This tome was brought in by the Master from the outside world. Read carefully for this is a invaluable tome.
One small but worthy change made in the AD&D game 2nd Edition rules can be seen in the first-level wizard spell find familiar. The current spell better defines the capabilities of familiars and adds new features to improve a familiar's ability to survive in a campaign. The revision of find familiar now makes the familiar more viable as a continuing NPC in a campaign, a constant companion to a wizard from the start of an adventuring career to retirement at a ripe old age.
Also beneficial to a campaign would be a system to allow the familiar's capabilities to increase and its personality to grow as the campaign progresses. The animal companions of fantasy and myth display a surprising range of abilities and talents, from magical powers and useful skills to benevolent wisdom. With a little work, the AD&D game, too, can reflect the imaginative touches that make animal companions such unique and engaging characters.
This article proposes a new spell series to broaden the special abilities of familiars. These familiar enhancer spells, ranging from the second to ninth level, enable a wizard to add new powers and faculties to his familiar. As the wizard rises in level, the familiar grows more intelligent and capable of keeping pace with the expanding power of the wizard and increasing challenge in the campaign.
Whatever new powers the Dungeon Master chooses to bestow upon familiars must be tailored to the needs of game balance. The familiar mustn't be permitted to become the wizard's answer to the warrior's intelligent magical sword.
Wizards already possess enough spells and magical items of offensive power without the familiar becoming yet another piece of firepower for wizards to exploit.
The new powers conferred upon familiars should be weighted on the side of defensive and miscellaneous functions. Additional abjuration powers can improve the familiar's chances of surviving in a campaign that grows ever more dangerous. New powers of divination, alteration, illusion, and summoning magic can enhance the familiar's role as a spy, scout, or adviser, enabling the familiar to do things its wizard often cannot do for himself and making the familiar a useful addition to the party. Any offensive powers the DM permits familiars to acquire should be subtle in nature and require some creativity, rather than the flash and fury of evocation and necromancy magic.
Familiar Enhancer I-VIII
(Alteration, Enchantment)
Level: 2-9
Range: 10'
Components: V S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 72 hours
Area of Effect: The caster's familiar
Saving Throw: None
Table I
1d100 Special power
01-05 The familiar can call into existence and control one glowing sphere of light, as described under the spell, dancing lights. This power can be
used twice per day, each use having a duration of two rounds per level of the familiar's wizard.
06-20 The familiar can detect magic twice per day. While the familiar can judge the intensity of magic detected, it cannot discern the type of magic noted, as familiars are generally unschooled in the many varieties of magic.
21-25 The familiar can use feather fall twice each day.
26-30 The familiar can jump up to three times per day. Each jump has a duration of only one round.
31-40 The familiar can pass without trace once per day with a duration of five rounds per level of the familiar's wizard.
41-60 The familiar can use protection from evil on itself if the familiar's wizard is not evil in alignment or protection from good if its wizard is evil. This power can be used once per day with a duration of two rounds per level of the familiar's wizard.
61-75 The familiar can speak with animals (as per the priest spell) twice per day, provided that the animal spoken with is of the same general family as the familiar. A black cat could speak with any feline, an owl or hawk could speak with any bird of prey, a toad could chat with any other toadlike amphibian, and so on. (I know this stretches true taxonomic classification, but let's not nit-pick.) The familiar can question and gain answers from an animal spoken with, but it cannot obtain a favour or exact some service, because this power confers no magical influence over the animal.
76-80 The familiar can spider climb once per day.
81-95 The familiar can call upon the aid of an unseen servant. An unseen servant can be summoned no more than once each day and will serve the familiar for up to three turns plus one turn per level of the familiar's wizard.
96-00 The familiar can detect one type of metal, mineral, vegetable, or other substance, such as gold, iron, coal, diamond, catnip, wild berries, or eucalyptus (as the DM chooses). The familiar detects the substance if it is within a 30' radius of the familiar. This power can be used three times per day, with each use lasting one turn. At the DM's option, the familiar may develop an obsessive interest in the given substance. The familiar may desire to collect the substance to the exclusion of other materials or forms of wealth, and may search for the substance it covets at inopportune times.
Table II
1d100 Special power
01-10 The familiar can use blur on itself once per day.
