jrrt@mtuxo.UUCP (r.mitchell) (05/25/85)
The discussion on familiars prompts me to excerpt a spell I allow witches
in my campaign to use. It's a first level spell with purely verbal
components, and has a half-hour casting time, during which the witch must
be alone and in a moderately non-urban and temperate area. Comments
are welcome, and you may use anything you like from the spell,
although I'd like to get some credit if you do. Speaking of credit,
THE DRAGON, before it changed its name to merely DRAGON, had several
good articles about witches in early issues. One article in particular
served as the genesis for the following spell:
CALL FAMILIAR: The witch's familiar is very important to her, serving as
scout, protector, and companion. The familiar is extremely loyal to the
witch and will gladly fight for her. A witch may communicate
telepathically with her familiar and use its senses at a range of
12"+4"/witch's level in the dungeon or one-quarter mile/witch's level
outdoors. Familiars may be of either sex and have at least a Low intelligence.
All familiars have a system shock survival roll of 98%. If a familiar
drops below 0 hit points, it dies. When a familiar dies the witch
suffers a psychic reaction due to her telepathic link. She must save
as follows or be Stunned (70%) for 2 rounds/familiar HD or
be Enraged (30%) for 1 round/HD:
Psychic Reaction ST
INT + WIS 28-29 30-33 34-35 36-37 38+
Saving Throw: 13 11 9 7 5
Magical items have no effect on this saving throw, and even if she makes
it the witch will be unable to do anything else for the remainder of the
round in which the familiar died. Raise Dead, Resurrection, and
Reincarnation spells have no effect on familiars. They may be brought
back to life by expending 10 charges from a Rod of Resurrection or by a
properly worded Wish. If the familiar is permanently dead, the witch
may call a new, 1 hit die familiar after a 1 month wait. A witch will
never betray her familiar, harm it intentionally, abandon it, etc. even
under magical duress. If such a situation potentially arises, the witch
will go insane, break the Charm or whatever, and still not harm her
familiar.
The familiar holds the witch in equally high regard. Additionally, if
the witch is slain the familiar will change to large form (if possible)
and attack the witch's killer in a berserk fury (+2 to hit). After the
witch's killer is dead, the familiar has a 10% chance of remaining
berserk and attacking the next closest creature (recheck after each
creature so attacked). Thereafter the familiar will remain with the
witch's body for 1 day/HD of the familiar, guarding it from strangers.
The familiar will allow the witch's companions to move the body, cast
spells on it, etc, but will stay by the witch's side at all times. If
the witch is not raised within this period the familiar will wander away
and be lost forever. If the witch is subsequently raised she may call a
new, 1 HD familiar immediately if at least one month has past since she
last called a familiar.
A witch may have only 1 familiar at a time. When calling a familiar, a
witch may either choose a cat (black, of course) or may roll a d20 and
consult the Familiar table which follows. Where two familiars are
listed, the top one is for white (Good) witches and the bottom one is for
dark (Evil) witches. A 20 indicates a Special Familiar appropriate to the
witch's alignment (see the Special Familiar list). Special Familiars are
as described in the Monster Manual, except that the Brownie "gives" the
witch an 18 Dexterity, the advantage of never being surprised, and +2 on
all saving throws. Note that Special familiars do not increase in hit dice
or hit points as the witch gains levels.
If a Special Familiar is not rolled, the following paragraphs apply.
Normal familiars have 1 8-sided hit die when they are first called, and
thereafter gain one additional such die each time the witch makes level.
A familiar may be of two sizes: small (corresponding to an "everyday"
version of the creature) and large. As a familiar gains hit dice, the
definition of "large" gets correspondingly greater in that when the
familiar attains 3, 6, 9, or 13 HD, its large size becomes bigger and it
is capable of doing more damage with its attacks. A familiar may change
from one size to another within one segment, but may grow only once per
day per witch's level, and may stay in its large size for a maximum of
one turn per witch's level each time it grows. When a familiar is
in its small size, it does damage as a 1-HD creature of its type,
regardless of its actual hit dice (although To Hit remains a
function of hit dice, not size). For every four hit dice a familiar
gains (i.e. at 5, 9, etc.), its Armor Class decreases by 1, and while in
large size a familiar's AC is reduced by 1 more.
(Giant) Owls, Blink Dogs, Hell Hounds, (Brown) Bears, Wolverines, and
(Giant) Eagles are as described in the Monster Manual.
