Find Familiar (spell)
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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.
| 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) |
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
Familiars are divided into two groups, "lesser" and "greater." Upon summoning a familiar, there's a 96% chance that a lesser form will come. 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.
| Roll | Familiar |
|---|---|
| brownie | 01 |
| cat | 02-19 |
| chameleon | 20-22 |
| crow | 23-33 |
| dog | 34-40 |
| fox | 41-44 |
| imp | 45 |
| mongoose | 46-47 |
| monkey | 48-53 |
| owl | 54-63 |
| pseudo-dragon | 64 |
| quasit | 65 |
| rat | 66-73 |
| toad | 74-84 |
| weasel | 85-94 |
| call fails | 95-00 |
