Find Familiar (spell)

Find Familiar

Range	self
Duration	life of the familiar
Area of Effect	1 creature
Casting Time	2-24 hours; see text
Saving Throw	none
Level	mage (1st)

Find familiar summons a preternatural spirit as a permanent attendant for the caster, appearing in the guise of an animal, beast, demon or sprite. This being will serve and obey the caster, while escorting and accompanying him or her constantly. Most familiars appear quite ordinary and can easily be mistaken as pets.

The caster is able to mentally communicate with the familiar, being able to sense directly those things the familiar sees, hears, smells and so on, even though the familiar may be up to a mile distant from the caster.

Behaviour

The familiar will not venture further away than this for any reason. At all times, it will take actions to secure the well-being and security of the caster, of its own accord. It will serve as a guard, spy or scout, without the need to rest or sleep — but the being's purpose is always first and foremost to protect the caster, and not the caster's allies, followers or friends. A familiar will only aid another creature when this directly influences the survival and protection of the master or mistress. It will sacrifice itself only when there's no other course of action.

Only one familiar may be called by the spell at a time. Once obtained, the spell cannot be used until the familiar dies ... and should the familiar die under suspicious circumstances, suggesting the caster did not appreciate its presence (due to perhaps wishing for a "better" form of familiar), then another spirit will not allow it to be summoned, ever. The familiar is a boon, one that must be appreciated highly by the caster.

Summoning

Roll	Familiar
monkey	48-53
owl	54-63
pseudo-dragon	64
quasit	65
rat	66-73
toad	74-84
weasel	85-94
call fails	95-00

Roll	Familiar
brownie	01
cat	02-19
chameleon	20-22
crow	23-33
dog	34-40
fox	41-44
imp	45
mongoose	46-47

To call a familiar, the caster must find an isolated location, no less than half a mile from civilisation. There, a fire is built. The caster sits crosslegged before the fire and begins to quietly chant. This chanting will continue for 2d12 hours, minus 1 hour per level of the caster above 1st. The minimum period of casting is 1 hour. The caster may take precautions, allowing others to guard the area against wandering monsters, to ensure the spell is cast undisturbed, but no person may move nearer to the fire than 50 ft. — else the spell is broken and must be attepted again the next day.

The table shown indicates which potential familiar forms that might appear following the spell's casting. Cats, chameleons, crows, dogs, foxes, mongoose, monkeys, owls, rats, toads and weasels are "lesser familiars", whose advantages and powers are of minor benefit. By comparison, the "greater familiars, "brownies, imps, pseudo-dragons and quasits, are of considerable more assistance to the caster.

Should the result "call fails" occur, then after 24 hours of continuous chanting the caster will discover there are no familiars within hearing range of the spell (or those familiars in the area find the caster "unworthy"). This is most ungratifying and onerous to the caster, but it's not a permanent failure. The caster must relocate to a distance at least 20 miles from the first attempt, then try again. New attempts can be made until success occurs, always remembering to attempt the spell at least 20 miles from all places where former calls have failed.

Lesser Familiars

Lesser familiars all have an armour class of 7, attack as 1 hit dice and enjoy a THAC0 of 20. Movement will vary, with some familiars capable of moving very quickly, while others, like the chameleon or toad, will possess only 2 action points and a movement of only stride-1. When attacking, they're able to cause 1 damage upon a hit, regardless of their form.

Each of these beings will possess 2-4 hit points (h.p.). By means of the association between caster and familiar, this number is also added to the caster's h.p. 'For example, the mage Pazruk has 9 h.p. at the time of casting, when he succeeds in calling forth a dog familiar with 4 h.p. Pazruk's points are thus increased to 13. These points will remain part of Pazruk's total until such time as the familiar passes away — whereupon Pazruk will subtract those four h.p. from his total.

In addition, each type of lesser familiar conveys its powers or special knowledge to the caster, as described below:

Cat: increases the caster's ability to see in the dark by two grades of illumination; for example, from full dark to dim moonlight, or dim moonlight to dusk. Better hearing enables the caster to reveal the approach of others at a 3rd level of ability.

Chameleon: enables the caster to change skin and hair colour within the range permissible to the caster's race; this power does not change the caster's features or style of hair.

Crow: provides excellent distance vision, so that it gives a +2 to hit with missile weapons at medium and long ranges. Reveals mirage, two-d'llusion, dancing lights and similar magic.

Dog: provides benefits associated with the senses I sage ability. Acquiring the dog's natural ferocity allows the caster to attack four times every three rounds when engaged in hand-to-hand melee.

Fox: increases the caster's intelligence stat by +1, while giving the caster the right instincts to employ the passing through sage ability.

Mongoose: grants a +2 attack against snakes of all forms, while simultaneously providing a +2 saving throw vs. snake venom. The mongoose possesses a ferocity that allows the caster to attack four times every three rounds when engaged in hand-to-hand melee.

Monkey: increases the caster's wisdom stat by +1, while transferring the monkey's natural ability to scramble and climb trees.

Owl: increases the caster's ability to see in the dark by two grades of illumination (see cat); for example, from full dark to dim moonlight, or dim moonlight to dusk. Peripheral vision, and an eerie sense of "having eyes in the back of one's head" reduces the chance of the caster being surprised to 1 in 12.

Rat: provides a +2 saving throw vs. poison, while also conferring complete immunity to disease.

Toad: increases the caster's constitution stat by +1, while providing a +2 saving throw vs. magical attacks and breath weapons.

Weasel: enables the caster to heal an additional 2 hit points per day, beyond that normally gained through rest. In addition, the weasel confers a complete immunity against magically-induced fear.

All familiars function as retainers with respect to their relationship to the caster and the character party.

Greater Familiars

These are each unique unto themselves, with characteristics that are found on their individual page descriptions. Whatever the number of hit points they possess, having one of these familiars enables the caster to add 5 h.p. to their own total. Descriptions of the each greater familiar's behaviour and benefits follows.

Brownie

See Brownie

These diminuative faeries make every effort not to be seen by the spellcaster's companions, succeeding in this nearly always. It's possible the brownie might be seen during a fight, defending it's master or mistress; but even then, it's unlikely another character would have the time to observe and gain any insight as to the brownie's appearance. When solving problems, or giving aid, brownies like to achieve their aims without causing undo harm or loss to others — though if there's no other way, they will resign themselves to the caster's inevitable need.

When acquired by the caster, the brownie will be 2nd level, with between 2,501 and 2,700 experience points (X.P.); it will be able to gain more as a member of the caster's party. The brownie could be a he or she, possessing the spells feather fall, protection from malevolence, ventriloquism and [[Unseen Servant|unseen servant], making great use of the last; with an additional three useful cantrips and one legerdemain cantrip. These and the brownie's other abilities are available for the caster's purposes.

The brownie's presence also increases the caster's constitution stat by +2, while also bestowing a certainty of the caster never being surprised.