Do they have a familiar that keeps dying?

This is very mean feature of the Familiar spell. When it dies - you lose 1 CON forever!
Forget about the Familiar in this game and never use it.

If the stat that keeps on dropping permanently is Constitution, as a single class mage or any multi/dual class that includes mage, this is very bad because you must have a summoned familiar that is constantly getting killed every single time.

Summoned Familiar is completely different to a normal summon monster or animal, as a Familiar is generally a creature that you share a bond, if that familiar was killed regardless of what situation, the summoner will take damage and a permanent Constitution damage per -1 for each killed familiar.

Talk to your familiar and ask it to be in your bag, this will prevent your familiar from being killed in the outside environment.

Originally posted by ‡=Storky=‡:

This is very mean feature of the Familiar spell. When it dies - you lose 1 CON forever!
Forget about the Familiar in this game and never use it.

p.s. I had the same question back day and also found out with this Forum
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/87952/icewind-dale-2-enhanced-edition-is-released

Summoned familiar is generally a HP stat booster for the main PC, or in IWD terms, whoever was created 1st in party is considered the main leader.

Generally the familiar will give an extra HP of half of the max total HP your familiar has.

Very useful for single class mages or mage/thief types that won’t instantly die from just a single sneeze from a monster in the beginning of the game.

They can hide in the backpack of the summoner with no problem, problem only occurs if you have space issues.

Only bad thing about familiars is that they never get upgrades unlike the BG series unless I am totally mistaken about that.

Originally posted by zytimer:

Originally posted by ‡=Storky=‡:

This is very mean feature of the Familiar spell. When it dies - you lose 1 CON forever!
Forget about the Familiar in this game and never use it.

p.s. I had the same question back day and also found out with this Forum
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/87952/icewind-dale-2-enhanced-edition-is-released

Summoned familiar is generally a HP stat booster for the main PC, or in IWD terms, whoever was created 1st in party is considered the main leader.

Generally the familiar will give an extra HP of half of the max total HP your familiar has.

Very useful for single class mages or mage/thief types that won’t instantly die from just a single sneeze from a monster in the beginning of the game.

They can hide in the backpack of the summoner with no problem, problem only occurs if you have space issues.

Only bad thing about familiars is that they never get upgrades unlike the BG series unless I am totally mistaken about that.

I get that in early game a HP boost is appreciated. But in the middle game Mage is very hard to hit, it even can be reckless.
Is there a way to get rid of a Familiar without loosing 1 CON?

Just “talk” to your familiar.

Either normally or forced talk

And ask it to hide in the backpack which will take up a backpack inventory slot.

Make sure it is the summoner that is talking to the familiar

Originally posted by zytimer:

Just “talk” to your familiar.

Either normally or forced talk

And ask it to hide in the backpack which will take up a backpack inventory slot.

Make sure it is the summoner that is talking to the familiar

Sounds a bit unsure, but I will keep it in mind to avoid harming myself, thanks

Putting your familiar in your backpack works well for me in BG so it "should" in IWD. Haven't bothered with a familiar in IWD for no particular reason.

Yes, talk to it, and then let it live in your knapsack forever. Extra HP.

Originally posted by zytimer:

Originally posted by ‡=Storky=‡:

This is very mean feature of the Familiar spell. When it dies - you lose 1 CON forever!
Forget about the Familiar in this game and never use it.

p.s. I had the same question back day and also found out with this Forum
https://forums.beamdog.com/discussion/87952/icewind-dale-2-enhanced-edition-is-released

Summoned familiar is generally a HP stat booster for the main PC, or in IWD terms, whoever was created 1st in party is considered the main leader.

Generally the familiar will give an extra HP of half of the max total HP your familiar has.

Very useful for single class mages or mage/thief types that won’t instantly die from just a single sneeze from a monster in the beginning of the game.

They can hide in the backpack of the summoner with no problem, problem only occurs if you have space issues.

Only bad thing about familiars is that they never get upgrades unlike the BG series unless I am totally mistaken about that.

No, familliars in all 3 games stay at the same strength all troughout the games just like in Icewinddale and Planescape Torment(Limlim)

Originally posted by ruppe27:

No, familliars in all 3 games stay at the same strength all troughout the games just like in Icewinddale and Planescape Torment(Limlim)

Familiars in BG series are completely different.

They do get upgrades over the series, starting from BG1 to BG2 SOA and BG2 TOB

The other series like we are talking right now IWD and planet Torment, the familiars may not get upgrades at all.