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Merlord wrote:

Summoning was changed not because of DDI, but because in order to use it, the summoner ends up taking more time at the table (to control creatures and to take their own turn) slowing down the game. WOTC has also promised summoning will be back when they solve these problems.

I think I've got a partial solution or two for this. I've got some pet-based classes on the backburner for when I get finished tinkering with my Monk design. Each experiments with a different mechanic: minion summons for the Conjurer & Necromancer (encounter powers, supported by the lifeforce of the summoner), allied creature as bonus damage source for my Beastlord Striker/Defender hybrid (which basically uses the creature as an extra attack, a la the Ranger), and summoner replacement (a la FFXII) for my Lurker-like Shaper class.

The core element of each variation is that no pet can act independently. Making a pet attack requires the sacrifice of an action by the PC. It's kind of the core at-will power of the class.

Valdrax wrote:

The idea of an immortal familiar (so long as the master lives) isn't without precedent. We just don't want them to be useful in combat -- otherwise you have time-taking issues again.

Maybe something like the familliar being a part (1% ?) of the master's soul.
That way he could very well be a minion and a conduit for the spells range.
And if he gets ''killed'', he disappears in a puff of smoke and re-appears after a certain time (like when the master sleeps)

Seems to me there needs to be risk along with the reward. And not simply a cost for converting your favorite squirrel via a ritual.

Consider this:
Getting a familiar would require higher levels, probably above 10, and a feat available only to spellcasters at that level. The feat allows them to create and animate a familiar from whatever their power source is and it takes the shape of whatever you use as a medium for the spell/ritual. It can be a carved idol, a small animal, whatever; granting it intelligence and the ability to communicate with the caster(and to a lesser extent other beings). A part of the character's soul is imbued within the newly animated familiar, linking them magically and spiritually.

Whatever was used in the ritual is completely consumed during the spell, creating a new being from it, which shows aspects of the power source it comes from: A familiar from an arcane source shimmers with arcane energy, a familiar from a demonic source smells of sulfur and appears burned with glowing eyes, etc. This being can return to the 'power source' at any time, or whenver it takes 1/4 the damage of the caster's max HP, where it remains until the caster is well rested and automatically resummons it the next morning(or at will, if he prefers not to have it around).

Their specific uses in combat would be much like the rest of you describe: can be used to channel spells from the caster so he can avoid getting into the frey, or carry out small tasks like fetching a key behind a monster's back while distracted with combat(assuming the monster is inattentive enough not to notice). It has an AC equivalently scaled to the caster, and would be particularly hard to hit, but would go down pretty much the first time it took any reasonable amount of damage. Half of all damage done to it is transferred to the caster who makes a save to resist the 'soul damage'. Each time his familiar dies, the caster has to make a save to avoid losing a turn because of some effect that strikes at his very soul for having the familiar (and thus a piece of himself) forced back to its power source.

if not used in battle, simply having the familiar on or within one square of him boosts a casters +hit with spells by 1 or +spell damage by whatever (choose one when creating familiar). Having a familiar in a square doesn't keep a party member or monster from entering that square.

In any case, I'm basically just rambling. I've been away from D&D for a long time but familiars are one thing I certainly noted missing when I looked through my new 4th edition books.