Familiars

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The way familiars are written in the Realms of Sorcery, they lack life. They feel more like a tool than like a personality that can enrich the game. Very little attention is given to the nature of the bond between a wizard and his familiar - the fact that the type of familiar, its relationship and personality are determined by a roll of the dice, without looking whether such a familiar would fit the temperament of the wizard, is a prime example of this. Another example is that virtually no text is wasted on what it means to have a familiar, except for some cool extra powers.

I wanted to do things differently. In these pages I spend more attention to the relationship between a wizard and his familiar, trying to make that familiar a personality of its own. Further, I considered the abilities in the book far too powerful - almost munchkinlike - so in here I suggest a number of talents which are far less powerful, but IMHO more interesting and which which make the choice of a type of familiar matter.

I hope you like it. As usual, feel free to steal what you like and discard ideas that don't appeal to you.

Many wizards, especially human ones, are lonely people (in these pages, when I use the word "wizard", it also includes witches, warlocks and other magic users who would want a familiar). They see the world in a different way from the mundanes who cannot spot the winds of magic, and their craft gives them a power and responsibility that non-wizards cannot understand. While fellow wizards can understand each other, inter-wizardly relations are often characterised by mistrust, rivalry and jealousy (some argue that this is precisely so because wizards can understand each other so well). Some wizards learn to cope with this, or even revel in their lack of meaningful interpersonal contact. Not all of them do, however – and those that don’t, often find a familiar as a substitute. Familiars are loyal, have an understanding of magic, and often are a wizard’s only true friends.

Finding a familiar and getting to know it are important phases of a wizard’s life. They are of a very different magnitude than the act of going to the market and buying a pound of onions. As such, in a campaign due attention should be given to this. A familiar is not just a piece of equipment, but a character with a personality of its own. It wouldn’t be out of place to make the search for, and getting to know, a familiar a separate quest within the campaign. You might wish to give the search for a familiar the same attention as the search for a bride to a PC.

The type of familiar says something about the wizard. A feeble and polite wizard would not be found with a ferocious lion as a familiar - the two are just too dissimilar. A GM and player should spend some time discussing which type of familiar fits the temper of the wizard. All the more because a familiar transfers some of its characteristics on the wizard, both with talents conferred and with arcane marks.

Finding a familiar

Sometimes it happens; a Coup de Foudre, a sort of love at first sight, a chance meeting between man and animal who immediately realise that they are destined for each other. This is a rare occurrence, though. More often a wizard gets premonitions, sees omens and has dreams, all very vague, that indicate that a familiar is waiting for him. Such signs are normally the start of a search, and a treasure trove for adventure hooks.

The familiar is usually immediately recognisable as a member of its species, but there is something remarkable about it. Perhaps it is an albino or the skin has otherwise a strange pattern. Or its eyes are of a more vibrant colour than usually seen. Or there is another distinguishing mark. Whatever it is, to someone with witchsight the difference between a familiar and a normal animal is immediately visible because of the way the winds behave around the creature.

Befriending a familiar

If the mage and familiar meet, they need some time to actually get to know each other. This process can last several weeks – and again gives lot of opportunities for roleplaying, as the two will have to get used to each other’s habits. And do the personalities click? Only few familiars would put up with a wizard who just considers them, and treats them, as a pet, for instance.

In game terms, the mage has to make a Fellowship roll every week. Apply modifiers to this roll, based on how the relationship is played out. Keep a track of critical successes. When three such tests are passed, the relationship goes on to the next phase. When a critical miss is rolled, however, the man and beast were not really made for each other after all.

The bond

Once the Fellowship tests have garnered three successes, make a final Intelligence test. If this test is failed, discard all results of previous Fellowship tests and start anew. If the test succeeds, however, a bond between the two is cemented and the wizard has found a true friend. While this is a worthwhile goal of its own, there are also more material benefits to the friendship. Having a familiar allows a mage to get new talents. Right when the friendship is formed, the mage can get one new talent, and another one for each critical success he rolled. From then on, each month a fellowship test can be made, and when this one is passed, the wizard can acquire another talent.
Each talent learned, including the ones at the start of the friendship, costs 100 XP.

Further, a familiar has usually a magic domain; all spells related to that domain can be cast more easily by the wizard. A list of possible familiars can be found in these pages, and both the specific talents that this sort of familiar confers and its magic domain are mentioned there.

Note: The GM has already lots of things to do during the game, without having to play a wizard's familiar too. It may be a good idea to give another player the task of playing the familiar.

Whymme, 2006