The Holy Inquisition teach that familiars are demons, sent to corrupt sorcerers with power. Others say that they are the ancient spirits that originally taught mankind magic, or spells that have slipped away from their masters and now meddle in the affairs of men. Whatever is true, magic-users and elves may obtain familiars by casting the spell known as Call to Familiar Spirit.
Dealing with a familiar is not a simple master-and-servant affair, but a relationship between equals.
Once a familiar has agreed to work with you, it can be summoned to your side. But familiars are fickle. Whenever you attempt to summon your familiar, make a Charisma check (equal to or less on 1d20). Success means that the familiar arrives immediately. Failure indicates it arrives in 1d20 hours. If you have annoyed your familiar you automatically fail this test, while familiars that are extremely pleased will always arrive promptly.
Your familiar doesn't really exist before it's summoned. It crawls out of your hair, or scrabbles out of the wall, and leaves in similarly dramatic fashion. It can only be hurt by magic.
Your familiar doesn't really exist before it's summoned. It crawls out of your hair, or scrabbles out of the wall, and leaves in similarly dramatic fashion. It can only be hurt by magic.
Services and Favours
0. Familiars can use the detect magic spell at will, and even share the results with you if you ask nicely (this is so trivial that it doesn't demand a favour in exchange).
Familiars can perform services for you, but no more than once per day.
For every service your familiar performs, you owe a favour.
1. Familiars can teach you spells, which you can then add to your spell book immediately and at no cost. The DM will pick &/or roll for the spells your familiar knows. It cannot teach you what you cannot understand. The first spell is free.
2. Familiars can grant you an extra spell slot of your highest level spell for one day.
3. Familiars can give you +2 to your caster level for one day.
4. Familiars can save you from a violent death—but only once, and only if the familiar answers your summons immediately (you make that Charisma check mentioned above). The details of how this actually happens are left to the DM. Once your familiar has performed this favour for you, you become bound to it body and soul. You will never be rid of it. You owe it a favour every time you level up, or every time you gain a negative level.
5. Pretty much anything else you can dream up. Want it to scout out the next room? No problem. That counts as a favour, though.
Each favour is something that the familiar can call in immediately or at a later date. It's up to the DM, and depends on the familiar's goals. If the spellcaster performs the favour that the familiar requests, that's the end of it. If the character refuses, that is a violation the contract with the familiar and the DM will roll on the Breach of Covenant table for the consequences (may include random curses, debuffs, mutations and other punishments). As long as you can convince your familiar that you still have a chance to fulfil your destiny it will not abandon you, although it might get grumpy. It has a contract after all.
Player Character Familiars
Lord Glaumr is a ferret with golden fur and glittering purple eyes. (Getorix)
