Familiars

Lore

A familiar is a spirit summoned from another plane that forms a magical bond with a spellcaster to aid in the study and practice of magic. Upon forming this bond, the familiar chooses the form of a creature native to the Plane.

The familiar assumes the appearance and base statistics of a normal creature of its chosen kind.

A familiar is considered a magical beast for effects that depend on creature type.

A familiar cannot become an animal companion.

Basics

• Familiar Class Level: Familiar abilities are determined by the master's Familiar Class Level. Levels from different classes that grant a familiar stack for this purpose.

• Range: Familiar special abilities apply only while the master and familiar are within 1 mile of each other.

• Base Statistics: Except where modified by these rules, a familiar uses the statistics of its chosen animal form.

• Alignment: At the time of initial bonding, a familiar's alignment matches its master's.

• Hit Dice: A familiar has Hit Dice equal to half its master's Familiar Class Level, rounded up.

• Hit Points: A familiar has hit points equal to half its master's total hit points, rounded up.

• Skills: A familiar gains 2 + its Intelligence modifier skill ranks each time it gains a Hit Die. It uses its own ability scores and skill ranks.

• Feats: A familiar retains the feats of its chosen animal form and does not gain additional feats as its Familiar HD increases.

• Base Attack Bonus: A familiar gains a +1 BAB bonus per Familiar HD.

• Saving Throws: A familiar gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws per Familiar HD.

• Natural Armor: A familiar gains a +1 Natural Armor bonus per Familiar HD.

Death and Replacement

If the familiar's master dies, the bond anchoring the spirit to the Material Plane is dissolved. The familiar returns to its home plane within 48 hours. If the master is later restored to life, they may perform the familiar summoning ritual again to call back the same familiar.

If a familiar is dismissed, lost, or dies, it can be replaced 1 week later through a specialized summoning ritual. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete and costs 10 gp per Familiar Class Level.

Special Abilities

• Alertness (Ex): 1st Level: While a familiar is within arm's reach, the master gains the Alertness feat, granting a +2 bonus on Perception and Sense Motive checks. If the master has 10 or more ranks in either skill, the bonus increases to +4 for that skill.

• Improved Evasion (Ex): 1st Level: When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex save for half damage, a familiar takes no damage on a successful save and half damage on a failed save.

• Share Spells: 1st Level: The master may cast a spell with a target of "You" on their familiar instead of themselves. The master may also cast spells on the familiar even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the familiar's type. Spells cast in this way must come from a class that grants the familiar. This ability does not allow the familiar to share abilities that are not spells, even if they function like spells.

• Speak with Master (Ex): 1st Level: A familiar and its master can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures cannot understand the communication without magical assistance.

• Deliver Touch Spells (Su): 3rd Level: If the master and familiar are in contact when the master casts a spell with a range of touch, the master may designate the familiar as the toucher. The familiar may then deliver the touch spell just as the master could. If the master casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell is lost.

• Speak with Animals of Its Kind (Ex): 3rd Level: A familiar can communicate with animals of approximately the same kind as its chosen form, including dire varieties. Such communication is limited by the Intelligence of the creatures involved.

• Empathic Link (Su): 5th Level: The master has an empathic link with the familiar to a distance of 1 mile. The master cannot see through the familiar's eyes but can communicate empathically. Because of the limited nature of the link, only general emotions and impressions can be communicated.

• Spell Resistance (Ex): 7th Level: A familiar gains spell resistance equal to the master's Familiar Class Level + 5. To affect the familiar with a spell, another spellcaster must succeed at a caster level check against its spell resistance. The master may automatically affect their familiar with their own spells without making this check.

• Scry on Familiar (Sp): 9th Level: The master may scry on the familiar once per day as though using the scrying spell.