11-20 The familiar can affect its appearance in a way similar to the spell change self. The familiar can change its appearance with regard to its fur, feather, or skin color, can mold body features in subtle ways, or can alter its size by up to 25%, but it must retain its own essential animal
form. A black cat familiar might make itself look like a smaller Siamese cat or a larger wild cat. A screech owl might conceal its species by changing the color of its feathers or the shape of its head. A weasel might give itself snow white fur to blend in with a winter environment or dark fur to be less conspicuous at night. This power can be used once per day.
21-25 The familiar can use comprehend languages once per day. This power does not permit the familiar to read a written message unless the familiar has at least an intelligence of 10.
26-35 The familiar can detect evil once per day.
36-45 The familiar can detect invisibility once each day.
46-50 The familiar can grease a surface once per day.
51-60 The familiar can use the power of protection from cantrips on itself once per day, with a maximum duration of 24 hours.
61-75 The familiar can speak with animals of the same biological class as the familiar twice per day. A cat or weasel familiar could speak with any mammal, a toad with any amphibian, a hawk or owl with any bird, or a snake with any reptile. This power, again, confers no magical influence over the behavior of the animal spoken with.
76-80 The familiar gains the power to detect all concealed or secret doors within a 10-yard radius about the familiar for a period of one round, similar in function to the wand of secret door and trap location except that traps cannot be located. The familiar can use this power twice per day.
81-85 The familiar becomes endowed with a keen sense of direction, enabling it to identify true north with a 90% chance of accuracy. This power can be used any number of times. If the familiar incorrectly identifies south, east, or west as "north" (roll 1 d6 to find the wrongly identified
direction: 1-2= south, 3-4= east, 5-6= west) on a failed 1d100 roll even once, the familiar will continue to identify the wrong direction as "north" for the rest of the day.
86-00 The familiar becomes able to blend in with its surroundings with a 90% chance of success as if the familiar were wearing a ring of chameleon power. The familiar, however, is unable to mimic the appearance of another living creature as detailed under the ring's second function. This ability can be used once per day with a duration of two rounds per level of the familiar's wizard.
Table III
1d100 Special power
01-10 Once per day, the familiar can change its appearance in a manner similar to the effect of the spell alter self. The familiar can assume the form of only those animals the DM permits to become familiars in the campaign. A crow familiar might choose to appear as a cat, owl, or toad, but not as a minimal, hyena, or imp if the DM forbids these creatures from becoming familiars.
11-20 The familiar can charm animals (as described under the priest spell, charm person or mammal) once per week, provided the animal to be swayed is of the same general family as the familiar. A black cat familiar could charm a fellow feline but not a canine or rodent. Up to 1 HD of animals for every two levels of the familiar's wizard can be charmed, so a hawk familiar to a 10th-level wizard could affect up to 5 HD of birds of prey. The charmed animals will be under the familiar's influence for one turn per level of the familiar's wizard.
21-25 Once per day, the familiar can fly by sprouting a pair of wings from its back, gaining all the flight capabilities bestowed by the spell. If
the familiar could already fly, its speed is increased by half again as much; thus, MV 12 becomes MV 18, MV 18 becomes MV 27, MV 24 becomes MV 36, etc.
26-40 The familiar can either use the power of invisibility on itself (50%) or use knock (50%), once per day.
41-50 The familiar can create mirror images of itself once per day.
51-65 The familiar can speak with animals of any nonmagical species up to three times each day.
66-70 The familiar can use the power of water breathing on itself once per week.
71-80 The familiar can locate the presence of any hostile creature within a 30-yard radius, similar to the function of a wand of enemy detection. This sense can be employed once per day with a duration of one turn.
81-85 Twice per day for a duration of one round per use, the familiar can detect any traps-but not secret or concealed doors- within a 10-yard radius sphere, comparable to the second function of a wand of secret door and trap location.
86-95 The familiar's intellect is permanently raised into the highly intelligent range of intelligence of 12+(1-2).
96-00 The familiar permanently acquires the ability to speak in a normal human voice and can converse in any language that the familiar knows.
Table IV
1d100 Special power
01-10 The familiar can blink once per day.
11-20 The familiar can charm animals of the same biological class as the familiar, as described under the charm power in Table III. A toad familiar to a 14th level mage could charm up to 7 HD of fellow amphibian creatures, while a weasel familiar could charm mammals. This power can be used once per week with a duration of two turns per level of the familiar's wizard.