Ravens have Average intelligence and can memorize and repeat whatever
they hear, making them excellent spies and messengers. They fully
understand Common but cannot converse in it. Their vision is good
but their hearing is only average. In combat they are 10% likely to
attack their opponent's eyes, which can cause blindness.
Apes are as described under Carnivorous Ape. When in small size
they appear as small monkeys. They have excellent senses of smell.
Spiders can spin webs as Giant Spiders, move across ceilings and walls
with ease, and jump as a cat of two fewer hit dice. The saving throw
against their poison is adjusted by adding 5 and then subtracting 1 per
hit die of the spider. If the save is failed, the victim will die
(20-spider's hit dice) rounds after the bite. Spiders are very
sensitive to vibrations in the air or through the ground.
Lizards walk on ceilings and walls with ease and have a chameleon-like
ability to blend into their background and be 80% undetectable to
creatures who cannot detect invisible objects. Rolling a natural 20 to
hit means the lizard has seized its opponent, allowing at least double
damage that round and a guaranteed hit the following round.
Snakes may simultaneously use both constriction and bite attacks. Their
poison saving throws are adjusted as per Spiders, and have the same
effect. After attaining 6HD, the snake may spit as per a Spitting
Snake.
Wasps have saving throws against their poison adjusted by adding 3 and
then subtracting 1 per hit die of the wasp. Failure to save results in
immediate paralysis and death in 2-5 days. Burnt wings grow back in 2
weeks. Their senses are not exceptionally acute.
Cats may attempt to move silently and hide in shadows as a thief whose
level is their hit dice. They may jump 3'+2'/HD forward or 2'+1'/HD up
from a standing start (+50% for a running start). They can fall 15 feet
without taking damage. Their hearing and night vision is excellent.
Since cats have nine lives, they will reawaken in 1-6 days after death
(if the body is intact) until all nine lives have been used. When a
witch first calls her cat, a d10 is rolled indicating the number of
lives already used (treat "9" and "10" as "0").
Familiar Generation Table
1d20 Type AC Speed Attacks per Melee Round
1-2 Owl 7 3/24 2 claws/1 beak
Raven 7 3/30 2 claws/1 beak
3-5 Ape 7 12 2 paws/1 bite (plus possible rending)
Spider 6 9 1 bite (poisonous)
6-7 Blink Dog 6 12 1 bite
Hell Hound 6 12 1 bite/1 breath
8-10 Lizard 5 12 1 bite
Snake 5 12 1 constriction/1 bite (poisonous)
11-12 Bear 7 12 2 claws/1 bite (plus possible hugging)
Wolverine 6 12 2 claws/1 bite (plus musk)
13-15 Eagle 7 3/48 2 claws/1 beak
Wasp 6 6/21 1 bite/1 sting (poisonous)
16-19 Cat 6 12 2 claws/1 bite (plus possible raking)
20 Special
Damage per attack (based on large size and hit dice)
Type 1-2 3-5 6-8 9-12 13+
Owl 1d2/1 1d4/1d3 1d6/1d4 1d10/1d6 2d6/1d10
Raven 1d2/1 1d4/1d3 1d6/1d4 1d8/1d6 1d10/1d8
Ape 1/1d2(1d2) 1d3/1d4(1d4) 1d4/1d6(1d6) 1d6/1d10(1d10) 1d8/2d6(2d6)
Spider 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d10 1d12
Blink Dog 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d10 1d12
Hell Hound 1d4 1d6 1d8 1d10 1d12
Snake 1d4/1 1d6/1d2 1d8/1d4 1d12/1d6 2d8/1d8
Bear 1d2/1d4 1d3/1d6 1d4/1d8 1d8/1d10 1d10/2d6
(1d6) (1d8) (1d10) (1d12) (2d8)
Wolverine 1d3/1d4 1d4/1d6 1d6/1d8 1d8/1d10 1d10/2d6
Lizard 1d6 1d8 2d6 2d10 4d6
Eagle 1/1d2 1d3/1d6 1d4/1d8 1d6/1d10 1d10/2d6
Wasp 1d4/1d2 1d6/1d3 1d8/1d4 1d10/1d6 1d12/1d8
Cat 1/1d3(1) 1d2/1d6(1d3) 1d3/1d8(1d4) 1d4/1d10(1d6) 1d8/2d6(1d10)
Special Familiars
Brownie: LG Imp: LE, NE
Pseudo-Dragon: CG, NG Quasit: CE