Familiars - General

Familiars & The Wizard
Whilst a Magic User can if he wishes learn the primitive “Find Familiar” spell to acquire a permanent millstone around their neck, hoping for the rare event of what is termed a “special” familiar, for those arcanists tutored in the Kingdoms Colleges this is regarded as something only carried out by primitive hedge wizards and witches.
The true Wizard will look to acquire a magical spirit that truly enhances his abilities, obviously this is not without cost and represents an investment by the Wizard into a career of self advancement that will allow him or her to take advantage of the Familiar Spirit. Note that Illusionists are also able to follow such a path, although the Familiar spirits they attract are more suited to the ephemeral nature of their magics.
It is known that Druids and to an extent Clerics are also able to bond magically with spirits, however the nature of these bondings is not covered here.
==Procedure==
Note: It is recommended that if the Magic User decides to follow this path, he or she should do so wholeheartedly and as early as possible in their career.
All Magic Users are able to summon a Familiar Spirit, but this comes with a cost. The ritual takes around 4 hours – but required no specific material components – simply a clear idea in the Magic Users mind as to what he is looking for from a Familiar Spirit.
At the end of the ritual the Magic User will be lessened:
* He/she will lose 1 pt from each of	their stats (Str/Con/Dex etc.)
* He/she will permanently lose 1	maximum spell learnt from each spell level (so an Int 16 MU would at	most be able to have 10 Spells in his/her spell book)
* He/she will permanently lose 2 hp	(yes the procedure has been known to kill those Magic Users of weak	constitution)
The primary attribute focuses that are known when summoning a familiar are:
* Protection
* Resilience
* Insight
* Destruction
Or themes on the above, however any Magic User will have their own “take” on this (i.e. ask the DM!). Familiar Spirits will tend to adopt an appearance that at low levels will be of animal nature representing its primary focus. So for instance, Insight familiars will often take the forms of Owls or Ravens at low level.
Once the procedure is complete, the familiar will normally take 1-4 days to become known to the Mage, during which period the Mage is obviously more than normally vulnerable – so plan accordingly.
==Familar States==
The Familiar Spirit can be in 1 of three states:
===Manifested:===
The familiar will be physically present and separate from the Mage, telepathic communication between the two is unlimited in range and the Mae can sense whatever the Familiar does (even beyond normal Human/Dwarf etc. sensory capabilities), for example with a Bat familiar the Mage would be able to comprehend what the Bat is sensing through echo location.
If the Familiar is within 30’ of the Mage then the two share a hit point pool (the Mages HP) and count as a single target for area effect spells (but both must make saves if applicable and the worst damage result is the one that applies). In addition whilst within 10’ the Familiar benefits from all protections/blesses etc. that the Mage has in place and vice versa (and then make only a single saving throw). See below for moving into and out of range.
Outside of 30’ the Familiar only has it’s own hit points and protections and although these are generally reasonable, it is vulnerable to being attacked.
No matter how far away, a manifested familiar will automatically discorporate and move to a latent state if the Mage falls unconscious.
===Latent:===
On demand and with a simple skin to skin contact either the Familiar or the Mage can initiate a merging whereby the Familiar spirit is absorbed into the Mage. This action is generally taken for protection purposes or to conceal the Familiar.
Once Latent, it takes around 8 hours for the Familiar to re-manifest, at the time of manifestation the Mage must be on full health.
===Dormant:===
If somehow the Familiar is killed then it’s physical body dissipates and its spirit returns to the Mage. It takes 10 days for the familiars energy to recover and during the first half of this period the Mage will suffer from a number of penalties.
Note that once a Familiar has been killed once, from then on the physical manifestation of the Familiar will have a faintly transluscent appearance. This translucency will increase with each “death”.