21-25 The familiar can delude others regarding its alignment once per day. The new alignment assumed by the familiar can even come from a creature of animal intelligence, so the familiar could assume the neutral alignment of a common animal and conceal its status as a familiar.
26-35 Once per day, the familiar can use hold animal against creatures of the same general family as the familiar itself (as detailed under the
priest spell). A cat familiar could hold a pair of lions with this power and a snake familiar could keep immobile 1-4 boa constrictors or cobras.
36-45 The familiar can use item once per week only inanimate, nonliving matter can be affected with this power. The familiar cannot alter an object in the possession of another, nor can another creature carry an object that was shrunk by the familiar (the spell is dispelled if the object is touched). The sole use for this power is to enable the familiar to carry an object normally too large for the familiar's size and strength.
46-55 The familiar can use protection from normal missiles on itself once per week.
56-65 Once per week, the familiar can summon animals of the same species as the familiar, similar in effect to the spell monster summoning I. Up to one such animal for every two levels of the familiar's wizard will appear.
66-70 The familiar can use the power of tongues once per day, assuming the familiar is capable of human speech; if not, reroll this ability.
71-80 The familiar can attain wraithform once per week.
81-85 If the familiar is capable of human speech, it can use the gift of glibness as described under the potion of glibness. This power can be used once per week with a duration of one round for every level of the familiar's wizard. If the familiar is not capable of human speech, reroll this ability.
86-95 The familiar's intellect rises into the exceptionally intelligent range with an intelligence of 14+(1-2). The familiar is also treated as if having a wisdom of 15, so the familiar receives a +1 bonus to saving throws vs. magical attacks that affect the familiar's mind.
96-00 The familiar gains the power to polymorph itself into a human or demihuman form only one such form can be assumed by the familiar, and the DM must decide the details of the familiar's humanlike appearance (eg., race, sex, height, weight, hair type, eye color, apparent age, distinguishing features) when this power is bestowed. The familiar retains its current hit-point total and innate intelligence when it polymorphs, but is otherwise treated as a normal person with AC 10, a base land-movement rate normal for that race, and average values in all other characteristics. After assuming the form of a person, the Familiar loses all the special abilities and sensory powers of its animal form, such as the hawk's power of flight or the toad's wide-angle vision. Because its enhanced senses are lost when in the form of a person, the familiar no longer grants its wizard the +1 bonus to surprise die rolls. The familiar can change into humanlike form once per day and can maintain this form for two turns per level of the familiar's wizard.
Table V
1d100 Special power
01-10 The familiar can charm any normal, nonmagical animal of any biological class. Up to 1 HD of animals can be charmed for every two levels of the familiar's wizard. This power can be used once per week and remains in effect for two turns per level of the familiar's wizard.
11-20 The familiar can use the power to dimension door once per week. Up to 200 lbs. of living or nonliving matter in the familiar's grip (claws, mouth, etc.) can be transported along with it.
21-35 Once per day, the familiar can use hold animal against creatures of the same biological class as the familiar (as per the priest spell, hold animal.
36-45 The familiar can attain a state of improved invisibility once per day.
46-55 The familiar can use stoneskin once per month.
56-70 Once per week, the familiar can summon animals of the same general family as the familiar in a fashion similar to the monster summoning spells. No more than 1d6 animals will arrive to serve the familiar, and each animal can possess no more than 3 HD. A black cat familiar could summon cheetahs, for example, but not tigers.
71-75 Once per day, the familiar can use a limited form of telekinesis. The familiar can move a weight of up to 25 lbs. at a rate of 70' per round for the duration of this power (as per the spell). The familiar can telekinetically manipulate an object such as a rope, lever, or key, as well. The familiar, however, can never expend all the power's energy in a single round as wizards can.
76-80 The familiar if capable of speech, gains vocal powers similar to those conferred by the philter of persuasiveness. The familiar receives a +5 bonus to reaction rolls (assume the familiar has a charisma of 11 for such rolls). The familiar can also make one suggestion when this power is in effect. This power can be called upon once per day with a duration of one round per level of the familiar's wizard. If the familiar is not capable of
speech, reroll this ability.
81-90 The familiar attains a genius-level intellect of intelligence 16+(1-2). The familiar is also handled as if possessing a wisdom of 16, giving the familiar a +2 saving throw bonus vs. magical attacks affecting the mind.
