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Summon Familiar

Duration: special
Casting time: 12 Hours. The caster must spend the casting time undisturbed and with access to campaign appropriate magical resources.

Cost: caster allocates 100 Solidi (gold) per maximum effect desired.

 

This summons a magically enhanced animal as a companion for the caster. It is a summoned spirit combined with a fragment of the casters spirit all bound into an animals body. As such is extremely honest, obedient and loyal to the caster, and is only released by its death or banishment by the caster, or the casters death. A familiar has a high intelligence for its type and can communicate with the caster as if they both were speaking a common language. Only one may be in play at any time, and this spell can only be cast under a full moon.

 

Before casting the spell, the caster must decide what maximum effect is possible if the spell is successfully cast. This is the maximum effect that the spell can generate. The caster must provide 100solidi/point to cast this spell. When the spell is successfully cast with an effect of greater than 0, all the materials are expended, and the caster may then allocate the effect points to build the familiar. An effect of 0 means that no familiar is available until the next full moon, although the materials are not expended. Allocate effect points to the familiars size rating up to a maximum size of 6 and consult the summoned animal table in use in the campaign; any extra effect points may be used to enhance the familiar as noted below, as well as to add special features. If the spell is successful, but does not generate the desired effect points, the casting can be aborted; this requires the caster to wait another month, but the costs and resources are not expended. If the spell is cast and fails, the caster must also wait a month, but also loses ½ of all materials and resources.

Once the familiar is summoned, the Spellcaster increases his END score by the Size rating of the familiar. If the familiar is killed, his END score is immediately returned to the pre-familiar value. spellcaster then immediately takes 2xSize value as damage; normal wounding and unconsciousness rules for first hit apply. This damage is healed normally. If a familiar is banished by the caster, only the additional END points are lost.

The familiar is a large example of its type, with maximum physical values. The INT of the familiar is its normal int +1d6 -size +any allocated effect. Familiars also have an EDU rating (Learning or LRN) equivalent which is equal to its size plus any allocated effect.

 

The LRN value determines the spells and skills of the familiar that the spellcaster can benefit from. In general, a familiar can have one skill or spell per LRN point. Each level of a skill counts as one point also. Thus a familiar designed to hold two spells and one level three skill must have a minimum LRN of 5.

 

Spells held by a familiar are essentially extra memorized slots for the spellcaster, and skills are usable by the spellcaster as if he possessed the skill. Note that the spells and skills are specified at creation and may not be changed.

 

Other modifications to the familiar are also possible by allocating effect points.

 

• Common Speech (1)Familiar is able to speak an understandable language.
• Scrying (2) For 10 min/day, the caster may see thru the familiars eyes.
• Manipulative skill (1) The familiar is treated as if it had appropriately sized hands; some modification may be necessary, but generally assume that some limbs of the familiar are unusually dexterous and tactile.
• Armor(1) The familiars armror is increased by one level over its normal counterpart
• Stealth(2) The familiar is treated as having the sstealth skill-2 inaddition to any natural benefits.
• Flight(1) The familiar can fly if it is normally unable to, or fly twice as fast if it is.
• Toughness(1)The Familiars END score is doubled with no gain in mass.
• Invisibility(3) familiar can become invisible for 1 hour/day.
• Enhanced natural weapons(1) any natural weapons the familiar has are increased by +1 to hit and +2 Damage.
• Poison.(2) Any successful physical attack by the familiar is treated as poisoned (qv)

While the options are many, and in some ways complex, remember that the caster is essentially creating a unique creature, and may only ever possess one at a time.