Author Topic: Remove Pixies as Familiars (Read 678 times)

Ravemore · « **on:** December 17, 2009, 12:19:15 pm »

I personally play mages exclusively, and believe that pixies should be removed as familiars in the game world. They take away from the need to have rogues along on outings and unfairly take away RP opportunities from both rogues and the player base. The only purpose they serve is to open locks. Some may argue RP potential, but I believe none of those that do can honestly say they have never used their pixie to open a lock.

I sincerely hope this will be seriously considered. One of many quotes I have heard in and out of game:

Quote from: cbnicholson

Thank you, Gal..Ben despises pixies for that very reason..they want his job! :p

Lynn1020 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 17, 2009, 12:34:49 pm »

I do understand how many hate pixes as a familiar. Amanda's has always been a pixie named "Tora". Amanda no longer needs her for picking locks, traps etc... but I would be very sad to see her taken from Amanda because of rp reasons. Tora has been with her from the beginning.

Edited to add... Amanda would not call her familiar until people of the party started asking her to. You would be surprised how many times she has been asked to bring Tora out to deal with a trap or lock.

geloooo · « **Reply #2 on:** December 17, 2009, 12:35:31 pm »

I agree! I cringe every time I see someone use a fairy as a familiar. In this other server based on the Underdark, if a Dark Elf had a pixie familiar that person was killed along with the familiar due to the fact that pixies are seen as malignant and obscure in the Underdark. The player used the pixie mainly for locks and traps and claimed that the character enslaved the creature and tortures it annually (If that were the case, then the pixie's frail body would have not handled it). There are a ton of other familiars to choose from, and since they're not that good in combat, we can still use them in RP! I love my raven familiar and I often use him as a scout of sorts as well as my all-seeing eye. I picture my mage much like the people in the Golden Compass and their demon familiars, which makes it kinda cool. So, yeah, I give this my support!

cbnicholson · « **Reply #3 on:** December 17, 2009, 01:13:33 pm »

Ack! I've been quoted!! Ben hates pixies..me I have a strong dislike:mad:, but for the most part, players are considerate about using them as Lynn points out.

lonnarin · « **Reply #4 on:** December 17, 2009, 01:23:59 pm »

Annie's pixie is her adoptive sister, and thus far hasn't used her once for trapspringing or lockpicking. Instead she just pops out of nowhere from time to time to insult Annie and make her cry, then flies off.

As for actual traps and locks, she just summons Tod using material component ale and pie.

ShiffDrgnhrt · « **Reply #5 on:** December 17, 2009, 01:25:30 pm »

Everyone needs a Halfling, not a Pixie

EdTheKet · « **Reply #6 on:** December 17, 2009, 02:00:18 pm »

*cough* pocket rogue *cough*

LordCove · « **Reply #7 on:** December 17, 2009, 02:19:50 pm »

Half the reason Pixie's are hated... is not because they "can" open locks.
It's because the Mage's controlling them usually dont wait or give the rogue's in the party a chance to use their skills.
Often enough when in a group and confronted by a locked door, mages automatically summon their pixie without even wondering or asking if their is a Rogue present.

If Mages could just resist that temptation and allow the Rogues in party to shuffle their rings and equipment around ( As most do ) and open the door themselves, I think they'd be much less despised.

jrizz · « **Reply #8 on:** December 17, 2009, 03:25:55 pm »

You cant take away pixies! It would make my mage less needed.

davidhoff · « **Reply #9 on:** December 17, 2009, 04:10:32 pm »

Yeah I have to agree here, I always felt a little cheezy pulling Teacup out to do Rogue work. Tralek can do most of his trap and lock work now himself. I think the pixie trap/lock skills do undermine the need to have a rogue in the party, which definitely is not good. The goal should be the balanced party.

Lynn made some good points too. I also try to wait and see if there is someone in the group who can do the job first or wait till I hear the chants "Teacup, Teacup, Teacup".

akata · « **Reply #10 on:** December 17, 2009, 04:19:00 pm »

Quote from: geloooo

I agree! I cringe every time I see someone use a fairy as a familiar. In this other server based on the Underdark, if a Dark Elf had a pixie familiar that person was killed along with the familiar due to the fact that pixies are seen as malignant and obscure in the Underdark. The player used the pixie mainly for locks and traps and claimed that the character enslaved the creature and tortures it annually (If that were the case, then the pixie's frail body would have not handled it). There are a ton of other familiars to choose from, and since they're not that good in combat, we can still use them in RP! I love my raven familiar and I often use him as a scout of sorts as well as my all-seeing eye. I picture my mage much like the people in the Golden Compass and their demon familiars, which makes it kinda cool. So, yeah, I give this my support!

*whistle innocent* and I'm sure the rangers in the party cheer when ever the raven is used as a scout? the point being, regardless of familiar it will have a use that step on some class, so maybe the answer should be.... common sense on the mages part?