91-00 The familiar can polymorph itself into an animal of the same general family as the familiar. The familiar gains the natural armor class of the new form, along with the form's physical movement rate and attack routine. The size of the animal form assumed cannot exceed roughly 10 times the weight of the familiar's normal form. A 15-lbs. black cat could assume the form of, say, a 750-lb. leopard, but not that of a 600-lb. tiger. The familiar retains its own hit points, attack rolls, saving throws, and mental abilities in its new form, but cannot use any familiar special power that is not a permanent endowment usable all the time only the form of a natural animal can be assumed, not that of an unnatural monster. No more than one animal form can he assumed for each use of this power. This power can be employed once per week with a duration of one turn per level of the familiar's wizard.
The spells in this series each vary in effect and the cost of the chiefmaterial component with increasing spell level, but they remain similar in all other respects. When a wizard is ready to cast one of these spells, the wizard and familiar must go into seclusion together for 72 hours. They must stay within 10' of each other throughout this time or the spell will be ruined.
The wizard must first light a brazier and use it to periodically burn herbs, gums, and spices throughout the spell's duration. In addition the wizard must keep near his person a gem-encrusted statuette of solid gold depicting the familiar. The value of this statuette is 1,000 gp multiplied by the spell level; thus, the statuette foe the second-level familiar enhancer I spell costs 2,000 gp, while the ninth-level version costs 9,000 gp. The statuette is repeatedly anointed with heated oils containing a bit of fur, feathers, skin, or claws of the familiar. After the spell is cast, the familiar and wizard must both rest for an additional 72 hours to recover from the strain inflicted by the spell-casting.
Once a particular version in the familiar enhancer series is cast, the same spell can never be memorized and cast by the wizard. If a familiar enhancer is ruined during it's casting, the same spell version cannot be memorized and cast again. Only the power of a full wish can enable a wizard to use the same enhancer spell a second time if the first casting was spoiled. The familiar enhancer spells must be cast in successive order from the second-level version to the ninth-level spell. Thus, familiar enhancer III cannot be cast before familiar enhancer 11 has been cast. If any familiar enhancer version is cast out of order or an enhancer in the series is skipped over then the most recently cast enhancer will not take effect. Again, the same enhancer version cannot be memorized a second time without the aid of a wish.
When a familiar enhancer is cast, the familiar receives one or more special benefits or abilities specified in the spell description or generated from one of five tables of magical powers. The eight versions in the enhancer series are described here, followed by the five tables of powers.
Familiar enhancer I
Level: 2
With the casting of this first enhancer, the bond between familiar and wizard grows stronger. The familiar's intellect improves when this spell is cast, rising into the low intelligence range of 4+(1-3). The familiar can now think in the wizard's native tongue and can communicate in words and simple sentences with its wizard though the empathic link they share.
The familiar develops a personality that seems almost human or demihuman in character, possessing specific traits, likes, dislikes, opinions, habits, and foibles. Table 70 on pages 114-115 of the 2nd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide can prove helpful when the DM needs to detail the characteristics of an NPC familiar.
The general animal qualities of the familiar's species are not lost, however, but are expanded upon as the familiar's personality matures. A black cat familiar might grow into a sensualist with discriminating and expensive tastes in food and creature comforts, a crow might become a collector of gaudy gemstones and jewelry, and an otter might develop a frolicsome personality combining a short attention span for serious matters with a love for playful pranks.
The familiar also takes on the alignment view and attitudes of its wizard, but not to as strong a degree. A familiar will always retain a leaning toward the true-neutral alignment as a holdover from its simple animal origin. If the wizard should sometime undergo a radical alignment change, such as from neutral good to neutral evil, then the familiar for its own safety could be compelled to forsake its wizard. Protected by the wizard's original deity, the familiar does not suffer the loss of hit points or any special abilities while it remains separated from its wizard until the crisis passes. The changed wizard, of course, loses all special benefits bestowed by the familiar's presence until the familiar returns.
Finally, the familiar gains one special power from Table I.
