Note that these are my rough notes, and that I am not that good of a note taker. All information presented in the order discussed during the seminar:
----Presented by Valdrik, with Chakram assisting
----Familiars - topic of discussion:

Warrior Mage system now that Rottcloar left.

Valdrik had long IM discussion with Rottcloar on plans.

Familiars v2.365

Keep familiars open as RP device, but needed to make some system definitions for coding use.

Familiar is a singular Aethereal being summoned to the Plane of Abiding by a WM into a particular shape, which defines its abilities. But with the same being's intellect in any form.

One familiar, many bodies.

Talisman is the focus utilized by the WM to summon the familiar.

More fantasy-oriented familiar forms for future familiars.

Filling the current gap by moving Fir familiars to 35th, adding new 50th circle familiar group. Using list created from the board postings.

100+ familiars will be added

200th circle - Dragon hatchling, wyverns, big nasty stuff, not all approved yet.

Familiars will be able to fight with us.

Re-work talisman code to support multi-form talismans.

More functionality & usefulness. Combat & spells.

Familiars grow in strength & abilities as the WM does.

More fluid familiar progression, less gaps.

Wearable talismans.

More robust familiar command system. Familiars need more AI to respond to commands.

Remove monetary costs from familiar quests.

Use same talisman to create higher talismans.

2 quest-only familiars for each level, preview higher familiar steps. In addition to "normal" 6 familiars for each tier.

Familiar demeanor, similar to player demeanor.

Simultaneous with Weapon Enchanting, as a change-of-pace, to prevent burn-out.

Combat first, for new 50th familiars.

New quest for the new 50th familiars.

2 new quest-only familiars for existing tiers, which will "showcase" the abilities gained with familiars from the next tier up.

Trying to make it so you choose what you carve.

Small - 1st, large - 10th, dark - 20th, fir - 35th, new familiar circles- 50th, 75th, 100th, 130th, 170th & 200th.

Fir familiar circle change approved, some 50th familiars approved.

Special Quest-Only Familiars
Small - Hummingbirds & dragonflies - flying preview
Large - Hedgehog & flying squirrels - enhanced command preview
Dark - Wolves & hawks - combat preview
Fir - Hobgoblin & sylph - magic preview - innate spells.

Some of the higher ones may cast blackfire for you.
----From the Question & Answer session

Spellcasting familiars - your spells or their own set?
Their own set, otherwise it would be lame. May not even be WM spells. May even be a special familiar-only spellbook.
Their own mama pool.
Mountable familiars have not been proposed yet, but may be fall-over from Companion system.

Blackfire will have an RP setup.

New AP abilities are waiting for their quests.
Next 4 quests will be more quest-like, in-depth quests, and only the quests are waiting for approval/QC, with a whole new area for them.
Spell review planned for future, after catching up on current workload.
Elemental specialization/attunement, to be discussed at the Weapon Enchanting seminar on Sunday.
Shield ability sort of lost in approval process.
Elemental attunement may have non-TM-only uses. Again, to be discussed on Sunday at the Weapon Enchanting seminar.
Flying familiars going indoors under discussion.
Holding familiars/serving as a "mount" for a smaller familiar. Discussed, some thoughts on possibility of it.
Higher circle familiars be able to drag the dead? Possible, if distances get fixed.
Or get weapons/shields. Not out of the question.
Grave-robbing protection? Possible.

Morphing forms for familiars? Instead of leaving/re-summoning. Valdrik interested, added to his notebook with three asteriks. ***

Familiar chomping might be higher familiar command. Or way to send away smaller familiars.

Fir familiar help for mana use is being moved into elemental attunement instead, more at the Weapon Enchanting seminar on Sunday.

Killing a familiar in combat only unsummons it, rather than permanent destruction, with possible delay for resummoning it.

Multi-fire issues, with DR2 and the sweeping spell review. On the worklist.

Elemental Othersight: May be covered during Weapon Enchanting seminar. (Anyone seeing a pattern yet?)

TM learning reassessment.

Familiar healing? Major issue, since they aren't normal animals. Unsummon/resummon apparently won't heal the damage.

Animal lore being opened up to everyone, but won't work with familiars, since they aren't animals.

Familiar vs familiar combat: Possibility. In-town combat? May have same repercussions.

Mech lore breakup effect on familiar carving: still to be determined.

Bondable talisman? Possible.

----Previous information received, during random discussions: Weapon Enchanting proposal has been approved in full. I am sure that more information on this will be made available on Sunday at the Weapon Enchanting seminar.
----My apologies for the sparseness of this information, but I take lousy notes.

I will try to respond to questions, later.

~Kyn (Kynevon)
----Kynevon's DR Links Page: http://kynevon.info/index.html
Mac OS X FE: http://www.simucon2004.com/~kynevon/DragonRealms/WaveFront.zip


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