Masterjack · « **Reply #11 on:** December 17, 2009, 04:56:33 pm »

I have heard of GMs saying that if a pixie is used to deal with traps or locks on the quest it will die from some pixie disease. That usually keeps the pixies hidden.

EdTheKet · « **Reply #12 on:** December 17, 2009, 05:12:43 pm »

Quote

maybe the answer should be.... common sense on the mages part

This would go a long way really.

And those who play rogues, I would say feel free to remind players of mages (in a friendly way) via a tell.
After all, the player of said mage may not even be aware.

After all, we're all here to have fun, so a little consideration towards everyone goes a long way.

LordCove · « **Reply #13 on:** December 17, 2009, 05:25:19 pm »

Quote from: Masterjack

I have heard of GMs saying that if a pixie is used to deal with traps or locks on the quest it will die from some pixie disease. That usually keeps the pixies hidden.

Pixie Poison dust.

I've only used it once or twice.... honest!

G.Giant · « **Reply #14 on:** December 17, 2009, 06:17:36 pm »

If I was asked by Bioware to revamp the NWN rules (which, I fully realize, has a very slim chance of happening) I'd have a rule that familiars must be with you going into a dungeon and can't be dismissed until you've exited.

That would cut down on pixie abuse heavily (as you'd have to protect them the whole time) and might teach all the mages to be a little more protective of their li'l friends/fiends.

Lord Dark · « **Reply #15 on:** December 17, 2009, 06:36:42 pm »

Hurray! I would "Thank" you fifteen times if I could! I don't even ask if I can open any locks/traps anymore because summons will just do it, I just go up and take care of it.

But I don't think they should be removed completely, like Amanda and Anne's examples are pretty good. How about putting a cap on what level trap/lock that they can handle? Maybe only allow pixies to be able to take care of average and lower traps and locks and let the"rogues" or scamps take care of the bigger, more complicated ones?

Another thing that I thought of when I saw this thread are classes like high leveled wizards/sorcerers/clerics who take one point in the lock and traps related skills and then use all kinds of awesome equipment to take care of traps and locks when there's a perfectly capable "rogue" in the party who can't do any magic, and are trained specifically for locks/traps. All the other classes get some pretty cool things like spells when rogues get disable trap and pick lock points, and then everyone overrides those points. And I don't think that wizards/sorcerers "watching" or "observing" rogues is good enough for a wizard/sorcerer to take rogue levels because they want to "strike more efficiently" or take care of their own traps and locks. It took Tod his whole life to get where he is and then all these characters who have concentrated on magic or other fighting skills are suddenly as good as he is in a matter of IG months or in a year or two.

I do feel strongly on this topic because I've had enough experience to say that it stinks when you go up to a door and then a pixie flies past you to unlock it, but there are no grudges on PC's who have gone on the road to the roguish/scampish abilities and use their pixies, you just have to remember that you're cutting off someone else on a RP opportunity that supports their character. But in general, like cbnicholson said, players are pretty considerate now.

Hellblazer · « **Reply #16 on:** December 17, 2009, 06:49:00 pm »

I wonder if it would be possible to simply revamp the pixie so they do not get the points into lock pick and disable traps. No matter what level the trap is, it's always a job that should be left to someone who has trained in it, what ever class that might be. Lex for example trained specifically to be able to open doors in crypt, his motto, if a door stops me, then I'm not doing my job as an undead slayer (who from the class descriptions are loners)

@Tod, I don't think there is enough gear out there that gives enough skill points* for the high mid to high end traps and locks. If there is, then I weep.

Script Wrecked · « **Reply #17 on:** December 17, 2009, 07:50:56 pm »

We would see how popular pixies as familiars really are if they had no levels of Rogue.

A-Wizzle · « **Reply #18 on:** December 17, 2009, 08:52:15 pm »

Honestly, I only reason I picked a pixie for Larissa's familiar because it's the only pretty familiar there is. And I can't even remember the last time she summoned her. I actually never even realized they could open locks because I -never- use the darn thing.

So please don't take it away and cramp Rissa's style.

Because we all know one of those mephits or dragon things would be about as big she is.

Let's all just agree not to abuse them, as stated before.

Dorganath · « **Reply #19 on:** December 17, 2009, 08:52:32 pm »

Because the whole topic of familiars keeps coming up, it's worth reminding people that familiars and their progressions are pretty much hard-coded into NWN in their current forms. While it is possible to adjust familiars, there is no "in-place" option. Making any changes to pixies would require that we re-make the pixie familiar and all 40 levels of their possible progression, which is, in effect, 40 new creatures plus whatever skin and attribute items they might have.

Or to put it another way, it's a huge effort for what can be solved by encouraging a behavioral shift by those who have pixie familiars.