Familiar enhancer II
Level: 3
The casting of this enhancer causes the familiar's intelligence to rise into the average range of 7+(1-3). the familiar can now learn to communicate in other languages with patient tutoring by the wizard, up to the maximum number of languages permitted by the familiar's intelligence. the wizard's native tongue, however, remains the language in which the familiar communicates with those of its own species. The acquisition of certain special powers may enable a familiar to learn languages from someone other
than its wizard. The familiar gains one more special power with the casting of this spell, as determined by a dice roll.
1d100 Special power
01-80 One from Table I
87-00 One from Table II
Familiar enhancer III
Level: 4
The familiar's intellect improves yet again into the very intelligent range of intelligence of 10+(1-2). The familiar can now he tutored lo read
languages as well as communicate them through the empathic link with its wizard.
The Familiar also acquires another special power as decided by dice roll.
1d100 Special power
01-60 One from Table I
61-00 One from Table II
Familiar enhancer IV
Level: 5
(From familiar enhancer IV through enhancer V111, an intelligence gain is no longer automatic. However, one or more special powers are obtained with each enhancer version cast, as noted.)
1d100 Special power
01-30 One from Table I
31-80 One from Table II
81-00 One from Table III
Familiar enhancer V
Level: 6
1d100 Special power
01-20 Two from Table I
21-40 Two from Table II
41-80 One from Table III
81-00 One from Table IV
Familiar enhancer VI
Level: 7
1d100 Special power
01-20 Two from Table II
21-50 One from Table III
51-80 One from Table IV
81-00 One from Table V
Familiar enhancer VII
Level: 8
1d100 Special power
01-30 One from Table III
31-70 One from Table IV
71-00 One from Table V
Familiar enhancer VIII
Level: 9
1d100 Special power
01-20 Two from Table III
21-50 One from Table IV
51-00 One from Table V
Tables I-V describe the special powers that the familiar enhancer spells can bestow upon familiars. Spell-like powers are assumed to have the same characteristics as the wizard spells of the same name. Where the power mimics the effects of a spell, the familiar is treated as being equal in experience level to its wizard when determining the range, area of effect, duration, or other aspects of the power, unless otherwise noted. These powers, unlike spells, are used by the familiar only; they cannot be placed or cast upon others. Most familiar powers are limited in the number of times per day or week they can be used, while a few are permanent benefits usable all the time.
A familiar should develop new capabilities gradually, not in dramatic leaps in power level A familiar shouldn't jump suddenly from intelligence 12 to intelligence 18, but should see its intelligence rise in modest steps. A black cat familiar should be able to speak with other felines before learning to speak with all mammals and ultimately with all animals.
Similar powers gained in succession shouldn't be stacked atop one, another but should supplant lesser powers. The black cat's ability to speak with other felines is replaced by the ability to speak with mammals, which is in turn replaced by the power to speak with all animals. This keeps a familiar from retaining lesser redundant powers as its abilities progress upward.
Specialist wizards can cause problems where familiars are concerned. Since abjurers cannot learn alteration spells and invokers and necromancers can never acquire enchantment spells, one or more of these specialists may be prevented from using spells of the familiar enhancer series. Diviners and invokers, prohibited from using conjuration/summoning spells, cannot even learn find familiar: to encourage greater involvement of familiars in play, the DM might bend the rules and exempt these spells from the usual prohibitions, permitting any specialist the chance to boast of having a kindly-or cruel-animal companion.
The DM can still forbid a familiar from gaining powers that too closely resemble those from a school of magic its wizard is barred from learning. A gnome illusionist's ferret familiar, for instance, would never receive any abjuration powers, in which case this ferret lacking such useful protective powers deserves special care when the DM assigns it powers if the animal is to survive the campaign's many perils.
Magical items, too, can help familiars play a more active role and can protect familiars from a hostile world, so the DM might consider adding a
leg band of protection +2, a falcon hood of regeneration, or a collar bell of opening to an adventure's treasure hoard. The DM should review what special steps can be taken to better involve familiars at all levels of play. An animal companion that can hold its own in a gruelling campaign will make for more memorable adventures, well worth the DM's extra work.
[Further information on familiars can be found in the following articles: "A Cast of Strange Familiars," in DRAGON issue #84 (minor correction appears in issue #85, page 4); "Familiars with a Special Use," in issue #86; "Dragons are Wizards' Best Friends," in issue #146; and "Getting Familiar," in issue #l47.]
If you have any questions, comments or anything you'd wish to tell Lord Elmair, send him a at serraqi@pd.jaring.my