar is summoned with temporary hit points equal to your current hit points, and it can make an attack in place of your attack action. The only thing is basically cast Find Familiar for free, and ignore the casting time.
Edit: or would entirely substituting Wild Shape with "you know the Find Familiar spell, cast it normally, but the familiar's form can be any form you can take with Wild Shape and it stays a beast" make it fair to still be able to cast spells? How would Archdruid affect using Wild Shape-turned-Find Familiar?
Well what's the more realistic problem, that the familiar is almost too good or worse than Wild Shape? Trying to balance what makes it better than Wild Shape with what makes it worse than Wild Shape. WS can't cast spells, FF can. FF needs to be cast for its long casting time, WS doesn't. WS benefits your attacks, movement, and especially health; FF doesn't. If I gave them temp HP = your max HP, then only the above would be the practical differences.
I am still unsure what you want to do with this exactly, to be honest...
Wouldn't it be easier to take something similar to the Beast master and rework it into a Druid subclass (possibly taking out the obviously and already highlighted problems with Beast master)?
Seems to me you want something more similar to an Animal companion rather than a familiar, but I might be wrong so I'd appreciate clarification in order to better advice you.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
Main objective is to create a reasonable option that flavorfully and mechanically succeed at becoming an alternative to Wild Shape, while remaining druidic flavorfully.
It's not easy to change 3 - 8 features, but is easier to give an additional option to use those features differently. The key feature being two uses of Wild Shape as groundwork with which to use the extra option -- a free casting of FF with FF's details altered slightly when cast this way.
It's not easy to create an archetype, and by doing so I prevent the non-WS option from being used with any other archetype, defeating its point.
My goal is to create a houserule optional feature (treat it like a free feat for being a druid) that allows Wild Shape to be treated as you summoning said beast instead of transforming, reason I don't use Ranger's Companion is that at 3rd level, you just now have a companion, and it's a big process to regain one once it dies; however, at 2nd level WS unlocks your ability to magically transform into a beast up to two times between each rest, so its alternative should allow you to call upon a beast with magic up to two times between rests. The only mechanical thing I feel needs to change to work flavorfully is allow spellcasting. However, I hadn't thought of perhaps changing the FF cast into an instantaneous effect, but have a duration same as WS, and I *suppose* you couldn't cast spells during that time.
Try it out with 1/2 CR(of your normal CR amount) for the familiars wild shape and let you spell cast, see how it works out. If you guys have fun with it RUN WITH IT! play it for a few sessions that way and start making decisions on how it goes from there. If you need to make an adjustment see how it feels making it so you can't use concentration spells while it is active. I think this will be see what works for your group.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
I'm thinking maybe to make the familiar ALMOST be identical to reflavoring Wild Shape. Use Wild Shape to summon it, can't cast spells w/o Beast Spells, it remains for a number of hours equal to half your druid level, (rounded down) it is a beast you choose within the parameters of Wild Shape and does not become a Celestial, Fey, or Fiend; to balance the health *you'd* gain from Wild Shape, the familiar is summoned with temporary hit points equal to your current hit points, and it can make an attack in place of your attack action. The only thing is basically cast Find Familiar for free, and ignore the casting time.
Edit: or would entirely substituting Wild Shape with "you know the Find Familiar spell, cast it normally, but the familiar's form can be any form you can take with Wild Shape and it stays a beast" make it fair to still be able to cast spells? How would Archdruid affect using Wild Shape-turned-Find Familiar?