==Familiar Benefits==
In addition to the communication, shared protection and sensory improvements the familiar provides a number of benefits to the Mage that increase with the level of the Mage. The Familiar grows in power with the Mage (i.e. every tme the Mage goes up a level, so does the Familiar). These benefits vary by Familiar spirit but have in common:
Level	Familiar HP	Mage Benefits	Familiar Death Impact
1 	4 	 	
2-12 	 	 	
*The stat increases that the Familiar provides must be allocated evenly across all 6 stats (i.e. +1 to all stats before you can allocate the second increase). In the case where the initial stat decreases have resulted in the character failing to meet minimum stat requirements for their class, these must be rectified first.
Note that each Familiar will provide a number of additional benefits, depending upon it’s focus when summoned.
==Familiar/Mage Damage==
The nature of the bond between the Mage and the Familiar is such that the Mage will always take on any damage in so doing the Mage can fall below 1 hp – and indeed in some circumstances could die.
===Example:===
A Mage + Familiar are operating together, the Mage has 4HP, the Familiar 4HP.
Whilst within 30’ of each other they share a HP pool of 4HP
The familiar takes an arrow for 2 HP damage, the HP pool is reduced to 2 HP
If The familiar is sent away to investigate something, beyond 30’ this would put the Mage on -2 HP and the Familiar 4 HP. In general Mages should keep their familiars close! This last sentance was corrected by an email 2020-05-26 20:38:
No idea how - but I totally cocked up the Familiar damage section, I have reworded (below).
Let me know if I have still made a mess of it - I want to avoid giving away other information so have had to paraphrase a few things. Note that familiars are not like Druidic totems, they have a different use and relationship with their "owner" (as Dave Lewis came withing 3% of finding out).
==Summoning The Familiar==
You clear your mind and begin the ritual of summoning a magical familiar, for the first hour you are not aware of any change but then there is a gradual fading of awareness of your surroundings. Background noises become more and more muted, the feel of the ground underneath you fades until you feel as though you are floating. Soon all of your senses fade away to nothing, instilling a sense of panic. You feel as though you might go be going mad, when suddenly you become aware of a swarm of lights floating around you in the void (even though your eyes remain closed). Mentally you continue with the ritual. Initially the swarm of lights seems to ignore your presence, but this changes as with a sudden, and extremely painful, wrench you “see” a similar glowing spot appear on your chest. After a while this spot gains in size and then moves away from you but leaves behind it a glittering thread that links back into your chest. As the spot moves away you feel your essence being lessened, a physical weakness and even a clouding of your mental faculties.
Forcing yourself to continue you watch as the extracted essence of yourself floats out into the void, this now results in a change in behaviour of the light swarm. They all begin to congregate around your essence as it floats in the void. At this point you begin to concentrate on the attributes that you have decided will be the primary focus of your decided familiar. The swarm of lights begin to move frantically, and you sense a beginning of segregation as some of lights begin to orbit further away from your essence whilst others get closer and closer.
Then, with a sudden burst of light, one of the lights suddenly grows in side and envelops the manifestation of your essence, and you feel a great pain. Even as you feel yourself passing out, you notice the thread connecting you to your essence tautening dragging the light back into yourself.
When you wake, feeling totally drained, you feel no different other that a general sense of weakness of mental fog. You can only assume that the ritual has worked.
==First death of a Familiar==
As your familiar dies you feel a stab of pain inside you hear that
almost causes you to pass out with the pain. This passes quickly, to
be replaced by a sense of loss, of internal grief at the loss of our
bound spirit.
A few minutes later this sense of grief fades as you feel a comforting
presence and an internal knowledge that your familiar will return.
Things will be slightly different, you will be stronger, your familiar
more resilient, the pair of you will be able to accomplish so much
more.
Once your familiar has returned (10 days from time of death):
Your familiar when manifest will have:
*+D4 hp
*-2 AC
*5% Magic Resistance
*It will appear faintly translucent
You will gain:
*+0.5 hp/lvl
*+1 to a primary physical stat (STR/CON/DEX)
*0% Magic Resistance when familiar is manifest and within 30’